■EMPLOYMENT
Job openings set to soar
The nation’s manpower demand is expected to increase by about 48,000 from the end of October until the end of next month, a survey published yesterday by the Council of Labor Affairs showed. The results of the fourth manpower survey of the year, conducted from Oct. 16 until Nov. 5 and with 3,025 valid samples, said that 21.3 percent of the companies that responded would hire more people next month, representing an increase of about 65,200 workers. About 8 percent of the companies surveyed plan to cut jobs, representing a reduction of about 17,300 workers. That would result in a net increase of 47,900 workers. It would be the highest net increase for a single season since the survey was launched in the third quarter of 2007, council officials said. Around 65 percent of the companies said they would keep their manpower unchanged next month.
■HEALTH
Most herbal cures imported
A big chunk of the nation’s imports of herbal and traditional medicines last year came from China, the non-profit Development Center for Biotechnology reported. Quoting a Chinese government customs report, the center said Taiwan imported traditional herbal medicine worth US$29.66 million from China last year, making Taiwan China’s fifth-largest market for this type of export. Local customs statistics show traditional medicine imports from China amounted to between 60 percent and 70 percent of total imports of these products. China is the world’s major exporter of raw materials used in herbal medicines, with a huge number of suppliers and processors, the center said. However, the center said the quality of these medicines was unpredictable and hard to control.
■HEALTH
Flu shots for everyone
The government is planning to make Dec. 12 a national day of immunization against A(H1N1) influenza, with the entire population expected to get a shot against the disease starting on that day, Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) said. It is hoped that everyone in the country, regardless of age or immunization priority order, will go to designated hospitals, clinics and injection stops for a vaccination shot from next Saturday, Yaung said. “The greater the number of people who get immunized, the better the efficiency of collective immunization will be,” Yaung said at the Legislative Yuan. As of Monday, about 8.75 percent of the population, or about 2 million people, had been vaccinated based on an order of priority prescribed by the government, statistics from the Central Epidemics Command Center show.
■SPORTS
Kaohsiung to run stadium
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) yesterday welcomed an announcement by Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) that the city government could take over the World Games Main Stadium from the Sports Affairs Council in three years’ time. Chen said she had urged city government officials to establish a cross-departmental task force to discuss the details with the Sports Affairs Council. She said the city government hoped to turn the stadium into an important venue for major events in the south. Chen said the city government was willing to shoulder responsibility for managing the stadium because Kaohsiung residents had developed a special bond with the venue since the World Games were held there in July.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
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