CLEANER WATER: The research team said their device could help industrial plants reuse their manufacturing wastewater and make household water taste better

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 26, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

National Taiwan University (NTU) researchers yesterday unveiled a water purification device that they

said can absorb three times more pollutants than activated carbon and would help industrial plants reuse wastewater.

The deionization device could be used to process industrial wastewater and allow them to reuse the treated water in manufacturing processes, and it could also be used to remove calcium and magnesium in household drinking water to make it taste better, chemical engineering professor Kevin Wu (吳嘉文) told a news conference at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taipei.

The key to purifying water is to remove heavy metal ions, Wu said, adding that previously used materials had insufficient capacity for absorbing pollutants due to their limited electrical conductivity.

After experimenting with different materials, the team developed nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon materials, which have larger surface areas allowing for enhanced electrosorption capacity, but their conductivity was still insufficient, he said.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 24 December, 2019
By: Paula Chao

A survey released by the health ministry shows that over 65% of Taiwanese children aged under 6 have tooth decay.

Going to the dentist might be scary for a young child. But, what’s really scary is that six in 10 Taiwanese children, under the age of 6, have cavities. The health ministry says it’s important to get an early start on proper dental hygiene.

One parent says her daughter has seven cavities. She gives her child snacks between meals, and brushes her teeth once in the morning and once at night.

Pediatric dentist Lee Yang-chun says bacteria in the mouth continuously break down sugars that people eat. This produces acid, which wears away tooth enamel. Lee says filling cavities alone is not enough to prevent future tooth erosion.    [FULL  STORY]

What can America do?

The National Interest
Date: December 24, 2019
By: Ian Easton

Various sources from within the People's Republic of China have allegedly suggested that time is running out for Taiwan's democracy. In their narrative, China's iron-fisted leader, Xi Jinping, is "losing patience" and could order the invasion of Taiwan in the early 2020s. The world's most dangerous flashpoint might witness an overwhelming amphibious blitz, perhaps before July 2021 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).    

That's the narrative. The reality is that China will probably not attack Taiwan in such a radical and high-risk fashion. Xi and his top lieutenants are far more likely to draw-out and escalate the war of nerves across the Taiwan Strait. They will continue using disinformation and other techniques to drain Washington's confidence that Taiwan can be defended, while ramping up subversive activities to undermine the island nation's confidence and willpower.

Xi will bide his time and hope the Taiwanese government cracks under mounting pressure, allowing him to conquer his target cheaply. At the same time, his military generals will continue planning and preparing to deliver on their "sacred" mission. Coercion could easily fail, making invasion a tempting option―especially in a future scenario where the balance of power looks more favorable to Beijing than it does today.    [FULL  STORY]

Perfect locations revealed for those wishing to witness new year’s first ray of sunlight in Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/24
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the countdown to the new year begins, Taiwanese travel blog ReadyGo has created a list of secret locations around Taiwan for welcoming 2020's first sunrise.

Starting with New Taipei, the Bitoujiao Park (鼻頭角) offers a breathtaking geological landscape, complete with coastal caves and hiking trails. As the sun pierces the horizon and slowly rises above the ocean, travelers can sit on the hill and bathe in the beauty.

Bitoujiao Park in New Taipei. (Instagram photo by zhoubob0726)

New Taipei's Fulong Beach (福隆海水浴場) and Taoyuan Valley (桃源谷) are also secret gems from which to greet the New Year. The Tourism Bureau has arranged a series of events on the northern Taiwan beach on New Year's Eve, including a performance by the band Control T, local food vendors, and installation art pieces created with lanterns and projection mapping.

In Wanli District of New Taipei, the Guihou Fishing Harbor (龜吼漁港) is said

o have some of the most paradise-like scenery in Taiwan. Its fish market is known for fresh crabs and other seafood, and groups of friends can enjoy a BBQ party under the stars.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/24
By: Sunrise Huang, Yu Hsia-han, Liang Pei-chi and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The first section of the Circular Line of Taipei's mass rapid transit system will not start operating by the end of the year as expected because the date for a final inspection has yet to be set, New Taipei's Department of Transit Systems said Monday.

New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said on Dec. 18 that if a final inspection was set for Dec. 24 and improvements were made as requested, the line's first section would likely start operations by the end of the year.

If not, he hoped the line would start service as soon as possible once the safety of the system was ensured, he said at the time.

A Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) official told CNA there was no plan to conduct a final inspection on Tuesday.    [FULL  STORY]

WARNING: The airline should take full responsibility for what has happened to travelers and its employees, regardless of the consequences, Lin Chia-lung said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 25, 2019
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications could revoke Far Eastern Air Transport’s (FAT)

license if it does not improve its operations, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Lin made the remark on the sidelines of a railway project inspection in Taichung when asked how the ministry would handle the situation after the carrier unexpectedly announced on Dec. 12 that it would cease operations.

While FAT chairman Chang Kang-wei (張綱維) on Dec. 13 told a news conference that the airline would try to resume operations with funding of NT$1 billion (US$33.1 million), the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) has not lifted a suspension on its flights, despite receiving an official explanation from the firm.

As of yesterday, the airline said that it had received requests to refund more than 170,000 unused tickets.    [FULL  STORY]

Anti-China sentiment seen as crucial factor in election; events in HK also play a part

The Straits Times
Date: December 21, 2019

TAIPEI • Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen is riding high in the polls as she seeks a second term on Jan 11, a remarkable reversal of fortune aided by bellicose threats from Beijing and unease over the political unrest in Hong Kong.

Ms Tsai, 63, is up against Mr Han Kuo-yu of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, who had a stratospheric rise last year in local elections but has struggled on the campaign trail.

Voters go to the polls as relations with China dominate the news, after three years of Beijing taking a hardline approach towards Taiwan.

"Anti-China sentiments have become a crucial deciding factor in ratings," said Mr Wang Yeh-lih, a political analyst at National Taiwan University, adding Ms Tsai's party slogan "Resist China, Defend Taiwan" has resonated with voters.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese leader expresses concern over American involvement with Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Taiwan over phone

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/12/21
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) reportedly discussed the U.S.-China trade war as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang over the phone on Friday (Dec. 20).

Trump described the conversation as "very good" on Twitter and claimed that the formal signing of the "phase one" trade deal would be arranged soon. He added that North Korea and Hong Kong had also been discussed and that the U.S. and China are making "progress."    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/12/21
By William Yen

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) Internet blogger sensation Nuseir Yassin praised the success and kindness of Taiwanese society in a newly released video Saturday that has been watched over 673,000 times in just a few hours.

On Dec. 4, Yassin stayed overnight with his girlfriend in one of the guest rooms at the Presidential Office, as one of the 10 pairs of tourists who won the chance to "Spend a Night in the Presidential Office Building" in a program organized jointly by the General Association of Chinese Culture, the Tourism Bureau, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of program, the guests are asked to upload a video about their experience about Taiwan.

His video "Asia's Secret Country," which he uploaded on Saturday, has generated 37,000 likes, and has been watched 692,000 times in just three hours of its release.

In the three-minute video released on Nas Daily, his Facebook page with over 14 million followers, Yassin shared the success of the democratic country Taiwan, which he described as being located in the heart of Asia.    [FULL  STORY]