Archive for August, 2009

Evacuations will be necessary, Ma says

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) appealed to survivors of Typhoon Morakot on Sunday to evacuate when necessary in the future. Continuing his tour in Kaohsiung County, Ma told Namasiya Township (那瑪夏) residents now staying at a military academy in Yanchao Township (燕巢) that they must realize the importance of relocation. “If we don’t implement the mandatory [...]

Prisoners to be released early for community work

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

A number of convicts who were sentenced to prison terms of six months or less are expected to be put to work in communities hardest-hit by Typhoon Morakot, Ministry of Justice sources said on Sunday. The assignment will be part of a community-service sentencing program introduced under an amendment to Article 41 of the Criminal [...]

COA to boost loans offered to typhoon-damaged fish farms

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

The Council of Agriculture (COA) announced on Sunday that it would increase the amount of low-interest loans offered to grouper fish farmers who suffered losses from Typhoon Morakot. The move is part of the government’s efforts to reconstruct the devastated fisheries industry.“The damage caused to the nation’s grouper fish farms — concentrated in Pingtung County’s [...]

Defense ministry sticks to 60 Blackhawks plan

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday it will go ahead with its original plan to procure 60 US-built Blackhawk helicopters, but will allocate 15 of them to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) for disaster relief work. “We reached that decision after consulting with the Interior Ministry,” the defense ministry said in a [...]

Survey finds increasing concern over public safety

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

An increasing number of people are dissatisfied with the government’s maintainance of social order, a survey released on Saturday indicated. The survey conducted by the Crime Research Center of National Chung Cheng University found that 76 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the government’s efforts to improve social order in the first half of the [...]

Activists question good job figures

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

Labor rights activists and academics said on Sunday that they were skeptical that working conditions would improve despite the job market gradually showing signs of recovery. The latest data from the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) showed that the number of workers told to take unpaid leave by their employers had dropped to 66,709 as [...]

Taiwan, California advance to Little League final

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

Taoyuan of Taiwan took advantage of six errors by Reynosa of Mexico and scratched out runs on a bunt single and a bases-loaded walk to win 9-4 and reach the Little League World Series final on Saturday. Up next, a matchup yesterday with Chula Vista of California, which routed San Antonio of Texas 12-2 in [...]

Eve of school year sees 1-year-old hospitalized for A(H1N1) swine flu

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

Most of Sunday’s ten new hospitalized A(H1N1) swine flu cases were children, including a one-year-old, the Centers for Disease Control announced on the eve of the new school year. The rise to a total of 75 cases came just one day after the CDC announced a record one-day increase of 11. “Hospitalized cases” is the [...]

Taipei City to decide fate of Neihu-Muzha lines tomorrow

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

Taipei City will announce on Tuesday what it will do with the troubled Neihu-Muzha Mass Rapid Transit lines, especially during the upcoming Deaflympics, Mayor Hau Lung-pin said. The MRT lines were in the midst of their second consecutive weekend shutdown on Sunday for intensive repairs by Canadian contractor Bombardier. The city has blamed the problems [...]

Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan to mixed reactions

August 31st, 2009  |  by Taiwan Today News  |  published in Society

Kaohsiung, Aug. 31 (CNA) Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport late Sunday night to mixed reactions. Scores of people waving banners at the airport denounced the Dalai Lama’s visit to Taiwan, while others waited for hours at other points to catch a glimpse of him and to greet [...]