4th annual Freedom Cup largest open modeling competition in Asia for third year running

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/04
By: George Liu, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Reality Fantasy Taiwan Model Show Freedom Cup 2019 open modeling competition was held November 2-3 at Taipei Expo Park – Expo Dome, showcasing mesmerizing models ranging from military to fantasy themes.

Organized by Freedom Model Kits, this year’s 4th annual Freedom Cup claimed the title of largest open modeling competition in Asia for the 3rd consecutive year with over 1,000 entries hailing from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Hungary, Russia, Australia, and Serbia.

First, second, and third place prizes and seven honorable mentions were awarded in 11 categories. Overall, second, third, and Best in Show prizes were also given to the winners of each category. A children’s category was open to elementary school-aged competitors, and a student category was open to college-aged modelers.

This year, Taiwanese winners of the overall second and Best in Show awards received round trip tickets to Macau and Vienna, respectively, to participate in modeling competitions in those cities. Prizes for the top three finishers included models and modeling tools, such as premium airbrushes running from NT$5,000-NT$10,000.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/04
By: Liu Shih-yi and Ko Lin

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) A Keelung couple has been awarded NT$4.4 million (US$144,570) in compensation after winning their civil suit against the parties responsible for making and selling a product they argued resulted in the death of their son.

The case dates back to 2015, when the couple's 5-month-old baby boy died from suffocation after his head was trapped between his mattress and a 1.1-meter long by 70 centimeter high convertible mesh bed rail that was installed along one side of the mattress.

The couple first pressed criminal charges, but when the case reached the Taiwan High Court, they decided to seek financial compensation by filing a civil suit against Pan Yung-chu (潘永珠), the owner of the company marketing the bed rail ST Baby Co.

Also named in the suit were Pan's contractor who actually made the product, and the retail store that sold them the item.    [FULL  STORY]

RESIGNATION: Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je promised he would open an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by a Taipei City Government consultant

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 05, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday confirmed that Taipei City Government consultant Liu

Chia-jen (劉嘉仁), who has been accused of sexually harassing Taipei City Government deputy spokeswoman Huang Ching-ying, has resigned from his post.

A local Chinese-language newspaper on Thursday reported that Taipei Research, Development and Evaluation Commission chairman Yu Chia-che (余家哲) told Ko in a meeting that Liu allegedly sexually harassed Huang.

The newspaper reported that Liu allegedly asked Huang to go to his office to discuss work-related issues. The meeting was held behind closed doors, causing Huang to feel insecure.

Liu also allegedly sent Huang several text messages using the Line messaging app.
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei International Travel Fair will be held at Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 Nov. 8-11

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/03
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Forestry Bureau will be participating in the Taipei International Travel Fair for the first time to promote its 30 one- to three-day tour packages to Taiwan’s 18 national forest recreation areas and nearby attractions, according to a press release posted by the bureau on Friday (Nov. 1).

The 2019 Taipei International Travel Fair will be held in Hall 1 at Nangang Exhibition Center from Nov. 8-11. The bureau has organized the trips with the cooperation of travel agencies, according to the statement.

Among the 30 tour packages is a three-day trip to Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area in Yilan County, which includes transportation from Taipei, two nights’ accommodation at the Taiping Villa, meals, hiking on several trails within the recreation area, and a visit to the Jiuzhize Hot Springs on the last day, according to its online pamphlet.

Forest Bureau staff will have at the event to provide visitors with more information about the package trips, ecology in Taiwan’s high mountains, and attractions near the national forest recreation areas. The Forest Bureau cordially invites members of the public to visit its stall during the travel fair. For more information, please download the pamphlet (Chinese) via this site.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/03
By: Kuo Chih-hsuan and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 3 (CNA) An American pilot of remote control gliders was released on NT$200,000 (US$6,700) bail Sunday after being questioned over an accident in which his glider struck a woman during a competition in Pingtung County and killed her.

Chen Yi-li (陳怡利), the chief prosecutor at the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office, said a forensic examination showed that the woman sustained a head injury, leading to the possibility that the American pilot may be liable for negligent homicide.

The pilot, identified as David Cortina, was prohibited by the court from leaving Taiwan, and he was ordered by prosecutors to turn over his passport and travel documents to prevent him from fleeing or hiding.

The accident occurred at 4:50 p.m. Saturday during the F3F Radio Control Soaring (Slope) World Cup at Lungpan Park on the eastern coast of the Hengchun Peninsula.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/02
By: Elaine Hou and Flor Wang

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) A couple from Hungary who were picked to take part in a program to stay overnight at the Presidential Office hailed their first encounter with Taiwan and promised to help promote the country in Europe.

"It's amazing," Robert Revesz, who is a managing director for international relations at Hungary-based travel media Turizmus, told CNA on Thursday after arriving in Taiwan with his wife a day earlier.

According to Revesz, he learned of the program through a Taiwanese friend. As a veteran globetrotter, he had visited more than 400 cities in over 50 countries, but this was his first visit to Taiwan.

"The project itself was very interesting for us," he said. "The idea of promoting Taiwan using the hundred-year-old presidential office building and the opportunity to stay here, I think it's amazing. So we were very excited when I heard about the opportunity."    [FULL  STORY]

TRAVELER CAUTION: The CDC warned that those who have not been vaccinated for polio are particularly susceptible to the disease, especially young children

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 03, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff Reporter

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that all travelers to the Philippines be fully

vaccinated against polio, as the country declared an outbreak of the disease on Sept. 19.

The risk of the disease spreading further throughout the country is high due to a limited vaccination coverage rate.

The Philippines has confirmed three cases to date. All three were caused either by vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) or the lack of prior vaccination, the CDC said.

It said the WHO on Oct. 25 assessed the risk of further spread within the Philippines to be high due to a population immunity of about 66 percent.    [FULL  STORY]

Taoyuan CIty to discuss the accusations on Nov. 12

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/02
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Hundreds of students and teachers turned up wearing black at the anniversary party of a school in Taoyuan City Saturday (November 2) in an echo of the student protests in Hong Kong.

The protesters accused Taoyuan Municipal Yang Ming Senior High School Principal Sung Ching-wei (宋慶瑋) of a list of infractions, including behaving in an authoritarian way and improper use of school funds, the Central News Agency reported.

About 500 students and teachers dressed in black and carrying banners and placards appeared at the school Saturday, demanding the replacement of the principal.

While the city government rejected claims of irregularities surrounding Sung’s selection last year, it was looking into the latest allegations and would discuss them at a meeting scheduled for November 12, according to CNA.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/02
By: Chen Chih-chung and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) Plans are afoot to build a memorial square at National Taiwan University (NTU) to honor Chen Wen-chen (陳文成), a young democracy activist who died under mysterious circumstances and whose body was found on the NTU campus in 1981.

At a fundraiser at the university on Saturday, NTU student groups and the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation & Museum said they hoped to raise NT$12 million (US$394,974) to finish construction of the square by July 2020.

A 31-year-old mathematics professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Chen had returned home to Taiwan for a vacation and was summoned on July 2 to a meeting with the Taiwan Garrison Command, a since-disbanded state security force.

His body was discovered the next day near the main library of NTU, where Chen received his undergraduate degree, in what is widely regarded as a government reprisal for Chen's support of Taiwan's democracy movement.    [FULL  STORY]