Terry Gou's aides visited the election agency on Tuesday, lending credibility to the rumors he’s going to run6

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/10
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) is expected to announce his run for the presidency, according to the top aide of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has been in talks with the tech tycoon about cooperating in the January 2020 election.

Gou and Ko’s aides visited the Central Election Commission together on Tuesday (Sept. 10) afternoon to determine the nominating petition process, a requirement for an independent or non-majority-party candidate, reports said. The move lent plausibility to sweeping speculation that Gou would enter the presidential race.

Speaking with the media after their meeting with CEC officials, Taipei City Government adviser Tsai Pi-ju (蔡壁如) hinted at the possibility of Gou making his presidential announcement soon. Ko would play a key role in campaigning for Gou, Tsai added.

The Taipei mayor has been in discussion with Gou and former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who had expressed an interest in representing the KMT in the presidential election but did not take part in the primary. Establishing a new political party in early August, the mayor has pledged to gain representation in the legislature.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/10
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan and Joseph Yeh

Honiara, Sept. 10 (CNA) Amid speculation of a possible diplomatic switch from Taiwan to China, CNA sent a correspondent to the Solomon Islands to see what people in the capital Honiara think about the prospect of ending diplomatic ties with Taipei, with many expressing concern at Beijing's growing influence over economic life in the Pacific island country.

Diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the Solomon Islands have been under the media spotlight since its new government took power after winning a general election in April, and formed a task force to evaluate the impact of China's assistance to other Pacific nations.

The task force has visited several Pacific island nations allied to Beijing in recent months and submitted a report to the executive department last week.

Meanwhile, a hearing at the Solomon Islands Parliament last week discussed the possible switch.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 11, 2019 
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

Officials from the US, Japan and Sweden yesterday joined their Taiwanese counterparts for aworkshop

in Taipei on tackling disinformation, with some noting its rampant spread in Taiwan in the run-up to the presidential and legislative elections in January.

The two-day Defending Democracy through Promoting Media Literacy workshop is the second held under the Taiwan-US Global Cooperation Training Framework.

This year it was also cosponsored by Japan and Sweden.

Addressing the opening ceremony, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Busby, who is leading the US delegation to the workshop, praised Taiwan for its commitment to universally accepted human rights and democratic principles, including the fundamental freedoms of speech, religion, press, association and peaceful assembly.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 10, 2019
By: Ann Maxon  /  Staff reporter

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday apologized to former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英

九) after Ma’s office complained about the way he was forced to stop speaking during the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate’s rally in New Taipei City’s Xingfu Shueiyang Park (幸福水漾公園) on Sunday.

Ma’s introductory remarks were cut short by organizers after supporters grew impatient for Han, who was spotted wading through the crowd in the middle of Ma’s speech, an hour after he was scheduled to appear on stage.

Campaign office deputy chief executive Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) abruptly curtailed Ma’s speech by announcing it was time for the former president to get some rest backstage, as exit music was played, even though Ma said: “I have not finished yet.”

The way the event organizers ended Ma’s speech earlier than planned was “very regrettable,” Ma’s office said yesterday morning.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 09 September, 20196
By: Natalie Tso

President Tsai Ing-wen (right) met with Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele (right) on Monday (CNA photo) President Tsai Ing-wen met with visiting Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele at the Presidential Office on Monday. The visit comes after a Reuters report last week said that Solomons ministers recently visited Beijing and the new administration under Manasseh Sogavare may switch diplomatic ties to Beijing. Taiwan's foreign ministry has been saying that bilateral ties are normal.

On Monday, Tsai said the two sides have had diplomatic ties for 36 years. The Solomon Islands has always been a good friend of Taiwan and supported Taiwan in the UN and other international organizations. In August, Solomon Islands Speaker of Parliament Patteson Oti led a delegation to Taiwan to participate in the annual Asia-Pacific Congress. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also attended a Pacific Islands Forum where he signed a visa-free agreement with the Solomon Islands.

