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Plastic bottle mosaic to set record

GIANT ENTERPRISE:The artist who is responsible for creating the enormous piece of art used more than 4 million bottles, which were obtained through donations

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 23, 2015
By: Lu Hsien-hsiu and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A giant mosaic made from recycled plastic bottles depicting Vincent

A mosaic of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night made from recycled plastic bottles is pictured in Keelung’s Embrace Cultural and Creative Park on Saturday. Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times

A mosaic of Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night made from recycled plastic bottles is pictured in Keelung’s Embrace Cultural and Creative Park on Saturday. Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times

van Gogh’s famous painting The Starry Night is to be unveiled on Saturday in Keelung’s Embrace Cultural and Creative Park (擁恆文創園區).

The mosaic, named The Starry Paradise, covers 53 hectares and is expected to set a new Guinness World Record as the largest of its kind.

The project is almost complete and the artist responsible for its creation has received more than 4 million recycled plastic bottles in donations, the park management said.     [FULL  STORY]

Hostage situation calls attention to safety of student housing

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/22
By: Chen Chih-chung and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 22 (CNA) An incident in which three university students 201512220033t0001were held hostage for about 21 hours has prompted the Ministry of Education (MOE) to turn its attention to the safety of off-campus student housing.

The ministry now plans issue a directive to all schools in Taiwan to contact students living off campus in rented apartments and remind them to take safety measures, said Liu Chia-chen (劉家禎), an MOE official responsible for student affairs.

The schools will be requested to gather information on the location of their students’ off campus accommodation and provide assistance when necessary, Liu added.     [FULL  STORY]

The Christmas Kingdom of New Taipei

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/21
By Russel Seth Corbett CNA intern writer

For many westerners, no holiday tends to hold as much significance as 201512210028t0001Christmas. While it usually comes in second compared to holidays like Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan, some parts of the country do not skip on the chance to celebrate with style.

Banqiao in New Taipei has created Christmasland, a holiday sprawl of twinkling lights where an old holiday is given a techno twist. In the area around New Taipei City Hall, decorations are draped across the landscape and lights are strung up to shimmer on passersby, creating a romantic winter wonderland.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei City to turn strays into public service dogs

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-21
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Taipei City Animal Protection Office plans to turn strays into public

Taipei to turn strays into public service dogs.

Taipei to turn strays into public service dogs.

service dogs beginning next year, opening a new window of opportunity besides private home adoption or euthanasia, reports said Monday.

The city government is expected to release 100 impounded strays back into public service after having completed their training as watchdogs.

City authorities said they have enlisted police animal trainers to work with the strays and press the canines into service as guard dogs for the nation’s coast guard service, campuses, senior homes, medical institutions, and so forth.     [FULL  STORY]

ROC works to implement international covenants

Taiwan Today
Date: December 21, 2015

The ROC government is committed to domesticating international covenants

The ROC Legislature is urged by local legal professionals to fast-track review of a bill governing the domestication of international covenants. (CNA)

The ROC Legislature is urged by local legal professionals to fast-track review of a bill governing the domestication of international covenants. (CNA)

in accordance with the Constitution, according to Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen Dec. 20.

“As per Article 141 of the Constitution, the ROC is a country that respects treaties and the U.N. Charter in order to promote international cooperation, advance international justice and ensure world peace,” Chen said.

Since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May 2008, significant progress has been made in this regard, according to Chen. “This includes ratification in 2009 of the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,” he said.     [FULL  STORY]

Two of three hostages released in Taitung

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/21
By: Tyson Lu and Christie Chen

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) Two of the three persons held hostage by a wanted fugitive in the southeastern Taiwan city of Taitung were released late Monday following negotiations between the police and the suspect.

