TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lawmakers are calling on the government to address the rise in sexually transmitted diseases among young people in Taiwan.

The CDC said the prevalence of STDs among teenagers has increased significantly in recent years, while the average age of infection is becoming younger. A news conference by the Action Alliance on Basic Education on Wednesday urged the government to implement an STD prevention and treatment plan, sexual health education guidelines, and a family education program.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum attended the conference to call on the government to improve nationwide sex education. AABE Director Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) acknowledged several countries have noted STDs are becoming more prevalent, but said the issue is of the utmost urgency for Taiwan.

Over the last decade in Taiwan, reported gonorrhea cases among females ages 15 to 19 years increased more than eightfold, from 26 cases in 2012 to 222 in 2023. Cases among males rose sixfold from 111 cases in 2012 to 756 in 2023.

Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) said that stigma and prejudice in Taiwan society towards sexual health topics such as STDs have prevented many young people from accessing medical info or seeking treatment. She said youth should be informed early on through the education system and their parents about STD prevention and contraceptive measures to protect their health.

She added the most important thing parents can do to protect their children is to not make them feel ashamed. Instead they should encourage them to bravely seek medical help when necessary.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) added that teenagers who feel they must hide their sexual behavior or avoid discussing sexual topics may be led to wrong information or become at greater risk of contracting STDs. She said the goal should be to educate young people on safe and healthy behaviors.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor carried out spot safety inspections at construction sites across Taiwan on Wednesday.

The unannounced spot checks were timed to coincide with the upcoming Lunar New Year, when many companies rush to complete construction projects ahead of a week-long break. In the process of finishing work ahead of deadlines, they may neglect worker safety and overlook occupational hazards.

According to the Ministry of Labor, 12 labor safety violations were found during recent spot inspections conducted in north Taiwan. This resulted in seven suspensions of work and fines of NT$550,000 (US$16,640).

Labor Minister Hong Shen-han (洪申翰) personally attended inspections in the Taipei area. He looked for labor safety violations and took time to talk with on-site labor safety inspectors as well as local media.

Hong said labor safety inspectors face a high turnover rate and he has asked the labor ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to provide more support. This includes organizational support when dealing with unreasonable pressure from construction sites, improved technology, and better transportation.

Hong said the work of such inspectors is difficult as they frequently encounter unfriendly and condescending construction managers who may limit access to labor inspection sites, with some facing personal threats.

Hong said labor safety inspectors can prevent accidents and ensure everyone enjoys a healthy work environment in the weeks before the Lunar New Year. 

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High Court on Wednesday ordered five companies to pay over NT$170 million (US$5.14 million) to compensate 222 factory workers who became ill after working at an RCA factory in Taiwan.

The ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles mounted by employees of an RCA factory in Taoyuan that operated between 1970 and 1992. Employees first brought compensation claims to court in 2004, by which time more than 1,300 of the factory’s employees had developed cancer, and 221 had died.

Around 40 members of the workers’ advocacy group RCA Employee Care Association gathered at the court after the ruling, where its chairperson Tu Chin-chu (杜津珠) said she hoped the compensation would be paid to victims as soon as possible. Tu said that while the amount of compensation was not high, it still represented progress.

Taiwan courts have ordered RCA, the US’ General Electric, France’s Technicolor, and other companies associated with the factory to compensate employees in different rulings since 2004. The High Court declined to award 222 workers compensation in a 2020 judgment, after which the group sought a retrial that resulted in the Wednesday ruling.

RCA Employee Care Association lawyers said in a statement after the ruling that the compensation was too low. They said the association’s legal team would consult with its members to decide if it would submit an appeal.

Tu said she hoped Taiwan’s businesses could learn from the RCA case and treat future generations of workers better. She said the ruling also shows conscientious business owners must consider the health of their workers.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A high court in Kaohsiung on Wednesday upheld the death sentence for a man who confessed to murdering a Malaysian student.

Liang Yu-chih (梁育誌) was once again sentenced to death in a retrial for the murder of a Malaysian student at Chang Jung Christian University in 2020. The ruling marks the first death sentence following a constitutional interpretation of the death penalty issued in September.

Kaohsiung High Court said the collegiate panel unanimously decided on the death sentence. This was based on Liang’s premeditated intent to commit murder, the cruel means, and his lack of potential for rehabilitation.

On Sept. 20, the Constitutional Court declared that capital punishment is constitutional. However, the court said its application should be limited to the most serious crimes, be unanimous among a panel of judges, and exempt people with psychosocial disabilities.

