Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 29 October, 2019
By: Leslie Liao

lunch boxes have become one of the most important revenue generators for the Taiwan Railways Administration[/caption] The Taiwan Railways Administration is getting ready to celebrate their annual lunchbox festival. This year, they are offering 12 limited edition special lunchboxes featuring local ingredients.

Train lunchboxes are a beloved tradition in Taiwan. Due to their popularity, the Taiwan Railways Administration has held an annual lunchbox festival every year since 2015. This year marks the fifth iteration, and there are 12 special lunchboxes that customers can choose from. But, you better move your feet, because different lunchboxes are only available at certain stations.

In Taipei, there’s Japanese-style salmon and a subsequent vegetarian option. Closer to the north in Qidu, the lunchboxes there feature cherry duck. Hualien on the east coast has an aboriginal-inspired chicken dish. Each one will run you NT $200, or about USD $6.    [FULL  STORY]

Bloomberg
Date: October 28, 2019
By: Chinmei Sung

China’s ban on individual travel to Taiwan could see visitors to the island fall for the first time since the devastating SARS outbreak of 2003.

The number of mainlanders traveling to the island plunged 46% in September, according to data from Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau. China banned individual travelers from heading to Taiwan in July, although tourists are still allowed to visit in tour groups.

While the total number of international visitors to Taiwan had been on track for a new record high, rising more than 10% so far this year, the Chinese embargo threatens to interrupt 15 straight years of annual increases in overseas arrivals. In 2003, tourists stayed away from Taiwan and Hong Kong after outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.    [FULL  STORY]

Dust storm from China could blast into Taiwan by Oct. 30

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/29
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese weather forecaster on Monday (Oct. 28) uploaded an ominous photo of a massive dust storm spotted over eastern China and warned that it could strike Taiwan by Wednesday (Oct. 30).

Cheng Ming-dean (鄭明典), director of the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) Meteorological Research and Development Center, on Monday posted a satellite image on Facebook showing a huge dust storm covering a vast swath of east China. Cheng warned that based on current weather patterns, the dust storm could descend on Taiwan Wednesday and Thursday.

Cheng said that the dust storm has shifted south into the coastal areas of eastern China. He said that based on the current weather patterns, the dust could continue to drift southward over Taiwan during the next day and a half.

Taiwanese netizens expressed concern about the latest bout of bad air from China, posting comments such as "My nose will suffer again," and "Everyone should watch out for their health." However, Cheng said that a portion of the dust will be filtered out by a band of clouds and rain and that the impact should be limited, "so people should not worry too much."    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/10/29
By: Wang Shu-fen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) will invest NT$6 billion (US$200 million) in a five-year smart transportation action plan from 2021 covering the roll out of 5G wireless infrastructure, Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Tuesday.

Lin made the remarks at an international forum on green and intelligent transportation systems.

The MOTC has spent NT$3 billion in its current four-year plan from 2017-2020 to develop intelligent transportation systems and has achieved much already. For example, Taiwan leads the world in the development of Internet of Vehicles for motorcycles, he added.

The term Internet of Vehicles refers to dynamic mobile communication systems that facilitate the collection and exchange of information between vehicles and public networks so traffic can be more effectively supervised and managed.    [FULL  STORY]

LOSING EDGE: The falling number of students who are pursuing doctoral degrees is an alarming issue, because it affects the nation’s competitiveness, one winner said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 30, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday awarded the Presidential Science Prize to three

Academia Sinica academicians, who warned about a lack of research talent and expressed hope that medical research will improve in Taiwan.

One of the winners, Lee Yuan-pern (李遠鵬), is renowned for his research using free radical spectroscopy, a tool for studying the effect of global warming and air pollution, said Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智), chairman of the prize’s steering committee.

The falling number of students pursuing doctoral degrees should be regarded as a serious social problem, as a shortage of researchers would affect the nation’s global competitiveness, Lee said.

The government should encourage young people to be involved in basic science research and urge academics to work together on advanced research projects, instead of working alone, he said.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 28 October, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

A leading German arts festival, Kunstgest Weimar, has for the first time featured an installation art and performance piece by Taiwanese artists.

Festival curators said collection of works, called “Light Interdiction,” displayed "the innovative and relevance of Taiwan's current art and performance scene."

The new media artists presented unique experiences through innovative technology. Artist Tao Yu-lun gave viewers an unsettling 3D borderline experience. Fujui Wang's sound installation "Hollow Noise" let participants feel the impression of sonic wind blowing from many directions. Wu Chi-tsung's light installation work "DUST" made visible all the dust in the venue, revealing a whole new structure to the surroundings.

From September 5-7, the four artists gave joint performances featuring light, sound and the human body, while Ding Liping gave a 3-hour multidisciplinary performance.     [FULL  STYORY]

Caribbean island’s ambassador to Taipei says diplomatic ties are unlikely to change in the near future

South China Morning Post
Date: 28 Oct, 2019
By: Sarah Zheng  

When Taiwan celebrated its National Day earlier this month, St Lucia was one of the island’s dwindling number of diplomatic allies taking part in the festivities.

As Taiwan’s 15 formal partners face pressure – both internally and externally – to switch their diplomatic recognition to Beijing, the small Caribbean ally St Lucia has continued to resist, with its Prime Minister Allen Chastanet travelling to Taiwan for the October 10 celebrations for the founding of the Republic of China, the official name for the self-ruled island.

“A celebration for Taiwan is a celebration for St Lucia,” Chastanet said during his visit, which followed Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s own trip to the Caribbean in July.

Edwin Laurent, the St Lucia ambassador to Taiwan, said on Monday from his Taipei office that ties between the two were unlikely to change in the near future, despite recent diplomatic switches by the Solomon Islands and Kiribati to recognise Beijing.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/10/28
By:  Central News Agency

Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) A Taiwanese man who allegedly sent a package in August to the Hong Kong representative office in Taipei containing items that symbolized blood and fear was indicted Monday on charges of intimidation.

The package contained a piece of clothing covered in red paint, a stack of joss paper, commonly known as ghost money, and a letter to the Hong Kong government, protesting its controversial handling of the months-long pro-democracy protests there, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said.

In the letter, the suspect Lin Chih-yu (林致宇) warned the Hong Kong Economic Trade and Cultural Office (HKETCO) that it could face "more radical or even violent, erratic protests" if the Hong Kong authorities did not peacefully resolve the ongoing clashes between police and protestors in the special administrative region, prosecutors said.

Lin, a student at Providence University in Taichung, also warned HKETCO that hackers had obtained the personal information of all its employees, and he urged the office to protect the safety of its staff, according to prosecutors.    [FULL  STORY]