The China Post
Date: April 30, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Liang Sheng-yueh (梁聖岳), 21, was found sleeping in an icy ravine deep in the Himalayas on Wednesday. Beside him was the cold corpse of his girlfriend Liu Chen-chun (劉宸君), with whom he had gone hiking on the Ganesh Himal trail and become lost in a snowstorm.

Upon hearing the footfalls of the rescuers, Liang awoke.

“We were very surprised,” said Madhav Basnyat, one of the rescuers who had scoured the high-altitude region in a protracted operation to locate the young Taiwanese couple.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2017/04/28
By: Keith Menconi

Joe Henley talks to Keith Menconi about his new book, ‘Bu San Bu Si: A Taiwan

Punk Tale.’

Even longtime residents of Taiwan could be forgiven for ignorance of the vibrant but little-known punk rock and heavy metal scene that can be found, with characteristic screaming vocals and thrashing mosh pits, throughout a select handful of the nation’s bars and clubs.

But after his arrival in Taiwan a little over a decade ago, Canadian author and musician Joe Henley managed to find his way into the scene fairly quickly, and he has been captivated by it ever since. Playing the role of participant observer, he has both performed in a number of local bands including death metal outfit Revilment as the group’s lead singer, and has also written about it extensively as a columnist and freelance journalist for a number of English-language publications.   [FULL  STORY

District court saw occupation as civil obedience

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/28 20:23
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said Friday it would

appeal the recent not-guilty verdict for 22 members of the Sunflower Movement in the March-April 2014 occupation of the Legislative Yuan.

After a legislator of the then-ruling Kuomintang tried to force through a controversial trade pact with China without the promised reviews, dozens of activists entered the legislative compound and stayed there from March 18 to April 10, 2014.

The Taipei District Court acquitted the 22 accused because they had only used their right to civil disobedience and had not committed any crimes, but prosecutors disagreed, mentioning several elements Friday why the case against the activists should continued to be fought.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/28
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, April 28 (CNA) A seminar organized by the Ministry of National Defense

(MND) for domestic college students to see how Taiwan defends its territory in the disputed South China Sea concluded Friday when the students returned to Kaohsiung from Taiping Island.

Seventeen students from graduate schools or doctoral programs at three Taiwanese universities took part in the nine-day seminar, conducted mostly on Taiping Island, to study the government’s military strategies in the South China Sea and how an island’s sovereignty is defined under international law, the MND said.

The students, accompanied by three lecturers, sailed to Taiping Island on April 20 on a La Fayette-class frigate, which was on a naval patrol mission to the South China Sea, the ministry said.    [FULL  STORY]

‘IMPORTANT PARTNER’:The president met AIT Chairman James Moriarty, who said the US appreciates the leadership displayed by Taiwan on global health issues

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 29, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said the nation attending the World Health

Assembly (WHA) relates directly to the nations’ right to good health and it should not be undermined for any reason.

Support and assistance from the US and other like-minded nations for Taiwan’s participation is the greatest recognition of Taipei’s many contributions to the global health system, Tsai said during a meeting with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty.

Tsai acknowledged the US government’s support of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. She also thanked Moriarty for reaffirming at a public health workshop in Taipei under the US-Taiwan Global Cooperation and Training Framework earlier this week Washington’s position that Taiwan should be allowed to attend the WHA.    [FULL  STORY]

TIGHT-LIPPED:Terry Gou dodged reporters’ questions on whether he met with US President Donald Trump, saying his memory is not good and he ‘already forgot’

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 29, 2017
By: J.R. Wu / Reuters, TAIPEI

Top executives of Foxconn Technology Group (富士康), including founder and

Chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), visited the White House on Thursday, Taiwanese TV footage showed, as the Apple Inc supplier ponders a multibillion-dollar investment in a panel plant in the US.

Footage aired by TVBS yesterday showed Gou entering and leaving one of the entry gates of the White House with senior company executives, including Foxconn vice chairman Tai Jeng-wu (戴正吳), also head of Japanese firm Sharp Corp, in which Foxconn holds a two-thirds stake.

When asked by reporters on his way out of the White House if he had met with US President Donald Trump, Gou said: “My memory is not good. Maybe I already forgot.”    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 29, 2017
By: Stephanie Chao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The government has sought to downplay U.S. President Donald

Trump’s rejection of President Tsai Ing-wen’s suggestion there could be a repeat of the two leaders’ direct phone call in December, saying the incident had been blown out of proportion.

The Tsai administration would continue to maintain close communications with its greatest ally the United States, the Presidential Office said in a statement following Trump’s remarks.

The Presidential Office emphasized that the hypothetical question was broached by Reuters and not the president herself.

The president’s “passive response” to the question was not a complete exclusion of the possibility, however an overall deliberation of the situation and U.S. interests must be considered, the statement read.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 28, 2017
By: Joseph Yeh

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) insisted Thursday that its

representative office in Washington, D.C. had not removed an R.O.C. emblem design from one of its gardens, but rather had simply updated its appearance.

Former de facto ambassador to the U.S. Shen Lyu-hsun (沈呂巡) said earlier this week that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration had recently removed the emblem design from the garden at Twin Oaks estate, the former Washington residence of R.O.C. ambassadors.

Shen warned that the move could jeopardize the R.O.C. government’s legitimacy and representation in the U.S., while opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers said the emblem represented the country and should not have been removed.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-27

President Tsai Ing-wen has said her administration will continue to listen to feedback

on the new labor law in order to work with the public and resolve differences. Tsai was speaking Thursday at an award ceremony for selected exemplary workers for 2017.

The new labor law went into effect at the beginning of this year. It mandates one fixed day off per week plus one negotiable day, which can be traded for overtime pay. The revision has met with strong backlash from employers and employees alike. Many say the new schedule has put more strain on them without any tangible benefits.

Tsai thanked all the award recipients for their hard work. She said the government will continue to listen to the feedback on the new labor law in order to create a better working environment.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/27
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taipei Metro is awarding pass purchases restaurant

vouchers, effective from April 28 to October 31, Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) announced Thursday.

With a purchase of the One-Day Pass, 24hr Taipei Metro Pass, 48hr Taipei Metro Pass, or 72hr Taipei Metro Pass, visitors will receive vouchers for Ice Monster, Kao Chi, Taipei 101 Shopping Mall, and Taipei 101 Observatory, the TRTC said. The packages are available between April 28 and October 31.

The pass denominations include NT$150 (One-Day Pass), NT$180 (24hr Taipei Metro Pass), NT$280 (48hr Taipei Metro Pass), and NT$380 (72hr Taipei Metro Pass).    [FULL  STORY]