Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/04/20
By:  Central News Agency

Taipei (CNA) – Taiwan has demanded the quick conclusion of an investigation by

Malaysian police into the attempted robbery of a Taiwanese woman in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday that resulted in her being seriously injured, a spokesman for the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

According to Andrew Lee, Taiwan’s representative office in Malaysia made the request as the woman’s family arrived in Kuala Lumpur Thursday.

The woman, identified only by her surname Liu, 55, suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and underwent an emergency operation Wednesday, Lee told CNA, adding that the representative office will keep a close eye on developments, while offering the victim and her family any help they might need.

According to Malaysian media reports, Liu was attacked by a man on a motorcycle who attempted to grab her bag near the Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/04/20
By: Christie Chen 

Taipei, April 20 (CNA) Modern Women’s Foundation, a local women’s group, on Friday urged Taiwanese to join with people across the world in wearing jeans on Denim Day, April 25, to raise awareness of sexual violence and express solidarity with rape victims.

Many victims of sexual assault are afraid to speak out even today because many myths about sexual violence are still widely accepted in society, according to the foundation, which released a survey Friday detailing attitudes to sexual assault.

The survey showed that 65 percent of all respondents and 70 percent of male respondents agree that a woman bears some responsibility for being sexually assaulted if she is too casual in her behavior, wears sexy clothing or frequents nightclubs.
[FULL  STORY]

Channel News Asia
Date: 20 Apr 2018

BEIJING: Chinese bombers and spy planes have flown around Taiwan, the air force said

on Thursday (Apr 19) as Taipei accused Beijing of trying to stoke regional tensions with its military drills.

China sees the democratically-governed island as a renegade part of its territory to be brought back into the fold and has not ruled out reunification by force.

H-6K bombers, Su-30 and J-11 fighters and reconnaissance aircraft took part in a patrol around Taiwan, air force spokesman Shen Jinke told the official Xinhua news agency.

Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang said the exercise served as a warning against those pushing for Taiwanese independence.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/04/19
By: Chang Kuo-tsai, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

There are few people active in politics today who are consistent from start to finish in

what they say. One member of that rare breed is Premier William Lai (賴清德). No matter whether he was running for election to the National Assembly, questioning government officials at the Legislative Yuan, visiting China, or answering questions at the Tainan City Council when he was mayor, Lai has always been consistent in his mentioning of Taiwan Independence.

Even though his Taiwan Independence principles are right, they have not been a Bible that he has stuck to rigidly without any change or variation. After he took office as premier last September, Lai responded to questions from lawmakers with the phrases “Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation, and its name is the Republic of China” and “we hope that any country can face up to the reality of the Republic of China’s existence.”

Taiwan supporters overseas, who can be considered even more pro-Taiwan than the country’s president or premier, wondered why, if Taiwan was just Taiwan, there still needed to be a mention of the Republic of China? Why not just say “we hope that any country can face up to the reality of Taiwan’s existence?”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/04/19
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) A fact-checking center was announced in Taiwan on Thursday by

two local non-profit organizations with the aim of combating the spread of fake news and providing the public with reliable information.

The Taiwan Fact Checking Center is backed by media watch group Taiwan Media Watch, in collaboration with the Association for Quality Journalism, an organization that funds investigative and in-depth reporting.

“The issue of fake news has attracted global attention,” Hu Yuan-hui (胡元輝), head of the Association for Quality Journalism and a professor at National Chung Cheng University’s Department of Communication, said at a press conference to announce the establishment of the center.

He said a survey conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in over 30 countries last year showed that only 24 percent of respondents believed social media did a good job of helping them separate fact from fiction, and only 40 percent said the mainstream media did a good job in that regard.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-04-18

President Tsai Ing-wen’s trip to the African country of Swaziland got underway Tuesday as

she met with the country’s King Mswati III. During the meeting, the two leaders took steps towards strengthening bilateral ties.

President Tsai arrived in Swaziland on Tuesday, beginning her first trip as president to one of Taiwan’s two diplomatic allies in Africa.

She and Swaziland’s King Mswati III signed a joint communique calling for further cooperation in public health, trade and investment, vocational training, education, women’s employment, agriculture, and tourism.

In the communique, King Mswati also voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations such as the UN, the WHO, and Interpol.    [FULL  STORY]