Page Three

Dengue fever cases in Tainan likely to break 20,000

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-11
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The number of dengue fever contracts since the beginning of summer

Dengue cases in Tainan likely to break 20,000 Central News Agency

Dengue cases in Tainan likely to break 20,000 Central News Agency

reached 22,847 as of Saturday, an increase of 327 new cases nationwide, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed Sunday.

Although the epidemic in Tainan has shown signs of slowing down over the last two weeks, the CDC said it nevertheless expects the number to exceed 20,000 by Monday from the current 19,042 reported cases since May.

“The disease is subsiding in Tainan, as new daily cases have fallen between the 100 to 200 range from its previous 300 mark,” CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang said.

However, the mosquito-borne disease appears to have worsened in the port city of Kaohsiung, with 142 new cases to a standing total of 3,421 as of Saturday, according to the health bureau.     [FULL  STORY]

Children of immigrants among winners of Formosan Girl Awards

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/11
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Children of immigrants in Taiwan were among the 201510110020t0002winners of the 13th Formosan Girl Awards, which were handed out in Taipei on Sunday on “Taiwan Girls Day” to celebrate the achievements of girls.

Taiwan established the day for the first time in 2013 to protect and enhance the rights of girls and young women after the United Nations declared October 11, 2012 the first International Day of the Girl Child.

A total of 43 girls were nominated in the five categories of the Formosan Girl Awards — community development, courage and adventure, special creativity, math and technology, and sports.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai Ing-wen under the spotlight at ROC National Day ceremony

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-11
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Tsai Ing-wen, the chair and presidential candidate of Taiwan’s opposition

Tsai Ing-wen attends the National Day ceremony in Taipei, Oct. 10. (Photo/CNA)

Tsai Ing-wen attends the National Day ceremony in Taipei, Oct. 10. (Photo/CNA)

Democratic Progressive Party, spoke of solidarity as she attended the Republic of China National Day ceremony on Saturday under the close watch of local media.

It was the first time Tsai had attended a National Day ceremony since President Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang took office in 2008, despite being the head of the DPP from 2008 to 2012 and again in 2014.

Before attending the ceremony, Tsai said she was taking part in this year’s festivities hoping that it will no longer be an issue whether or not opposition parties take part in National Day celebrations. She also said an atmosphere of solidarity has begun to emerge in the natio, and expressed the hope that everybody could unite to protect Taiwan’s valuable democracy and freedom and that the nation would stay united however the presidential campaign develops.     [FULL  STORY]

Appendectomy Project to promote recall awareness

RECALL RETHINK;The project wants the thresholds to initiate recalls lowered, as it says that current laws make exercising the right of recall prohibitively difficult

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 12, 2015
By Lee Hsin-fang and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Appendectomy Project yesterday said it plans to hold 88 seminars across the nation — starting on Thursday — to promote public awareness of citizens’ rights to recall elected officials.

Invitations are to be sent to legislative candidates across party lines asking for their signatures to support an amendment to the law that would see the threshold for an official to be recalled lowered, it said.

The group said that Article 17 of the Constitution — which states that the public has the rights of election, recall, and initiating referendums — supported their proposal, but added that exercising the right of recall is more difficult than is commonly believed.

The efforts of the project and the Constitution 133 Alliance to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) and Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) stalled after the petition failed to reach the threshold to pass the second stage, the group pointed out.     [FULL  STORY]

China starts operating lighthouses on South China Sea reef

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-10
By: Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China has started operating two lighthouses on a reef on a

China starts lighthouses on South China Sea reef. Associated Press

China starts lighthouses on South China Sea reef. Associated Press

disputed island chain in the South China Sea, a state news agency reported, amid rising concerns among the U.S. and China’s neighbors about Beijing’s maritime ambitions.

The Ministry of Transport held a completion ceremony Friday for the 50-meter-high (164-foot-high) Huayang and Chigua lighthouses on Huayang Reef in the Spratly Islands, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The Spratlys, mostly barren islands, reefs and atolls that are believed to be atop oil and natural gas deposits, straddle one of the world’s busiest sea lanes. They are also claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei.

