The Tts Times
Date: August 30, 2020
By: Katherine Wei Taiwan Correspondent In Taipei

The Taiwanese government has big plans to make Taiwan bilingual in 10 years.PHOTO: REUTERS

"Bilingual by 2030" aims to help the younger generation connect with the international community by learning to speak fluently in English and thus promoting Taiwanese values.

The project was first introduced by President Tsai Ing-wen's administration in 2018 and has two main objectives: to elevate national competitiveness and cultivate people's English proficiency.

The administration said it plans to create more English-speaking environments for students to move beyond learning only vocabulary and grammar in school and provide more opportunities for civil servants to "hone their ability to communicate in English". It also wants to establish an exclusive English-language TV station while encouraging other media outlets to provide English coverage, among other plans.    [FULL  STORY]

The Hindu Business Line
Date: August 30, 2020
By: Amiti Sen

EU argued that the complaining members were entitled to ask the DG to compose the panels since they respected the minimum 20-day period for seeking an agreement with India

India has complained to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the European Union (EU) and Chinese Taipei for “rushing forward” to ensure the appointment of panellists in their two disputes on high-tech products such as mobile phones instead of sorting it out through mutual discussions, a Geneva-based trade official said.

“At a recent meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO, New Delhi criticised the EU and Chinese Taipei for trying to rope in the WTO Director General for appointment of panellists in the two specified cases. It said that the DG should be called in only when the parties involved in the dispute failed to reach an agreement on the panellists,” the official told BusinessLine.
[FULL  STORY]

Chinese citizen, Taiwanese woman have both tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-August after arriving in Shanghai from Taiwan

Taiwan News
Dated: 2020/08/30
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Incoming travelers arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in August, 2020.  (CNA photo)

The Shanghai health authorities announced on their Weibo page on Sunday that three people had tested positive for the disease upon or after their return from Taiwan and Russia.

According to the post, the Taiwanese patient, a man in his 20s, arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Aug. 27. He was screened on arrival and has since been staying at a managed isolation facility, where he is said to have exhibited symptoms of the virus.

Taiwanese Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) Spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) explained that the Taiwanese passenger had been living in the U.S. since 2006. He returned to Taiwan on Aug. 4 and reported no symptoms during his 14 days of home quarantine.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 08/30/2020
By: Chen Wei-ting and Chiang Yi-ching

CNA file photo

The change will make the testing process less uncomfortable and reduce the burden of health care professionals, CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.

Unlike throat swab tests, where medical workers rub a cotton swab inside a person's throat to collect samples, deep-throat saliva tests can be conducted by the person being tested simply by spitting into a bottle, Chuang said.

The deep-throat saliva test has been widely adapted in Japan and Hong Kong, and recent studies have shown that the two tests have similar sensitivities, Chuang said.
[FULL  STORY]

Licensing FEE WAIVER: Encouraging businesses to advertise using Bravo the Bear, as well as events and products are among proposals city officials put forward

Taipei Times
Date: ug 31, 2020
By: Tsai Ya-hua and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer

A man leaves the Bravo! Space at Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism on Aug. 22.
Photo: Tsai Ya-hua, Taipei Times

The bear is an asset that belongs to all Taipei residents, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said, adding that it would raise the mascot’s profile if all businesses could use the mascot free of charge — at least until it has gained popularity and firms make a profit from campaigns including the bear.

Hsu cited Kumamon, the mascot that represents Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture as an example.

The prefecture licensed the image rights of Kumamon to private companies free of charge, she said, adding that it the mascot is to be seen everywhere in Japan.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan Internatinal
Date: 27 August, 2020
By: Paula Chao

The central county of Nantou has removed lamps from its Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park. That’s after public outcry over light pollution.

Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park became Taiwan’s first dark sky park and Asia’s third last August, when it was accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park is a great place to admire the stars—in theory at least. Some visitors have complained that despite the name, the park is far from being as dark as advertised.    [FULL  STORY]

Chinese coastguard stopped a speedboat on Sunday suspected of an illegal border crossing

The Guardia
Date: 27 Aug 2020
By: Lily Kuo in Beijing and Helen Davidson

Protests against Hong Kong’s national security law on August 23. Photograph: Viola Kam/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

China’s coastguard released a statement on Weibo saying that on Sunday at 9am, authorities in Guangdong tracked down a speedboat suspected of an illegal border crossing. The notice, posted on Wednesday evening, said more than 10 people had been arrested including two suspects surnamed Li and Deng.

Radio Free Asia and HK01 have reported that 12 young people were on the boat, headed for Taiwan, a distance of about 600km, where many democracy activists have fled after the implementation of a sweeping national security law. Citing unnamed sources, the two outlets said that activist Andy Li was among the arrested.

On Thursday afternoon Hong Kong’s police chief, Chris Tang, told media he had heard the reports but the force had had no information about the arrests, and were actively seeking information from the mainland authorities.    [FULL  STORY]

Officer thought Taichung's oldest resident seemed in her 80sTaiwan News
Date: 2020/08/27
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

​116-year-old Liu Chang (left) at the Liming Police Station (Taichung City Police Department photo)

The woman, surnamed Liu Chang (劉張), got lost on Aug. 16 and wandered four kilometers from home, according to UDN. That afternoon, the Taichung City Police Department’s Liming Station received reports that an elderly woman was in need of assistance at an intersection in the city’s Nantun District.

Upon receiving the reports, Officer Kao Tzu-ching (高慈青) sprang into action and headed toward the location, where he found a senior citizen with a puzzled look on her face pushing a wheelchair and clearly in need of help.

After making sure that the elderly woman was in good physical condition, Kao slowly walked her back to the police station, supporting her with his hand along the way. At the station, Kao gave her water, told her to rest, and chatted with her as if she were his own grandmother.    [FULL  STORY]