TRACKED DOWN:Migrant workers might violate an administrative act, which normally incurs a fine, but police have the power to hunt them like criminals, an advocate said

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 12, 2017
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

Premier William Lai’s (賴清德) second day in office began with two consecutive labor

rights protests outside the Executive Yuan yesterday morning, with one asking the government to allow blue-collar migrant workers the right to switch employers and the other demanding that the government not side with businesses if it changes the regulations regarding working hours.

The Taiwan International Workers’ Association (TIWA) and other groups advocating the rights of migrant workers urged Lai to investigate the death of a 27-year-old Vietnamese worker surnamed Nguyen.

The “runaway” foreign worker was shot nine times at close range by police after allegedly attempting to steal a police car and throwing stones at police.

The case has many unanswered questions, they said, adding that the police should release the footage showing how the officers handled Nguyen on Aug. 31 for his allegedly illegal acts.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-09-10

Taiwan’s new premier, William Lai (left), met with two former premiers on Sunday,

beginning with DPP heavyweight Su Tseng-chang (right). (CNA photo)
Taiwan’s new premier, William Lai, visited two former premiers on Sunday. That was two days after taking office along with a new Cabinet on Friday, replacing outgoing Premier Lin Chuan.

Lai visited former Premier Su Tseng-chang on Sunday morning. Su served from 2006 to 2007 under former President Chen Shui-bian. The Democratic Progressive Party heavyweight then went on to chair his party from 2012-2014.

Su had high praise for the incoming premier, saying that they’d known each other for many years. Lai thanked Su for his affirmation, saying that he wanted to learn from the former premier’s experience in enabling his Cabinet members to play to their strengths.    [FULL  STORY]

The one big reason why it is a super trip has everything to do with the unparalleled scenery along the trail.

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/09/10
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–I went hiking on the Bitou Cap Trail (鼻頭角步道) yesterday (Sept. 9) and enjoyed the satisfaction the trip gave me from the beginning till the end despite the sultry weather that left me drenched in sweat. The one big reason why it is a super trip has everything to do with the unparalleled scenery along the trail.

I drove along Taiwan’s Northeast Coast, which is full of stunning landscapes, on Provincial Highway No. 2 in the afternoon, and arrived at Bitou Fishing Port around 2:30 p.m. I started hiking on the trail, which is a perfect circular route, from the entrance beside the fishing port. Many people start hiking from the Bitou Elementary School entrance.

The stone-paved trail is about 2 km long and takes about two hours to complete, including time out for photo taking and resting.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/09/10
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Sept. 10 (CNA) A program offering vocational training for migrant workers in Taiwan was launched in Taipei on Sunday, with the aim of helping foreign workers prepare for life after they return to their home countries.

Some 30 Indonesian migrant workers attended a baking course, while 15 others attended an e-commerce course, at KaiNan High School of Commerce and Industry on the first day of the program.

The Global Workers’ Upskill Center program, launched by the Global Workers’ Organization, Taiwan, is now offering 10-week courses, which are held on Sundays, and awards a certificate on completion of the training.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 11, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

Economic, public security and cultural policies should be the government’s priorities,

Premier William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday as he paid separate visits to former premiers Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Yu Shyi-kun to seek advice on running an administration.

After a closed meeting with Su in Taipei, Lai said Su told him that the priorities of the new Cabinet should be economic development and public security.

“The government has to do everything it can to develop the economy and it has to listen to advice to give people a good quality of life,” Lai quoted Su as saying.

The priority for law enforcement is to crack down on drugs, Lai said, adding that Su shared his experience of combating drug trafficking during his premiership and when he was Taipei County commissioner.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-09-09

New premier William Lai has held the second meeting of his premiership, discussing

the central government’s 2018 budget.

Lai formally took over the premiership Friday, following the resignation of his predecessor Lin Chuan earlier in the week.

Lai’s first Cabinet meeting on Friday ended with the decision to reopen discussion of next year’s government budget. The Cabinet says this decision was made out of respect for the Legislature following the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Lai’s second meeting as premier took place Saturday afternoon. It focused on determining which areas of the budget should be adjusted and by how much. The new Cabinet plans to come out with a final budget proposal at a meeting Thursday. Once the Cabinet approves this proposal, it will be sent to the Legislature before the opening of its new session.    [FULL  STORY]

The discovery of an endemic species of soybean was the catalyst

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/09/09
By: Light McCandless, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–The Wanda hydro-electric generating station, completed by the

Japanese just before the outbreak of WWII is now an environmental education center.

In 2012 Taipower began an overhaul of the Wanda power station 台電萬大電廠 , installing three new generators and upgrading a fourth. In 2013 the installation was completed, replacing aged equipment that had been in use since the late 1950’s.

Then, in 2013 a species of unique endemic Taiwan soybean was discovered in the lush mountains around the Nantou County Renai Township Wanda power plant. To cultivate this rare Taiwan endemic plant, Taipower invited domestic biodiversity and ecological conservation experts together to plan rehabilitation of the area. At the same time, it decided to promote the Wanda plant as a green energy and environmental education base.

Taipower then took 3 years to train some of its engineers as environmental education teachers and design six sets of environmental education courses. The site is now Taiwan’s first renewable energy and environmental teaching site. Taipower said that NTU Institute of Plant Biology Professor Huang Tseng-chuan (黃增泉) had compared this rehabilitation exercise with that of the Chichiawan stream (七家灣溪) Formosan landlocked salmon (櫻花鉤吻鮭). After Wanda suceeded in growing the soybeans in 2013, Taipower decided to change the old post office dormitory near the power plant into an education center.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/09/09
By: Chang Rong-hsiang and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in southern Taiwan on

Saturday received a check for NT$12.77 million (US$424,885) from the family of a deceased Japanese woman, whose father once taught at the school.

The check was presented to NCKU President Su Huey-jen (蘇慧貞) by the seldest on of Miyoko Izumi, who had willed half of her assets to the university before her death in 2015.

According to her son Kohei Izumi, she wanted the money to be used to provide scholarships for NCKU students, which would help preserve the memory of her father Professor Iso Momose, one of NCKU’s first Japanese teachers.    [FULL  STORY]