CRIME
Immigration official detained
A National Immigration Agency (NIA) official was detained by prosecutors on Wednesday on allegations of extortion during the investigation of a suspected illegal migrant worker. The official, surnamed Wen (溫), is accused of demanding NT$10,000 from an Indonesian worker and NT$20,000 from her employer, purportedly to pay for the employee’s deportation, the Investigation Bureau said. Wen was not authorized to collect money from either the worker or her employer, the bureau said. The matter came to light in May when the Taipei City Field Office of the Investigation Bureau arrested the Indonesian woman on charges of overstaying and working illegally in Taiwan. Prosecutors said 40 foreign resident permits were found in Wen’s house in Keelung and at his Hsinchu office. The investigators said they would trace Wen’s cash flow to try to determine whether he had extorted money from other migrant workers.
TOURISM
Yunlin to open bridge
The Yunlin County Government has announced plans to open a steel bridge across the Beigang River (北港溪) to help tourists reach all the historical sites in the county, as part of its efforts to promote this year’s Agriculture Exposition. Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chi-fen (蘇治芬) said the 113m-long bridge would be opened along with two other bridges by the end of this year, ahead of the year-end exposition. Su said the Beigang bridge would help introduce the area’s cultural heritage — historical sites, unique houses, temples and traditional art forms — by providing improved access for tourists. The exposition, which will be held from Dec. 25 through March 6 next year, is aimed at raising awareness about environmentally friendly farming practices.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
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