Radio Taiwan International
Date: 27 July, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Rou Rou the baby panda turns one month old![/caption] The newest addition to the Taipei Zoo’s Giant Panda House is already a month old! The cub has come a long way since she was first born just a month ago, but zookeepers have even more exciting plans for her future!

Taipei Zoo’s baby panda is now a month old! The little cub earned the nickname “Rou Rou,” which sounds like “gentle” or “chubby” in Chinese. Rou Rou has come a long way since she was born. She’s now an impressive 1,134  grams! 

The zoo says that Rou Rou grew by 21 grams just six hours after being born. The next day, she grew by 28 grams in ten hours! This might seem like an impressive growth spurt, but the zoo says it’s normal for a baby panda.    [FULL  STORY]

Morning Star
Date: July 27, 2020
By: Keith Lamb

If you think China’s claims in the South China Sea are irrational, think again: the problem for Britain and the US is that the wrong side won the Chinese civil war. KEITH LAMB examines the historical contradictions at play

BRITAIN: do we never learn? We always have a righteous cause to defend, a reason for sending our ships to far-flung corners of the Earth.

The slave trade was justified as a benevolent venture to save Africans from their own savagery — and besides, they would be looked after. They would, so it was rationalised, enjoy a better quality of life than the British proletariat stuck in factories and mines.

China, of course, was not spared by the British navy, suffering two opium wars and the seizure of Hong Kong in the name of free trade.

These consequences of empire we still suffer today. but while the history cannot be changed, we can at least learn the lessons from history and so avoid future calamities.   [FULL  STORY]

Mianyue Line will now have latrines at multiple locations

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/27
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Chiayi Forest District Office has cleaned up the Mianyue Line (眠月線) on Alishan in Chiayi County and is installing large latrine pits at two spots where hikers like to camp after concerns about sanitary conditions on the trail were raised.

The Mianyue Line, which was part of the Alishan Forest Railway system, has been closed since the 921 Earthquake in 1999. The now-defunct railway line has long been hailed as a special place for its elevated bridges and stunning primeval landscapes.

Nowadays it has been converted into a hiking trail. However, along with visitors has come pollution.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/27/2020
By: Matt You and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 27 (CNA) Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Monday presented the Order of Brilliant Star with Violet Grand Cordon to Sven Håkan Oskar Jevrell, the outgoing head of the Swedish Trade and Invest Council in Taipei, in honor of his efforts and contributions to promoting bilateral relations between the two countries.

Praising Jevrell as "Taiwan's real friend," Wu conferred the medal on Jevrell on behalf of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at a ceremony in Taipei, according to a statement issued later that day by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jevrell has actively promoted bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and Sweden during his two-year tenure as the Swedish top representative in Taiwan, Wu said, adding that he has achieved a lot in this area.

For instance, Jevrell helped Sweden become the first European country to join the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) between Taiwan, the United States and Japan to work with Taiwan and other like-minded partners to facilitate international cooperation and support its international participation, Wu said, adding that he believed based on the foundation he laid, Taiwan-Sweden bilateral relations will continue to grow.    [FULL  STORY]

NATIONAL TREASURES? The two plaques were awarded by a Qing emperor in 1886 for the joint efforts of two temples in Chiayi and Yunlin to end a drought in Taiwan

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 28, 2020
By: Ting Wei-chieh and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer

heng Huang Temple (城隍廟) in Chiayi City and Chaotian Temple (朝天宮) in Yunlin County are applying for a change in status for two plaques awarded by a Qing Dynasty emperor to the houses of worship, elevating their historic designation from “general antiquities” to “significant antiquities” or possibly “national treasures.”

Each of the plaques is inscribed with four characters — Tai Yang Xian You (臺洋顯佑) for the Chiayi temple dedicated to Cheng Huang (城隍, city god) and Ci Yun Sa Run (慈雲灑潤) for the Yunlin temple dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu (媽祖).

They were gifts from emperor Guangxu (光緒) in 1886 after the two temples collaborated to bring about rain and end a drought that year. Tai Yang Xian You refers to blessings for Taiwan and the ocean, while Ci Yun Sa Run reflects the goddess’ benevolence manifested in the form of clouds bringing rain.

