RT.com
Date:13 Jan, 2018

Five weird sharks resembling the aliens from the eponymous Hollywood thriller were

captured off the coast of Taiwan in a rare appearance of the elusive viper dogfish species.

The glowing black creatures have peculiar extending jaws and needle-shaped teeth, but little is known about the rarely-seen shark.

The five specimens were caught at a depth of 350 metres during a routine survey of the fish species in the Taitung area, the Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute said in a statement. Only one was alive when it was pulled from the water. Researchers submerged it with the hope of carrying out further study, but it died within 24 hours of its capture.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-01-13

Premier William Lai has praised long-term care policies put in place by southern

Taiwan’s Chiayi City to help local elderly people.

Lai was speaking Saturday during a trip to the city which included a visit to an elderly care facility.

During a visit to a local temple, Lai praised Chiayi City for becoming the first administrative region of Taiwan to have day care facilities for the elderly in every one of its districts. Lai also applauded policies that allow local residents to have physical exams done free of charge and that ensure patients being discharged from hospitals are accompanied to their homes.    [FULL  STORY]

 

Taiwanese businessman investigated in oil delivery

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/01/13
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The United States Department of State has thanked Taiwan for

blacklisting a Taiwanese businessman and his companies for allegedly selling oil to North Korea despite United Nations sanctions.

Chen Shih-hsien (陳世憲) and four companies believed to be linked to him were reportedly involved in the transfer of oil products from a tanker they had leased to a North Korean vessel last October.

South Korea apprehended the ships and told Taiwan it was involved. Prosecutors in Kaohsiung questioned Chen but freed him on bail of NT$1.5 million (US$50,000) on January 3 after he reportedly told him he was unaware the oil was going to North Korea.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/13
By: Elaine Hou and Frances Huang

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) A reciprocal working holiday program between Taiwan and

Austria has been expanded to include more working holiday visas of longer duration, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

In a statement, the ministry said that from this year Taiwan will issue 75 working holiday visas each year to Austrians ages 18-30, up from 50, while Austria will reciprocate.

In November 2014, Taipei and Vienna signed an agreement to launch a reciprocal working holiday visa program with 50 visas issued by each country annually, each being valid for six months.

In October 2017, the countries revised the agreement, increasing the number of visas, while extending the validity of each visa to 12 months, MOFA said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/12
By: Liu Te-chan and Flor Wang

Bangkok, Jan. 12 (CNA) Two Taiwanese men were arrested by Thai police Wednesday

on suspicion of serving as money mules for a telecommunications fraud ring, according to Taiwan’s representative office in Thailand.

The two men, identified only by their family names of Lee and Kao, were arrested by Thai police near an ATM in Kanchanaburi Province, the office said, and the police also seized four debit cards issued by Thai banks and 700,000 baht (US$21,890) in cash.

An initial police investigation of the two suspects found that they have no criminal record.    [FULL  STORY]

POLITICAL INFLUENCE: Former DPP legislator Tien Chiu-chin said that while she is a member of a political party, that would not preclude her from performing objectively

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 13, 2018
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The majority of Control Yuan nominees yesterday made public their conditional support

for abolishing the agency during a review at the Legislative Yuan.

The legislature had requested that the six Control Yuan nominees — former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), former Judicial Reform Foundation chief executive officer Kao Yung-cheng (高涌誠), Taiwan Association for Disability Rights secretary-general Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲), former minister without portfolio Lin Sheng-feng (林盛豐), National Yang Ming University public health professor Peter Chang (張武修) and former DPP legislator Walis Perin — be present for the review, which was carried out in the form of a question-and-answer session.

Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) whether they agreed that the Control Yuan should be abolished, Tien started her response by mentioning former Control Yuan members Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) and Chang Teh-ming (張德銘).    [FULL  STORY]

• The recent passage of two Taiwan-related bills by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee drew denouncement Beijing
• If signed into law, one bill could allow Taiwanese heads of state to formally visit the White House
• Since 1979, Washington has cut off diplomatic ties with the government in Taipei under the “One China” policy

CNBC.com
Date: January 11, 2018
By: Nyshka Chandran

The U.S. made a move this week to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan, raising eyebrows in China, which strongly opposes countries pursuing ties with the island-nation.

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed two bills on Tuesday aimed at bolstering “the critical U.S.-Taiwan partnership,” according to a statement. One bill,

called the Taiwan Travel Act, encouraged high-level visits between Washington and Taipei “at all levels of government” while the second addressed Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization.

Currently, the State Department enforces self-imposed restrictions on official travel due to the unofficial nature of the bilateral alliance.

Once Sino-U.S. ties were established in 1979, Washington cut off diplomatic links with Taipei in adherence with Beijing’s “One China” policy, which recognizes the East Asian island as part of China. Since then, no Taiwanese leader has formally visited the White House, but that could change if Tuesday’s bill gets signed into law.

Washington still maintains cultural, commercial and security ties with Taipei.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-01-11
Taiwan’s judiciary, the Judicial Yuan, plans to send a draft bill for citizen judges to the

Taiwan’s judiciary, the Judicial Yuan, plans to send a draft bill for citizen judges to the

Legislature for review in February.

Taiwan does not have a jury system and the bill proposes inviting citizens to join a panel of judges in criminal trials.

Judicial Yuan secretary-general Lu Tai-lang said Thursday that the judiciary plans to hold public hearings and mock trials to test the feasibility of the bill.

Lu said the Judicial Yuan has not encountered major challenges while pushing for the bill. Lu explained the schedule for the legislation process.    [FULL  STORY]

Dissatisfaction rife with recent changes to Referendum Act: Taiwan Brain Trust

Taiwan News  
Date: 2018/01/11
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – According to a new opinion poll, a majority of Taiwanese say

recent changes to the Referendum Act allow plebiscites about Taiwan’s independence or unification with China and about the drawing up of a new Constitution.

The issues are controversial because China threatens the use of military force if the island heads for formal independence.

The Taiwan Brain Trust (新台灣國策智庫) found a lack of support for the Referendum Act changes, with 43.9 percent expressing disappointment and dissatisfaction, while only 28.4 percent said they approved.

When asked whether the people of Taiwan should be allowed to vote in a referendum about issues like independence, unification and a new Constitution, 54.9 percent replied yes and 31.2 percent said no, the Taiwan Brain Trust announced Thursday.
[FULL  STORY]