Page Three

Taiwan’s wonder woman reveals what it takes to be a sniper

The China Post
Date: June 9, 2017
By: The China Post with CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Meet the Taiwanese military’s wonder woman Chien Pei-hua (簡佩

(CNA)

華). Chien is a 27-year-old who belongs to the Amis indigenous tribe and who is a deadly sniper for the army.

A sergeant at the R.O.C. Army’s Taitung Area Command Center, she volunteered for training to become a sniper and graduated at the top of her advanced-level class earlier this year.

Pei said she was surprised at her marks in the training program, as her peers were excellent snipers who “were all number one as well.”

She told local media that her training included five days and four nights in the wilderness, learning camouflage, combat, and precision aiming.

Foreign ministry keeping an eye on Qatar crisis

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-06-08

The foreign ministry says it is monitoring the current situation in the Middle East for its possible effects on Taiwan. That’s after a group of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia broke ties with Qatar earlier this week.

Chen Chun-shen, head of the ministry’s Department of West Asian and African Affairs, said Thursday that Qatar and Saudi Arabia are important trading partners for Taiwan. He said the situation in the region will have an effect on Taiwan’s economy. He noted in particular that Qatar is a key supplier of natural gas.

Chen said, “Once [the break] occurred, we immediately noted an uptick in energy prices. The scale of the increase has not been too great as yet. But the development of this regional incident is closely connected to our domestic economic development. We will keep a close eye on developments and do everything we can domestically in response.”    [FULL  STORY]

Registration for 2017 Taipei fire safety summer camp to begin soon

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/08
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–The 2017 Taipei Fire Safety Summer Camp, organized by Taipei’s Fire Department (TFD), will begin accepting registrations at 10 a.m. on June 13.

The summer camp sessions will be held every Tuesday through Friday from July 4 to July 28. Each session will last from 8:20 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. at the TFD Fire Safety Museum (Address: No. 376, Section 2, Chenggong Road, Neihu District), according to the agency.

The summer camp will provide participants with an opportunity to experience various aspects of fire and disaster-related scenarios, such as hands-on experience with firefighting process, smoke, earthquake, as well as rescue operations such as CPR+AED, the TFD said. They will also learn about tips related to survival during fires and earthquakes, the agency added.    [FULL  STORY]

Air quality to remain moderate to good throughout Taiwan Friday

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/08
By: Ko Lin

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) Air quality will remain moderate to good across Taiwan on

CNA file photo

Friday, according to the Environmental Protection Administration’s Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network.

Air quality in eastern Taiwan (Yilan, Hualien and Taitung) and the offshore islands of Kinmen and Penghu is forecast to remain good, while it is expected to flash orange for northern Taiwan, indicating unhealthy air for sensitive groups such as small children, seniors and people with chronic diseases, according to data provided by the network (http://taqm.epa.gov.tw/taqm/en/).

Meanwhile, cities and counties from Hsinchu and Miaoli in Northern Taiwan to Pingtung in southern Taiwan are also expected to experience moderate air quality on Friday.    [FULL  STORY]

Hochen not confident about airport

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 09, 2017
By: Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

The problems that have occurred at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport would not repeat in the short term, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) said yesterday, but added that he cannot promise nothing bad would happen at the airport if another torrential rain hits the facility.

Questions about the airport’s ability to withstand flash floods resurfaced after a minor flood hit Terminal Two on Friday last week as a stationary front brought torrential rainfall across the nation.

The terminal also suffered its worst damage on the same day last year, when extremely heavy rains brought by a frontal system hit northern Taiwan. Floodwaters blocked two underpasses leading to terminals, and rainwater leaked through Terminal Two’s ceiling and caused flooding in its underground food court.

The Central Weather Bureau has forecast another stationary for next week that has the potential to bring heavy rains and cause damage.    [FULL  STORY]

10 reasons working at a Taiwanese convenience store is anything but convenient

The China Post
Date: June 8, 2017
By: The China Post

Taiwan’s convenience stores have taken “convenience” to a whole new level. In addition to working the cashier, staff at these stores make soft serve ice cream, brew lattes, send and receive packages and help you pay your bills.

And more services are being added all time.

Each of these might mean a cushier life for us, but it means another skill to learn and more work to do for these jacks-of-all-trades.

Big Data aggregator DailyView recently compiled the top 10 annoyances convenience store employees face — keep these in mind next time you start feeling impatient while a clerk is mixing your hazelnut latte.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan gives offers free computer classes for immigrants

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-06-07

The government is trying to help immigrants adjust to Taiwan’s high-tech society by offering free computer classes to the country’s newest citizens.

Immigration official Huang Jao-liang spoke about the plan on Wednesday:

“Last year we held eight classes and this year we’ve added four more advanced classes and four practical classes. There is a lot of interesting content, including the use of Office software, mobile applications, social media, handmade robots, and 3D printing,” Huang said.

The classes also cover new technology related to animation, AR, and gaming.

The government is also bringing these classes to remote areas through a mobile classroom vehicle. Interest has been high, with the classes’ website already attracting 910,000 hits.    [SOURCE]

Taiwan’s health authority mulls over banning two health-harming flour additives

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/07
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–We almost consume flour every day as many foods are made

Taiwan’s Department of Health and Welfare is now mulling over banning these two additives, BPO and ADA, which have been legal food additives in Taiwan

of flour, but what most people in Taiwan don’t know is that flour in Taiwan is usually laced with two health-harming flour treatment agents to whiten it and shorten the process of “ripening.” However, Taiwan’s Department of Health and Welfare is now mulling over banning these two additives, Benzoyl peroxide

(BPO) and azodicarbonamide (ADA), which have been legal food additives in Taiwan for 20 years.

BPO is used to whiten flour, while ADA is added to shorten the ripening process of flour from three or four weeks to three or four days, thus reducing electricity cost. ADA is also used in the manufacturing of rubber sole and yoga mattress.

These two additives, which can induce asthma, harm liver, and even cause cancer, have been banned by the European Union, China, New Zealand and Australia long ago.    [FULL  STORY]

High temperatures strain power supply in Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/07
By: Milly Lin and Chen Cheng-wei and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, June 7 (CNA) Electricity consumption spiked in Taiwan on Wednesday, triggering a low reserve warning, as temperatures soared past 35 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country, according to the state-owned Taiwan Power Company (Taipower).

Under the influence of a Pacific high pressure weather system, the temperature in Taipei climbed to a high of 35.5 degrees Celsius for the second time this year, after hitting the same mark on April 10, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Nationwide, electricity consumption peaked at 34.135 million kilowatts at 1:42 p.m. Wednesday, with the operating reserve margin falling to 3.67 percent, or 1.253 million kilowatts, Taipower said.    [FULL  STORY]

Police demand reforms to work evaluations

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 08, 2017
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff Reporter

Police workloads should be simplified and performance evaluations reformed to reduce arbitrariness, the Taiwan Policemen’s Work Rights Promotion Association said yesterday during a small protest outside the National Police Agency in Taipei.

About 15 protesters shouted slogans demanding limits to works encompassing “mountains and seas” of conflicting obligations, before passing on a list of what they said were unreasonable responsibilities to an agency official.

They cited examples ranging from checking vegetable market prices, to enforcing smoking and pollution regulations, to going door-to-door at scooter repair shops to encourage owners to reject requests to make vehicles louder.

“Making the modifications is not even illegal — so there is nothing we can do if shop owners reject our request,” said association director Shih (施) — who requested to be identified only by his last name — calling for campaign responsibility to be returned to transportation agencies.    [FULL  STORY]