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Temperatures dip sharply in northern Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/29
By: W.T. Chen and Flor Wang

Taipei, Feb. 29 (CNA) Temperatures will drop to around 10 degrees Celsius in 30742885areas north of Taichung Monday night as a cold air blankets Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Following a high of 23.4 degrees on Sunday, the cold air mass moved into Taiwan late Sunday and is expected to remain until Tuesday, bringing nighttime lows to around 10 degrees Celsius and daytime temperatures to 14-16 degrees in northern Taiwan, the CWB said.

It forecast daytime highs of 14-16 in northern Taiwan, 17-20 degrees in central Taiwan and 19-22 degrees in the south Monday and Tuesday, with nighttime temperatures sliding to 12 degrees in the south due to radiative cooling effects.     [FULL  STORY]

Bust of Chiang Kai-shek vandalized in Taichung

’SAVIOR’ to ’BUTCHER’:A DPP councilor said that while he sympathized with public’s sentiment, he could not agree with damaging public property

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 01, 2016
By: Su Chin-feng and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

A monument to former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) in a Taichung park

Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Chang Yao-chung gestures toward a vandalized monument to late president Chiang Kai-shek in Nanyuang Park in Taichung’s Nantun District yesterday. Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times

Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Chang Yao-chung gestures toward a vandalized monument to late president Chiang Kai-shek in Nanyuang Park in Taichung’s Nantun District yesterday. Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times

was yesterday vandalized, with the Chinese characters for “butcher” spray-painted in red paint over its original inscription that reads “Savior of the Nation.” Red paint was also splashed on Chiang’s bust.

The graffiti on the monument in Nanyuang Park (南苑公園) in the city’s Nantun District (南屯) was discovered by visitors yesterday morning, who reported the incident to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) City Councilor Chang Yao-chung (張耀中).

At a news conference held at the park, Chang said that while he sympathizes with the public’s sentiment that the “painful history” of the 228 Massacre should not be “forgotten or ignored,” destroying or damaging public property is “not an appropriate exercise of the freedom of speech.”

The 228 Massacre refers to a crackdown launched by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime against civilian demonstrations following an incident in Taipei on Feb. 27, 1947.

The event marked the beginning of the White Terror era that saw thousands of Taiwanese arrested, imprisoned or executed.     [FULL  STORY]

Over 12,000 chickens, geese culled because of bird flu

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/28
By: Yang Sze-jui, Wu Che-hao, Chen Cheng-wei and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) Over 12,000 chickens and geese have been culled at

CNA file photo

CNA file photo

two poultry farms in central and southern Taiwan after health officials confirmed bird flu infections at those farms, local government officials said Sunday.

Tung Meng-chih (董孟治) , director of the Animal Disease Control Center of Changhua County, said more than 10,000 locally bred chickens were destroyed at a poultry farm in Dacheng Township on Sunday after a high percentage of them were confirmed to be infected with the highly pathogenic H5N2 Type B strain.

This was the fifth outbreak of bird flu in the county this year and the first since the start of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 8, Tung said.

At a goose farm in Liuying District in Tainan, 2,443 geese were culled Sunday after some of the dead geese tested positive for H5 bird flu virus infection, officials with the city’s Animal Health and Protection Office said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Watcher: Gold at the end of the rainbow

With an LGBT–friendly president and legislature, Taiwan’s gay community is optimistic that it will finally achieve the rights denied it for so long

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 29, 2016
By Eddy Chang / Staff reporter

When it was announced that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

The national campaign headquarters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen is illuminated in rainbow colors on Oct. 30 last year, in support of the 13th Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade. Photo courtesy of Tsai Ing-wen’s national campaign headquarters

The national campaign headquarters of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen is illuminated in rainbow colors on Oct. 30 last year, in support of the 13th Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade. Photo courtesy of Tsai Ing-wen’s national campaign headquarters

Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won the presidential election last month, supporters crowded her national campaign headquarters in celebration.

In addition to being elected Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai’s victory is especially significant for the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Unlike other candidates and all former presidents, she will be the first Taiwanese president ever to publicly support same-sex marriage.

A NEW PRESIDENT

Tsai’s LGBT-friendly position was summed up last month in a headline by news outlet Quartz: “Taiwan’s new president is a female academic who loves cats and supports gay rights.” Before the Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade in Taipei last year, she publicly declared support for marriage equality to boost parade’s visibility and momentum. With her popularity and influence, Tsai should make a positive impact on Taiwan’s gay rights movement.    [FULL  STORY]

Makati ‘chop-chop’ slay condemned by Taiwan

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Date: February 29th, 2016
By: Jodee A. Agoncillo, Niña P. Calleja

THE grisly killing of a woman by her Taiwanese husband, who confessed to Clipboard01the crime after her severed body parts were found in their Makati City residence, earned condemnation from his own government.

