Will they be enough?

The National Interest
Date: November 8, 2019 
By: David Axe Follow @daxe on TwitterL

A new suicide drone appeared at the August 2019 edition of the biennial Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in the island country’s capital.

The unmanned aerial vehicle bears a strong resemblance to the small, hand-launched drones that are popular with U.S. forces. The other clearly draws inspiration from Israel’s Harpy anti-radar drone.

A suicide drone essentially is a small, inexpensive cruise missile, usually possessing some loitering capability. They might include a simple seeker head. Alternately, their operators remotely could steer them toward their targets.    [FULL  STORY]

Duet cover with KMT legislator Yen Kuan-heng melodically questionable

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/08
By: Sally Jensen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taipei mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) released a music video on Monday (Nov. 3) that has received mixed reviews from netizens.

The former chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party paired up with Taichung legislator Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒) to create the magnum opus. The video, shot on the coast near the Taichung Power Plant, features both men sitting on concrete tetrapods while covering the well-known “Listen to the Sea” (聽海) by singer A-Mei (張惠妹).

According to Liberty Times, after hearing the politicians’ “extremely brave” vocals, several netizens could not contain their praise, describing how they, like the sea, shed tears at the end and saying “Now I understand why the sea is crying.”

Chu took a break from campaigning to shoot the music video with Yen when he visited Taichung on Monday. Sitting on the picturesque tetrapods, they took on the role of lovelorn young men and sang “Listen to the Sea” while wistfully stroking a building’s walls. Chu’s office released the video that very day.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/08
By: Liao Yu-yang and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Nov. 8 (CNA) A random inspection of 20 commercially available summer sleeping mats discovered five samples that contained excessive amounts of the preservative formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Friday.

According to the ministry's Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), the samples were selected from among an assortment of retailers in the first half of this year and the products were ordered off the shelves after the violations were discovered.    [FULL  STORY]

CLIMBING UP: Taiwan tourism numbers are up from last year and next year’s focus is to be on mountain tourism, which aims to highlight the beauty of the nation’s peaks

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 09, 2019
By: Jake Chung  /  Staff writer, with CNA

Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday forecast that

international tourists coming to Taiwan would grow by 7 percent this year.

Lin made the remarks at the four-day Taipei International Travel Fair, which began yesterday.

Lin said his ministry expected the total number of tourists visiting Taiwan to grow to 11.8 million by the end of next month, 7 percent more compared to last year.

The Tourism Bureau is to be upgraded to the Tourism Administration and plans to convene a nationwide tourism symposium at the end of the year.    [FULL  STORY]

Radi Taiwan International
Date: 07 November, 2019
By: John Van Trieste

Two new oceanic research vessels commissioned by the science ministry are set to be handed over from the shipyard later this month.

The vessels were completed and passed inspection this summer.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2019/11/07
By: Hiro Fu

The crowd erupted with cheers and applause — if you had your eyes closed, you wouldn’t have noticed the attendants of the rally easily averaged at over 50 years old. Following the lead of Taiwan’s former Premier William Lai (賴清德), a sea of silver-haired audience chanted in unison, “Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), re-election! Tsai Ing-wen…”

A few weeks ago, Lai attended an election rally campaigning for Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in northern California. He spoke to a crowd of approximately 200 Taiwanese with the sole message of keeping Tsai in office for another four years. The entire speech was delivered in Taiwanese-Hokkien, a language that resonated most with his audience.

“The primaries have ended, now is the time to unite. We now need to work together to protect our sovereignty by re-electing President Tsai and becoming the majority party. Can we do this together?” Lai asked the crowd.

Lai’s message of party unity echoed among his wooed audience, yet he may have more trouble believing in his own words.    [FULL  STORY]

Majority of applicants are elderly people born in China looking to invest NT$6 million: MOEA

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/11/07
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A majority of Hong Kong citizens looking to immigrate to Taiwan by investing in the island are elderly people born in China, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Thursday (November 7).

As doubts surge about the future of the former British territory under Chinese rule, more citizens have been looking for a way out, focusing on Taiwan as a country with a similar culture but with stronger democratic institutions.

Hundreds of retired Hong Kong citizens born in China have applied for a migration program with private brokers requiring a minimum investment of NT$6 million (US$197,000), the Liberty Times quoted the MOEA.

The elderly people occupy over 70 percent of the applications, but most of them have not presented specific investment plans, officials said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/11/07
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) Two Indian bloggers invited to take part in a program that involves a free

overnight stay at the Presidential Office said Thursday they are impressed with the freedom and gender equality of Taiwanese society.

"The power that people have here, the political system, how humble the government is towards the people … Everything, is really inspiring," said Aparajita Misra, who is traveling with Aakash Malhotra documenting their 12-day trip to Taiwan.

Misra, 24, also said she was inspired to learn that women are at the forefront of many different occupations in Taiwan.

Speaking of female leaders, the duo said they were delighted to receive a greeting card from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and the late night snack of buttery flaky pastry she treated them to was delicious, they said.

Malhotra, 27, said he plans to produce seven videos promoting Taiwan during their trips to Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualien, where they plan to visit Sun Moon Lake, Kenting National Park and Yangmingshan National Park.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 06 November, 2019
By: Jake Chen

A deserted military outpost on Taiwan’s northeastern coast has found new life after it was recently restored and turned in to a tourist attraction.

This building complex, appropriately painted in camouflage patterns, used to be a military outpost. Located near the Bitoujiao Trail on Taiwan’s northeastern edge, the outpost used to be a temporary home for members of Taiwan’s military. But it was abandoned over 20 years ago.
[FULL  STORY]