Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/15
By: Chang Jung-hsiang and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) A man suspected of setting fire to a residence in the southern city of Tainan that killed seven people Saturday, was ordered held incommunicado by a local court on Sunday.

Tainan District Court chief judge Lin Fu-lai (林福來) made the ruling, saying that the suspect surnamed Tseng (曾) had confessed to the arson and manslaughter.

Based on evidence collected by prosecutors and police, Tseng was deemed by the court to have been involved in the fire and, given the minimum penalty of five years in jail, considered a flight risk, Lin said.

Seven people were killed and two injured in the blaze at the three-story building in Tainan's Yujing District early Saturday. The residence was used as a retreat for followers of the Yi Kuan Tao religious sect, according to the city's Fire Bureau.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 16, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

Not a single investor has expressed an interest in developing the old port zone at the Port of Kaohsiung,

one of the locations considered by the Kaohsiung City Government to implement its “Love Ferris wheel” and shopping mall project, Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) said yesterday.

The project was one of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) campaign promises as he ran for mayor last year.

It would be built by the Love River (愛河) and feature cars that double as “motel rooms,” he said at the time, adding that it would cost more than NT$10 billion (US$329.85 million at the current exchange rate) and create 3,000 jobs.

However, three of the four locations the city government yesterday offered as options to build the Ferris wheel are not along the river. They are piers Nos. 4 to 8; piers Nos. 16 to 18; and pier No. 21, also known as the old port zone.    [FULL  STORY]

AIT celebrates first Xmas at new home in Taipei’s Neihu District following opening in May

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/15
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is ushering in its first Christmas at its new home after relocating to Taipei’s Neihu District in May.

Golden, sparkling reindeers festoon the outdoor area of the AIT campus, while Christmas trees and ornaments inside the buildings are full of seasonal cheer. The holiday decor suggests a merry Xmas at the de-facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan, in the absence of official diplomatic relations.

AIT Spokesperson Amanda Mansour told CNA that Christmas is the time of year when Americans make their houses “homely.” She said staff members are in the holiday spirit, excited about spending the first festival at the new facility.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/15
By: William Yen

Hsinchu County, Dec. 15(CNA) A new five-piece rock band from Taoyuan Sunday won a year-end battle of the bands competition in Hsinchu County that aimed to provide exposure for up-and-coming Filipino migrant worker music groups.

Dennis Relampagos Saldana, lead vocalist of "The Long Keys," who also won best vocalist at the competition said the band was only formed about two weeks ago when he got a phone call from other musicians asking him join the group.

The band, composed of a drummer, lead, bass, and rhythm guitar, covered three Filipino songs to defeat three other bands and win the grand prize trophy, said the 34-year-old Saldana, who hails from Davao City in the Philippines.

Edward Galleon, a 32-year-old factory worker from Taoyuan, said due to the relatively recent formation of the band, they only got to practice three times before the competition, which was held at Fengshan Community Activity Center in Hukou township.    [FULL  STORY]

‘IRRESPONSIBLE’: Far Eastern Air Transport did not clearly explain why it halted operations, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 16, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications would strictly review Far Eastern Air Transport’s

(FAT) explanation for its unexpected partial suspension of flights on Thursday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, adding that a statement issued by the airline had left some questions unanswered.

“We received the airline’s statement after office hours on Friday. It did not give a clear explanation as to why the company suspended flight operations without prior notice, nor did it help resolve the problem,” Lin said in response to media queries on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for a new rest area along the National Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅).

The airline has not only financial problems, but also flight safety issues, Lin said.

The ministry would follow the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) in fining the airline and ordering it to repair the damage it caused, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/14
By: William Yen

Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) Temperatures are expected to plummet to as low as 15 degrees Celsius in some parts of northern Taiwan Thursday due to northeasterly winds, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) Saturday.

The wind system is expected to intensify Thursday evening, pushing the mercury down to 15-19 degrees in Miaoli, 16-19 degrees in Hsinchu and Taoyuan, 17-20 degrees in New Taipei and Taipei, and 17-19 in Keelung, according to the CWB website.

Despite the winds, northern Taiwan is forecast to have relatively stable weather conditions before Thursday except for occasional showers Wednesday, the CWB website said.    [FULL  STORY]