Li Shu-hui (李淑惠), the administrative judge at Kaohsiung High Court, listed three reasons for the verdict. First, Liang planned the crime over an extended period and deliberately chose a remote location to commit the crime, waiting for a lone female student. 

Second, he battered the victim's face and body and strangled her with a rope. This fitted the Constitutional Court's definition of most serious crimes.

Third, Liang lived with his family, was financially stable, and held a commercial bus driver's license. It was not until he quit his job seeking higher pay that he experienced financial hardship, leading to a sense of helplessness that he claimed motivated the murder.

The panel of judges determined Liang's antisocial personality was deeply ingrained, rendering psychiatric treatment ineffective. They believed that his risk of recidivism was very high.

The panel deemed it necessary to deprive Liang of his life and permanently isolate him from society. The judges unanimously sentenced him to death and stripped him of his civil rights for life. 

The case can still be appealed and will be forwarded for further review as required by law.

​TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor said Tuesday it wants a meeting next month with its Indian counterparts to discuss the recruitment of Indian migrant workers.

Chuang Kuo-liang (莊國良), deputy head of the Workforce Development Agency's Cross-Border Workforce Management Division, told reporters the second Taiwan-India meeting is expected to be held before the end of February. The working group-level meeting will focus on agreements reached during the first meeting.

Taiwan and India signed a memorandum of understanding on labor cooperation in February for Indian migrant workers to fill labor shortages. However, many steps remain before the program can be launched, including recruitment planning and establishing administrative and regulatory frameworks. 

The two countries reached an initial consensus during a meeting in November. This prioritizes the traditional manufacturing sector, with 1,000 Indian workers expected in the first batch, 5% of whom will be hired directly.

There was an agreement to hold meetings online every two months, with additional interim meetings as necessary. Each side has specialized units for direct hiring. In Taiwan, this will be the WDA's Direct Hiring Service Center, while India has the Protector General of Emigrants. 

The direct hiring initiative will be coordinated via India's eMigrate 2.0 portal.  

Chuang said that Indian migrant workers have not previously used a direct hiring system. Therefore, the next meeting will introduce Taiwan's direct hiring platform. Taiwan has also raised some questions about India's eMigrate 2.0 online system.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT legislators held a press conference on Monday drawing attention to unaccounted-for foreign workers, noting the number has increased from 48,000 in 2020 to nearly 90,000 by 2024.

KMT Legislator Wang Yu-min (王育敏) showed surveillance camera footage taken at Taoyuan International Airport, where a foreign worker appeared to be standing in line for airport security check to board a flight home. The worker then changed clothes as part of a disguise and departed the airport, and the whereabouts remain unknown.

Wang said the Vietnamese worker in the video was required to leave Taiwan on Dec. 3, 2024, as her work contract expired. A labor broker took the worker to the airport and confirmed her arrival at 11:30 a.m., but she left the airport lobby at 11:41 a.m.

Wang said employers and brokers try to send off foreign workers at the airport in person but due to regulations, they can not enter the security area. No government unit is responsible for supervising and ensuring the departure of foreign workers.

Foreign workers may deceive employers and brokers to remain in Taiwan, the legislators said. Wang said employers and brokers are still the groups who are punished and urged government authorities to bear responsibility.

KMT Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) also questioned whether an organization assisted the foreign worker’s departure from the airport. Wan said as the number of foreign workers increases each year, supervision is more important.

Wang said that based on information collected by her legislative office, 90 foreign workers fled the airport in 2024. She urged the government to close this loophole and ensure all foreign workers return to their native country after their work contract.

​TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Public satisfaction with neighborhood security in Taiwan reached 85.64% last year, according to a survey released on Jan. 3 by National Chung Cheng University’s Crime Research Center.

The center, known for its focus on public safety, conducts surveys to help the National Police Agency assess and refine its policies. It also received positive feedback for police efforts in fraud prevention, drug enforcement, and curbing gang violence, with 88.06% supporting fraud prevention, 64.05% backing drug enforcement, and 85.75% approving of efforts to reduce gang-related brawls, per Criminal Investigation Bureau.

The survey also revealed strong public support for cross-departmental task forces, with 90% of respondents in favor, while 88% of the public agreed that online platforms should take steps to remove fraud ads reported by police.

Ninety percent of the public believes these operators should regularly disclose how they handle and remove fraud ads and their timelines. Meanwhile, 95% of respondents believe operators are responsible for removing fraudulent information once identified.

