Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/18
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Civic groups voiced their concerns Wednesday about a draft act

aimed at attracting more foreign white-collar workers to Taiwan, and urged the government to restrict the number of foreign professionals permitted to work in the country in order to protect local workers.

The groups voiced their concerns about the Draft Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professional Talent at a press conference at the Legislative Yuan, a day before the act is scheduled to be reviewed by legislative committees. The draft act eases restrictions on the employment of foreign professionals and is aimed at increasing Taiwan’s international competitiveness.

At the press conference, Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強), convener of the Economic Democracy Union, said his group is not against Taiwan opening its doors to more foreign teachers, artists, technicians and other professionals, but demands to know if any restrictions will be placed on the total number of foreign professionals permitted to work in the country.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 19, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter, with CNA

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday echoed

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) position on cross-strait ties, reiterating that cross-strait relations should be based on the so-called “1992 consensus.”

Wu stressed at a KMT Central Standing Committee meeting the importance of the framework in rebuilding rapport with China, hours after Xi renewed calls at the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 19th National Congress for Taipei to adhere to the “1992 consensus,” which he said embodies the spirit of the “one China” principle.

However, Xi did not mention the “one China, different interpretations” aspect of the “1992 consensus,” which the KMT has for decades maintained is a core element of the framework.    [FULL  STORY]

Mining continues to threaten people and environments in Taiwan’s national forest areas, highlighting the importance of forthcoming changes to the Mining Act.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/10/17
By: Rosemary Chen

The Control Yuan (Taiwan’s investigatory agency) last week censured the Ministry of

Economic Affairs (MOEA) and Hualien County Government for neglecting to enforce regulations on the mining industry — the newest development in an ongoing debate on Mining Act (礦業法) amendments demanded by environmental groups since March.

On March 14, Asia Cement Corporation (ACC) received approvals from the MOEA to extend its mining permit for another 20 years — despite missing environmental assessments procedures, required under the Mining Act.

On June 25, thousands of protesters marched to the Executive Yuan requesting a reassessment on the permit for ACC and amendments to the Mining Act. They also protested for indigenous land rights and demanded that government’s environmental assessment reports be made public.    [FULL  STORY]

Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung is renowned for its architecture of stained glass

Taiwan News  
Date: 2017/10/17
By:  Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung city

has been named as one of the 7 Most Stunning Subway Stations in the World by Popular Mechanics.

The subway station in Kaohsiung city amazed the author for its stained glass architecture which is normally reserved for cathedrals. The Formosa Boulevard Station featuring the “Dome of Light” is described as a “cathedral by virtue” for its massive colorful glass panels that decorate one of the busiest stations in the city.

This magnificent piece of the art was created by the notable artist, Narcissus Quagliata and took almost four years to complete. Furthermore, the dome is the world’s largest public art installation made from individual pieces of colored glass.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/17
By: Lee Shien-feng and William Yen

Taipei, Oct. 17 (CNA) Three mountaineers received unprecedented fines totaling

NT$180,000 (US$5,960) for not abiding by rules regulating mountaineering activities in Hualien, local fire department official said Tuesday.

Lin Wen-jui (林文瑞), head of the Hualien County Fire Department, said the trio had to be rescued by helicopter that day after entering the mountains from Dongpu, Nantou County Oct. 7 and becoming trapped in the mountains since Oct. 14 due to heavy rain.

Each individual was fined NT$60,000 as they failed to hire a guide and purchase insurance, said Lin.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: October 17, 2017
By: Yeh Su-ping and Isabel Wang

TAIPEI (CNA) – Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said Tuesday that Indonesia

tops the list of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy target countries and that the government values the relations between the two sides.

Chen made the statement during a meeting with a group of visiting Islamic scholars from the Indonesian Ulema Council at the Presidential Office.

Chen noted that over 250,000 Indonesian laborers are working in Taiwan, around 30,000 Indonesian spouses live here, and more than 5,000 students from Indonesia are studying here.

At the same time, approximately 200,000 Taiwanese tourists and businessmen travel to Indonesia each year, he added.
[FULL  STORY]

Tropical storm No.21 is unlikely to affect Taiwan but Taiwan’s weather remains wet due to the impact of northeasterly winds

Taiwan Neqws
Date: 2017/10/16
By: Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A tropical depression has developed into the 21st tropical

storm of the year but unlikely to affect Taiwan; meanwhile, a cool and wet weather is expected to last at least a week due to the impact of northeasterly winds, according to Weather Central Bureau (CWB).

Tropical Storm Lan (蘭恩), the 21st tropical storm this year, formed near Guam at 2 a.m. just after typhoon Khanun has ended its impact on Taiwan. The storm is around 2000 km away from the southernmost tip of Taiwan and moving at a speed of 11-14 kph in a west-northwest direction, according to meteorologist Liu Yu-chi(劉宇其) in an interview with CNA.

Tropical storm No. 21 is unlikely to affect Taiwan; however, it is still under observation for its future path and intensity, Liu added.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/10/16
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) LGBT rights activists on Monday urged President Tsai Ing-wen

(蔡英文) to deliver on her promise, as they staged a rally to commemorate Jacques Picoux (畢安生), a French professor whose suicide last year put the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage in the spotlight.

The activists made two demands to the Tsai government. First, they said, same-sex marriage should be legalized by amending the Civil Code which currently states marriage is between a man and a woman. The activists are opposed to introducing a separate bill to address the inequality.

Second, they demanded that the Civil Code be amended before the legislative session goes into recess, expected to be by the end of this year or early next year.
[FULL  STORY]