Taipei Times
Date: Aug 26, 2018
By: Hung Ting-hung and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Excess water from torrential rains on Thursday in Kaohsiung was quickly drained due to 15

retention basins built by the city government, I-Shou University Department of Mass Communication professor Hou Tsun-yao (侯尊堯) said on Friday.

Central and southern Taiwan have been battered by torrential rain since Thursday due to a tropical depression that has been moving slowly over that area, bringing gusty winds and torrential rain, which have caused travel and power disruptions, as well as flooding in Pingtung County, Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung, among other areas.

The Central Weather Bureau issued an “extremely torrential rain” alert for Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Penghu, meaning it expected accumulated rainfall of 200mm over 24 hours or 100mm in three hours.

Hou from 1995 to 2001 headed then-Kaohsiung County’s Planning and Control Office and doubled as head of the county Information Office. In those capacities, he was involved in hydroengineering efforts on all three major river systems in the area — those of the Love River (愛河), Houjin River (後勁溪) and Cianjhen River (前鎮溪).    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-08-24

The economics ministry has collaborated with the Taiwan AI Academy to set up a class to

help train more talent for the public sector.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly important for the growth of many industries. However, Taiwan still faces a shortage of AI professionals. The economics ministry has teamed up with the Taiwan AI Academy to provide accelerated training for engineers and software developers in the public sector.

On Thursday, Economics Minister Shen Jong-Chin said this is just the first step. He said that in the future, the ministry is looking to foster AI talent with skills tailored specifically to Taiwan’s key industries, including intelligent mechanics, information technology and textiles, among others.

The academy said that working with the economics ministry allows the school to tailor their programs to fulfill changing needs. They said that they are looking to expand the program and set up more classes in major cities across the country.    [FULL  STORY]

Schools and offices close as more rain is forecast across the island.

Al Jazeera
Date: August 24, 2018 

Two people have been killed and one seriously wounded after damage caused by a storm in Taiwan, according to the The News Lens International.

A tropical depression, formed over Taiwan, triggered a massive deluge across the island.

Violent waves caused five cargo ships and oil tankers to run aground off Kaohsiung Harbour. Of the 66 crew onboard the ships, 52 have been rescued so far.

The Central Weather Bureau issued a rare advisory of ‘extremely torrential rain’ as the storm loomed, indicating that more than 500mm of rain was expected in just 24 hours.

The alert prompted the closure of many schools and offices.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/08/24
By:  Central News Agency

Almost 1,000 people in Tainan were evacuated Friday as torrential rain from a slow-moving tropical depression caused flooding across the city, the local government said.

The rain, which has been dousing Tainan since Thursday, caused the Anping Canal in the downtown area to overflow, and flood 21 of the city’s 37 districts, the city government said.

It said 942 people living in flood prone areas had been evacuated to places of safety as of 8 a.m. Friday.

Due to the torrential rain and flooding, 31 bridges and 87 roads in Tainan have also been closed as a safety precaution, the city government added.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/24
By: Yeh Su-ping and Flor Wang 

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) As Taiwan still needs to overcome the bad feelings caused by El Salvador’s switch of diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) admitted Friday that the government must assess the worst-case scenario if Taiwan is left with no diplomatic allies.

“I believe that the government should have studied all possible scenarios in this regard, including a case in which Taiwan has no more diplomatic parters,” Huang said in a radio interview.

On Tuesday, El Salvador broke off its 85-year diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan), dealing a fresh blow to Taiwan, which is now formally recognized by only 17 nations.

The diplomatic setback came shortly after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) returned to Taiwan from a nine-day visit to Paraguay and Belize.   [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 25, 2018
By: Bloomberg, TAIPEI

Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday dismissed concern that the US

might use ties with Taiwan as leverage in US President Donald Trump’s trade war with China.

Wu told Bloomberg Television that he was confident the US’ support for Taiwan would not be affected by the ups and downs in relations between the US and China.

“We understand Washington DC’s support of Taiwan continues to be very strong,” Wu said in Taipei. “Taiwan is a positive element in the US economy and I just don’t worry that Taiwan is going to become a chip to be negotiated with by the US.”

Wu’s remarks followed a fresh diplomatic blow to Taiwan, after the Central American nation of El Salvador cut ties with Taipei and switched its recognition to Beijing. The departure left Taiwan with just 17 formal diplomatic partners, as the Chinese Communist Party worked to further isolate President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).    [FULL  STORY]

Your daily bulletin of Taiwan news, courtesy of ICRT.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/08/23
By: International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT)

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Wednesday that China is attempting to

erode public morale here in Taiwan as it seeks to influence the political situation and the outcome of November’s local elections.

Speaking at a Democratic Progressive Party Central Advisory Committee meeting, Tsai also warned that China is expected to come up with more tactics to bully Taiwan ahead of the elections.

According to Tsai, the government is continuing to assess all possible scenarios and is ready to take on any challenges in order to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic values.

Tsai also said China has stepped up its suppression efforts because Taiwan’s relations with other major countries have made sustainable progress.    [FULL  STORY]

National Education Radio was shortlisted as nominee for 24 out of 26 total awards

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/08/23
By: Jessica Adriana, Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Golden Bell Award announced its

finalists for its 53rd annual ceremony on Aug. 22.

The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development held a “Broadcast Golden Bell Awards Finalist Party” in Taipei featuring DJ Ray Ray, and announced the complete shortlist for the 53rd Golden Bell Awards.

According to the press release, this year’s Broadcast Golden Bell Awards has 66 companies participating and 855 submissions. This year’s edition was even more competitive than last year’s Golden Bell Awards, which only received 758 submissions.

Hsing Tzu Ching (邢子青), a well-known radio host, also the judge for this year, selected 126 submissions from the total of 855, after more two months of discussions and selections. The entries are competing for program awards, individual awards, advertising awards, radio brand marketing innovation awards and the innovation R&D application awards, among others. In total, there are 26 awards.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/08/23
By: William Yen

Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) Routine annual live-fire exercises carried out at

Taiping Island in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea do not endanger the ships of other countries, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said Thursday.

The remark was made in response to Vietnam’s opposition to an exercise carried out by Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday in the area.

According to a Vietnam News Agency online report, Vice Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Tra stressed earlier Thursday that Vietnam “resolutely opposes” Taiwan’s live-fire drills conducted in the area because it violates Vietnam’s sovereignty, threatens navigation and aviation security, as well as safety in the region.

Vice Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Tra

The live-fire drill was conducted during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday as well as from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, the CGA said.
[FULL  STORY]