President Tsai also highlighted the case of Solomon Islands Dr. Paul Bosawai Popora whose story was featured in a World Health Assembly film.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2019/09/09
By: Andrew Maxey and Allen Chen6

Under China's increasing military threats, Taiwan's current conscription system only requires draftees to serve for 4 months without any substantial training. How would Taiwan respond to conflicts with an undertrained military?Taiwan’s recent arms purchases from the United States once again drew attention to the island's self-defense capabilities. With China’s increasingly aggressive threats, Taiwan’s military not only needs to upgrade its weapons but also its organization.

However, Taiwan’s weak military training has left its draftees unprepared for war; and with the switch to an all-volunteer force impeded by budgetary and manpower issues, compulsory military service is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

The question then is how to fix the system for draftees to be trained effectively instead of wasting their time and creating a weak point in Taiwan’s national defense. With the spectre of China always looming in the background, Taiwan ought to use its limited resources in the most effective way possible to provide a credible deterrent against a deep-pocketed China.    [FULL  STORY]

Jilted Kaohsiung man viciously attacks high school girl with knife after she breaks up with him

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/09/09
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

(Kaohsiung City Police Department) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man allegedly viciously slashed a female high school student over 20 times after she told him that she wished to break up.

On Saturday evening (Sept. 7), a 22-year old man surnamed Tseng (曾) was informed by his girlfriend, a first-year high school student, surnamed Yang (楊) that she wanted to break up because he had only achieved a high-school education, reported UDN. Upon hearing her decision, Tseng reportedly ambushed her as she walked out of a shop and began to slash the woman wildly with a fruit knife.

Witnesses said that Tseng appeared to have "lost his mind" as he brutally attacked Yang on Wenzhong Road, according to UDN. Tseng then allegedly dragged Yang to the entrance of the store and slashed the defenseless petite student over 20 times, reported SET News.

During the assault, Yang tried to shield herself with her hand, and he sliced off her middle, ring, and little fingers, according to SET News. He even sliced off a piece of her scalp, according to the report.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/09/09
By: Chiang Yuan-chen and Evelyn Kao

Seoul, Sept. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's Tourism Bureau launched a marketing campaign in Seoul on Sunday with the primary goal of attracting visitors to small towns, particularly during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

The event was held under the bureau's 2019 tourism promotion theme "Small Town Ramble," which highlights the charm of dozens of small towns across Taiwan, according to Huang Yi-ping (黃怡平), head of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau office in Seoul.

Visitors to the tourism promotional campaign at Hongik University were given demonstrations of how to use augmented reality technology, including interactive maps, to obtain directions and information for travel in Taiwan.

The activities at the event also included fun games and sampling of Taiwan specialties like Kinmen Kaoliang liquor.    [FULL  STORY]

Channel News Asia
Date: 08 Sep 2019

TAIPEI: The Solomon Islands' top diplomat is set to arrive in Taiwan on Sunday (Sep 8), Taipei's

foreign ministry said, as the Pacific nation mulls switching its diplomatic allegiance to China.

In a statement on Saturday, Taipei said Solomons foreign minister Jeremiah Manele will meet Taiwan's Pesident Tsai Ing-wen and his Taiwanese counterpart Joseph Wu during a five-day visit.

The Solomons are among only 17 nations to recognise Taiwan, but Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare vowed to review the relationship after he was elected in April.

A switch would reduce the number of nations backing Taiwan as well as boost China's influence among the strategically important Pacific islands.

Taiwan is a democratic self-ruled island but Beijing regards it as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.    [FULL  STORY]

He says he loves Malaysian food and hopes to visit Malaysia next year.

Mothership
Date: September 8, 2019
By: Zhangxin Zheng

A Taiwanese influencer, Zhong Ming Xuan, has taken some heat from a disrespectful remark he made in a recent video log he made from a trip he took to Singapore.

Zhong travelled to Singapore recently and in one part of his video, he was seen complaining about the discomfort he felt from “that kind of Malaysian” staring at him.

Many who watched the video were offended, lambasting him in the comment section of his YouTube video.

Some commented that they were unsubscribing from his channel, asking him not to visit Malaysia ever.    [FULL  STORY]