Page Three

Missing Indonesian fisherman found dead

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/28
By: Lin Chang-shun and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) The body of an Indonesian fisherman who went missing near the mouth of the Tamsui River in New Taipei City on Sunday, after the vessel he was on sank, was recovered on Tuesday by rescuers.

National Airborne Service and coast guard personnel had been conducting a search since Sunday when the small vessel capsized 300 meters from Taipei Port, with all five crew members thrown into the water.

While rescuers were able to save the Taiwanese skipper and two Indonesian crew, they were unable to find the two remaining Indonesian crew members.

Airborne rescuers sent out a signal at 2:36 p.m. on Tuesday after spotting what looked like a body about 800 meters off the coast of Waziwei in Bali Township, New Taipei City.
[FULL  STORY]

Lawmakers pass act covering rentals

ALSO TRANSPORTATION: An amendment that would cut taxes on local firms involved in sea transport and aviation between Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau was passed

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 29, 2017
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Property Rental Market Development and Regulation Act (租賃住宅市場發展及管理條例), which is to give tax deductions to landlords who entrust their properties to a management facility, was passed by the Legislative Yuan yesterday.

The rule was proposed by the Ministry of the Interior to encourage landlords to use professional management firms so they would be encouraged to lease properties to meet a growing demand for rentals.

Under the act, landlords who hire firms to manage their rental properties will be exempt from paying income taxes on the rent they collect if the monthly rent is under NT$6,000, and will be given a 47 percent tax deduction if the monthly rent is between NT$6,000 and NT$20,000.

Properties that command monthly rents of more than NT$20,000 will not qualify for tax deductions, the act states.    [FULL  STORY]

China jails Taiwan activist Lee Ming-che for ‘subversion’

The China Post
Date: November 28, 2017
By: aw/rt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che was convicted of subverting state power and sentenced to five years in jail by a Chinese court on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old, who lectured on democracy and human rights at a community college in Taipei and campaigned for a human rights non-governmental organization in Taiwan, went missing during a trip to China in March. Chinese authorities later confirmed he had been arrested.

He appeared in court on Tuesday alongside Chinese activist Peng Yuhua, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. Both pleaded guilty to all charges.

Lee’s wife, Lee Ching-yu, said she was proud of his dedication and that he had “paid the price” for his ideals.    [FULL  STORY]

Aamir Khan’s ‘Secret Superstar’ Is A Hit In Taiwan, And A Torrent Of China Cash May Follow

Forbes
Date: NOV 27, 2017
Rob Cain , CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

The Bollywood drama-comedy Secret Superstar has made its first foray into the critically

Aamir Khan Productions
Husband-and-wife team Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao produced ‘Secret Superstar’

important Greater China territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and with its strong start in Taiwan, all signals are go for a big box office run across the region.

Because the Advait Chan-directed, Zaira Wasim and Aamir Khan-starring film won’t release in China until 2018, Taiwan will in the meantime serve as a useful bellwether from which to estimate Secret Superstar’s future PRC numbers.

Secret Superstar opened to NT$2.5 million/US$86,000/₹56L in 18 theaters in Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei during its first three days, which isn’t too far behind the NT$3.1 million/US$103,000/₹67L that Dangal collected from 17 theaters in its opening frame this past March. The per-screen averages were (and I’ll dispense with Taiwan dollars here in favor of US dollars) $4,778 for Secret Superstar versus $6,078 per screen for Dangal.
[FULL  STORY]

TIFA talks with US might not take place this year: Vice Minister

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-27

Vice Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua says Taiwan and the United States might not be able to hold talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) this year. Wang was speaking on Monday at the legislature.

Wang said that although President Donald Trump has appointed a deputy trade representative, Congress has yet to approve his nomination. Wang said, though, that the two sides are still handling the technical details related to trade.

As for Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Wang said there are political obstacles. That’s because Taiwan will need support from member countries.    [FULL  STORY]

Notorious wedding crashers nabbed at banquet

Mother-daughter duo of ‘cockroach’ wedding crashers caught grabbing more goodies at another wedding Sunday

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/27
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese netizen on Sunday (Nov. 26) on Breaking News

Which of these guests looks out of place? (Image from 爆料公社)

Commune (爆料公社) announced that at their banquet in Taipei they had caught a notorious mother-daughter wedding crasher duo that had been wreaking havoc at weddings across the island recently, with the the groom quoted as saying, “It was their fate to be caught by me today.”

