The China Post
Date: May 2, 2017
By: Christine Chou

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Finance Ministry said its online tax-filing system saw severe

slowdowns Monday due to heavy user traffic, ruling out a cyberattack as the reason for the website failure.

The slowdowns were apparent from 9 a.m. and had not been fully repaired as of 3:30 p.m., according to the ministry, which said it expected the system to be restored by 5 p.m.

A large number of people were affected as many taxpayers took advantage of the first day, which coincided with the public holiday on Labor Day, to file their taxes online or in person.

The ministry said it had been investigating issues with the Fiscal Information Agency (財政中心) and a systems maintenance partner Trade-van Co. (關貿網路公司) to examine the cause of the incident.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/30
By: Hsieh Chia-chen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Police in Taiwan cracked 54,873 illegal drug cases and

arrested 58,707 suspects in 2016, according to the latest statistics released Sunday by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).

Drugs categorized as class-2 narcotics in Taiwan’s four-category classification, including amphetamine, opium and marijuana, accounted for 71.2 percent of the cases, while 25.5 percent were related to class-1 narcotics such as heroin, according to the statistics.

The data showed that police seized a total 4,616.1 kilograms of drugs last year, 43.7 percent of which were categorized as class-4 narcotics, including those that contain ephedrine as an active ingredient.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/30
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)–“Rockin’ Universiade Taipei” will take place at the Chiang

Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Sunday on May 28, featuring performances by celebrity bands and Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, according to Taipei’s Department of Information and Tourism (DOIT).

The DOIT said the objective for holding the Rockin’ Universiade Taipei is to raise the profile of the upcoming Universiade and attract the public to the events through the languages of music and sports.

At the event, audiences will be able to enjoy the live performance of the original piece “I Am Here” by celebrity bands such as The Chairman and Quarterback, in association with the members of Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra with Professor Paul T.C. Lin as the conductor, according to the DOIT.    [FULL STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/30
By: Cheng Che-fon and Kuo Chung-han

Kaohsiung, April 30 (CNA) An action artist walked through a shopping area in

downtown Kaohsiung on Saturday wearing only her panties, attracting photographers and giving rise to heated discussions on social media.

The woman, surnamed Chang, said on her Facebook page Sunday that what she did was not any different from modeling for outdoor photography.

“How many people are there in pain and hurting, who need attention but are being ignored by society?” she wrote on her Facebook page. “The naked girl symbolizes a naked heart with hurtful scars on her body, but the society is indifferent and cares only about young women and funny things and does not pay long-term attention to children of domestic violence, those who are ill or to international current affairs. What’s wrong with the society these days?”
[FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 01, 2017
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship candidate Steve Chan (詹啟賢)

yesterday urged other candidates to refrain from capitalizing on Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), who has been mentioned as a potential KMT candidate for the presidential election in 2020.

“A certain party chairperson candidate has been floating the idea, but it is irresponsible and demonstrates his lack of confidence,” Chan said on Facebook, referring to KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who said he would nominate Gou as the party’s presidential candidate if he is elected KMT chairman.

Chan said the KMT should not cling to wishful thinking and rely on people outside of the party to win the next presidential election, because a last-minute refusal from the candidate could disrupt the party’s campaign strategy and result in the nomination of an unsuitable candidate.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-29

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je says the city will give its employees time off during the

upcoming Universiade in accordance with labor laws.

The Universiade, a biennial sporting event for student athletes, will take place in August with Taipei as the host city. The event is the world’s second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics and attracts athletes and spectators from around the world.

As preparations get underway, Taipei City Councilor Wang Chih-ping has raised concerns about working conditions for city employees during the games.
[FULL  STORY]

The area of Trifolium repen blooming is wider than the previous years

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/29
By Maggie Huang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)– The New Taipei City riverside park is now filled with white flowers that recently reached their peak, which look like the park is covered by snow during the middle of spring.

This year, the area of Trifolium repen blooming is wider than the previous years, attracting visitors to take pictures of the white flower carpet which looks just like it snowed.

According to the New Taipei City Government High Riverbank Construction Management Office, the white flowers are called Trifolium repens (white clover,) which is widely introduced worldwide as a forage crop, and is often used as a green manure and cover crop because it is considered to be a beneficial component of natural or organic pasture management and lawn care due to its ability to fix nitrogen and out-compete weeds.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/29
By: Sabine Cheng and Elaine Hou

Taipei, April 29 (CNA) South Korean actor Gong Yoo, the star of the hit film “Train to Busan,” sang a Korean song to thousands of his fans at an event in New Taipei Saturday and thanked them for their support.

Dressed in a white suit, Gong sang his favorite song at the start of his meeting with fans at Xinzhuang Gymnasium, which was hosted by Mickey Huang (黃子佼), one of the most popular TV presenters in Taiwan.

The 5,500 tickets for Saturday’s event were sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale on March 25, according to the organizers.

“Seeing all the fans here today, I am really grateful,” said Gong, who is on his first visit to Taiwan.

The celebrity, who is often recognized wherever he goes, was asked by the host what he would do if he was visiting a place where no one recognized him.
[FULL  STORY]