The China Post
Date: January 31, 2017
By: CNA

SINGAPORE — Nine Singaporean armored vehicles held in Hong Kong after arriving in

transit from Taiwan in November have been returned to Singapore, according to a statement from the Southeast Asian country’s Ministry of Defense.

The nine Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles arrived in Singapore on Monday and are to be transported to a military camp for post-training administration, which includes serviceability checks and routine maintenance for the vehicles and related equipment, the ministry said in a statement that day.

The return of the vehicles came after Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Jan. 24 that the Hong Kong authorities had completed their investigation and would be releasing the vehicles and other equipment to Singapore.   [FULL  STORY]

Craftsman keep ancient art of molding dough figurines alive in New Taipei City

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/30
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei (Taiwan News) — An 80-year-old craftsman surnamed Cheng, sells traditional

hand-made dough figurines from his antique bike stall on a corner of Fuzhong road in New Taipei City’s Banqiao District.

His brightly-colored figurines, molded into the shape of zodiac animals and characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, are made from flour, sticky rice, natural beeswax, water, and food coloring.

The exact date of the origin of this ancient art form is not known, but artifacts have been unearthed in Xinjiang dating back to the Song and Yuan dynasties. In addition to dragons and Three Kingdoms characters, Cheng has added a modern touch by incorporating contemporary characters such as Pikachu and Sponge Bob.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/30
By: Wen Kuei-hsiang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday expressed her hopes

and good wishes for the success of the government’s reform programs in the coming year via a post on her Facebook page on the third day of the 2017 Lunar New Year.

“We should all have a nice rest as the Lunar New Year starts and work to ensure our reforms are a success,” Tsai said in her Facebook post.

The page also shows photos of her offering New Year’s greetings and handing out red envelopes, a symbol of good luck, to visitors at a temple in Taichung on Monday.

According to Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺), what the president means by successful reforms is the comprehensive re-focusing of national policies.
[FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 30, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Executive Yuan said it supported the decision of the

Transportation Ministry and state-owned Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA, 台鐵) to penalize railway employees who went on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday, Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said earlier today.

Hsu said the Executive Yuan had come to the decision to support authorities in this matter because, while railway employees were entitled to legal and sufficient days off, they were also public servants tasked with serving the public, especially during a holiday such as Lunar New Year.

Hsu criticized railway employees who had decided to stay off duty from Lunar New Year’s Eve to today, the third day of the Lunar New Year – a decision that employees said was their legal right.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 30, 2017
By: Chang Chung-yi / Staff reporter

The setting sun aligning with streets in Kaohsiung on Saturday attracted such a large

crowd of photographers, drivers and pedestrians that they blocked most of the four-lane Cingnian Road while trying to get the best view.

The full sun, seen in between the buildings on Cingnian Road, bathed the street in golden beams, bringing traffic to a standstill.

The nearby Hanshin Department Store had organized a promotional event to coincide with the sunset on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Chenggong Street was closed off so that people could get a look at the phenomenon.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: January 28, 2017

Mandarin Airlines President Han Liang-chung, dressed in a rooster outfit, greets travelers at the Songshan Airport with the arrival of the year of the Rooster. [SOURCE]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/28
By: Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission has imposed anti-dumping duties on

steel products from China and Taiwan to stop them flooding Europe’s struggling steel market.

The Commission said Friday that an investigation has confirmed that Chinese and Taiwanese stainless steel tube and a type of butt-welded pipe fitting have been sold in Europe at dumping prices.

The Chinese exports will now be taxed with duties ranging from 30.7-64.9 percent. Taiwanese exports face duties of 5.1-12.1 percent.

The Commission says it has “an unprecedented number of trade defense measures in place targeting unfair imports of steel products.” Of 39 EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, 17 are on products originating in China.   [SOURCE]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/28
By: Chang Ming-hsuan and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA) Air quality in western Taiwan will be below average on Sunday, with the air quality in Kaohsiung and Pingtung even reaching the level of a red alarm, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Saturday.

In its air quality forecast for Sunday, the EPA said that except for Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties in eastern Taiwan, where the air will be “good,” the air quality in most other parts of Taiwan will be below average.

The air quality in northern and central Taiwan and the outlying Penghu islands will be “average,” while the air in Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Matsu and Kinmen will hit an “orange” level, meaning that those who suffer from allergies should not spend too much time outdoors.    [FULL  STORY]