In a statement released Saturday, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in the Philippines said “we have been deeply shocked and saddened by the recent killing of Mrs. Rowena Kuo and the subsequent mutilation of her body.”

The statement did not mention the name of the suspect—Yuan Chang Kuo—as it denounced the crime. “The ruthless homicide is abhorrent to this office and the Taiwanese people and actually seldom happened in Taiwan.”

“Therefore, we wish to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the next of kin of the victim at a time of grief and darkness,” said Teco, which serves as Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Manila. “As the case has already been handed over to the appropriate Philippine judiciary authorities, we have full confidence that the relevant Philippine judicial authorities will conduct a fair trial and render justice to this case.”     [FULL  STORY]

Severe flu epidemic wanes: CDC

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-28
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The number of severe flu cases around Taiwan is expected to decline over 6738133the next two weeks because the influenza epidemic is waning, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Sunday.

A total of 961 severe influenza-related cases have been recorded by health authorities since last July, representing the most severe flu season over the past five years, according to the CDC.

A total of 69 of those patients have died of influenza-related illnesses during the epidemic, said CDC Director-General Steve Kuo, citing CDC statistics.

Local media have carried stories about a sharp increase in the number of flu-stricken people seeking treatment at hospital emergency rooms last week, straining the country’s medical resources.     [FULL  STORY]

Low temperature warning issued

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/28
By: Flor Wang

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issued a low

In Taipei on Sunday

In Taipei on Sunday

temperature warning on Sunday, saying that the mercury in areas north of Chiayi could dip to 10 degrees Celsius in the coming days due to an approaching cold air mass and radiative cooling effects.

The approaching cold front expected to arrive in Taiwan late Sunday will be at its strongest from late Monday to Tuesday morning, with lows in northern Taiwan and on the Kinmen and Matsu islands likely to fall to 10 degrees, the bureau said.

Temperatures could dip to 15 degrees in central and southern Taiwan, according to the bureau.     [FULL  STORY]

228 REMEMBERED: KMT headquarters hit by arsonist

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 29, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday expressed regret over an

Fliers litter the ground outside the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters on Bade Road in Taipei yesterday morning. Photo: CNA, courtesy of a member of the public

Fliers litter the ground outside the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters on Bade Road in Taipei yesterday morning. Photo: CNA, courtesy of a member of the public

arson attack targeting its headquarters in Taipei in the early hours of the morning, saying the KMT has made a great effort to help soothe the pains of families of the 228 Incident victims.

The 228 Incident refers to an uprising that began on Feb. 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the then-KMT government and eventually led to the White Terror era.

“We regret the occurrence of such violence on a day that is marred by historical trauma,” KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said in a news release.

Lin said that for many years, the KMT and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) have endeavored to assuage the sorrow and heal the pains of those affected by the 228 Incident, and have pushed for ethnic rapprochement.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai to resolve conflicts of interest: DPP

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-27
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President-elect Tsai Ing-wen will resolve possible 6737909conflicts of interest due to her brother’s investments in the biotechnology sector before her inauguration on May 20, the Democratic Progressive Party said Saturday.

At a meeting with biotech business leaders recently, Tsai praised the sector’s efforts, including a reportedly failed attempt by OBI Pharma Inc. to develop a working breast cancer drug.

However, a letter to the media alleged Saturday that a brother of Tsai, Tsai Ying-yang, was a board member of the fifth-largest shareholder in OBI Pharma. The shareholding company was even originally named after Tsai’s father and had also played a role in the formation of other biotech firms, reports said.     [FULL  STORY]

President Ma sees China’s remarks on ROC Constitution as positive

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/02/27
By: Hsieh Chia-chen and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Feb. 27 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has responded

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅)

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅)

positively to remarks by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) on cross-Taiwan Strait issues and the hope that Taiwan’s new elected leader will respect Taiwan’s “one China” Constitution.

Ma felt that if Beijing is willing to face squarely the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution, it will be conducive to the peaceful development of cross-strait ties, said Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen (陳以信) Saturday.

The “1992 consensus,” or “one China, different interpretations,” that has underpinned ties with China during the Ma administration is based on the definition of cross-strait relations under the ROC Constitution, Chen said.     [FULL  STORY]