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The top story from this past week involved a scandal over the use of recycled oil in food products.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that hundreds of tons of oil, including oil taken from recycled kitchen waste and even the by-products of leather processing plants, have been sold for human consumption in southern Taiwan over the past year. The administration said at least 235 domestic food companies and restaurants have used this recycled oil. Those companies have sold it on to hundreds of other restaurants, stalls and food manufacturers.
Police say those involved in the scandal could be fined between NT$60,000 (US$2,000) and NT$50 million (US$1.6 million). Investigators have collected evidence including 17 oil tanks and 91 barrels of oil from the suspects.
An investigation found that Kaohsiung-based Chang Guann Co. supplied more than 50,000 18-liter cans of its cooking oil to companies across Taiwan.
According to Chang Guann, the oil was sourced between February and August by an individual named Kuo Lieh-cheng. Kuo allegedly worked with five others to use a phony waste processing company as a front to collect oils meant to be recycled for use other than human consumption.
Kuo was released on bail on Thursday, but on Saturday a court in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, ruled that he should be detained, after prosecutors found that he had taken out all his savings from a bank account and is a flight risk.
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Also this past week, President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday that he supports democracy and rule of law for the people of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is currently a Special Administrative Region of China. On Sunday, Beijing ruled out open nominations for the next Hong Kong leader in 2017. The pro-democracy group Occupy Central has threatened mass civil disobedience to paralyze Hong Kong’s main business district if China does not offer the city a real choice in the 2017 election.
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And finally this past week, budget carrier Tigerair Taiwan plans to launch its maiden flight in two weeks. The low-cost airline is a joint venture between Taiwan’s China Airlines and Singapore’s Tiger Airways.
After Tigerair gets an Air Operator Certificate from the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the airline will officially become Taiwan’s first domestic low-cost carrier. It plans to launch its maiden flight to Singapore on September 26. The airline is planning to then expand its flight network to Northeast Asian countries including Japan and South Korea.
There are 13 low-cost carriers operating in Taiwan. Another Taiwanese budget carrier, V Air, is likely to enter the market later this year. It was established last November as a subsidiary of Taiwan's TransAsia Airways.