Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/19
By: Wu Li-rong, Tseng Ying-yu and Ted Chen

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Billed as an injection of new blood for the Kuomintang, Chiang Wan-an

(蔣萬安) will be advancing to the second round of the ruling party’s primary for next year’s legislative elections, as poll results published Sunday showed that his incumbent rival, outspoken lawmaker Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), had failed to secure a lead of over 5 percent.

Chaing Wan-an, 37, is the son of former KMT Vice Chairman John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) and a fourth-generation descendant of former Generalissimo and President Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).

The ruling party’s primary guideline stipulates that nominations for legislative elections are only given when a hopeful has established a lead greater than 5 percent over his or her closest rival in opinion polls.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/18
By: Kelven Huang and Y.F. Low

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday the status of women has been rising in Taiwan due to increases in women’s higher education opportunities, political involvement and labor force participation.

Addressing a celebration for the 65th anniversary of the National Women’s League of the ROC, Ma said in 2013, 41 percent of women in Taiwan had a college education or higher, more than the 39 percent among men. There were 360,000 more higher-educated women than men in the 25-44 age group, he noted.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-18
By: CNA

The lead lawyer in a class-action suit of former RCA workers in Taiwan got his wish Friday when he won a decade-long suit against the company, but he complained that the compensation awarded was too low.

The Taipei District Court ordered RCA Corporation’s current owners to pay NT$564 million (US$18.21 million) in damages to the company’s former workers and their families in what has been described as the worst ever work-related health incident in Taiwan’s history.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/18
By: Tang Pei-chun and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders are enjoying easy access to 98 percent of their travel destinations, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday after the country was ranked 28th in the Passport Index created by financial advisory firm Arton Capital.

Ministry spokesperson Anna Kao (高安) said Taiwanese can now visit 140 countries and areas without a visa or by simply obtaining an electronic visa or a visa on arrival.

It suggested that the Republic of China is recognized as having a well-established democracy and economy, with its people considered responsible citizens, Kao said.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-18
By: CNA

Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration on Friday dismissed concerns of genetically modified

wheat grown in the United States entering Taiwan’s market, saying Taiwan bans imports of such wheat.

Taiwan allows genetically modified soybeans and corn but does not allow imports of genetically modified wheat, said Lee Wan-chen, a section chief at the FDA.

During a recent check on packaged food products, the FDA did not find any genetically modified wheat on the local market, Lee added.

The statement was made as bakeries and wheat mills face doubts from local customers that wheat from the US might be genetically modified and are receiving requests to purchase wheat from Japan and Canada.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/16
By: Tyson Lu and Elaine Hou

Taipei, April 16 (CNA) A Taitung fisherman caught an unusual looking “humped back” sea turtle in waters off the southeastern coast of Taiwan on Wednesday.

The fisherman, Tien Cheng-yung (田秤勇), said he was fishing in waters off Pingtung and Taitung counties when he unexpectedly pulled up a heavy turtle that had an unusually shaped shell.

Tien said his first thought was “why does it look like this?” He said he had unintentionally caught turtles before but had never seen one with a humped shell.     [FULL  STORY]