■ LEGISLATION
KMT will not revisit bills
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍) yesterday said the party would not support a reconsideration of the two amendments to the Farmers Association Law (農會法) and the Fishermen Association Law (漁會法) that critics said would pave the way for the "return of black gold politics." She said the decision was made by a group of seven party members in charge of studying the feasibility of overturning the two passed amendments, adding that the party's final position on the issue would need to be approved during today's caucus meeting.
■ LEGISLATION
Amendment passes reading
A legislative committee yesterday passed the first reading of an amendment to the Physically and Mentally Disabled Citizens Protection Act (身心障礙者保護法) to increase employment opportunities for the disabled. The Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare Committee estimates the proposed amendment would provide 4,800 additional jobs for the disabled. The Physically and Mentally Disabled Citizens Protection Act has been amended seven times since it was first enacted in 1980. Article 31 of the act stipulates that any government agency, public school, or state-run institution with 50 or more employees must reserve 2 percent of its jobs for disabled workers and that any private school, organization, or private business firm with 100 or more employees must reserve at least 1 percent of its jobs for disabled workers.
■ DIPLOMACY
Huang vows to protect ties
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will pull out all the stops to consolidate the country's diplomatic relations with its allies in Central America, Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) said on Sunday. Huang made the remarks amid reports of concern about a possible "wave of diplomatic defection to China" or "switch of diplomatic allegiance to China" of Taiwan's allies in the region. Huang headed for Belize yesterday to meet his counterparts from Central American countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The meeting is a regular annual event which takes place alternately in Taiwan and one of its allies in the region.
■ POLITICS
Ministry to appeal CKS fine
The Ministry of Education will file an appeal if it is slapped with a fine by the Taipei City Government over the removal of dictator Chiang Kai-shek's (蔣介石) name from a memorial hall, an official said yesterday. Chu Nan-hsien (朱楠賢), director of the ministry's Social Education Department, made the remarks after Lee Yung-ping (李永萍), director of Taipei City's Cultural Affairs Department, said the day before that her department had fined the "Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall" Administration NT$100,000 for failure to remove the canvas blocking the name plate of the hall and the two giant banners on the walls of the hall. Lee said that the notice for the cloth's removal was issued on Saturday evening and that the fine was handed out on Sunday. Successive fines will be levied for violating provisions of the Cultural Assets Preservation Law if the administration of the hall, which is under the the ministry's jurisdiction, fails to take action, she added. In response, Chu said he saw nothing illegal in "putting clothes" on the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. If the city government insisted on its stance, Chu said, the ministry would appeal the case after receiving the fine.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
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