Page Three

PROFILE: Audrey Tang: 100% made in Taiwan

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 28, 2016
By: Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA

Audrey Tang (唐鳳), at 35 already a retired entrepreneur and self-taught computer programmer who

Audrey Tang, former adviser to BenQ and Apple, poses for a picture in an undated photo. Photo: CNA

Audrey Tang, former adviser to BenQ and Apple, poses for a picture in an undated photo. Photo: CNA

is considered one of Taiwan’s brightest, is set to add another line of code to her resume: In October, she is to join the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio.

Tang, who will be the Executive Yuan’s first transgender official, founded her own company at the age of 16 despite dropping out of junior-high school.
Tang — who reportedly has an IQ of 180 — is a prominent member of groups using the Haskell and Perl programming languages and has contributed to the designs of systems such as Kwiki, Windows RT and Slash.

Her parents said that she was reading classic literature in a variety of languages and solving simultaneous equations by the time she was in first grade.

Unable to find her way in mainstream education, Tang is mainly self-taught and, having a knack for computers, she was able to harness the exponential growth of new technologies to advance her education.     [FULL  STORY]

Northeasterly winds to bring cooler weather from Sunday

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-08-26
By: Central News Agency

The strengthening of northeasterly winds beginning Sunday is expected to bring temperatures down in Taiwan from Sunday to Aug. 30, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Friday.

Daily highs are forecast to drop from 36 to 37 degrees Celsius to 31 to 34 degrees in the north and by 1 to 2 degrees to 33 degrees in central Taiwan, 32 degrees in the south and 31 to 32 degrees in the east over the three days, bureau data showed.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening and Saturday, northern and northeastern Taiwan could see brief showers, and eastern and southeastern Taiwan may see brief thunderstorms due to the effects of the outer periphery of Typhoon Lionrock, which was located some 1,000 kilometers east of Taiwan as of Friday afternoon, the CWB said.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai admits facing many crises since May, confident in solving them

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/08/27
By: Tai Ya-chen and Christie Chen

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday admitted that her administration 201608270019t0001has been faced with many “sudden crises” since taking office on May 20, but expressed confidence in resolving them.

“Some of these crises are purely accidental and some are structural defects in the country,” Tsai said during a speech at a forum organized by the Lee Teng-hui Foundation to mark the 20th anniversary since Taiwan’s first direct presidential election.

“However, I am confident that these problems can be solved one by one, not only because I believe in the capability of the current administration, but because I have more faith in the Taiwanese people and Taiwan’s democracy,” the president said.

Tsai’s remarks came as new surveys showed a significant drop in the president’s approval ratings. To mark Tsai’s 100th day in office, various organizations released new surveys on the government’s performance Friday, all of which indicated that Tsai’s approval ratings have fallen below 50 percent.     [FULL  STORY]

Be wary of civic groups: academics

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 28, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

At a seminar on the democratization of Taiwan yesterday, academics warned the government against its spontaneous response to civic groups and a plan to “co-opt” their strengths, which they said was what former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) tried to do.

At the event, several academics deliberated over the interactive relationship between civic power and national identity and made suggestions to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration on how to deal with the demands of civic groups.

National Chengchi University sociology professor Ku Chung-hwa (顧忠華) said that while younger people are now described as “naturally independence-leaning” with their active participation in social movements or activities, “we have to ask whether ‘local’ identity naturally leads to national identity.”

Ku said that Taiwanese are inclined to “suspend” talk of national status, which could leave the nation in an unstable state.     [FULL  STORY]

Gov’t upholds fine on school for HIV-related discrimination

The China post
Date: August 28, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI — Health Minister Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) upheld Saturday a decision by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to impose a NT$1 million (US$31,900) fine on National Defense University for discriminating against an HIV-positive student in 2013.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said that notice of the fine will be issued to the university on Aug. 29 at the earliest.

The CDC under the MOHW decided to impose the fine on the university Aug. 15, and its decision was backed up by the ministry after a review of the case, the ministry said. It marked the first time the CDC has issued a fine on the grounds of education discrimination.

