Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/15 
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Ko Lin

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Friday greeted Muslims in

CNA file photo

Taiwan and around the world with Eid Mubarak, a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

On her Facebook page, Tsai also shared a social media link to an animation on Muslim practices, and expressed hope that people can use this opportunity to find out more about the history of Islam and its cultural diversity.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), meanwhile, also expressed on Facebook its good wishes to Muslims in Taiwan on this important religious holiday.

Taiwan is a country that respects multiculturalism, the DPP said, thanking the country’s Muslim population, including migrant workers, for their contributions to Taiwan’s economy and social diversity.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan English News
Date: June 14, 2018
By: Phillip Charlier

The driver of a tour bus that crashed in Nantou County in October last year was prosecuted today, after an investigation determined that he had ignored warning indicators, and continued to drive downhill in high gear until the brakes finally failed, leading to one death, and 23 injured passengers.

[See previous article: Bus Brakes Fail: 1 Dead, 23 Injured ]

On October 24, 2017, the bus driver, Mr Lai (賴), was in charge of a tour bus carrying a group from a Christian church in Tainan City, when it crashed while going downhill from Qinjing Farm. The impact saw some passengers thrown from the bus, and a total of 24 people were rushed to Puli Christian Hospital, and Taichung Veteran’s Hospital.

One passenger was declared dead, and three were seriously injured after the accident.

The Nantou District Prosecutor’s Officer today said that Mr Lai, an experienced driver, understood the braking system, and knew that low gears should be used while traveling downhill.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/06/14
By:  Central News Agency

TAIPEI (CNA) – Taiwan is continuing to upgrade its self-defense capability to safeguard

Taiwan is upgrading its military amid threats from China. (By Central News Agency)

its sovereignty as China keeps flexing its military muscles in the skies and seas around Taiwan, former Minister of National Defense Andrew Yang said Thursday.

While China’s military vessels and aircraft have been stepping up their missions to circle Taiwan, Yang said, Taiwan has also been building its self-defense capabilities.

“Taiwan is not a fool, and we will not sit idly by while China tries to unify with Taiwan,” Yang said in an interview on POP Radio.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/06/14
By: Chiang Pei-ling and Ko Lin

Taipei, June 14 (CNA) A charity gala attended by the director of Taiwan’s award-winning

Photo courtesy of 典十成金

short film “Grand Pa” (阿公) and lead actors from the movie was held in Taipei Thursday to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in Taiwan.

Wang Chi (王奇), a first-time short film director and winner of the 2018 Best Shorts Award in Los Angeles, said he hopes the film will inspire more people to contribute to charity, while raising public awareness of dementia.

The event, organized by the Taiwan Alzheimer Disease Association, was also attended by actors and actresses from the film, including Chloe Wang (王樂妍), Heaven Hai (海裕芬) and Bonnie Wang (王牧語).    [FULL  STORY]

GOLD DIGGERS: A KMT legislator said a proposal to award former spouses of military personnel half of their pensions would encourage people to marry soldiers for the money

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 15, 2018
By: Peng Wan-hsin  /  Staff reporter

A draft bill that would allow former spouses of military retirees to claim half of their ex-

Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan, center, yesterday speaks to the media at the Legislative Yuan following cross-caucus negotiations over proposed pension reforms for retired military personnel as Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Hung-hui, right, listens.  Photo: CNA

spouse’s pension after divorce — part of the proposed military pension reforms — was set aside for further deliberation yesterday after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) said the rule could be exploited.

Lawmakers yesterday sparred about the proposal during cross-caucus negotiations over pension reform plans.

The proposal could spawn social problems, as it could motivate some people to marry high-ranking officials only to divorce them later in hopes of claiming half of their pension, Ma said.

The Civil Code already sufficiently covers divorce, rendering the proposal redundant, KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said, adding that it could “reopen old wounds” for long-divorced litigants, who might have to appear in court to settle the division of property anew.    [FULL  STORY]

The work of Taiwan’s SRO is underway but thorny problems remain.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/06/13
By: Jeremy Firster

Unfortunately, in an unregulated space, scams and misunderstandings are rife, especially in as potentially lucrative an arena as cryptocurrency or token initial coin offerings (ICOs).

Some studies, albeit by groups with a vested interest in drumming up business in ICO consultancy, have claimed that as many as 80 percent of ICOs are scams. Others, in this case by The Wall Street Journal, estimate it is a more conservative 20 percent. Either way, the depth of peril is clear.

A study by ICO advisory firm Satis Group makes for sobering reading.

Such assertions, along with reports of multi-million-dollar scams, such as the Modern Tech scandal that swept up tens of thousands of would-be investors in Vietnam, the Superior Coin debacle in Taipei, or the frequent actions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to freeze assets of illegitimate ICO companies, damages confidence in the industry and inhibits its ability to mature.

From a regulatory perspective, such shady dealings raise concerns on how to protect the interests of “retail investors” (those who are not professional investors), as well as institutions concerned about falling foul of anti-money laundering controls.
[FULL  STORY]