Radio Taiwan International
Date: 12 July, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Abandoned tunnel in Taichung becomes popular Instagram spot[/caption] An abandoned tunnel in the central city of Taichung has become an overnight sensation among photographers.

Tunnel No. 8 is located right next to a railway culture park in the city's Houli District. It is about 520 meters long and boasts a history of 100 years.

To get to Taichung’s mysterious Tunnel No. 8, one has to first pass a road overrun on both sides by wild grass before reaching a dilapidated brick bridge. The scenery is pretty if you don’t mind the swarms of mosquitoes.    [FULL  STORY]

Last of oBikes plaguing Taipei to be eliminated by end of July

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/07/12
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After much outcry by motorists, city officials, and residents over piles of oBikes strewn about when the bicycle-share craze was at its peak, the last of the abandoned bikes are to be cleared off the streets of Taipei by the end of this month, a year after the company behind them went belly up.

Chen Shyue-tair (陳學台), head of Taipei Department of Transportation on Thursday (July 11) announced that 7,000 oBikes being stored in impound lots are to be dismantled and sold for scrap metal, reported CNA. The last of the remaining derelict bikes are to be disposed of by the end of July, and the city pledges to make every effort to recover all outstanding impound and custody fees.

The first trial run of oBikes was launched in Taipei in May of 2017. Eventually, a total of 8,000 oBikes were unleashed on the streets of Taipei.

However, the Singapore-registered oBike filed for insolvency and ceased operations in June of 2018. The company's subsidiary in Taiwan, Aozhi Network Technology Co., announced it was laying off all its employees in October of 2018 and left thousands of bicycles scattered about the city.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date:\ 2019/07/12
By Wen Kuei-hsiang, Chiang Chin-yeh, Ozzy Yin and Chung Yu-chen

New York, July 11 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with several representatives to the United Nations on Thursday in New York, after protests against her visit outside the hotel where she was staying turned violent.

pro-Beijing demonstrators outside midtown Grand Hyatt

During a reception at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York, Tsai addressed the representatives to the U.N. from countries that are Taiwan's allies, saying she hoped the allies would continue to support Taiwan's efforts to gain access to the U.N.

"The 23 million people in Taiwan have the right to participate in international affairs," Tsai said. "Their participation should not be prevented based on political interference."

"Taiwan will not give in to intimidation," she said, referring to China's efforts to suppress Taiwan, which it sees as part of its territory.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 11 July, 2019
By: Paula Chao

President Tsai Ing-wen has set off on a twelve-day overseas trip. She will be visiting four of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Caribbean: St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Haiti.

The president and her delegation will also spend several days in the US during her trip. She is set to stop over in New York for two nights before flying to Haiti, the first leg of her tour. At the end of her trip, she is also scheduled to stop in Denver for two nights before returning to Taiwan.

Before leaving Taipei on Thursday, Tsai said she will convey three messages to the world while away.    [FULL  STORY]

If your children aspire to become a YouTuber, do they have what it takes to be successful?

The News Lens
Date: 2019/07/11
By Chen Wen-li
Translator: Jake Harrison

Op-Ed

I was flicking through career-related magazines a while ago and saw how the generation in 2019 – kids born during the 90s – are now aspiring to become YouTubers, and I have to say there has been a great deal of generational change.

In my era, just a decade ago, I did not have computer classes until I was in about third grade. At that time, my teacher only covered the basics of sending and receiving emails, or how to use a search engine, etc. I cannot quite recall what we learned exactly from the class.

I just remember our elementary school life and entertainment were far removed from computers. After school, my brother and I would always pick oxalis for fun on the way home or explore the alleys near our house. During those days, even boredom seemed interesting.    [FULL  STORY]

Ko more likely to run if Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu wins KMT primaries: reports

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

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is likely to announce a presidential bid next month, media reports said Thursday (July 11).

Ko is reportedly waiting until the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has picked its contender for the January 11, 2020 election. The party is in the middle of a contentious opinion poll process to close on July 14.

Media reports suggested Thursday that if Kaohsiung City Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) won the KMT primaries, it would become more likely that Ko, an independent, would launch a run.

In response to the reports, the capital’s mayor said he was still reflecting on the issue and considering what the nation’s direction should be, the Central News Agency reported.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/07/11
By: Yeh Su-ping and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) The number of people who identify as "Taiwanese" has increased after falling for four years, according to a survey released by National Chengchi University Wednesday.

The university's Election Study Center poll (ESC) showed that 56.9 percent of respondents identify as Taiwanese, up from 54.5 percent in 2018, 55.5 percent in 2017, 58.2 percent in 2016 and 59.5 percent in 2015.

The survey was conducted by the ESC from Jan. 1 to June 30 2019, based on a random selection of 7,380 respondents above the age of 20 in Taiwan.

When asked "in our society, there are some people who call themselves 'Taiwanese,' some who call themselves 'Chinese,' and some who call themselves both. Do you consider yourself to be 'Taiwanese,' 'Chinese,' or both?" 36.5 percent of respondents said both, while 3.6 percent said Chinese and 3 percent did not indicate a preference, ESC said in a press release.
[FULL  STORY]

EXPECTATION VS REALITY: Groups called on the agency to follow WHO standards for PM2.5, but Hsieh Ping-hui said that its current goal is proving hard enough to reach

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 12, 2019
By: Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday defended its plan to tighten

concentration standards for several air pollutants, saying it did not change those governing PM2.5 — particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller — because of feasibility concerns.

The agency in May announced draft amendments to the Standards of Air Quality (空氣品質標準) and held three public hearings in Kaohsiung, Taipei and Taichung to gather opinions.

The new benchmarks were proposed to further improve the nation’s air quality after major amendments to the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) were promulgated in August last year, Department of Air Quality Protection and Noise Control Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ping-hui (謝炳輝) told a news conference in Taipei.

The daily average PM10 concentration standard would be tightened from 125 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3) to 100mcg/m3, while the yearly concentration standard would be changed from 65mcg/m3 to 50mcg/m3, the agency said.    [FULL  STORY]