The armed suspect, surnamed Lin, released two of the hostages at around 9:30 p.m., according to the Taitung police, who said negotiations are still ongoing.     [FULL  STORY]

4 gold bars seized from woman at airport

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/20
By: Bien Chin-feng and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) A Hong Kong woman was intercepted at Taiwan

CNA file photo

CNA file photo

Taoyuan International Airport Saturday after she attempted to take four gold bars, weighing one kilogram each, out of the country, aviation police said Sunday.

Police said the woman, surnamed Liao, was found to have something suspicious in her handbag during an X-ray security check, which was discovered to be four gold ingots worth nearly NT$5 million (US$151,930).

The woman told police that the gold bars were gifts from her friends and that she was not aware of the exact maximum amount of gold bullion she could legally take out of the country.     [FULL

  STORY]

142 suspects arrested ahead of presidential, legislative elections in Taiwan

Asia One
Date: Dec 20, 2015

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Police have rounded up a total of 142 suspects, including

Photo: The Straits Times

Photo: The Straits Times

21 alleged leaders of criminal gangs, in the latest round of nationwide crime sweeps ahead of the January presidential election, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has said.

As of Dec. 17, in a round of crackdowns police launched across the nation, 21 gang bosses and 121 gang members were arrested, the CIB said.

As part of the island-wide sweep initiated on Dec. 15, police authorities raided 1,131 locations in different cities and counties and arrested 358 suspects in connection with various crimes, the CIB added.

Many of these suspects were members of Taiwan’s major crime syndicates, including the Bamboo Union and the Tiandaoming gang, among others.

During the raids, 10 firearms and 98 bullets were confiscated.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Opposition Hacked as China’s Cyberspies Step Up Attacks

Bloomberg News
Date: December 20, 2015
By: Tim Culpan and David Tweed

Chinese hackers have attacked Taiwanese targets including local news

Buildings stand illuminated at night in Taipei, Taiwan. Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg


Buildings stand illuminated at night in Taipei, Taiwan.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

organizations and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party in a bid to get information about policies and speeches ahead of presidential and legislative elections next month.

An attack on the unnamed media outlets came in the form of phishing e-mails with the subject line “DPP’s Contact Information Update,” according to research by security company FireEye Inc., which identified a Chinese state-backed group called APT16 as carrying out attacks. Hackers also infiltrated e-mails of party staff, changing security protocols and writing messages spoofing the account holders in what may have been an attempt to deliver malicious code, according to one of the victims.

Taiwan goes to the polls Jan. 16 and opinion surveys show the DPP is likely to win a legislative majority, with its leader Tsai Ing-wen securing the presidency after eight years of nationalist Kuomintang rule. China, which considers Taiwan to be one of its provinces, is wary of the DPP’s views on Taiwan independence and advocacy of more caution in its relationship with the mainland.     [FULL  STORY]

$1.7 Billion in Weapons Heading for Taiwan — and China’s Not Happy

Will China retaliate? And if so, against whom?

Motly Fool
Date: Dec 20, 2015
By: Rich Smith

The headline practically says it all. On Wednesday, the United States

USS Carr (FFG-52) is one of two decommissioned U.S. frigates in line for sale to Taiwan. Image source: U.S. Navy, Photographer's Mate 1st Class James Foehl.

USS Carr (FFG-52) is one of two decommissioned U.S. frigates in line for sale to Taiwan. Image source: U.S. Navy, Photographer’s Mate 1st Class James Foehl.

announced plans to sell $1.7 billion worth of hi-tech weaponry to Taiwan. In response, China fired off an immediate diplomatic protest, and demanded that the U.S. retract the arms sale.

According to official Chinese policy, Taiwan is still part of China proper, and so “China resolutely opposes the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the U.S.,” said Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang in a diplomatic meeting. But what is it exactly that China is upset about?

Taiwan’s shopping list
Here’s a quick rundown of the weapons systems on Taiwan’s shopping list, as notified to Congress in a series of eight announcements by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon arm responsible for coordinating foreign weapons contracts:     [FULL  STORY]