Iwan Kainu, one of the last Atayal aborigines in Taiwan left to have a traditional facial tattoo died at the age of 103

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/01/17
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Iwan Kainu (簡玉英, Chien Yu-ying), one of the last members

of the Taiwanese indigenous Atayal (泰雅) tribe to have a facial tattoo and a national treasure, died yesterday morning from complications from the flu at the age of 103, reported UDN.

Kainu was one six known surviving members of the Atayal tribe who retained the traditional facial tattoo symbolizing their achievement of womanhood after mastering the skill of weaving. Men were expected to capture the head of at least one enemy tribe member to earn the right to receive their distinctive tattoo and thus achieve manhood.

Facial tattoos for both genders were banned under Japanese rule, and thus the tradition ended, never to be revived.     [FULL  SORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/17
By: Chen Wei-ting, Liao Yu-yang and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Jan. 17 (CNA) The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit Taipei Wednesday afternoon was completely unrelated to volcanic activity in the Datun Volcano Group in northern Taiwan, according to geological experts.

Shin Tzay-chyn (辛在勤), former director-general at the Central Weather Bureau, attributed the earthquake to the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate under the Eurasian Plate at their convergent boundary.    [FULL  STORY]

PLAYED: The change to the irrigation association organization regulations means executives will remain in their roles until 2020, after which appointments will be made by the government

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 18, 2018
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Legislative Yuan yesterday voted to abolish the direct election of leaders of local

irrigation associations, which are major organizations for farmers.

The positions are to be filled by appointment, a move blasted by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) as designed to incur political gains for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Under the new amendment to the Organic Regulations for Irrigation and Water Conservancy Associations (農田水利會組織通則), the executives of 15 irrigation associations, whose four-year terms are scheduled to end on April 30, are to continue for another two years until Sept. 30, 2020.

When their terms expire, the Council of Agriculture are to fill the positions by appointment, rather than by elections as has been the case since 2002.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-01-16

Vice Premier Shih Jun-ji says that the goal of raising the monthly minimum wage to

NT$30,000 (US$1,000) is achievable in the next few years.

Late last year, President Tsai Ing-wen said that bringing the minimum wage to NT$30,000 is an ultimate goal.

On Tuesday, the vice premier told a radio host that Tsai’s goal can be achieved incrementally. He pointed out a 4.5% increase in the minimum wage that took effect on New Year’s Day. That increase brings Taiwan’s minimum wage to NT$22,000 (US$750) a month.    [FULL  STORY]

Queer Taiwan’s first episode is a powerful documentary that explores life in LGBT communities in Taiwan through local queer voices and opposition groups.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/01/16
By: Jennifer Creery

While it is tempting to tackle the topic of marriage equality through the lens of polarized opinions, online series “Queer Taiwan” seeks to do just the opposite.

Its first episode delves into the struggle for marriage equality on the island; directed by Liling Gan and produced by Jay Lin and Tiffany Tsai, it provides not so much a celebration of unity in the face of opposition, more a heartfelt attempt to find common ground.    [FULL  STORY]

Nationwide local elections will be held to elect municipal mayors, municipal councilors, county magistrates, and others

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/01/16
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) convened a

meeting on Tuesday and confirmed that the nine-in-one elections are to be held this year on Saturday, Nov. 24.

The nationwide local elections of 2018, better known as the nine-in-one elections, will be held to elect municipal mayors, municipal councilors, county magistrates, county/city councilors, township chiefs, township councilors, borough chiefs in six municipalities and 16 counties/cities, chiefs of indigenous districts in municipalities, and councilors of indigenous districts in municipalities.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/16
By: Su Mu-chun and William Yen

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Two men have been arrested with over 400 cannabis plants and

600 grams of dried cannabis buds cultivated in residences rented in Changhua County, a Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) official said Tuesday.

Liao Shao-huang (廖劭晃), a squadron chief in the CIB 6th Investigation Corps, said the police investigated a case in 2016 of an alleged cannabis farm involving a man surnamed Liu (劉), but no evidence was found and he was not arrested.

However, the police continued to follow up on the case, and after more than a year of investigation and collecting evidence, they found that Liu and an accomplice surnamed Su (蘇) had rented a house and an apartment in Changhua County’s Yuanlin City to cultivate cannabis.    [FULL  STORY]