Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/07
By: Yuris Ku and Elaine Hou

Taipei, June 7 (CNA) Six more cities and counties in Taiwan have recently decided to

allow same-sex partnership registration in the wake of a ruling by the Constitutional Court in favor of gay marriage on May 24, a Cabinet official said Wednesday.

Hsinchu City, Miaoli County, Nantou County, Pingtung County, Kinmen County and Lienchiang County recently agreed to allow gay residents to list their partners in city household registration records, bringing to 17 the number of cities and counties in Taiwan that register such partnerships, said Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶), secretary-general of the Executive Yuan.

Chen made the remarks after attending a cross-agency meeting earlier in the day to discuss issues related to the legalization of same-sex marriage.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: June 7, 2017
By: The China Post

Health authorities have confirmed this year’s first case of German measles in Taiwan.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a 34-year-old man from

Northern Taiwan complained of headaches, coughing and rashes after returning from a language course from the Philippines on June 4.

Doctors later diagnosed the man with German measles.

Authorities are now contacting over 60 people that the man may have come into contact with, including friends, family members and passengers aboard the Eva Air flight (BR-272) he took to return to Taiwan.

Currently none of those contacted have developed symptoms of the virus.

CDC officials say that the man traveled to the Philippines on March 11 and started to experience coughing on May 27, while experiencing headaches and rashes two days later. Local doctors diagnosed the man with measles.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-06-06

President Tsai Ing-wen says that the reform programs launched by her administration

over the past year are key first steps towards sustainability.

Tsai was speaking Tuesday while meeting with leaders of the global volunteer organization Kiwanis International.

The president said that the “5+2” industrial innovation plan is transforming Taiwan’s economic structure. Meanwhile, she said the government’s Long-Term Care 2.0 policy is underway and setting up more service stations across the country. Tsai also spoke about other government policies, including anti-drug, public housing, and urban renewal plans.

“Taiwan has accumulated many years’ worth of problems and is resolving them one by one. Whether it is pension reform, judicial reform, or the forward-looking infrastructure plan, everything that we do is a key first step as Taiwan moves toward sustainable development. We have to be firm,” Tsai said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/06
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taipei Department of Social Welfare Commissioner Hsu Li-

ming (許立民) said Tuesday that the city government is planning to reduce Taipei Metro fares for schoolchildren, and the goal is 50% fare discount, following criticism from several city councilors.

Taipei City Councilor Wang Hsin-yi (王欣儀) accused Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation during a city council session on Monday of violating the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act for not making preferential fares available to children aged from six to 12 years.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that even though the schoolchildren fares will be carried out, it takes time to prepare and get budgets for the additional administrative cost.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/06/06
By: Chang Jung-hsiang, Lu Hsin-hui, Yu Kai-hsiang and S.C. Chang

Taipei, June 6 (CNA) Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te (賴清德), known for his pro-Taiwan

independence stance, has drawn attention after he told city councilors Monday that he is pro-China as much as he loves Taiwan.

Elaborating on his surprising remark, Lai said Tuesday that Taiwan indeed should be pro-China, while China should be pro-Taiwan, as both sides of the Taiwan Strait should cooperate with each other in pursuit of a common good.

Lai’s remarks drew a sarcastic comment from Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), a close aide to former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the opposition Kuomintang. Lo wrote in a Facebook post: “What a rare talent Lai is! It would be a great loss for the country if he did not serve as Taiwan’s president.”

During an interview with the media, Lai said that Taiwan has no better task than to get along well with China, working with it to create peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait.    [FULL  STORY]

BENEFITING THE FEW:An amendment to the EIA rules might unduly expedite the development of projects by large corporations, a water resources advocate said

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 07, 2017
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter

The first public hearing on an amendment to the nation’s environmental impact

assessment (EIA) regulations broke up yesterday, after an official stormed out citing wrongful accusations by environmentalists.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) originally scheduled public hearings for 9:30am and 2pm to discuss an amendment to the Standards for Determining Specific Items and Scope of Environmental Impact Assessments for Development Activities (開發行為應實施環境影響評估細目及範圍認定標準).

Before the start of the first hearing, environmental advocates gathered outside the EPA building to raise concerns about items on the bill.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: June 6, 2017
By: Taipei, CNA

Agricultural losses in Taiwan from recent days of torrential rain have exceeded

NT$100 million (US$3.32 million), the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Tuesday.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, agricultural losses and damage to farm facilities caused by the torrential rain last weekend had reached NT$138.14 million, according to the COA.

Yunlin County in central Taiwan suffered the heaviest losses at NT$28.79 million, or 21 percent of the total national losses, it said.

The northern city of New Taipei reported NT$20.32 million in agricultural losses, followed by central Taiwan’s Nantou County with NT$18.61 million, Taitung County in the east at NT$16.74 million and Yilan County at NT$16.33 million, the COA said.
[FULL  STORY]

The goal is to make the ordering process simpler for both vendors and foreign tourists, and further boost its tourism sector

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/06/05
By: Wendy Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Tainan City government is working with Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology to provide bilingual menus for three major night markets in the city, as part of its effort to improve its international image and boost tourism.

The government’s English-friendly project, which started last year, has been expanded to include three of the major night markets in the city this year, including the Tainan Flower Night Market (花園夜市), the Wusheng Night Market (武聖夜市), and the Yanxing Night Market (鹽行夜市).

The government works with students of the Applied English Department of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology to publish bilingual menus for each vendor, including Mandarin and English, which would be understandable to everyone.
[FULL  STORY]