In an interview with UDN, the groom said at first no one noticed the two as being out of place, however after a while they started packing up food to go like crazy and even interrupted other people while they were still eating. Friends thought the new guests were friends or relatives, and had no clue how insatiable their appetites would be. After laying waste to one table, they would then move on the next and pack up food to go there too.

They also took part in lucky drawings, with the daughter winning a prize and claiming it on stage. The two partners in crime even shamelessly posed for photos with the bride and groom.

However, one of the relatives of the bride finally recognized one of the wedding crashers after seeing report about them on TV, and started to observe them. When they lined up to get wedding candy, some elders took the two aside and at the same time others called the police.     [FULL  STORY]

China denies entry to friend of Taiwan activist’s wife

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/27
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) China has abruptly revoked the entry permit of former Democratic

Wang Li-ping (王麗萍, left) and Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜, front center)

Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Li-ping (王麗萍), who accompanied Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜) to China to hear the ruling in a court case involving Lee’s husband.

The incident occurred when Lee, Wang and three others arrived at Huanghua International Airport in Changsha in Hunan province on Monday evening, ahead of the announcement of the verdict in a court in Yueyang, not far from Changsha, on Tuesday morning.

Wang was forced to fly from Changsha to Hong Kong International Airport and then take a 10:55 p.m. flight from Hong Kong to Taiwan that was expected to arrive at 12:35 a.m., according to Taiwanese nongovernment organizations (NGOs) advocating the release of Lee’s husband, Lee Ming-che (李明哲).    [FULL  STORY]

DPP proposes dropping ‘unification’

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 28, 2017
By: Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday proposed amendments to remove references to “national unification” from the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例).

The amendments were sponsored by DPP legislators Su Chen-ching (蘇震清), Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩), Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) and others in the party.

The draft amendments would affect several parts of the act, including Article 1, which states: “This act is … enacted for the purposes of ensuring security and public welfare … before national unification,” they said.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in her inaugural address on May 20 last year pledged to helm the nation’s cross-strait policy within the confines of the act and the Constitution.

When asked whether changing the act could have diplomatic ramifications, Su said that Taiwan is entitled to make its own decisions as a sovereign and independent nation.

“The Constitution protects citizens’ right to choose a national identity. The law should not use biased or presumptuous language to impose a specific national identity on the citizens,” Su said.    [FULL  STORY]

In Pictures: Stars on the red carpet at the 54th Golden Horse awards

The Straits Times
November 26, 2017

Stars and celebrities turned up dressed to the nines for the 54th Golden Horse Film Awards, which has been dubbed the Chinese “Oscars”. The awards was held at Taipei’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on Nov 25. Here is a look at the winners and the red carpet appearances

(From left) Actress Vicky Chen, director Yang Ya-che and actress Kara Wai posing with their Golden Horse awards, together with the rest of the cast of The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful. PHOTO: AFP

Best Leading Actor winner Tu Men kissing the hand of Best Leading Actress winner Kara Wai, at the 54th Golden Horse Film Awards on Nov 25, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

Taiwanese actress Vicky Chen, with her Best Supporting Actress award. The 14-year-old also made history as the youngest person to be nominated for the Best Actress award. PHOTO: AFP

[FULL  STORY]

Visa-free crime prompts border tightening

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-26

The foreign ministry says it has taken measures to increase border security and immigration controls. That’s after a report stating a rise in illegal activity committed by foreign nationals entering Taiwan visa-free.

Taiwan has been expanding its visa-free entry policy as part of attempts to build closer ties with nations in Southeast Asia in particular. But a government report released Friday noted an increase in sex and drug trafficking cases involving Thai nationals. A visa-free entry expansion program was applied to Thailand in August last year.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Andrew Lee said the National Immigration Agency has compiled a list of suspicious people and taken measures such as strengthening border checks and controls to protect the country’s borders from the illegal movement of contraband and people.    [FULL  STORY]