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Soldier’s death at Taichung base under investigation
A 26-year-old volunteer soldier died in a shooting accident at Ching-Chuan-Kang Air Force Base in Taichung. A forensic exam on Oct. 9 will determine the cause.2024/10/09 09:35 -
President Tsai honors Taiwan’s top civil servants of 2023
President Tsai Ing-wen praises outstanding civil employees from 2023 for their contributions to national progress and societal stability. Accompanied by Premier Chen Chien-jen and Examination Yuan President Huang Jong-tsun, Tsai acknowledges the awardees at the Presidential Office for their exemplary efforts and achievements. She emphasizes the significance of public servants in providing enhanced public services and overall national development. Tsai expresses gratitude for their commitment and encourages them to share their workplace innovation experiences with others.2024/01/02 15:49 -
Health minister unsure of nurses’ exam standards gripes
The Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan has decided to lower the entry standards for the national examination for nursing personnel in order to address staff shortages. The Minister of Health and Welfare, Hsueh Jui-yuan, expressed his uncertainty about the reasons for nurses’ dissatisfaction with the announcement. The goal of this policy change is to enhance the pass rate in the national examinations and boost the nursing workforce. However, the National Taiwan University Hospital Union argues that the real issue lies in the lack of conducive workplace environments to retain nurses, rather than the number of nursing licenses. They believe that both ministries have failed to adequately discuss the policy change and provide comprehensive explanations and support measures. The union urges hospital management to improve the workplace environment to better handle staffing predicaments.2023/11/12 18:02 -
NSB watching Chinese spouses closely as election nears
The National Security Bureau (NSB) chief Tsai Ming-yen has announced that Mainland Chinese spouses who accept funding from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be handed over to judicial authorities. Tsai stated that while he respects the activities of Mainland Chinese spouses in Taiwan as long as they are legal, he urged vigilance in monitoring collaborations with united front work operations, activities with political objectives, and accepting funding from the CCP and its organizations in Taiwan. He emphasized that if there is concrete evidence, individuals will be handed over to judicial authorities. The potential inclusion of mainland China-born Xu Chunying in the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) at-large legislative candidate list has raised national security concerns. Xu claims to no longer carry any Chinese status and therefore believes she is not obligated to observe its laws. Tsai did not publicly comment on Xu’s case. In other news, Tsai stated that the case involving Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chao Tien-lin’s alleged extramarital affair partner being a spy is now in the courts for examination. Tsai respects the outcome of the investigation and refrained from further commenting as the case has entered judicial proceedings.2023/11/06 17:54 -
Taiwan ramps up defenses against Chinese infiltration
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has reported to the Legislative Yuan on four methods of infiltration by China: "compatriot’s affection," "familial love," "organized crime," and "online communication." The National Army is taking measures to counter these infiltration tactics, including domain safety checks on military computer networks and careful examination of file transfer procedures. China’s state security agency has been actively penetrating Taiwan’s defenses with espionage activities, targeting classified information on underground organizations. The MJIB plans to strengthen reconnaissance-based technologies and the agile use of computing to ensure effective case investigations.2023/10/30 14:50 -
Draft bill to allow unions for select gov’t staff approved
The Executive Yuan of Taiwan has passed a draft amendment allowing select police, judiciary, and accounting personnel in government agencies to establish unions with the approval of the Ministry of Civil Service. This amendment proposal will be sent to the Examination Yuan for review. The decision to allow union formation follows a tragic fire in Pingtung where four firefighters died, prompting the National Association for Firefighters’ Rights to demand the formation of a union.2023/10/26 17:03 -
Ko Wen-je wants 13-year compulsory education policy
Presidential candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party has proposed a comprehensive 13-year education policy that includes expanding compulsory education to children as young as 5 and increasing the kindergarten budget by NT$15 billion annually.2023/09/28 19:34