Mariano is a student at National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences and a spokesperson for Migrante International — Taiwan Chapter. He notes that most workers pay exorbitant placement fees at home, before having monthly service fees deducted by Taiwanese brokers. This is what we’re trying to achieve.”Like Mariano, Wong expresses outrage at the abuses he has encountered. “We should be angry but our anger should have focus,” he says. “Anger without focus is useless.”

CGA seizes smuggled cigarettesBy Ou Su-mei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThirteen shipping containers of smuggled cigarettes were intercepted on Tuesday at the Port of Taichung, the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Investigation Branch announced yesterday, adding that the seizure’s potential market value of NT$500 million (US$16.94 million) could be a record. The ship had a crew of 12 Indonesians and 12 Chinese, as well as a Taiwanese chief engineer surnamed Kuo (郭). Coast Guard Administration officers unload bales of smuggled cigarettes from a shipping container in the Port of Taichung yesterday after intercepting the shipment on Tuesday. Cartons and packs of smuggled Chinese Double Happiness cigarettes are displayed in Taichung yesterday after being seized by the Coast Guard Administration. However, the vessel entered the harbor at 11am, and the CGA seized the opportunity to board the ship and inspect its cargo, Liu added.

Google said to buy land in Yunlin for data centerEXPANSION: While the search giant declined to confirm the reports, it mentioned in a blog post in March plans to construct a new data center in the nation this yearBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterAlphabet Inc’s Google has bought a plot in Yunlin County to build a data center, local media reports said yesterday, without citing sources. In Asia, the search giant also operates a data center in Singapore and one in Mumbai, India. Although Google is keeping mum about the Yunlin property, the company in a blog post dated March 21 said it is expanding its Changhua data center, and alluded to the possible construction of a new data center in Taiwan this year. “We will continue to expand our Google Taiwan data center in Changhua. The establishment of a Google data center can bring many opportunities for industrial development for Taiwan,” it added.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung smiles as he talks to reporters at the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday. Photo copied by Wu Liang-yi, Taipei TimesLocal governments can set mandatory mask-wearing rules at these sites if they deem it necessary, and set penalties for people who do not follow the rules, Chen said, adding that local governments are required to inform the CECC about their rules before implementing them. If the domestic COVID-19 situation worsens or domestic cases of unknown infection sources are reported in certain cities, counties or areas, the CECC might also announce location-specific mask-wearing rules, he said. The CECC has been informed by the Philippine authorities that a Filipino woman tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Manila last week, he said. Among the 506 people tested without symptoms, two received positive test results, he added.

Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang, left, stands next to a disease prevention worker at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesIn light of health concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislature would undergo a three-stage sterilization process after the visit by the delegation, and during the visit delegation members would use separate washroom facilities, officials said. Czech reporters arriving with the delegation would be given a sectioned-off area in the legislature from which to report, they added. Delegation members would be given beverages in glass bottles that would be sanitized afterward, Wu said. Cleaners working at the legislature the day of the visit would wear gloves, masks and other protective clothing, she said.

Premier touts France ‘breakthrough’REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE: Su Tseng-chang said people can see how Tsai Ing-wen has made diplomatic advances in Guam and France, despite Chinese oppressionBy Lee Hsin-fang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerPremier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday hailed the planned establishment of a representative office in Provence, France, as a “diplomatic breakthrough” and a result of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) effective diplomatic policies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday announced the establishment of the office in Aix-en-Provence in southern France. Premier Su Tseng-chang, left, presents an award for excellence in case mediation to a government worker at a ceremony at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesTaiwanese can see how Tsai has made important diplomatic breakthroughs in places such as Guam and France, despite Chinese oppression, Su said. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and Taoyuan International Airport Corp have sought a delay to the completion date for the runway to 2030, which Minister Without Portfolio Wu Tse-cheng (吳澤成) turned down.

“We hope that the domestic tour market will continue to prosper after the summer season is over. Asked why the ministry had not asked for more funds when the program’s budget was debated in June, Lin said that the Central Epidemic Command Center had lifted domestic travel restrictions earlier than the ministry expected, on June 7. While the ministry has paid travel subsidies since July 1, it had initially planned to do so starting next month. However, at the time it was unclear how the globalCOVID-19 situation would play out, and the tourism industry needed a stimulus,” he said. “The program has not just encouraged people to travel domestically, but also helped travel service operators survive and generated tax revenue for the government,” he said.

Internships in Taiwan: The pipe dream of meritocracyMany university students draw on family connections to intern at prestigious firms, while acceptance rates for everyone else remain depressingly lowBy Stephen Yang / Contributing reporterBrian Chiu (丘博元) echoes many university students when he says he’s frustrated by the lack of internships available. In this undated photo, students walk through the campus of National Taiwan University. Ke received one offer, but had to decline it because it was for an entire year and could only devote time to a summer internship. TRIVIAL TASKSWith very few internship opportunities openly advertised, competition for internships is fierce. Yet even when students like Yvonne manage to secure internships, these opportunities do not necessarily guarantee an enriching experience.

