Filipina college student hopes to find her long-lost Taiwanese mother by Christmas

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/30
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Filipina college student in the Philippine province of Isabela is

hoping to find her long-lost Taiwanese mother before Christmas.

Aivan Chung, 22, who is majoring in Entrepreneurship at the Cauayan Campus of Isabela State University, is hoping to finally find her long-long Taiwanese mother by Christmas of this year.

Aivan’s mother, who went by the Filipino name of Sentar Chung, was born in Taiwan on Mar. 9, 1969, under the Chinese name Chung Zhen-ching. In the 1990s, Sentar met her father Nelson Ong Lacaden, a Chinese-Filipino, when he was working in Taiwan, where he worked for 10 years in construction.

When Sentar became pregnant, the couple went to the Philippines. Aivan was born on Feb. 24, 1995 in Masangkay St. Sta. Cruz, Metro Manila, Philippines.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/30
By: Wang Hung-kuo and William Yen

Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) The New Taipei City government will tear down over 200 illegal roof-top constructions in the city starting early December, in the wake of a deadly fire that killed nine people recently, said a city official Thursday.

Chu Ti-chih (朱愓之), head of the city’s Public Works Department, said the decision was made to tear down the 205 cases of illegal construction on rooftops that were partitioned to be rented out to tenants. They are scheduled to be torn down starting Dec. 8.

The move came in the wake of last week’s deadly fire, which took nine lives in a four-story building in the city. The building had an illegally constructed fifth floor which was partitioned into 13 rented rooms.

Chen Chia-hsing (陳嘉興), deputy head of New Taipei’s Illegal Construction Demolition Corps, said the city has been tearing down illegally constructed additions to buildings even before the fire occurred.    [FULL  STORY]

POLITICKING? The KMT accused the DPP of using the judiciary to unfairly target its officials and insisted that its disposal of party assets would withstand scrutiny

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 01, 2017
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday lashed out at prosecutors for questioning former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and other key officials over an ongoing judicial probe into alleged financial irregularities in the sale of KMT assets a decade ago, when Ma was the party chairman.

“Ma and other party officials were summoned for questioning by prosecutors for 15 hours on Wednesday in relation to their investigation into party asset sales. We suspect the judiciary is being used as a political tool to unfairly target KMT officials,” party spokesman Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) said in a statement.

The KMT’s sale and disposal of party assets were managed through legal means, which can withstand scrutiny, Huang said, accusing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of interfering in the judicial system, harassing the opposition and protecting its own interests.    [FULL STORY]

Forbes
Date: NOV 29, 2017
Rob Cain , CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Aamir Khan’s inspirational family comedy Secret

Superstar nearly a year ago, there were several things I knew for certain, right away. First, this was a movie I couldn’t wait to see, and I was sure I’d love it. Second, I was certain that the story about a teenage girl who must shelter her dream of becoming a singing star from her domineering father, and hide her identity to make the dream come true, was a universal one that would appeal to audiences wherever it played. And third, I fully expected that it would become a big hit.

A year later I did love the film, and I was right about the universal, crowd-pleasing nature of its story. The only thing that has surprised me about Secret Superstar is that it hasn’t been a much bigger hit.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-29

Taiwan’s transportation minister, Ho Chen Tan, faced tough questions at the legislature

on Wednesday about Taiwan’s projected date for phasing out gas and diesel powered vehicles. He initially declined to give a date.

But lawmaker Cheng Pao-ching  said that France, the UK and Germany had already announced that they would stop the sale or use of gas and diesel powered vehicles by the year 2030 or 2040. China is also planning to prohibit the use of gas and diesel vehicles in more than 100 cities by 2030.

Ho Chen responded by saying that Taiwan’s projected date for ushering in electric-only vehicles would be no later than 2040.    [FULL  STORY]

Drunk driver steps on the gas after killing a woman and injuring a man on a scooter in Taipei’s Shilin District

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/29
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In the early hours of this morning a drunk driver barreling down the road in Taipei’s Shilin District collided with a couple on a scooter, killing the female passenger and injuring the male driver, before speeding off to try to avoid prosecution, reported Liberty Times.

Early this morning a 23-year-old man surnamed Hsu (許), while driving his silver sedan eastbound on Zhongzheng Road, is suspected to have run the red light at the intersection of Zhongzheng Road and Wenlin Road smashing into a couple waiting at the red light in the process. The massive impact caused the scooter’s occupants to hurtle 10 meters away resulting in the 23-year-old female passenger surnamed Tsai (蔡) succumbing to her injuries in the hospital and the 28-year-old male driver surnamed (林) going into a coma.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/11/29
By: Chen Wei-ting and William Yen

Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) The Tourism Bureau on Wednesday said it will work with the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in bringing back the 300 Taiwanese stranded in Bali.

Recent clouds of ash that spewed from the Mount Agung volcano on the island have forced local authorities to close the airport.

According to the bureau, a plan has been formulated to provide buses to carry the stranded Taiwanese in Bali to Surabaya Juanda International Airport, where flights will be arranged for returning to Taiwan.

Assistance will be available by contacting MOFA and Tourism Bureau offices in Surabaya. The bureau’s office in Kuala Lumpur is also working with MOFA to provide assistance, according to the bureau.     [FULL  STORY]

NO SURPRISE: Local media reported that the party failed to persuade Chiayi Mayor Twu Shiing-jer to give up his candidacy to make way for DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 30, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced its candidates for nine

cities and counties governed by DPP members, with the party opting to nominate all nine mayors and commissioners for re-election.

The nine incumbents are: Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌), Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅), Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Changhua County Commissioner Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷), Yunlin County Commissioner Lee Chin-yung (李進勇), Chiayi Mayor Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安) and Penghu County Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復).

“Taiwan deserves recognition and improvement. Our [DPP] mayors and commissioners, as well as the [DPP] government and legislative caucus, are a united team,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said.

“The nomination today is just a start. We will form the best campaign team to improve Taiwan and create happiness,” Tsai said.    [FULL  STORY]

Free transport for buses, long-range buses and light rail, only during peak hours for MRT

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/11/28
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In an effort to combat air pollution, Kaohsiung announced

Tuesday it was making its public transport at least partly free for passengers in December, January and February.

Each winter, the weather and the city’s geological position prevented polluted air from escaping the area, harming air quality in the area, Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said Tuesday.

If only motorists and motorcycle users would leave their vehicles at home and make their journey to work and back on public transport, the situation should improve, the mayor said.

The free travel program will start on December 1 and will be valid for passengers using electronic cards on city buses, long-distance buses and light-railway trains. On the city’s Mass Rapid Transit system, only journeys during peak hours between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays will be free for card users, according to the Central News Agency.
[FULL  STORY]