Page Three

Ex-army officer convicted of adultery in Taichung

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 05, 2015
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

The Taichung District Court has found retired army Major Lu Chang-yang (呂長陽), who used to work for the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB), guilty of adultery and ordered him and his girlfriend to pay damages to his ex-wife.

Lu and his ex-wife, surnamed Tseng (曾), were married in 2008. However, during the course of his work, Lu got to know a woman, surnamed Sun (孫), who was in the insurance business, and they began an affair.

The bureau in 2013 sent him to Penang, Malaysia, on assignment. He returned to Taiwan in June last year, and shortly thereafter filed for divorce, citing differences in family values.

After the divorce was finalized, Sun and Lu began living together.

Tseng said she only found out about Lu’s affair with Sun after the divorce. She said that she discovered that in September 2013 Sun began making monthly trips to Penang, staying for four to seven days each time, and that Sun and her husband had sex in his office as well as his apartment in Penang.

She reported the affair to the bureau. She also sued Lu for adultery, asking for NT$2 million (US$60,750) in damages.     [FULL  STORY]

Kaohsiung Main Public Library tops ’10 must visit’ list

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-03
By: Central News Agency

The Kaohsiung Main Public Library has topped a list of “the 10 libraries you must visit” in

Kaohsiung Main Public Library top of 'must visited list. Central News Agency

Kaohsiung Main Public Library top of ‘must visited list. Central News Agency

Taiwan, according to the results of an online survey published Thursday.

The survey, conducted by the Library Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan) between June 10 and Sept. 30, asked respondents to choose their favorite facilities from a list of 68 libraries around the country.

Voters were allowed to cast online ballots for three different libraries on the list from the same Internet account every day. The association did not say how many votes were cast.

The Kaohsiung library, which garnered more than 520,000 votes to win the honor, opened late last year and has no beams or columns because of its suspended structure design, giving it a transparent feeling. It is also the first library in Taiwan to have a theater.

A small library run by the Chinese Dietary Culture Foundation in Taipei that houses 20,000 dietary books took second place, and New Taipei City Library, which provides round-the-clock service, finished third.     [FULL  STORY]

Dengue fever cases continue to increase with signs of moderation

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/03
By: Lung Pei-ning, Chang Rong-hsiang and Jay Chen

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) The number of dengue fever cases in Tainan, the municipality with 33603138the most serious outbreak of the disease since the start of summer in May, has reached 17,004, an increase of 365 over the previous day, the city’s health department said Saturday.

That compares with an increase of 428 cases the day before, the department said, adding that the latest number seems to indicate the outbreak had not gotten worse.

All but one of the city’s 37 districts have reported cases of the potentially deadly mosquito-born disease, it said.

Nationally, 477 new cases were reported, brining the total to 19,889 as of Friday, according to the central epidemic command center under Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC).     [FULL  STORY]

US-Taiwan defense conference to discuss submarine programs

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-03
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2015 will be held from Oct. 4-6 in

One of the ROC Navy's Hai Lung-class submarines takes part in the country's annual Han Kuang military drills, Sept. 17, 2014. (File photo/Wang Yuan-mao)

One of the ROC Navy’s Hai Lung-class submarines takes part in the country’s annual Han Kuang military drills, Sept. 17, 2014. (File photo/Wang Yuan-mao)

Williamsburg, Virginia, and the discussions will be centered on bilateral defense cooperation, Taiwan’s indigenous submarine program and potential submarine sales to Taiwan.

The Taiwanese delegation, headed by Deputy Defense Minister Liu Chen-wu, will talk about bilateral military exchanges and cooperation with the United States and Taiwan’s defense budget allocation.

According to officials from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the country’s indigenous submarine program and potential submarine purchases from the US will also be on the agenda at the annual conference.

Meanwhile, the event will serve as an opportunity for the two sides to discuss defense industry cooperation and technology exchanges in a hope of enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT exits no surprise: Lee Teng-hui

NO CHINA PRESSURE?The former president said the US’ stance on Taiwan and its democracy means that ‘it is not possible’ for China to sway next year’s elections

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 04, 2015
By: Chang Hsiao-ti and Chen Yu-hsuan  /  Staff reporters

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) in a radio interview on Friday said it is understandable that some pro-localization Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members would want to form the “Taiwan Nationalist Party Alliance,” given that KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) dismal poll numbers seem to be negatively affecting the party’s prospects in next year’s legislative elections.

