Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 10 December, 2018
By: Andrew Ryan

Smart phones, smart watches, and now smart trash cans? This new Taipei City endeavor is called iTrash.

You start by inserting your EZ Card – the debit card used in the city’s transit system. Then you simply drop your trash in the slot. For 0.2 kilos or less, it’s one Taiwan dollar. For a half kilo or less it’s four Taiwan dollars, and a kilo or less is eight Taiwan dollars.

The new machines eliminate the need to chase the trash truck, and the need to buy government issue trash bags.

You can also get money back on your recyclables, in the form of credit on your EZ card. You can get one Taiwan dollar for ten plastic bottles or for eight cans… and there’s no need to bring the exact number, the machine keeps a tally of your deposits.
[FULL  STORY]

Your daily bulletin of Taiwan news, courtesy of ICRT.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/12/10
By: International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT)

Seven Chinese local government officials are visiting Taiwan today, as they seek to set the agenda for the upcoming Taipei-Shanghai twin city forum, which will take place in Taipei next Thursday.

The officials include Shanghai Municipal Taiwan Affairs Office Director Li Wenhui (see cover image), and his deputy Li Xiaodong.

They were met at on arrival at Taipei Songshan Airport by the head of the Taipei City government’s mainland affairs division, Yao Ching-yu (饒慶鈺).

Speaking to reporters, Li Wenhui said the Chinese delegation will be holding discussions with Taipei officials to set the agenda for the Dec. 20 forum, and will also meet Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) today.    [FULL  STORY]

Held at the end of each year, the Gender Impact Award is an award to celebrate the progress of gender equality movement and women’s empowerment

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/12/10
By: Alicia Nguyen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 2018 Gender Impact Award Nomination list was published today, Dec. 10 by the Womany. Taiwan has nine activities and reports in the shortlist, after only the U.S. with 12 nominations.

Hosted annually by the Womany Media Group, a Taiwan-based gender-friendly media community group, the Gender Impact Awards is an award to recognize the progress of gender equality movement in a year and continue to shape a more gender-friendly environment.

A total of 44 gender equality events and reports have made it to the nomination list chosen by six gender activists from Taiwan, Japan, China, and Iceland. They are divided and compete in different categories, such as the Best Gender Report, the Best D&I Practice, the Best Gender Arts and Design, the Best Gender Corporation, the Best Mass Communication, the Best Gender Social Campaign, and Nomination list on Asian Highlights.

With a total of 9 finalists, Taiwan is second to the U.S. to have the most activities in the shortlist. Some of Taiwan’s activities include the first statue of comfort woman in Taiwan’s Tainan city, the referendum on same-sex marriage, the report about the disappearance of sexual survivors in the Philippines conducted by Taiwan Reporters.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/12/10
By: Joseph Yeh

Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) Taking President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as an example, the de facto

U.S. ambassador to Taiwan said Monday that Taiwan is a model in terms of empowering women as leaders in politics.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of a women’s leadership and empowerment workshop, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen lauded Taiwan as a leader on women’s empowerment in politics.

“Not only does Taiwan currently have a woman serving as its president, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, but nearly 40 percent of Taiwan’s legislators are women,” Christensen said.

In the recently concluded local elections on Nov. 24, Taiwan’s voters chose women to head seven of its 22 counties and municipalities, and elected women to fill 33.8 percent of city and county council seats, he went on.    [FULL  STORY]

A blackout hit Kaohsiung City on Sunday afternoon

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/12/09
By: Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A power outage took place in Kaohsiung City on Sunday afternoon, reportedly affecting more than 30,000 households and a number of petrochemical plants.

The Taiwan Power Company (TPC) said electricity in approximately 31,588 households, as well as nine factories located in the Linyuan Industrial Park, had all been restored by 3:30 p.m., according to reports.

A power failure hit several areas in Kaohsiung City at 1 p.m., including Linyuan, Daliao, and Xiaogang District, reports said.

After the blackout, TPC immediately had staff dispatched for troubleshooting. It said earlier the power outage was caused by a relay device problem in the Linyuan Electrical Substation.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/12/09
By: Matt Yu and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) Taiwan plans to spend nearly NT$2 billion to upgrade the electronic warfare system on its four Kidd-class destroyers in response to China’s missile threats and to enhance surface-to-air combat capability, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

In its 2019 budget proposal, the MND said the upgrade of the AN/SLQ-32 system on the Kidd-class guided missile destroyers is expected to be completed by 2023.

The four destroyers are usually deployed in waters off Taiwan’s east coast to carry out early warning missions, as China’s military aircraft frequently conduct training exercises in that area, according to the MND.

It said Taiwan Navy’s defense capabilities heavily depend on the AN/SLQ-32 system, which is outdated and must be upgraded to improve its capabilities to counter the growing threat of more complex radar-guided anti-ship missile systems.
[FULL  STORY]