Taipei Times
Date: Oct 10, 2015

Before coming to Taiwan for travel, a 40-year-old male Chinese national

surnamed Cheng allegedly purchased four counterfeit iPhone 6 phones to pass off as the real thing. It is alleged that Cheng intended to sell the phones for a high price to make money for his “travel fund.” As it turned out, however, an extremely astute buyer noted down Cheng’s name and entry visa information before buying a phone, and, on realizing it was a fake, immediately contacted the police. Cheng was then barred from leaving the country and arrested.

The suspect said because he trusted a friend who told him that the iPhone 6 was the hottest and most popular mobile phone in Taiwan at the moment, he went to a large electronics market where he spent 1,200 yuan on two iPhone 6 Plus handsets and a further 900 yuan on two iPhone 6 handsets.

Cheng said that after he arrived in Taiwan, his traveling partner did not have time to show him round, so he wasn’t able to sell the phones at the tourist spots.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: October 8, 2015

Taiwan is No. 1 in Asia when it comes to providing care for the terminally ill,

according to the latest Quality of Death Index released by U.K.-based Economist Intelligence Unit.

In the survey of 80 countries and territories, Taiwan moved up eight spots to sixth from the previous report in 2010, trailing only the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Belgium in that order. It ranked ahead of Singapore at 12th, Japan at 14th, South Korea at 18th and Hong Kong at 22nd.

Of the five major assessment categories, Taiwan improved to sixth in affordability of care, fifth in community engagement, fifth in palliative and health care environment and eighth in quality of care. It ranked ninth in newly added human resources.     [FULL  STORY]

DOUBLE BUST:Chin’s arrest came just a few days after news anchor Lulu Hsia’s brother was arrested for allegedly mailing cannabis from Australia to Taiwan

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 09, 2015
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Actor Chin Yang (金陽), reportedly the boyfriend of actress Kuo Shu-yao (郭

書瑤), was arrested in Taipei on Wednesday for driving under the influence of marijuana and has been charged with violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).

Police said Chin was initially pulled over for driving erratically, but after noticing a peculiar odor inside his vehicle, they executed a search and found a bag containing cannabis.

A police officer quoted Chin as saying that he had lived abroad for many years and had no idea that smoking marijuana is a criminal offense in Taiwan.

During questioning by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, Chin said he purchased the cannabis from a foreigner who was selling the drug as they were entertaining and drinking with friends at a Taipei nightclub.

He was released under his own recognizance by prosecutors on Wednesday afternoon, under condition of restricted movement; he is not allowed to leave the nation.     [FULL STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-08
By: CNA

Taiwan has raised a travel advisory for east China’s Zhejiang province by

one level after an H7N9 avian flu case was reported on Oct. 2, the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Wednesday.

The patient, a 62-year-old woman, had been exposed to birds two weeks before developing symptoms and is currently under intensive care, the CDC said, citing Chinese health officials.

Issuing a level-two alert for Zhejiang, the CDC said travelers to the province should take careful precautions. They should avoid contact with live or dead birds, pay attention to personal hygiene and seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms such as a fever or a cough, the CDC said.

Other cities and provinces in China are still on the level-one watch.

The agency uses a three-tier warning system, with level three being the most severe, meaning that people are advised against traveling to the destination.

Bloomberg Business
Date: October 8, 2014
By: David J. Lynch

With protesters in Hong Kong settling for talks with the government rather than immediate political concessions, it looks like China has won — or at least averted disaster — and without sending in the tanks.

Yet this short-term success only underscores Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long-term challenge in realizing his goal of a “great national rejuvenation.”

Restoring China to the stature it enjoyed before the 19th century Opium Wars means more than controlling Hong Kong; it requires eventual reunification with Taiwan.

In the aftermath of the “Umbrella Revolution,” however, Beijing is farther from recovering Taiwan, which it considers part of the mainland, than it was a decade ago. For all of China’s economic achievements, the mainland’s political system repels many it aspires to govern.     [FULL  STORY]