Lee said that the KMT is trapped in uncertainty, with no helmsman.

While talk of party solidarity is loud, its leaders are passing the buck around, Lee said.

Solidarity is not achieved by paying lip service, Lee said, adding that KMT leaders should have the determination and courage to fight for the party rather than for themselves.     [FULL  STORY]

MOFA reminds travelers of changes in Schengen visa requirements

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-01
By: Elaine Hou, Central News Agency

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded travelers to Europe’s Schengen Area Thursday of changes to visa requirements that will be formally implemented for travelers from East Asia soon.

The requirements include the collection of fingerprints from all 10 fingers and a digital photograph of each visa applicant as part of the Visa Information System (VIS) launched in 2011 that requires Schengen member states’ overseas missions to begin gradually rolling out the new system over a three-year period.

The new measures will be implemented Oct. 12 for travelers from China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan, said Anna Kao (??), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs at a regular news conference.     [FULL  STORY]

Chinese students pleased with Taiwan’s learning environment: poll

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/01
By: T.W. Hsu and Lillian Lin

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) Chinese students at Taiwan’s universities generally are satisfied with 53832064the learning environment, curriculum, quality of teaching, and educational resources in the system, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The survey, conducted by the non-governmental Education Reform Forum, was seeking Chinese students’ opinions of Taiwan’s higher education institutions and their perceptions of Taiwanese society.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score, the students on average rated Taiwan’s learning environment, educational resources, teaching quality, school curriculum and living environment above 4.

On their impressions of the society, many students said they think the Taiwanese public and media know very little about mainland China. The students also said that they were sometimes embarrassed by teachers who made stereotypical comments about them.     [FULL  STORY]

Number of dengue fever cases in Taiwan hits 18,879

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-01
By: CNA

The number of dengue fever infections reported in Taiwan since May has reached 18,879,

Health authorities spray disinfectant in Chiayi, Sept. 30. (Photo/CNA)

Health authorities spray disinfectant in Chiayi, Sept. 30. (Photo/CNA)

the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

That compared with a total of 15,492 cases recorded for the whole of last year.

The latest figure represents an increase of 514 cases from the previous day, the CDC said.

As of Wednesday, 16,211 cases had been reported in the southern municipality of Tainan and 2,356 in neighboring Kaohsiung, the two worst hit areas of the country, according to CDC figures.

In Tainan alone, the number of infections increased by 418 from the previous day, CDC official said.

As of the end of September, 56 people had died from the disease since May.

The CDC said the week after a typhoon is a crucial period for the prevention and control of the mosquito-borne disease, and it urged people to clean up the environment to prevent infestation by mosquito larvae.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan-US ties review due: academics

TIME FOR A CHANGE?The panel said ‘Taiwan did not come up’ during Xi’s visit to Washington. Experts also urged the delivery of approved arms and help with subs

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 02, 2015
By: William Lowther  /  Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

In the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) state visit to Washington last week, it might be time for a review of Taiwan-US relations, a panel of academics said on Wednesday.

“It would be worth considering a national conference on the future of US-Taiwan relations,” Project 2049 Institute executive director Mark Stokes said.

Addressing a Hudson Institute discussion on “Xi Jinping’s Visit: What it Means for Taiwan,” Stokes said the national conference should bring together all schools of thought, ranging from those who wanted to accommodate China to those who advocate independence.

Hudson Institute director of Chinese strategy Michael Pillsbury said that as far as it is known, Taiwan was not a subject of friction between Xi and US President Barack Obama during their private talks.     [FULL  STORY]

MOL allocates additional funds for vocational training

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-09-30
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Minister of Labor Chen Hsiung-wen pointed out that the government has allocated NT$20

MOL: more funds for vocational training. Central News Agency

MOL: more funds for vocational training. Central News Agency

billion (US$667 million) in fund to be used on vocational training, reports said Wednesday.

According to the ministry, the fund will be infused to promote career development for both employed and unemployed workers, including on-course programs for the nation’s youth.

“We expect over 1,000 applicants to join our training program,” Chen said, adding that there is an estimated more than 700 employees currently on no-pay leave.

Chen’s comments came during Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee hearing on Wednesday, in which he responded to critics involving the ministry’s initiative to tackle the tricky issue of no-pay leave.     [FULL  STORY]