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Fraudulent firm crushed

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/28
By: Liu Shih-yi and Ted Chen

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) The Bureau of Investigation under the Ministry of Justice on 2015052800271Thursday crushed the Maxim Trader Group, a bogus firm that posed as a financial institution affiliated to a Nasdaq-listed international holding company and allegedly swindled more than NT$3 billion (US$97.9 million) from investors.

Investigators summoned a women surnamed Chang (張) who had served as the president of the paper company’s Taiwan office, as well as 10 other suspects.

Raids on 16 locations used by the company by nearly 60 investigators resulted in the seizure of about NT$60 million in cash, a Maserati and a Bentley automobile, a portfolio of real estate deeds and bank accounts and a collection of jewelry.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan to send doctor to South Korea to learn about MERS-CoV

Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-28
By: CNA

Taiwan will send a doctor to South Korea Thursday to learn about the development

Chou Jih-haw, Oct. 22, 2014. (Photo/CNA)

Chou Jih-haw, Oct. 22, 2014. (Photo/CNA)

of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) there after it reported a fifth case, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Wednesday.

CDC director-general Steve Hsu-sung Kuo said the doctor will learn first hand about the status of the virus and measures taken at airports there to counter the virus’ spread, while also providing health information to Taiwanese nationals in the country.

Despite the announcement of a fifth MERS-CoV case in South Korea confirmed on Tuesday, another CDC official said Taiwan has not issued a travel alert for the country because the latest case was not a community infection case.

CDC deputy director-general Chou Jih-haw said the fifth case was a 50-year-old doctor who treated the first MERS-CoV patient on May 17.     [FULL  STORY]

Ruling against mountain rescuers sparks uproar

‘DETRIMENTAL TO SOCIETY’:Nantou firefighters were ordered to pay NT$2.67 million to the family of Chang Po-wei because they failed to find him before he died

Taipei Timmes
Date: May 29, 2015
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

A Taipei court’s ruling on a lawsuit over a 2011 mountaineering death has sparked

Family members of Chang Po-wei, who died while climbing Baigu Mountain alone, hold a cardboard cut-out of Chang during a demonstration in Taipei on July 5, 2011. Photo provided by Chang’s family

Family members of Chang Po-wei, who died while climbing Baigu Mountain alone, hold a cardboard cut-out of Chang during a demonstration in Taipei on July 5, 2011. Photo provided by Chang’s family

controversy because the judge blamed inadequate efforts by firefighter rescue teams and awarded the victim’s family NT$2.67 million (US$86,685) in compensation.

It was a precedent-setting ruling, marking the first time official rescuers have been ordered to compensate a victim’s family.

The defendants, Nantou County Fire Department officials, said after Wednesday’s decision that they would appeal the ruling because it was wrong to fault rescuers, adding that the verdict was very detrimental to society.

Nantou County Commissioner Lin Ming-chen (林明溱) yesterday vowed to appeal the ruling to protect the rights of firefighters who undertook the search-and-rescue mission.     [FULL  STORY]

FORESTS IN PERIL: Ginger greed behind vanishing Taitung forests

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/28
By Tyson Lu and Christie Chen, CNA staff reporters

No more than a year ago, the forests in Yanping Township in rural Taitung County

MERS-CoV electron micrograph

MERS-CoV electron micrograph

were green and tranquil. Then suddenly, backhoes and bulldozers began marching up the sides of pristine hills and mountains in rapid succession, knocking down trees to clear land for ginger farming.

An employee at the Yanping Township Office, who can see one of the mountain tops from his office, told CNA that he sees the machines digging away every day, turning bamboo forests into land distinguished by its yellow soil.

“The plot of yellow soil land was originally one acre large, but now it’s over two acres,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

FORESTS IN PERIL: Ginger greed behind vanishing Taitung forests

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/28
By Tyson Lu and Christie Chen, CNA staff reporters

No more than a year ago, the forests in Yanping Township in rural Taitung County 60753830were green and tranquil. Then suddenly, backhoes and bulldozers began marching up the sides of pristine hills and mountains in rapid succession, knocking down trees to clear land for ginger farming.

An employee at the Yanping Township Office, who can see one of the mountain tops from his office, told CNA that he sees the machines digging away every day, turning bamboo forests into land distinguished by its yellow soil.

