Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/27
By: Christie Chen 

Taipei, April 27 (CNA) A magnitude 3.7 earthquake hit eastern Taiwan’s Hualien at 5:49 p.m. Saturday, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

There were no reports of damage or injuries.

The quake was centered about 13.9 kilometers northwest of Hualien County Hall and struck at a depth of 20.1 km, the bureau’s Seismology Center said.

The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Tongmen in Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 26 April, 2019
By: Natalie Tso

Some rare dolphins washed up on the shores of Kaohsiung’s Qilin beach Thursday night. The Coast Guard tried to save the surprise visitors in their time of need.

Six rare dolphins called pygmy killer whales washed up on Kaohsiung’s Qilin beach Thursday night.  The coast guard came in to take care of  them, covering one with a wet cloth and using ocean water to keep it wet.　The coast guard did its best to try to save them but one died on Thursday night.

Half a day later early Friday, eight more washed up on the same beach. Two of them died and five were put back in the ocean. One was sent to National Cheng Kung University for treatment.  Cheng Kung University Professor Wang Jian Ping said that it has been gaining strength and recovering after coming to their pool.

Dolphins travel in schools and are close to one another. If one of them gets lost, it affects the whole group.  Professor Wang said one probably got hurt or died and the rest felt sad and followed it.     [FULL  STORY]

Forbes
Date: Apr 26, 2019
By: William Pesek, Contributor

Taiwanese voters may soon have a novel tool to break the political gridlock

undermining the economy: a CEO president.

Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou is tossing his hat into the ring ahead of a 2020 campaignalready captivating the island’s 24 million people. The impulse of supporters is clear enough: only a brash and visionary businessman can fix Taipei’s dysfunction. Yet they’re engaging in a fantasy that could end badly.

Gou, 68, is best known in the West for running Apple Inc.’s most important iPhone maker. But also for playing another CEO leader–Donald Trump–like a proverbial fiddle. Gou did just that in Wisconsin last year. There, Gou planned to open a $10 billion manufacturing complex, delighting President Trump, who joined him there for the groundbreaking ceremony.

Trump touted a major coup for his push to make America great again with 13,000 new jobs. But the win was Gou’s, as Wisconsin’s government, a Trump party mate, offered to cough up $4.5 billion of that tab via tax breaks and other incentives.
[FULL  STORY]

Taiwan has come a long way in protecting the plant

Taiwan News 
Date: 2019/04/26
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Council of Agriculture (COA) on Friday (April 26) revoked the status of the Taiwan cow-tail fir as a tangible cultural heritage stipulated by Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, which cleared the way for the plant to be used for horticultural or academic purposes in the future.

According to the Forestry Bureau, the decision to remove the Taiwan cow-tail fir from the national heritage preservation list does not suggest it no longer requires protection, but rather serves as evidence that Taiwan has made significant progress in the protection of the tree variety.

The Taiwan cow-tail fir was designated as a rare species requiring preservation in August of 1988. Plucking and logging of the tree was prohibited while specimen collection and exchange of the twigs, leaves, flowers, and fruits were also strictly controlled, said Forestry Bureau.

The Taiwan cow-tail fir has been widely used in landscaping for its beautiful shapes and high adaptability to the environment since the Japanese colonial period. With the restrictions lifted, the plant can serve to provide more research value in expanded scope of uses, UDN reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/26
By: Wen Kui-hsiang, Matt Yu and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Former Premier Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of the ruling Democratic

Progressive Party (DPP) said Friday that the party’s presidential nominee should be decided by a primary amid reports that pro-Taiwan independence groups have expressed hope that Lai will step back and allow President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to run unopposed.

Public trust in the party will be at stake if the DPP decides on its presidential candidate without holding a primary, Lai said on his Facebook page.

Lai’s comment came after pro-Taiwan independence academics and civic groups called a day earlier for a Tsai-Lai presidential ticket to ensure the survival of a “local regime.”    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 27, 2019
By Chien Hui-ju and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Council of Agriculture and the Miaoli County Police Department on Thursday

uncovered the largest ant smuggling case this year, finding 36 nests of ants belonging to three different genera.

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health, Inspection and Quarantine said it received a tip-off that foreign species of ants were being sold online.

It forwarded the information to the National Police Agency, the bureau said.

Bureau staff were present when Miaoli police detained a person for allegedly contravening Article 15 of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Act (植物防疫檢疫法), it said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 25 April: 2019
By: Jake Chen

Penghu bans herring fishing for one month to promote conservation
The local government of the outlying Penghu Islands has imposed a one-month ban on herring fishing in an effort to boost herring numbers.

Silver-stripe round herrings are part of local cuisine. But from May 1 to June 1, fishermen will not be allowed to catch them.

The government said the ban is meant to ensure that herring numbers are kept a healthy level and fishing will be sustainable in the long run. Those who violate the ban will be subject to fines of up to NT$150,000 (US$ 4,850).    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan Today
Date: April 25, 2019 | A-

President Tsai Ing-wen and the people of Taiwan were awarded the Social Achievement honor April 23 at India’s Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize in recognition of their efforts to advance democracy, freedom and human rights.

Organizers of the event described Taiwan as a beacon of these values, and called on the international community to support the “vibrant and resilient country of Taiwan.”

Representative Tien Chung-kwang, head of Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, accepted the award on behalf of the people and president at the ceremony in New Delhi. Expressing gratitude to the jury, he described Tsai as an active promoter of peace, democracy and human rights since assuming office in May 2016.

As India is the largest democracy in the world and Taiwan a beacon of democracy in Asia, the two sides can strengthen collaboration in preserving these shared values, Tien said, adding that the award will shortly be delivered to the Presidential Office in Taipei City.    [FULL  STORY]

The hardcore pro-independence political affairs program is no longer being aired, after harsh criticism of the president and alleged financial losses

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/04/24
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Hundreds of pro-Taiwan professionals and politicians expressed support for a suspended political talk show on Wednesday (April 24), after the program’s host claimed the television channel had experienced political interference.

Formosa TV’s (FTV) “Jeng Chin on FTV53” (政經看民視) is known for its hardcore pro-independence stance, though talk show host Dennis Peng (彭文正) had exchanged several rounds of verbal fire with the Presidential Office in recent weeks. Presidential Office Spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) rejected Peng’s claims of political interference.

The show ended following the ousting of FTV’s politically outspoken former chairman George P. Kuo (郭倍宏). He was under attack for alleged involvement in a NT$500 million embezzlement scandal, mismanagement, and racking up outrageous costs caused by rapidly expanding political affairs programs over the past two years.

On Monday (April 22), the entire talk show crew was abruptly told to end the program. This was done while the show was still shooting, leaving the two hosts and guests surprised, embarrassed, and angry.    [FULL  STORY]