The man and wife, who are in their 60s became lost on Sept. 5, and were discovered the morning of Sept. 12

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/16
By: Duncan DeAeth, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Huangs being helped off the mountain (By Central News Agency)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A man and wife in their 60s became lost in the mountains of Miaoli County earlier this month and remained lost for almost two weeks, barely surviving on wild plants, reports CNA.

A couple with the surname Huang (黃) who live in Hsinchu, went to nearby Miaoli for a leisurely hike on Sept. 5. However after sometime they became lost, eventually losing battery power in their phones and were unable to get off of the mountain.

After the couple’s family reported them missing, police traced the location of the last cellphone usage to near Beikang village, Touwu Township (頭屋鄉北坑村) in Miaoli. Police sent out several search parties over the following days, but turned up nothing.

Surprisingly the couple were discovered alive on the morning of Sept. 16, nearly 12 full days after they were first reported lost. They were rescued near a farm in Nanzhuang township (南庄鄉), which the couple had reached by tracing a water source through the mountains.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/16
By: Wang Shu-fen and William Yen

Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) Some flights scheduled for Monday between Taiwan and Hong Kong have been canceled due to Typhoon Mangkhut, which barreled past the special administrative region and made landfall in China’s Guangdong province Sunday, airline companies announced.

Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) said on their website that they have canceled flight CI601 from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TTIA) to Hong Kong and CI602 from Hong Kong to TTIA.

Other CAL flights, CI933 from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong and CI934 from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung have also been canceled, the CAL website pointed out.

Meanwhile, EVA Airways, another of Taiwan’s major carriers, said on their website that flight BR828 from Hong Kong to TTIA has been canceled.    [FULL  STORY]

Accusation that island’s intelligence agencies are trying to steal intelligence follows claims mainland students have been targeted

South China Morning Post 
Date:16 September, 2018
By: Reuters

Beijing on Sunday accused Taiwan’s spy agencies of stepping up efforts to steal intelligence with the aim of “infiltration” and “sabotage”, and warned the island against further damaging already strained cross-strait ties.

The relevant agencies in Taiwan must end such activities immediately, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing An Fengshan, a spokesman of China’s policymaking Taiwan Affairs Office.

On Saturday, state television kicked off the first in a series of programmes detailing cases in which mainland Chinese students studying in Taiwan are said to be targeted by domestic spies who lure them with money, love and friendship.

The allegations come as China ramps up efforts to encourage Taiwanese to settle in China permanently, with new identity cards and other inducements.

Taiwan has warned its people to be careful of the risks involved living in an autocratic country with internet censorship and other drawbacks.    [FULL  STORY]

TAEF think thank to strengthen relationships between Taiwan and New Southbound Policy nations

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/15
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The government’s New Southbound Policy can start at home

with a positive treatment of foreign workers and spouses, the chairman of the new government-funded Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF, 台灣亞洲交流基金會) said Saturday.

The think tank was expected to lead efforts to strengthen relationships with the countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy, 10 member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and six countries in South Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. The policy was launched by President Tsai Ing-wen after she took office in May 2016.

Charity starts at home, so people in Taiwan should begin by treating foreign workers and spouses well, TAEF Chairman Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌) said in an interview with the Central News Agency.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/09/15
By: Yeh Su-ping and Ko Lin

Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) Presidential Office spokesman Sidney Lin (林鶴明) said Saturday

that Taiwan sincerely appreciates the goodwill and continued support extended by the executive and legislative branches of the United States government.

Taiwan has a close and friendly relationship with the U.S., which has been unwavering in its support, Lin said, after U.S. Republican Representative Chris Smith on Friday urged the U.S. executive branch to fully implement the Taiwan Travel Act to bring about an increase in exchanges of high-level American and Taiwanese officials.

In a letter to U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo, Smith said President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) recent visit to the U.S. showed the positive development of ties between Washington and Taipei.  [FULL  STORY]

MINISTRY RESHUFFLE: The next head of the corruption watchdog once charged Ma Ying-jeou with graft, and the Investigation Bureau is to get a new director-general

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 16, 2018
By: Wu Cheng-feng and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Deputy Minister of Justice Tsai Pi-chung (蔡碧仲) is to become acting Hualien County

commissioner, replacing Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁), who has been sentenced to eight months in prison for stock market manipulation, Cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said on Friday.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court rejected Fu’s appeal against the prison sentence, ruling that he must serve his term and closing the case.

Fu was relieved of his post on the same day under the Local Government Act (地方制度法), which stipulates that local government heads be removed from their positions if they are convicted of a crime that carries a prison sentence.

In a statement, Kolas said that Tsai would leave the Ministry of Justice and officially assume the Hualien post tomorrow.

As acting county commissioner, Tsai is to ensure the continuity of local policies and maintain administrative neutrality.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-09-14

The Ministry of Science and Technology says it will strengthen cooperation with France.

That’s the word from deputy science minister Tsou Yu-han on Friday. Tsou was speaking at a ceremony aimed at demonstrating the fruits of ties between the two sides.

Twenty years ago, Taiwan and France jointly introduced a science and technology award. The ministry has worked with the French National Research Agency for over a decade.

Tsou said France has the closest academic cooperation with Taiwan among European countries, with over 100 cooperation projects and personnel exchanges each year.    [FULL  STORY]

Prosecutors say the funds were donated by Taiwan to El Salvador’s foreign ministry, but were spent on the election campaign of President Salvador Sanchez Ceren

South Chna Morning Post 
Date: 14 September, 2018

Prosecutors in El Salvador are investigating the alleged diversion of some US$10 million in funds donated by Taiwan and purportedly used to pay for political campaigning by the governing party.

Prosecutor Douglas Melendez said on Thursday in a television interview that the money came from US$38 million that Taipei gave to the Foreign Ministry for various projects.

Melendez alleged the funds were diverted to the presidency and “apparently used in a partisan campaign” under then President Mauricio Funes in elections won by current President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, an FMLN party ally of Funes.

Melendez said ex-Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez has been questioned because it was under his watch that the money was allegedly passed to the presidency.

El Salvador cuts Taiwan links as island loses yet another ally
Martinez is the party’s candidate for the presidential election next year.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/09/14
By:  Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – To promote Taiwan as an ideal tourism destination, Taiwan’s

Tourism Bureau Singapore Office has launched a string of marketing activities in Australia and New Zealand from August, creating a buzz in the two countries.

The marketing initiative started with a partnership with popular Australian travel TV show host Jen Adams, who was invited to visit Taiwan in April, and she wrote a memoir about her Taiwan adventure on her travel blog Places We Go.

Her TV crew filmed the trip which was broadcast recently and received much attention, helping people know more about the beautiful island country which is a hub for food and outdoor lovers.

People traveling to New Zealand recently could easily spot the travel ads that promote tourism in Taiwan, and news coverage and shows that talk about how Taiwan is the best place for Kiwis to go.     [FULL  STORY]