In response, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said the ministry — which administers National Defense University — will file an administrative appeal or take other measures.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan-Malaysia Rap Video Depicting Prophet Muhammad Sparks Outrage

Commentators say the music video is ‘an embarrassment to Taiwan,’ but the band says it’s a victim.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/08/26
By: Olivia Yang

A music video by Malaysian rapper Namewee (黃明志) and Taiwanese band 911 (玖壹壹) has sparked

From Youtube 截圖

From Youtube 截圖

outrage on the Internet for its portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad.

The video shows a number of religious figures, including the Prophet Muhammad, whose depiction is prohibited in the Koran. It shows a man-like Muhammad drinking, gambling, and holding a gun.

In a YouTube video uploaded by DREAM清醒夢LUCID, two British men living in Taiwan say the video has “really tarnished the name of Taiwan.”

“If you are going to portray religious figures in this way, you need to be very aware of what you’re doing. There needs to be some deeper message,” one of the men says in the video.     [FULL  STORY]

Tourism Bureau to send delegation to China

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-08-26
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and

In June, 271,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Taiwan, the lowest figure in 30 months, reports said.

In June, 271,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Taiwan, the lowest figure in 30 months, reports said.

Communications will send a delegation to China in order to revive falling tourist interest in the island from that country, the government announced Friday.

The death of 24 Chinese citizens in a bus fire in Taoyuan on July 19 fomented fears for the safety of travelers, while the political climate, with Beijing taking a hesitant approach toward the new administration of President Tsai Ing-wen, also played a part in cutting the numbers of visitors from China.

In June, 271,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Taiwan, the lowest figure in 30 months, reports said.

The Tourism Bureau will form a delegation with representatives from the private sector and go to China to convince travelers they can visit Taiwan safely, Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan said Friday.     [FULL  STORY]

Northeasterly winds to bring cooler weather from Sunday

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/08/26
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) The strengthening of northeasterly winds beginning Sunday is expected to

From the Central Weather Bureau website

From the Central Weather Bureau website

bring temperatures down in Taiwan from Sunday to Aug. 30, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Friday.

Daily highs are forecast to drop from 36 to 37 degrees Celsius to 31 to 34 degrees in the north and by 1 to 2 degrees to 33 degrees in central Taiwan, 32 degrees in the south and 31 to 32 degrees in the east over the three days, bureau data showed.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening and Saturday, northern and northeastern Taiwan could see brief showers, and eastern and southeastern Taiwan may see brief thunderstorms due to the effects of the outer periphery of Typhoon Lionrock, which was located some 1,000 kilometers east of Taiwan as of Friday afternoon, the CWB said.

The bureau also issued a big wave alert on Friday for northern and eastern Taiwan, Hengchun Peninsula in the south, and the offshore Matsu Islands, Green Island and Orchid Island, saying 1.5 meter-high waves have been observed in Matsu.      [FULL  STORY]

Ex-advisers say Ma, Xi merit Nobel Peace Prize

LOW-KEY:Ma and Xi turned a page for China and Taiwan relations, and a Nobel prize would mean more than inking a cross-strait agreement, the former policy advisers said

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 27, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

An association of former policy advisers who served during former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九)

term in office yesterday said that it will strive toward winning the Nobel Peace Prize for Ma and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the historic meeting that took place between the two in November last year, adding that it will formally submit the nomination at the end of October.

Former national policy adviser Lin Shui-chi (林水吉) and association chairman Liu Shen-liang (劉盛良) visited Ma last month and brought up the plan, Lin told a news conference.

“The former president, upon hearing it, was all smiles and looked full of expectation,” Lin said.

When asked why Ma was not invited to the news conference, Lin said Ma wanted to keep the plan low-key.

“He certainly would have a lot to say when he wins the prize,” Lin added.    [FULL  STORY]

Opera d’arte

The China Post
Date: August 27, 2016
By: CNA

Visitors flock to the National Opera Theater in Taichung on Friday, Aug. 26. The long-anticipated theater, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architecture Toyo Ito, held its soft opening on Friday.

Visitors flock to the National Opera Theater in Taichung on Friday, Aug. 26. The long-anticipated theater, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architecture Toyo Ito, held its soft opening on Friday.

Visitors flock to the National Opera Theater in Taichung on Friday, Aug. 26. The long-anticipated theater, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architecture Toyo Ito, held its soft opening on Friday.

Visitors check out the “bean bag” sofas at the National Opera Theater in Taichung on Friday.     [SOURCE]