THSRC implements pay increaseSTABLE REVENUE: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp has also given bonuses to employees who did government disease-prevention work from February to last monthBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterTaiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) on Monday said that its pay increase plan, which was scheduled for January but still not implemented when it was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, would retroactively take effect on Aug. 1, after it hit its target revenue for two consecutive months. As the company has reached the benchmark it set for itself, THSRC chairman Chiang Yao-chung (江耀宗) announced at an incentive banquet on Monday night that the pay increase plan for all employees would retroactively take effect from Aug. 1. Aside from the pay increase, the company also gave bonuses to employees who did government disease-prevention work between February and last month. The THSRC Labor Union said it accepted the decision from the company’s management to resume the pay increase plan and appreciated that they had taken the union’s suggestions into consideration, although it would have preferred the plan to have retroactively taken effect on Jan. 1. “We hope the company will see how hard employees have worked and reward them accordingly.”

General merchandise sales grew 7.2 percent year-on-year, department store sales were up 10.3 percent, supermarket sales rose 6.6 percent and convenience store sales jumped 21.3 percent, ministry data showed. “All we can say is that as of July 27, NT$4.48 billion in vouchers had been redeemed for cash from banks by vendors,” he said. People have also been dining out and buying iced drinks, with restaurant sales last month rising 1 percent year-on-year to NT$58.2 billion, the highest July figure on record. “Ideally, you want the businesses that accept the vouchers to keep them in circulation, spending them like cash again,” Wu said. “Usually about 10 million to 20 million Taiwanese travel abroad every year,” he said.

From left, Innolux Corp executive vice president Ting Chin-lung, chairman Jim Hung and president James Yang pose for a photograph at a news conference in Miaoli yesterday. Millions of schoolchildren need tablets to study online. Employees need laptops and bigger monitors for Web conferences,” Innolux president James Yang (楊柱祥) told a media briefing in Miaoli. The steady growth in demand would not be just a short-term phenomenon, Innolux chairman Jim Hung (洪進揚) said. Demand for such displays has tripled this year from last year amid growing health consciousness, it said.

Firms at risk over US-China trade: CNFIBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe government should pay serious attention to escalating US-China trade tensions, which are putting local firms at risk, as the two economies account for 60 percent of Taiwan’s exports, the Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI, 全國工總) said yesterday. “The government must not take the trade tensions lightly, but should draw up effective, pragmatic policies to support local industries,” CNFI chairman William Wong (王文淵) told a news conference in Taipei after releasing the trade group’s annual position paper. Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI) chairman William Wong, center, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, as CNFI vice chairman Matthew Miao, left, and Pan Chun-jung, convener of its board of supervisors, look on. The pandemic is another challenge that could push many local companies out of business, especially non-tech firms whose business order and profit margins are dwindling, CNFI said. CNFI secretary-general Tsai Lien-sheng (蔡練生) said that government relief and stimulus measures are inadequate in scale and do not reach firms that are in need.

Ministry outlines plan to fight digital gender violence as schools to reopenBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday issued five “don’ts” to help students prevent “digital gender violence” and four “dos” for responding to such events. The ministry has made “preventing digital gender violence” the theme of this year’s nationwide “friendly campus week,” which runs from Monday to Friday next week, he said. Its four “dos” for responding to cases of digital gender violence are: Do tell a teacher or parent; do save a screenshot for evidence; do call the police; and do report the other party, it said. While gender violence exists in real life and online, it “spreads faster” online, said Theresa Yeh (葉德蘭), a member of the Gender Equality Education Committee and chair of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation. Separately at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, members of the Paper Windmill Theater Troupe (紙風車劇團) acted scenarios, which students might encounter that would be considered digital gender violence.

Eight new restaurants receive Michelin starsBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterEight restaurants in Taipei and Taichung were given one or two-star Michelin ratings for the first time, while Le Palais of the Palais de Chine Hotel retained its three-star rating for the third consecutive year in this year’s Michelin Guide. Michelin Taiwan general manager Jay Mao, left, claps at an award ceremony for Taiwanese restaurants in Taichung yesterday. Le Palais, which features baked egg custard tarts, Cantonese-style crispy roast duck and tofu dishes was awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide for a third time. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, gourmet enthusiasts have to undergo many restrictions when dining out,” Michelin Taiwan general manager Jay Mao (毛行健) said. “I strongly recommend that the Michelin Guide consider evaluating the culinary scenes in southern Taiwan, such as Kaohsiung and Tainan,” Lin added.

Exposure to lead could cause artery disease: studyBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) study has linked lead exposure in young people to increased risk of arteriosclerosis — hardening and narrowing of the arteries. NTUH Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine director Su Ta-chen (蘇大成) yesterday said that many people already know that lead exposure in childhood is linked to a lower IQ in adulthood, but their study on young people linked lead exposure to several diseases. The higher the urine lead levels were, the thicker the carotid artery intima-media were, Su said. They found that high lead exposure was also linked to higher insulin resistance and higher blood pressure, as well as higher risks of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, Su said. A possible reason for exposure to lead causing an increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis is that lead exposure can cause changes in DNA methylation within blood cells, which can cause atherosclerosis, he said.