“The plot of yellow soil land was originally one acre large, but now it’s over two acres,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

The ‘war’ word is being increasingly heard as Europe, Russia, China and the United States adopt provocative postures

news.com.au
Date: May 28, 2015

IS the world going mad? Military posturing is quietly reaching new extremes in

Sending a message . US and Georgian servicemen take part in ajoint exercise outside the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, last week. Source: AP Source: AP

Sending a message . US and Georgian servicemen take part in ajoint exercise outside the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, last week. Source: AP Source: AP

Europe, the Mediterranean and the South China Sea. And the provocative bluster has just reached new heights.

The source was anonymous. But the mouthpiece has a measure of credibility. High profile military analyst and former US Naval War College lecturer John Schindler tweeted last week: “Said a senior NATO (non-US) GOFO to me today: ‘We’ll probably be at war this summer. If we’re lucky it won’t be nuclear.’ Let that sink in. “

The warning comes as Europe engages in some of its biggest ever war games — right on Russia’s front door. It’s a deliberate ploy, intended to remind Moscow of the consequences of its duplicitous invasion of Ukraine.

Sending a message . US and Georgian servicemen take part in ajoint exercise outside the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, last week. Source: AP Source: AP
Half a world away, the “w” word was mentioned again yesterday. This time in an editorial by a Chinese state controlled paper. Said the Global Times: “If the United States’ bottom line is that China has to halt its activities, then a US-China war is inevitable in the South China Sea.”     [FULL  STORY]

Dialysis consumes biggest share of Taiwan’s medical spending: NHIA

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/27
By: Lung Pei-nin and Maubo Chang

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) Taiwan spent more than NT$600 billion (US$25.15 billion) for 2015052700301medical care under its national insurance program in 2014, with dialysis for patients with kidney disease accounting for the biggest share, according to information released Wednesday by the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA).

NHIA official Wang Fu-chung said the country’s hospitals reported more than 615 billion points’ worth of medical services in 2014, with each point receiving NHIA reimbursement of NT$0.9.

In the category of chronic kidney failure, however, each point was rewarded with only NT$0.82 in NHIA funds because the total spending by all hospitals was way in excess of the budget allocated for that type of treatment, Wang said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan must prepare to contend with ‘Made in China 2025’

Want China Times
Editorial
Date: 2015-05-27

Beijing put forth a guideline May 8 for its “Made In China 2025” initiative, which

A Southeast Auto manufacturing plant in Fujian province. (File photo/CNS)

A Southeast Auto manufacturing plant in Fujian province. (File photo/CNS)

outlines Beijing’s goal of developing China into a global power in the manufacturing sector by 2025. Facing China’s ambition for a comprehensive industrial upgrade, Taiwan should begin as soon as possible to think about what role it can play in the upgrading process.

The guideline specifies that China should develop a powerful innovation capability, cultivate its competitive edge and set up world-leading technique and industrial manufacturing systems. So in the first 10 years, crucial core technologies must be secured, industrial pollution and emissions must be reduced and the manufacturing industry must be “digitalized, go online and be intelligentized.”

By 2025, the degrees of industrialization and informatization must be raised, industrial waste emissions must be in line with first-world standards and there should be a formation of international enterprises and industrial clusters with strong competitiveness.     [FULL  STORY]

Shih launches online signature campaign

Taipei Times
Date: May 27, 2015
By: Lee Hsin-fang  /  Staff reporter

Veteran political activist Shih Ming-te (施明德), who announced his presidential bid

Veteran political activist Shih Ming-te speaks at the launch of his online signature collection app in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Veteran political activist Shih Ming-te speaks at the launch of his online signature collection app in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

last week, yesterday launched a signature-collection app developed by his campaign team. While the legality of online signature collection might be challenged, as it has not been approved by the Central Election Committee, Shih said the move is not prohibited and is legal.

Shih would need at least 300,000 signatures to qualify as an independent presidential candidate. He launched his signature campaign yesterday, saying he would sue the committee if it raises questions to impede his effort.

Emphasizing that a legal expert said the collection campaign is workable, Shih said the committee had deliberately picked on young people who sought signatures to recall legislators, but he would not let the committee off the hook if it tries to block his campaign.     [FULL  STORY]

EVA Air plane target of chemical weapons threat: official

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/27
By: Wen Kui-hsiang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) An EVA Air flight from Taipei to Los Angeles arrived safely at 201505270005t0001Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday morning Taipei time after someone called in saying chemical weapons were on board, a Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) official reported Wednesday.

Han Chen-hua (韓振華), a CAA section chief, said that EVA Air reported to the CAA that it was notified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that chemical weapons may be aboard the plane and that the aircraft and the 305 passengers on board were being checked.

Han said several anonymous calls threatening international flights as they headed to airports in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts have also been received by American authorities in recent days.     [FULL  STORY]