Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/09
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) King Mswati III of eSwatini on Saturday praised Taiwan for its high-

King Mswati III (center)

quality education as he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by a local university during a graduation ceremony in which his son was one of the graduates.

The king was bestowed with an honorary doctorate in management by the Taipei-based Shih Chien University in recognition of his “remarkable leadership of his country as well as his friendship with the Republic of China (Taiwan),” according to the university’s president Michael Chen (陳振貴).

This is the first honorary degree the university has issued in its 60-year history.

In his remark, King Mswati III expressed gratitude for the rare honor while praising Taiwan for placing such importance on higher education.   [FULL  STORY]

TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE: Tackling the political archives of parties might take more time, but investigations would be expedited as a complete report is due in two years

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 10, 2018
By: Chen Yu-fu  /  Staff reporter

The Cabinet’s Transitional Justice Commission aims to complete the preliminary work

Transitional Justice Commission Chairman Huang Huang-hsiung, third left, and commission members visit the National Archives and Records Administration Development Council in New Taipei City on Friday.  Photo provided by the National Archives and Records Administration Development Council

for redressing unjust judicial cases in just two weeks, a commission member said yesterday.

The agency would first tackle the archives of governmental agencies, followed by those of political parties, commission Deputy Chairman Chang Tien-chin (張天欽) said, adding that commission Chairman Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) had on Friday last week already led a group of commission members to visit the National Development Council’s (NDC) National Archives Administration in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊).

According to the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例) passed in December last year, the commission is empowered to probe the political archives of any political party, their affiliated organizations and entities, and to make them part of the national archives after a specified deliberation procedure.

However, it would take more time to tackle the political archives belonging to political parties, as the collection process is more intricate, Chang said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-08

Shih Tzung-liang, head of the Department of Medical Affairs of the health ministry, said

Shih said the the new Patient Right to Autonomy Act will allow patients to refuse life-prolonging treatments.

the new Patient Right to Autonomy Act will allow patients to refuse life-prolonging treatments. The new law is scheduled to take effect from January 2019.

Fu Ta-jen, a prominent media persona, recently ended his life via assisted suicide at a clinic in Switzerland. Fu had called for the legalization of euthanasia in Taiwan for many years.

On Friday, Shih said that the new act will allow patients to refuse life-prolonging treatments, such as tube feeding, and live out the remainder of their life with dignity.

“The Patient Right to Autonomy Act allows patients to keep their dignity. The law covers patients who are terminally ill, in a persistent vegetable state, irreversible coma, those with severe dementia, and other conditions with insufferable pain,” said Shih.

Asked about euthanasia, Shih said society has not reached a consensus on the matter.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/06/08
By:  Central News Agency

TAIPEI (CNA) – Kinmen smashed its largest-ever telecom fraud ring, detaining 23

Kinmen nabs a fraud ring. (By Central News Agency)

suspects, police in the outlying county announced on Friday.

Twenty-one people, including a minor and four women, were arrested at a villa in Jinning Township on Wednesday, and 34 iPads, 46 iPhones, three UBS devices, smokers, desktop computers and 22 sim cards were seized, Kinmen police chief Yu Wen-sheng said at a news conference.

Two other key suspects identified only by their surnames of Chen and Chiang were also arrested in the township on Wednesday after a task force had been tracking them since April, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/08
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) King Mswati III of eSwatini said Friday in Taipei that his

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文, right) and King Mswati III of eSwatini

country will always be a friend of Taiwan “in good times and in bad times” whatever the challenges ahead, and he vowed to pass that friendship on to future generations.

“Coming to our home, our second home, I also want to make my commitment that whatever challenges we face, we will always be together. We are friends. In good times and in bad times, we will always be friends,” King Mswati III said.

The king made the pledge at the signing ceremony of an agreement on economic cooperation between Taiwan and eSwatini at Taiwan’s Presidential Office.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and King Mswati III witnessed the signing of the deal after Tsai hosted a military salute ceremony Friday morning in the plaza in front of the Presidential Office to welcome the leader of the African country.
[FULL  STORY]

CONVENIENCE: A government source said Taiwanese would be able to walk out from immigration ‘with dignity’ thanks to growing inclusion in expedited clearance systems

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 09, 2018
By: Lee Hsin-fang and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan is to open its automated immigration e-Gate clearance system to South

Automated immigration e-Gates are pictured at Taipei International Airport on April 5, 2016.  Photo courtesy of National Immigration Agency

Korean travelers at the end of this month as reciprocation for Seoul including registered Republic of China (ROC) passport holders in its expedited immigrations processing program, a government official with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.

After evaluations with other government departments, the National Immigration Agency believes that there are no national security or public safety concerns to preclude opening the e-Gate program to South Korean travelers, and that mutual expedited entry between Taiwan and South Korea is feasible, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The government would not expand the e-Gate program to countries that it has determined would pose safety concerns, the official said.

As there are many travelers between Taiwan and South Korea each year, mutual automated entry would shorten the time they spend going through immigration, the official added.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan English News
Date: June 7, 2018 
By: Phillip Charlier

A man who was found guilty of setting fire to an apartment building in Chonghe District, New Taipei City, taking the lives of nine people in November, 2017, was sentenced to death, in a verdict handed down by the Taipei District Court today, June 7.

Li Guo-hui (李國輝), had argued in his defense that a tenant of the building had constantly provoked him, and that “voices” had told him to do it.

However, the court determined that even if Li had suffered auditory hallucinations, he still had the ability to make choices. Also, Li had used violence in the past, when faced with problems. The arson case had been the result of his actions as an individual.

The court held that Li had the same reasoning ability as any normal person before, during, and after the incident. After setting fire to the building, he had changed his clothes and attempted to evade arrest. Li had also returned to the scene to watch the fire.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-07

The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) has launched two new bento or lunchboxes

The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) has launched two new bento or lunchboxes and new souvenirs ahead of the Formosa Railroad Bento Festival.

and new souvenirs ahead of the Formosa Railroad Bento Festival.

In preparation for the upcoming Formosa Railroad Bento Festival, the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) launched two new bento boxes on Wednesday.

Both bento boxes cater to elderly customers and feature nutritious ingredients that are easier to digest, such as pine nuts, pumpkin, and seasonal vegetables. The manager of TRA’s Taipei branch said that the chefs have worked hard to make sure that the bento boxes look and taste delicious in order to attract more customers.    [FULL  STORY]