The tablets have been listed as “general antiquities” by the cultural heritage review committees of Chiayi and Yunlin, Lin Chao-chi (林朝基), head of the Chiayi Cultural Affairs Bureau’s cultural heritage section, said on Sunday.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/25/2020
By: Wu Chia-jung and Frances Huang

Taipei, July 25 (CNA) Confidence in the domestic economic outlook weakened in July, as COVID-19 cases continued to rise worldwide, although Taiwan has been doing well to fight the virus, according to Cathay Financial Holding Co.

Citing a survey conducted July 1-7, Cathay Financial said earlier this week that 44.2 percent of its clients think the fundamentals of the domestic economy would improve over the next six months, while 31.1 percent said it would get worse.

That translated into an optimism index of 13.1 for the next six months, down from 19.3 in a similar poll in May, the company said.

However, the optimism index for the current economic conditions rose in July to minus 18.2 from minus 42.5 in June, marking the third consecutive month of improvement, the survey showed.    [FULL  STORY]

REDUCING EXPOSURE: In Canada, 14,600 deaths every year are linked to air pollution, and its annual PM2.5 level is 6.1 micrograms, while Taiwan sets a maximum level of 15

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 26, 2020
By: Lo Chi / Staff reporter

Fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and PM10 could cause infant deformities and lung cancer, environmental group Air Clean Taiwan said on Thursday, reiterating a call to tighten air pollution monitoring standards.

There are no safe levels for PM2.5, as many studies have suggested that the particles might penetrate the placenta, organs and cells, and damage human health, Air Clean Taiwan chairman Yeh Guang-perng (葉光芃) said.

However, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), in its draft amendments to air quality standards, released in May last year, did not adjust its monitoring standards for PM2.5, Yeh said.

The agency’s maximum acceptable concentration level for PM2.5 is 15 micrograms per cubic meter per year and 35 micrograms per cubic meter in a 24-hour period, he said.
[FULL  STORTY]

Radioi Taiwan International
Date: 24 July, 2020
By: Katherine Wei

Hikers are asked to take caution when attempting to scale Xueshan in one day.[/caption] Xueshan is Taiwan’s second-highest mountain. Its highest peak is a favorite with both new and seasoned climbers because of the breathtaking views it offers. The mountain is often recommended to those who want to dip their toes into mountain climbing. But this doesn’t mean a decision to scale the mountain should be made lightly.  

Xueshan’s highest peak is 3,886 meters high, but it isn’t as intimidating as many might think. In fact, many people plan one-day treks, ascending and descending within the course of a single day. 

With COVID-19 spreading overseas and international travel off the table, many more people than usual are turning to domestic travel and heading up mountains like this one.
[FULL  STORY]

Chang Sho-Er and his wife Wan Ji might be the coolest people on Instagram.

Travel & Leisure
Date: July 24, 2020
By: Cailey Rizzo

Two Taiwanese grandparents have gained international attention for their surprisingly fashionable Instagram account, originally only intended to keep them entertained while under quarantine.

Chang Sho-Er and his wife Wan Ji own a laundromat in Taiwan’s coastal city of Taichung. For 70 years, they have run the laundromat without much fuss or celebrity. But during the coronavirus lockdown, business slowed down and their 31-year-old grandson, Reef Chang, decided to launch them an Instagram account.    [FULL  STORY]

Petition urges Taiwanese government to allow entry of all Indonesian students wishing to attend fall semester classes

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/24
By:  Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Indonesians hoping to study in Taiwan are nervous that the government’s travel restrictions have not yet been lifted for most university students from the Southeast Asian country as the fall semester quickly approaches.

Nearly 4,000 students from Indonesia have been waiting for confirmation as to when they can enter the country to continue their studies, ETT reported.

Taiwan's Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (July 22) announced that students from countries not on the "low-risk" list who are in the final year of their degrees or hold an Alien Residency Card (ARC) are allowed to return to the country as long as they undergo a 14-day quarantine at designated places. Indonesia is not on the list of 19 countries and regions deemed to be at low-risk of coronavirus, which MOE on July 15 said can send students to Taiwan regardless of degree progress.    [FULL  STORY]