Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/08
By: Huang Li-yun and Ted Chen

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Taipei City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) on Wednesday revealed another breach of secutiry rules by the Army’s 602nd Aviation Brigade in Taichung five years ago.

Lee made the revealtion at a TV talk show in the wake of a scandal involving the Aviation Special Forces Command, which has led to the removal of its commander and punishments of higher-level officers, including Chief of the General Staff Gen. Yen De-fa (嚴德發) and Army Commander Gen. Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正).

At the center of the scandal is Lt. Col. Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成), the deputy head of a helicopter squadron in Taoyuan under the Army Aviation Special Forces Command, who has since been removed from his post.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-08
By: Chang Ta-wei

In order to accelerate industrial upgrading, the Chinese government has highlighted innovation

in introducing foreign technology and encouraging the production of innovative products and employment of innovative business models, as evidenced by the rollout by the State Council in late March of the “opinions on accelerated implementation of innovation-driven development strategy,” calling for the intensification of industrial innovation.

This is the first time China has specifically embraced “innovation” as a driving force for industrial development, an approach which will pose strong competition to Taiwan, which has long traded on its innovative competitiveness.     [FULL  STORY]

‘LACK OF SUPERVISION’:Ma also asked the minister of defense not to resign. Earlier, the commander of the army’s Airborne Headquarters was removed from his post

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 09, 2015
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan and Jason Pan  /  Staff reporters

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday punished Chief of the General Staff Yen Teh-fa (嚴

德發) with one demerit and Army Commander General Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) with two demerits following an outcry over visits on March 29 by unauthorized civilians to a restricted-access base housing US-made AH-64E Apache helicopters.

According to a press release issued by the Presidential Office last night, Ma said the visit to the 601st Air Cavalry Brigade base in Taoyuan’s Longtan District (龍潭) falls under the purview of Yen and Chiu and that their “lack of supervision” demonstrated a lack of military discipline that compromised military security.

Led by Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻), Yen, Chiu and other military officials presented a report to Ma on a recent spate of military scandals after the military conducted a review involving all units on Tuesday.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-07
By: Lan Hsiao-wei and Staff Reporter

A Taiwanese student studying in China is hoping to score 100,000 yuan (US$16,100) of angel

investment to start his fried chicken and fried rice ball business, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

Kuo Han’s business plan for selling the two sancks, popular in Taiwan, was voted the best in his class and he now stands to become a company owner by August at the earliest if the plan comes to fruition.

Kuo, 25, said he would have no choice but to borrow from the bank if he were in Taiwan, but Taiwanese banks are not likely to lend money to a student.     [FULL  STORY]

Li Chien, 30, became annoyed by neighbour’s barking dog Lucky. Using a bread knife, a heavily intoxicated Li slit Lucky’s throat. Owner Tang Chao found his dog dead in a pool of blood in his yard

Daily Mail
Date: 7 April 2015
By: Sara Malm for MailOnline

A drunk Chinese man became so annoyed at his neighbour’s dog barking that he killed it by slashing its throat.

Li Chien, 30, had been visiting a nearby pub in Xiulin Township in north-eastern Taiwan’s Hualien county, when his bed-time ritual was interrupted by the dog from next door.

According to police reports, Li grabbed a bread knife from his kitchen and went to his neighbour’s yard where he slit the throat of the mixed-breed called Lucky.

Dog murder: Li Chien, 30, had been visiting a nearby pub in Xiulin Township, Hualien county, and became annoyed with a dog owned by neighbour Tang Chao, right, on his way home and killed it

The animal was found several hours later by his distraught owner Tang Chao, 40, who called police.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-07
By: Wong Yu-lan and Staff Reporter

It is not unheard for Taiwan’s foreign domestic helpers to try and make ends meet by working

“under the table” side jobs outside of their employer’s knowledge, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

A manager of a tech company in Taiwan who hired a foreign domestic helper found out that the helper had been operating her own online business when she was alone at home. The helper suddenly disappeared last year without letting anyone know where she was going.

Her former employer found out through her mobile phone records that she was able to make up to NT$60,000 (US$1,900) extra money a month, more than twice her official pay, by buying and selling things online.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/07
By: Ku Chuan and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said Tuesday that he does not want to see the capital’s landmark Taipei 101 become a place of protests and quarrels, and that there should be rules to manage the use of the skyscraper’s outdoor square.

“The Taipei 101 building is Taipei’s landmark and attracts a lot of tourists,” he said. The last thing he wants to see is the building becoming a focal point for protests and quarrels, Ko said at a press conference after a city administration meeting.

Therefore, Ko has suggested that Chien Yu-yen, head of the city’s Information and Tourism Department, should come up with rules to manage the Taipei 101 square, even though the open space is not owned by the city government but by the building itself.     [FULL  STORY]

‘SHOCKED AND INFURIATED’:A bipartisan volley of vitriol and demands for resignations greeted MND officials, amid fears recent security lapses might affect ties with the US

Taipei Times
Date:  Apr 08, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

The security breach involving AH-64E Apache helicopters could have repercussions on the

Taiwan-US relationship and on future arms sales, Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said yesterday when questioned on the legislative floor in Taipei about it.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Admiral Chen Yung-kang (陳永康), however, said Taiwan-US cooperation is multifaceted and would not be affected by the incidents.

The controversy set off by a visit by a group of civilians to the restricted 601st Air Cavalry Brigade base housing US-made AH-64E Apache helicopters — led by Apache helicopter pilot Lieutenant Colonel Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) — has continued over the past few days, with Lao’s wife saying that the publicized trip was not the first time she had visited an Apache helicopter and Brigade Commander Chien Tsung-yuan (簡聰淵) yesterday being accused of having organized a tour for his friends and relatives at the base in February.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-07
By: Staff Reporter

It is apparent that Taiwan’s armed forces have not learned from the tragic death of Corporal

Hung Chung-chiu, comments our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

Regarding the recent Apache scandal, what Taiwan’s public really want is the truth about exactly how lax military discipline has become, and see the officials responsible receive penalties

TV celebrity Janet Lee recently uploaded photos on her Facebook of herself in a hangar that houses AH-64E Apache helicopters in an unauthorized group visit to the ROC Army’s 601st Aviation Brigade in Taoyuan on March 29. The photos soon kindled a public outcry followed by a political storm.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/07
By: Huang Chiao-wen, Chiu Chun-chin, Justin Su and Scully Hsiao

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Water rationing will tighten in parts of New Taipei, the neighboring Taoyuan City and in Hsinchu County from Wednesday as Taiwan remains in the grip of a prolonged drought.

Shimen Reservoir, which supplies most of northern Taiwan, is now at 24.56 percent of its capacity, the lowest since it became operational since 1964, as the rainfall at reservoir over the past six months has been about 60 percent of the normal average.

As part of the country’s water conservation efforts, the household supply will be cut two days a week on a rotational basis in Hsinchu, Taoyuan and some areas of New Taipei, starting Wednesday.     [FULL  STORY]