The National Police Agency said it will reference these survey results to continue improving its anti-fraud efforts.

The agency launched a new initiative last August, publishing daily updates on the number of fraud cases handled and financial losses. Four new anti-fraud laws resulted in the prevention of 17,084 fraud cases and the recovery of over NT$11.7 billion (US$354 million).

Authorities apprehended 2,302 fraud syndicates and 20,706 suspects in 2024. They also seized more than NT$13.8 billion in illegal gains.

Multiple crackdowns on etomidate, originally a Class III drug, were carried out last year. Over 3,000 individuals were arrested, along with 17,540 e-cigarette cartridges and 317 kg of powder.

A Class III drug can cause disorientation, loss of motor control, and seizures. Etomidate, a controlled sedative originally used as a short-acting intravenous anesthetic for general anesthesia, has been mixed with chemicals and used in e-cigarettes, the New Taipei City Police Department said.

The drug was reclassified as a Class II narcotic last November. Inhaling etomidate can cause symptoms such as the inability to think or speak, loss of bodily control, and abnormal tremors, creating a “zombie” effect, hence its nickname the “zombie drug.”

In mild cases, users may experience confusion and respiratory failure. Severe cases can be life-threatening.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Aviation Police Bureau said a Thai male was caught attempting to smuggle 11 kg of heroin into Taiwan on a flight from Bangkok.

The man was traveling on a tourist visa on Oct. 4 last year when he was stopped after his checked luggage was X-rayed. An inspection revealed 30 bricks of heroin packed into Thai-style shoulder bags.

He was immediately arrested and transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Taipei Customs, Aviation Police Bureau Criminal Investigation Captain Li Wei-chia (李維佳) said the 47-year-old Thai male admitted to being recruited by an overseas drug trafficking group. It offered him approximately NT$954,000 (US$28,830) and covered round-trip airfare, food, and accommodation.

Li said the individual was a drug user who racked up major debts due to his addiction. He was also accustomed to foreign travel after living in France.

The bureau said it would strengthen border detection to catch drug offenders. It also urged the public not to come into contact with drugs as addiction can lead to lifelong harm.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Finance has sped up procedures to raise the maximum duty free liquor allowance for travelers entering Taiwan from 1 liter to 1.5 liters at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.

An initial proposal set the new limit at 2 liters, but because of divided opinions, the ministry later reduced the figure to 1.5 liters. The new rules, expected to go into effect on Jan. 25, will be the first change to the liquor allowance in 20 years.

Lawmakers pointed out that a 1-liter bottle usually only contained 700 centiliters. As travelers often bought one bottle for themselves and one as a present for friends, they easily exceeded the limit, according to legislators supporting the change.

The Ministry of Finance consulted domestic alcohol distillers and distributors, and looked at duty-free practices in Asia, Europe, and America. The study also considered the potential loss in tax revenue from a more generous allowance.

The ministry estimated 12 million travelers would enter the country in 2025, with the new measures causing a loss in revenue of several million New Taiwan dollars.

Alcohol increases risk of over 60 diseases and health conditions.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Five tourists face up to NT$50,000 (US$1,512) in fines each for walking on Alishan Forest Railway tracks on Monday.

Monday morning, Alishan Forest Railway personnel and local police conducted a patrol starting from Erwanping Station along the railway toward Chiayi. Five tourists were caught walking on the tracks.

Officials said the tourists violated Article 70 of the Railway Act, which prohibits pedestrians and vehicles from trespassing on railway tracks, bridges, or tunnels. Each faces fines ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$50,000.

The Jhuci Precinct of the Chiayi County Police Department referred their cases to the Railway Bureau to process the penalties.

The Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said that the Alishan Forest Railway resumed full operation on July 6, after repairing severe damage caused by Typhoon Morakot in 2009. This restoration marked the return of the narrow gauge line from Chiayi to Alishan.

The restored route has revealed numerous scenic spots that attract many tourists. However, the office stressed that the tracks are not designated recreational areas and walking on them is prohibited.

The office said that some individuals, and even travel agencies, have arranged tours that involve walking on the tracks, which severely compromises train safety and violates the Railway Act.

On Dec. 14, a female tourist trying to take pictures by the tracks was knocked over by an oncoming train and suffered a broken leg. She was fined and the police charged her with endangering public safety.

However, tourists continue to walk along the Alishan railway tracks for recreation. The office is considering installing cameras along the route to better deter people from walking along the tracks.