Smoke is normal byproduct of reactor cleanup: Taipower

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/07
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – White smoke escaped from the Third Nuclear Plant within view

of the popular beach resort of Kenting, but officials said Friday this was part of the beginning of a month-long cleanup operation.

Taiwan has three nuclear power plants in operation, but all of them are scheduled to close down by 2025, when the country wants to become nuclear-free according to promises by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

Friday was the first of 41 days of cleaning and maintenance of Reactor No.2 at the third plant in Pingtung County. Around noon, white smoke was visible near the facility, causing concern from residents and onlookers in the nearby Hengchun area, reports said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 017/04/07
By: Wang Shwu-fen and Elizabeth Hsu

Kaohsiung, April 7 (CNA) The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office in southern Taiwan has cracked down on a tax evasion and fraud case involving importers allegedly importing edible alcohol in the name of alcohol for industrial use, and distilleries allegedly using the products to make spirits they promoted as being naturally brewed.

Acting on tips, prosecutors and police launched raids on Wednesday at 13 locations in Taoyuan, New Taipei, Taichung, Hsinchu, Changhua and Kaohsiung cities and counties.

Investigators seized 53,144 bottles of spirits and wine suspected to be blended and 125 tons of unknown alcohol, according to the office.    [FULL  STORY]

Lawmakers would occupy the speaker’s podium, but the KMT caucus said it never planned to do so

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 08, 2017
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Lawmakers yesterday reached agreement that the legislative review of pension reform

proposals will begin on April 19 — but only after a cross-caucus negotiation and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ “occupation” of the legislative speaker’s podium.

The proposals were scheduled to be referred to the relevant legislative committees for review during yesterday’s floor meeting, but the KMT caucus had up until Wednesday night been calling for a postponement because it had yet to submit its own reform plan.

DPP lawmakers early yesterday morning rushed to occupy the podium to forestall their KMT colleagues from trying to do the same to stop the proposals from being sent to committees.

Many DPP lawmakers were at the door of the legislature’s main chamber by 6am to make sure that they were the first to enter before the start of the 9am meeting, according to a photograph posted on Facebook by DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋).
[FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: April 8, 2017
By: CNA

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) takes a fall when running on the Taipei Municipal Stadium’s tracks on Friday, April 7. Ko lost his balance when running on the newly renovated tracks, but quickly got up and ran towards the finish line. Photos of the mayor’s fall edited into memes featuring the Japanese manga series Naruto immediately went viral.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/06
By: Christie Chen and Sabine Cheng

Taipei, April 6 (CNA) An exhibition opened Thursday in New Taipei in celebration of

Freedom of Speech Day in Taiwan, showcasing pro-democracy magazines and other items that documented the actions of the opposition movements during the country’s period of martial law.

The exhibition, dubbed “100 Percent Freedom of Speech,” opened at the Jingmei Human Rights Memorial and Cultural Park a day before Freedom of Speech Day, which was designated by the Cabinet last year to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the death of pro-democracy pioneer Cheng Nan-jung (鄭南榕).

Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said at the opening of the exhibition that Cheng Nan-jung’s tireless pursuit of “100 percent freedom of speech” had contributed to the progressive development of human rights in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

‘MUTUAL DOWNPLAY’:National Chengchi University researcher Yen Chen-shen said that the summit in Florida with Xi Jinping would be nothing more than a ‘friendly chat’

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 07, 2017
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Academics said that Taiwanese should not be “too worried” that the nation might be a

focus at a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, yesterday and today, because Taiwan would be eclipsed by North Korea and US-China trade issues.

Trump’s meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II, and Xi’s visit to Finland this week show that both sides are seeking to downplay the importance of the Trump-Xi meeting, National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations researcher Yen Chen-shen (嚴震生) said.

A speech in Finland by Xi on free trade was in stark contrast to the economic protectionism prevalent in the US, Yen said, adding that Xi seems to be trying to balance Beijing’s ties with Europe.    [FULL  STORY]