Tensions have been rising as Beijing has grown more assertive about its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. The U.S. and the Philippines have expressed concern that China’s land reclamation projects around reefs and atolls could be used to base military planes and navy ships to intimidate other claimants and threaten freedom of navigation, and have called for a freeze on such activity.     [FULL STORY]

National Day party features Taiwanese foods, aboriginal performances

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/10
By: Elaine Hou

Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) Taiwanese delicacies and aboriginal performances 201510100020t0002were the center of attention for more than 3,000 local and foreign attendants of the National Day reception in Taipei Saturday.

The event celebrating the Republic of China’s 104th birthday, held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Taipei Guest House, showcased a series of music and dance performances given by a Taiwanese indigenous group to present the tribal culture of the Amis.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) enjoyed the shows along with many other foreign guests. It was the last time Ma will attend the event in his capacity as head of state, as his second and final four-year term in office comes to an end in May 2016.

Local singers also took to the stage to perform several classic songs in both Mandarin and English.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Confucius Temple holds Confucius memorial ceremony

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-10
By: CNA

A traditional ceremony featuring ancient ritual music and court dance was

Dancers perform the pa yi dance at the Taipei Confucius Temple, Oct. 9. (Photo/Tu yi-an)

Dancers perform the pa yi dance at the Taipei Confucius Temple, Oct. 9. (Photo/Tu yi-an)

held Friday at the Taipei Confucius Temple in memory of the sage, born 2,565 years ago, who is honored in Chinese society as the model teacher of all generations.

President Ma Ying-jeou and ministers of the interior, education, examination, and culture attended the annual ceremony, in which Taipei deputy mayor Teng Chia-chi served as chief consecration officer and Kung Tsui-chang, a 79th-generation descendant of Confucius in the main line of descent, was the sacrificial official.

The courtyard of the Taipei Confucius Temple was crowded with around 100 visitors, including international tourists.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT congress to help party win election: Chu

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 11, 2015
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The goal of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) planned extraordinary party congress later this month is to galvanize a consensus within the party to help it win January’s presidential election, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday.

After attending a Double Ten National Day ceremony earlier in the day, Chu, who doubles as New Taipei City mayor, said at the Taipei City Hall that the agenda, the date and the location for the extraordinary party congress has not been finalized.

However, what is certain is the purpose of the meeting: To galvanize a consensus to help the party win the election, Chu said.

Chu’s remarks came after the KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday passed a resolution unanimously to convene an extraordinary party congress later this month to consider a proposal to replace KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱).     [FULL  STORY]

Three missing from Taiwanese fishing boat off Japan’s Hokkaido

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/09
By: Milly Lin, Cheng Chi-fong, Yang Ming-chu and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) Three Vietnamese crewmen were reported missing Friday after falling overboard from a Taiwanese fishing boat near the Japanese island of Hokkaido the previous night, the Fisheries Agency said Friday.

A search was underway by the Japanese coast guard for the fishermen, the agency said, adding that it had also asked Taiwanese fishing boats operating nearby to help with the search.

The Hsiang Fuh Far (祥富發) from Kaohsiung had sailed into waters near Tomakomai in search of safety due to the approaching Typhoon Mujigae, which had weakened to an extra-tropical cyclone.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT’s brouhaha leaves Ko as miffed as the next spectator

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-08
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said he is as miffed as the next spectator with

KMT’s brouhaha leaves Ko as miffed as anyone else. Central News Agency (2015-10-08 15:11:00)

KMT’s brouhaha leaves Ko as miffed as anyone else. Central News Agency (2015-10-08 15:11:00)

regard to Kuomintang’s recent brouhaha, reports said Thursday.

“Must it be Eric Chu that runs? What about New Taipei then?” Ko responded to reporters when asked about his views on the possible change to Kuomintang’s presidential candidacy.

“What is the KMT up to now?” he said, commenting on a decision that was made by the party’s Central Standing Committee on Wednesday to convene an extraordinary national party congress to discuss Hung’s replacement. The meeting was the latest phase of a sudden escalating rupture between Hung and the KMT leadership.

Ko was at a city planning forum in Taipei to discuss public housing policies when asked about the impact Chu would create on People’s First Party presidential contender James Soong if he were to run next year.     [FULL  STORY]