Biometric Update
Date: Jul 31, 2020 
By: Chris Burt

Taiwan may soon establish a new agency dedicated to personal data protection to support the secure launch of its national electronic identification (eID) cards, which are expected to be issued in 2021 after the latest production delay.

Digital Minister Audrey Tang expressed support for a new government data protection body, according to Taiwan News, suggesting that a task force including members from different areas of society will help enforce the legal protections afforded to individuals and ensure proper steps are taken to protect their information.

The independent agency would perform eID incident investigations and deal with matter related to the Personal Data Protection Act. Such a move would also bring Taiwan into better alignment with the EU’s GDPR, Tang reportedly said.

Information Law Center Director Chiou Wen-Song urged the government to proceed cautiously with its eID implementation, and cited Germany, Estonia and Japan as examples of countries that have regulations specific to digital ID.    [FULL  STORY]

Hundreds of Indonesian Muslims gather outside Taipei Main Station for Eid al-Adha prayers

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/31
By:  Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Members of Taipei's Indonesian Muslim community were already lining up 6:30 a.m. at the Taipei Travel Plaza outside Taipei Main Station to get a spot in the first session of prayers on Friday (July 31), the second day of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Participants wore masks and brought their own prayer mats, in accordance with the COVID-19 epidemic prevention guidelines that had been previously announced by organizers. A rectangular space had been cordoned off with traffic tape to keep people from entering the area without first having their temperature checked and hands sprayed with alcohol.

PCINU Taiwan (台北市印尼服務交流協會) head Agus Susanto told Taiwan News, “Even though Taiwan has zero (local) cases, we still follow the safety protocols in order to stay cautious and protect everyone coming from all over Taipei and surrounding areas."
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/31/2020
By: Chang Chi, Pan Tzu-yu, Yang Shu-min and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Taiwan's late President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) fulfilled many political wishes during his lifetime, not least of which is achieving democracy, but he did not see one of his last wishes fulfilled before passing away on Thursday.

That is transforming the nation's beef industry by developing a Taiwanese breed of cows that was better than Japanese ones known for their prime quality meat.

In 2016, Lee, who held a doctorate in agricultural economics from Cornell University in the United States, purchased 19 heads of cattle which had been put out to pasture on the Qingtiangang Grassland of Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei.

The cattle were later verified as an ancestor breed of Tajima, one of native Japanese cattle breeds.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 30 July, 2020
By: John Van Trieste

Researchers at Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) say that a treatment they are developing for COVID-19 is showing promise. The treatment uses monoclonal antibodies, and has shown positive results in tests on hamsters.

The director of the NHRI’s Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, Liao Ching-len, says the antibodies target what the team calls the virus’ “Achilles heel” with extreme precision.    [FULL  STORY]

The Standard
Date: 30 Jul 2020

Taipei prosecutors on Thursday indicted Far Eastern Air Transport Corp chairman Chang Kang-wei on a number of charges, including embezzling NT$3.5 billion (US$120 million) from his debt-ridden carrier, CNA reports

According to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office indictment, Chang took over the management of FAT in 2009 after the carrier announced bankruptcy a year earlier, by producing falsified financial statements of his own Huafu Group.

After taking control of the airline, between 2015 and 2016, Chang channeled NT$1.36 billion of FAT revenue to Huafu, which was short of funds, according to the indictment.

In addition, Chang was also found to have transferred NT$2 billion worth of debt owed by Huafu to the airline.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus T&aiwan
Date: 07/30/2020
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan and Joseph Yeh

Jakarta, July 30 (CNA) The Indonesian government said Thursday it is ready to start sending migrant workers again to 22 countries and regions around the world, including Taiwan, after a suspension of nearly four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesian Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah said that when the country's export of migrant workers resumes, 88,973 Indonesians will be permitted to work in 22 countries and regions worldwide.

Indonesia has forged agreements with 14 of the 22 countries and regions on the supply of migrant labor, covering issues such the protection of the workers' health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ida said.

She did not say, however, when exactly the export of labor will resume, nor did she name the participating countries, saying only that the dates will be decided based on the readiness of each of the foreign governments.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 28 July, 2020
By: Katherine Wei

The Taoyuan airport mass rapid transit (MRT) line has suffered 14 power trips that subsequently caused fires in less than two years. This is the word from the Railway Bureau on Tuesday.

In 2020 alone, there have been eight power trips as of July, and the Railway Bureau says the warranty for the cables used in the airport MRT line expires in August. The bureau has asked the Japanese company Hitachi to resolve the problem and install new cables for the entire line. 
[FULL  STORY]