Asia One
Date: Jun 30, 2019
By: Gary Lim

The towering Taipei 101 might be the first thing you see at Xinyi, but when you look around, you'll see a whole strip of trendy malls, expensive restaurants, and trendy nightclubs. You might need to spend an arm and leg to buy something at Bellavita, the European-style luxury mall, but it's still worth window-shopping at. Nearby,

ATT 4 FUN is filled with both international and homegrown clothing brands, while Eslite Xinyi is the biggest bookstore in Taiwan – and open 24-hours too. For a departure from the norm, head to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, an expansive creative space where you'll discover unique crafts and works by local artists.

There's no way you haven't heard of Ximending, the entertainment district that traces its roots back to the Japanese era in the 1980s. This popular shopping district gathers the best of youth culture, from cinemas and karaoke joints to funky accessory shops filled with colourful socks and vibrant hairpins. With better-known brands like Uniqlo and ABC Mart around, you'll be spoilt for choice.
[FULL  STYORY]

The hunger strike began on May 19

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/30
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The hunger strike initiated by former National Policy Advisor to the President Huang Hua (黃華) has entered day 43, in a bid to push for the founding of “The Republic of Taiwan” (台灣共和國).

Huang, 81, went on what he called a “Gandhi-style” hunger strike, starting May 19 at the lobby of Taipei Main Station, with the objective of advocating independence and self-determination for Taiwan with a non-violent approach, reported Central News Agency.

On June 20, ruling Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and Secretary-General to the President Chen Chu (陳菊) visited him to show their support.

According to Huang’s resistance plans, he would not eat anything except drinking 1,000 ml juice, 1,000 ml milk, and water between May 19 and June 1. He would consume nothing but water afterwards, reported Newtalk.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/30
By: Huang Li-yun and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) From July 1, anyone caught riding a bicycle, electric bike or tricycle under the influence of alcohol will be subject for the first time to a fine of NT$600-NT$1,200 (US$19.74-US$39.48), while those refusing to take a breathalyzer test will be fined NT$2,400, the National Police Agency said Sunday.

The agency made the announcement in a statement a day before amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, which cleared the legislative floor March 26, come into effect on July 1.

Under the amended act, motorists convicted of first time DUI offenses will be subject to fines of NT$30,000-NT$120,000, while the penalty for motorcyclists is unchanged at NT$15,000-NT$90,000.

Those with two offenses in five years will face fines of NT$90,000-NT$120,000 for the second offense.    [FULL  STORY]

CLARIFICATION: Union members were asked whether they agreed with a proposal made by EVA, including a pledge not to take action against striking flight attendants

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 01, 2019
By: Wei Chin-yun, Yao Chieh-hsiu and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday responded to questions about the breakdown of

strike negotiations on Saturday, saying that the vote it held with union members never implied that the strike was over.

The vote simply ensured that the company’s proposal was considered by all employees democratically, it said.

Members of the public had been asking if the vote was “just an act,” but this was not the case, the union said.

Union members were asked whether they agreed with a proposal made by EVA Airways management on Friday, and if they disagreed, whether they would continue the strike in accordance with Article 11 of the union’s strike regulations, the union said.    [FULL  STORY]

Government will apply at OIE for end to export ban: Tsai

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/06/29
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following the absence of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) for a year, Taiwan will apply to resume pork exports, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Saturday (June 29).

From July 1, Taiwan will report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that it has been free from foot-and-mouth disease for 12 months, thus allowing the country to resume the export of pork and related products, the United Daily News reported.

President Tsai mentioned the government plans on her Facebook page Saturday, including the fact in a list of government achievements also featuring the end of the European Union’s “yellow card” against the country’s fishing sector.

The president said her administration was working hard to remove all the negative aspects of Taiwan’s international reputation one by one, and the foot-and-mouth disease listing was the latest success.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/06/29
By: Chiu Chun-chin, Lu Kang-chun and Chung Yu-chen

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) Officials of the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union (TFAU) decided Saturday to continue their strike after the planned signing of a tentative agreement late Saturday failed to happen.

Although union members voted from Friday to Saturday in favor of an agreement presented by EVA Airways, union officials issued a statement later Saturday saying they could not sign the final document after the two sides could not find any middle ground on one of the points of agreement that flight attendants would not be punished for their strike action.

The union had insisted that EVA Airways withdraw a statement made by the company on May 8, according to EVA.

At that time, the airline said if a strike hurt its profitability and caused financial losses, the company would consider freezing annual wage increases and suspending year-end bonus payments to employees, and stop offering discount air fares to employees and their families for three years.
[FULL  STORY]

‘MORALITY’ SURVEY: Foundation chairman Huang Kun-huei said ‘society has too few busybodies, but for a society to be good, there needs to be more nosy people’

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 30, 2019
By: Lin Hsiao-yun and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Air pollution remains a significant concern for most people, a survey released yesterday by the

Professor Huang Kun-huei Education Foundation showed.

Among respondents in the nationwide poll, 74.7 percent said air pollution from scooters and restaurant exhaust fans was “very serious,” with the rate being 81.3 percent among respondents in Kaohsiung, and Pingtung and Penghu counties.

The survey asked respondents whether they would confront a person who was “harming the public interest,” with 1.9 percent saying that they would.

“Today’s society has too few busybodies, but for a society to be good, there needs to be more nosy people, more virtuous and courageous people,” foundation chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 28 June, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

President Tsai Ing-wen has called for the graduating classes of Taiwan’s six military academies to protect Taiwan’s national security. Tsai was speaking on Friday at a joint graduation ceremony.

Tsai said she attends the ceremony every year to show her support for the military in her capacity as commander-in-chief. She said the military is vital for Taiwan’s sovereignty and regional peace and stability in the face of Chinese military maneuvers.      [FULL  STORY]

Hands of the United Front seen in false news reports and distortion of results of last municipal elections

Asia Times
Date: June 28, 2019
By: Jonathan Manthorpe, Taipei

Beijing’s long-threatened invasion of Taiwan is well underway, but its shock troops are not the foot-soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army. They are the shadowy agents of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “magic weapon,” who over the past decade have infiltrated Taiwanese society and institutions.

Since 2015 Xi has doubled the budget and responsibilities of the United Front, which aims to rally support for Chinese Communist Party objectives at home and abroad, often by creating groups and organizations that have no obvious affiliations with the party.

In Taiwan there is evidence that United Front operations distorted the results of last November’s municipal elections using the weaknesses that characterize any open democratic system.

Social media was used to spread blatantly false stories. Campaign funds were given to candidates favored by Beijing. And the leaders of villages and small municipalities were suborned into campaigning on behalf of candidates the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wanted to win.
[FULL STORY]