Radio Taiwan International
Date: 12 June, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

An old street in Tainan[/caption] Shennong Old Street in Tainan has been dubbed “the most beautiful alley” in the old capital city. It has a particular attraction for young lovers- the 100-year-old bronze keyhole in the shape of a heart of the Gold Temple’s gate.

The street has attracted many Japanese tourists, and Japanese magazine PEN has put a photo of it on the cover of its June edition.

This isn’t the only publication from Japan that has taken notice of Tainan. The magazine Brutus exhibited yet another famous Tainan street on its cover twice last year. Men’s magazine Popeye also introduced Tainan in its April edition this year.

According to the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Taiwan has been Japanese people’s first pick for overseas travel in recent years, with Tainan one of their favorite destinations.    [FULL  STORY]

The student had helped victims of the Aloha bus accident in Central Taiwan while working as a volunteer nurse

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/12
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A female student surnamed Chu (朱), who had just passed her exams to study at a university nursing department, was herself involved in a scooter crash after tending to victims of the Aloha bus accident, Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Wednesday (June 12).

The Aloha Bus Co(阿羅哈客運) bus ran off an embankment on the Sun Yat-Sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) in Changhua County on Monday night, killing three people and injuring 13.

Chu was looking forward to becoming a nurse and had worked as a volunteer tending to patients at Show Chwan Memorial Hospital in Changhua, CNA reported. She volunteered on Saturdays and every day during summer and winter vacations.

On Monday night, she was in the hospital tending to Aloha bus accident victims. After her shift ended, she left for home on her scooter but was involved in a crash with a Mercedes-Benz on Provincial Highway No. 1 in Huatan Township and was seriously injured, CNA reported. She was sent to Changhua Christian Hospital (彰化基督教醫院) for emergency treatment.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/12
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, June 12 (CNA) Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), one of the leaders of the 2014 Sunflower Movement, and more than 100 protesters staged a sit-in protest outside Hong Kong's representative office in Taipei on Wednesday to oppose a proposed bill in Hong Kong that would allow the extradition of crime suspects to China for trial.

After a massive protest over the weekend, tens of thousands of people took to Hong Kong's streets Wednesday to protest the proposed bill, which would allow the city to transfer suspects to jurisdictions with which it lacks formal extradition agreements, including mainland China.

The former British territory's Legislative Council decided to postpone debate on a second reading of the bill amid the protests Wednesday, but said it would be scheduled for a later date.

Speaking before the sit-in protest in Taipei, Lin said that once the bill is passed, it could put protesters in Hong Kong in danger of being sent to China for trial under the authoritarian regime.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 11 June, 2019
By: Paula Chao

The foreign ministry says Taiwan will continue deepening ties with the United States on the basis of both mutual trust and mutual benefit.

On Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesman Andrew Lee thanked US congressman Adam Smith for speaking in favor of US arms sales to Taiwan. Smith is the chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
[FULL  STORY]

CNBC
Date: Jun 11 2019
By: Shirley Tay@SHIRTAY

KEY POINTS

• The self-governed island — which Beijing deems to be a renegade Chinese province — is one of many flashpoints in the rivalry between the world’s two superpowers.
• Taiwan has always been a “chess piece” that Washington can play with in U.S.-China relations, said Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University.
• Bonnie Glaser, senior advisor for Asia at Washington-based think tank CSIS, told CNBC that the U.S. dealing Taiwan as a “card” is a new factor in the overall dynamic of the trilateral relationship that “really did not exist” before U.S. President Donald Trump came into power.

As the United States and China remain deadlocked in a deepening dispute over trade and technology, some experts say Taiwan’s value as a bargaining chip has increased.

The self-governed island — which Beijing deems to be a renegade Chinese province — is one of many flashpoints in the rivalry between the world’s two superpowers.

Taiwan has always been a “chess piece” that Washington can play with in U.S.-China relations, said Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University.

“Taiwan’s value to the U.S. will only increase as tensions between the U.S. and China escalate,” Zhu told CNBC.

Under the Chinese Communist Party’s “One China” policy, the self-ruled island is part of mainland China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has said before that China “must be and will be” reunified with Taiwan — by force if necessary.

However, recent military and diplomatic actions from Washington have been seen by Beijing as U.S. support for Taiwan’s independence movement.    [FULL  STORY]

CWB issues heavy rain alert in 9 counties, cities as plum rains set to pound Taiwan for 4 more days

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/12 10:28
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) has issued a heavy rain advisory for nine counties and cities in Taiwan today (June 12) as a plum rain front is set to pummel Taiwan for four more days.

The CWB has issued heavy rain and extremely advisory for nine counties and cities in southwest Taiwan as the plum rain front has shifted south today. A heavy rain advisory is in place for Changhua County, Yunlin County, Tainan city, and Chiayi City, while an extremely heavy rain advisory has been issued for Taichung City, Nantou County, Kaohsiung City, Chiayi County, and Pingtung County.

CWB forecaster Chen Yi-hsiu (陳依秀) said the plum rain front and southwestern winds will continue to bring unstable weather to the country, including the possibility of local heavy rain or torrential rain. Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said that convection of the stationary plum rain front could increase during the day, bringing severe weather.

Wu said that the front will gradually move north tonight and into Thursday morning (June 13), and although convection will weaken slightly, rain is still likely. From Thursday evening to Friday morning (June 14), the front will shift from north to south again, increasing convection.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/11
By: Chao Li-yen and Ko Lin

Taipei, June 11 (CNA) A joint study by two universities in Taichung showed Tuesday that children and adolescents in Taiwan as well as their peers in South Korea and China are extremely physically inactive.

The "2018 Taiwan Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth" conducted by National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) and National Taiwan University of Sport (NTUS) provides a summary and grades current levels of physical activity, related health behavior and influential factors in Taiwan.

Local data for children and adolescents (5-17 years old) from 2010-2018 were used to measure 10 indicators, including overall physical activity; organized sport and physical activity participation; active playing; active transportation; and sedentary behavior.

The rest of the indicators are physical fitness; family and peers; school; community and the built environment; government strategies; and investment.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 12, 2019
By: Chen Yan-ting and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A diver is being prosecuted for allegedly stomping on a sea turtle on Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球), the first

time someone has been charged with harassing protected marine life on the island.

A local resident reported the diver to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

The diver reportedly told CGA officers sent to investigate on Monday that he and other divers had not touched the turtle, but he later confessed when shown a video that shows him stomping on the reptile, the Liouciou Township (琉球) Office said.

The diver’s alleged actions were first reported by an “angry resident” who stormed into the local CGA office at 2pm on Monday, the township office said.   
[FULL  STORY]