Focus Taiwan
Date; 2015/05/04
By: Ku Chuan and Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Taiwanese-Japanese actor and singer Takeshi Kaneshiro

(金城武) would be the top dream partner of Taiwanese mothers if they could choose somebody with whom to share a free trip on Mother’s Day, according to a survey conducted by online hotel booking service Hotels.com.

Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau (劉德華) was second while Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was a surprise third, ahead of Japanese actor and singer Takuya Kimura and U.S. actor Brad Pitt.

The survey of Taiwan’s mothers on their views of Mother’s Day gifts was conducted to coincide with Mother’s Day, which falls on May 10 this year.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-04
By: CNA

The period from 4-6 am is the only time of day when the air quality is good

enough for outdoor activities in Taipei, a health expert said Sunday.

A team led by Chan Chang-chuan, associate dean of National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health, came to the conclusion after measuring the changes in concentrations of air pollutants — ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM2.5) — in the city throughout the day.

“There is no such thing as ‘sharing the pain’ when it comes to air pollution. The difference is stark, depending on where you live,” Chan said at a health forum in Taipei.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/04
By: Tai Ya-chen and Scully Hsiao

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Lawmakers across party lines agreed on Monday to allow migrant workers and disadvantaged foreign spouses to apply for government assistance for lawsuits or legal counseling.

In a preliminary review of amendments to the Legal Aids Act, lawmakers of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee reached a consensus on clauses that foreign fishery workers, caregivers and domestic helpers will be allowed to apply to the government-funded Legal Aid Foundation for help with lawsuits or legal counseling.

The amendments also apply to disadvantaged foreign spouses who have not gained ROC citizenship or those who have been naturalized but do not yet have household registrations.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/03
By: Milly Lin and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) Amid Taiwan’s worst drought in over a decade, the Water Resources Agency was preparing to use ground-based cloud-seeding techniques Sunday night to help spark precipitation in the water catchment areas of several reservoirs in the north of the country as a weather front was forecast to be approaching.

The reservoirs included Shihmen Reservoir, Baoshan Reservoir No. 2, Yongheshan Reservoir and Minde Reservoir.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-03
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Eric Chu, chair of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, met Yu Zhengsheng, head of

China’s top political advisory body, in Shanghai on Saturday.

Chu, who arrived in the city earlier that day, met the chair of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, after touring Fudan University and giving a speech there.

Yu noted that Chu’s father was from Zhejiang province, which neighbors Shanghai, adding that he also comes from the province.

Also attending the meeting were KMT vice chair Huang Min-hui; the party’s secretary-general, Lee Shu-chuan; Policy Committee chief executive Lai Shyh-bao; deputy secretaries-general Huang Chao-shun and Chiang Cheng-yen, and Mainland Affairs Department director Kao Koong-lian.     [FULL  STORY]

Albie Sachs, a former justice of the constitutional court of South Africa and winner of the first Tang Prize in Rule of Law, is known for his life-long battle for human rights against the apartheid regime in South Africa, and was one of the chief architects in the drafting of the constitution of post-apartheid South Africa. In an interview with ‘Taipei Times’ staff reporter Lii Wen on Friday in Taipei, Sachs, in light of Taiwan’s ongoing debate on constitutional reforms, emphasized the importance of public participation in constitution-making

Taipei Times
Date: May 04, 2015

Taipei Times: During a previous visit, you mentioned Taiwan was once notorious

for its ties with the apartheid regime in South Africa. Tell us more about your views of Taiwan, especially in terms of human rights.

Albie Sachs: During the struggle days, apartheid South Africa was very isolated in the world. When they had a naval review of their ships in Simon’s Town, they would call for the fleets of the world to join them. And only two fleets joined them, from Taiwan and from Chile under [former Chilean president Augusto] Pinochet [1973 to 1990]. We didn’t have high regard for Taiwan at that stage, going out of its way to breach the international arms boycott of South Africa, sending its ships to South Africa.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/03
By: Chen Ching-fang and Christie Chen

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) The period from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. is the only time of day

when the air quality is good enough for outdoor activities in Taipei, a health expert said Sunday.

A team led by Chan Chang-chuan (詹長權), associate dean of National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health, came to the conclusion after measuring the changes in concentrations of air pollutants — ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM2.5) — in the city throughout the day.

“There is no such thing as ‘sharing the pain’ when it comes to air pollution. The difference is stark, depending on where you live,” Chan said at a health forum in Taipei.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/02
By: Chen Chih-chung and Elaine Hou

Taipei, May 2 (CNA) At least a 13.6 percent increase in the number of high school teachers will be needed when Taiwan’s compulsory education system is extended from nine to 12 years, the principal of one of the country’s most prestigious high schools said Saturday.

The goal of the 12-year compulsory education system — which will include high schools — is to create flexible learning styles that allow students to take more elective classes according to their personal needs and interests, said Chen Wei-hung (陳偉泓), principal of Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School.     [FULL  STORY]