Front Page

Taiwan’s heavy metal star rallies fans to run for parliament on anti-China platform

Freddy Lim, singer with black metal group Chthonic, is standing for a fast-growing pro-democracy party

The Guardian
Date: 26 December 2015 Share on Google+
By: Tracy McVeigh

2048

Freddy Lim rocks the crowds in Liberty Square, Taipei. Photograph: Handerson Yao for the Observer

For many in the city of Taipei and across Taiwan, it was the most hotly awaited event of the year. Tens of thousands of music fans gathered in Liberty Square on Saturday night for an extraordinary free concert which marked the 20th anniversary of Chthonic, the country’s most famous heavy metal band.

Wearing combat boots, lead singer Freddy Lim held the stage with the brand of music that has seen the Taiwanese “black metal” band dubbed the Black Sabbath of Asia.

But this was not just any gig: it was also a political rally ahead of a crucial year for Taiwan. Described as a “concert to calm the soul and defend the nation”, the event was intended to energise Taiwanese youth and gain political support for Lim’s new role – as a parliamentary candidate for the New Power party (NPP).     [FULL  STORY]

Over 20,000 people die from smoking every year: health officer

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-26
By: Lung Pei-ning, Elaine Hou, Central News Agency

More than 20,000 people in Taiwan die from cigarette smoking every year, said

Over 20,000 people die from smoking every year.

Over 20,000 people die from smoking every year.

the Ministry of Health and Welfare, warning that smoking is also highly linked to drug abuse among youngsters.

Smoking is a main cause of death for Taiwanese people, said the ministry’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA).

“Tobacco contains highly toxic compounds,” said HPA Director General Chiou Shu-ti. It contains more than 7,000 chemical substances and 93 of them could lead to cancer, she added.

According to a HPA survey on smoking among youngsters in Taiwan for 2014, five percent of Taiwanese junior high school students and 11.5 percent of senior high school students smoke.     [FULL  STORY]

Protesters call for government efforts against air pollution

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/26
By: Lung Pei-ning and Kay Liu

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) Several groups held a demonstration in Taipei Saturday,

In front of the Presidential Office.

In front of the Presidential Office.

calling for government efforts to reduce carbon emissions and move away from fossil fuels, given the deteriorating air quality experienced recently.

Protesters gathered in front of the Environmental Protection Administration headquarters to take part in the demonstration calling for efforts to tackle air pollution and fight global warming for the sake of the people’s health.

The average annual carbon dioxide emissions of Taiwanese is 11 metric tons per person, which is much higher than some other countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Japan, said former Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), who took part in the protest.     [FULL  STORY]

Running mates tackle public queries

CALL FOR REFORM:All three candidates emphasized the need for improving the legislature, but shied away from committing to an overhaul of the election system

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 27, 2015
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Six questions selected by drawing lots from a pool of queries submitted by

Police gather outside SET-TV’s premises, the venue for the televised vice presidential debate between the candidates from the People First Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party, in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei

Police gather outside SET-TV’s premises, the venue for the televised vice presidential debate between the candidates from the People First Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party, in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei

members of the public through online media platform Watchout (沃草) were directed at the three vice presidential candidates during the second part of the presidential debate yesterday.

The first question asked if the candidates agreed with a proposal that the Legislative Yuan should elect one-fourth of its legislators every year.

Republican Party Chairperson Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) — People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) running mate — said she would suggest electing half of the legislators every two years, adding that people in the system are more important, because conflict between political parties is the primary reason for low legislative efficiency.     [FULL  STORY]

North runway reopened at Taoyuan airport

Taiwan Today
Date: December 25, 2015

The renovated north runway at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

President Ma Ying-jeou (second left) and Premier Mao Chi-kuo (center) give thumbs-up during a launch ceremony for the renovated north runway Dec. 24 at the TTIA. (CNA)

President Ma Ying-jeou (second left) and Premier Mao Chi-kuo (center) give thumbs-up during a launch ceremony for the renovated north runway Dec. 24 at the TTIA. (CNA)

commenced operations Dec. 24, marking a significant development in the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the country’s tourism infrastructure.

During the launch ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou praised the TTIA’s transformation in recent years, saying he expects the enhanced capabilities of the facility to play a critical role in driving Taiwan’s tourism industry.

“Thanks to government initiatives since 2008 designed to improve the TTIA’s infrastructure and service quality, the airport has emerged as a regional benchmark,” Ma said.

These efforts have earned global recognition in the form of the facility’s improved ratings in Airport Service Quality surveys conducted by the Montreal-based Airports Council International between 2012 and 2014, as well as top rankings in staff service by the U.K.-based aviation industry consultancy Skytrax.     [FULL  STORY]

MRT attacker sentenced to 3 years

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The man who stabbed and injured four passengers at

MRT attacker sentenced to 3 years.

MRT attacker sentenced to 3 years.

a Mass Rapid Transit station last July will serve three years in prison, the Shilin District Court ruled Friday.

Kuo Yen-chun, 27, used a fruit knife in an attack on three women and a man on an escalator at the Zhongshan MRT station on July 20. He was overpowered by guards and by members of the public before he could kill anyone or leave the station.

The judges were of the opinion that Kuo did not have the intent to kill the passengers, while none of their injuries were grave. The court therefore rejected the four counts of attempted murder and changed them to less serious charges.     [FULL  STORY]

PFP’s Soong pledges to restore pride, dignity to Taiwan (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/25
By: Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) James Soong (宋楚瑜), the chairman and presidential 201512250032t0001candidate of the People First Party (PFP), vowed in a televised presentation of the candidates’ platforms to enable Taiwanese people to live with pride and dignity and feel safe.

Soong said he would achieve that, if elected, by adhering to four principles — emphasizing security and safety; insisting on Taiwan’s sovereignty; respecting the unique characteristics of different ethnic groups; and stressing fairness under the law.

Soong also stressed the importance of maintaining the peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the close relations between peoples on the two sides.     [FULL  STORY]

Mock vote sees youth elect DPP

POPULAR:‘Third force’ parties are grabbing the attention of young Taiwanese who, although they cannot legally vote, are pushing to be heard by hosting an online ‘vote’

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 26, 2015
By: Su Fang-ho and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A mock election held by two youth advocacy groups found that 61 percent of

Taiwan Alliance for the Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare secretary-general Yeh Ta-hua, second left, displays the results of a mock election at a press conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

Taiwan Alliance for the Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare secretary-general Yeh Ta-hua, second left, displays the results of a mock election at a press conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

participants support the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the presidential election, the organizers said yesterday.

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) received 17.7 percent of the “votes,” while the People First Party’s (PFP) cross-party ticket with the Republican Party received 13.6 percent, the Taiwan Alliance for the Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, and the Alliance for Promoting Civic Rights of 18-year-olds said.

The results of the simulated vote were similar to polls conducted by mainstream media, Taiwan Alliance for the Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare secretary-general Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) said.     [FULL  STORY]

Begin tackling food safety issues with the environment: Ko

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-24
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

I-Mei Foods CEO Luis Ko said Wednesday during an interview that

Food safety issues come from environment.

Food safety issues come from environment.

while the government is thinking about how to use laws and executive orders to resolve food safety issues, it must first think about how to safeguard water, soil, sunlight and air from pollution to really solve the problems.

The rationale behind Ko’s statement is that foods including processed foods come from animals and crops on land and in the sea, and when the environments in which they grow are polluted, there will be no safe foods on the market.

A food safety activist, Ko said the food safety issues Taiwan now faces are the price the country has to pay for its industrial development. Polluted land and water have grown polluted crops and animals, which turned up on our dining tables, he added.     [FULL  STORY]