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Taiwan medical team brings smiles to 35 Vietnamese children

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/04/01
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taiwanese medical team traveled more than 1,000 miles to

Image courtesy of Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation(By Taiwan News)

Hanoi, Vietnam, to offer free surgery for 35 children with cleft lips and cleft palate. The team, comprised of Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation volunteers and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital surgical physicians, worked with local physicians to carry out the successful medical mission in just two days.

The mission was joined by another two German physicians from Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe (DCKH).

Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese are still coping with the effects of Agent Orange, which is believed to cause different types of birth defects, including cleft lips and cleft palate. A joint study by Vietnamese and Japanese scientists found a high rate of reproductive failure in women living in areas sprayed with the toxic substance during the war in comparison with a nearly unsprayed area. Scientist found twice as many cases of cleft lip and cleft palate, and the families of these children born with defects usually can’t afford a surgery due to economic disadvantages. It is a far-fetched dream for these children to get advanced medical treatment overseas to bring their smiles back.    [FULL  STORY]

Comfortable weather forecast for Tomb Sweeping Festival weekend

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/04/01
By: Hsiao Po-yang and Y.F. Low

Taipei, April 1 (CNA) Rain brought by a moist front is expected to stop Saturday, giving way to dry and stable weather for the remainder of the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival weekend, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.

Due to the influence of a continental cold air mass, temperatures around Taiwan will remain low Saturday, when day-time highs will range between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius, the bureau said.

It forecast that the weather around Taiwan will become more and more comfortable over the next few days, but urged the public to be aware of the big difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures.    [FULL  STORY]

Tsai urged to pan activist’s detention

UNDERMINEDRights activists have said that the government’s refusal to be tough on China could be viewed on the international stage as acquiescence to Beijing’s jurisdiction

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 02, 2017
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

A coalition of more than 18 groups yesterday condemned the detention of human rights

A panel of non-governmental organization members yesterday discuss the detention of human rights advocate Lee Ming-che in China, at a news conference at National Taiwan University’s Alumni Hall in Taipei. Photo: CNA

activist Lee Ming-che (李明哲), calling on the government to issue a tougher response.

Lee, a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) staffer and instructor at Wenshan Community College, has been held incommunicado for about two weeks by Chinese authorities, who say he was involved in “activities that threaten [China’s] national security.”

He was reported in the media as missing on March 21, shortly after entering Guangzhou from Macau.

His wife, Lee Ching-yu (李淨瑜), said the purpose of his trip was to share Taiwan’s democratization experience.    [FULL  STORY]

Amnesty Int’l urges Beijing to free activist

The China Post
Date: April 2, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

Amnesty International and other local civic groups Saturday urged China to release

Civic groups urge China to release detained Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che (pictured) during a press conference in Taipei on Saturday, April 1. (CNA)

Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che, who is being held on being held on suspicion of “endangering national security.”

China has confirmed the detention of Lee, a former Democratic Progressive Party staffer, but has not given details about the charges.

At a joint press conference in Taipei, Amnesty, along with representatives from more than 20 Taiwan civic groups, urged Beijing to reveal Lee’s whereabouts and release him. It also called on the government in China to provide guarantees that Lee would not be tortured and that he be given contact with his family and lawyers.   [FULL  STORY]

Civic groups take aim at food waste during Universiade

Taiwan Today
Date: March 31, 2017

A coalition of around 20 locally headquartered civic groups recently launched a major

Members of Taiwan-headquartered civic groups unveil a campaign to combat food waste at the Aug. 19-30 Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade. (UDN)

food waste campaign aimed at ensuring the Aug. 19-30 Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade, the largest global sporting event ever staged in Taiwan, is the leanest and greenest in the history of the 58-year games.

The Save Food, Save Life for You, for Youth campaign will monitor food use at the Universiade athletes’ village in Linkou District of neighboring New Taipei City and use this data to make daily inventory adjustment recommendations, as well as set a carbon emissions target for the catering company. In addition, surplus food is to be made available for economically disadvantaged residents of local communities.

Modeled after the Save Food for the Poor initiative by internationally renowned chefs Massimo Bottura of Italy and David Hertz of Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the campaign is aiming to repeat the success of the culinary maestros in slashing waste and using surplus food to prepare 5,000 meals for the needy.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei to back filmmakers honored at second-tier film festivals

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/03/31
By: Liu Chien-pang and Lilian Wu

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) International directors or producers who have won awards at

Chung Yung-feng (鍾永豐)

large second-tier film festivals will receive subsidies when shoot all or part of a movie in Taipei, a city official said Thursday.

Chung Yung-feng (鍾永豐), the head of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs who is currently with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on a visit to India, announced the incentive at a Taipei Night event held at Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.

The mayor is on a one-week visit to promote tourism in Taipei and the 2017 Universiade that will be hosted by the city. He has already visited Malaysia and Thailand.

The Cultural Affairs Department explained that the city budgets US$1 million a year to subsidize film productions and always provides administrative assistance to filming crews.    [FULL  STORY]

Lawmakers pass amendments targeting espionage

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 01, 2017
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The legislature yesterday passed an amendment to the Republic of China Veterans Assistance Act (國軍退除役官兵輔導條例) that extends the penalties for those convicted of spying, breaching national security and leaking classified information.

The act had stipulated that those who are “sentenced for rebellion, treason, corruption or homicide shall be permanently deprived of all the privileges and benefits,” while the amendment extends the penalty of permanent deprivation to those found guilty of espionage.

The amended act states that permanent deprivation of all privileges and benefits granted by the state to veterans is to be instituted if they are convicted of leaking national secrets in accordance with the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法).

Yesterday’s passage of the amendment followed November last year’s amendments of the Act of Military Service for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍軍官士官服役條例) that stipulated military officers would be deprived of their pensions not only for rebellion and treason, but also for spying, breaching national security and leaking classified information.    [FULL  STORY]

Lawmakers pass amendments targeting espionage

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 01, 2017
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

The legislature yesterday passed an amendment to the Republic of China Veterans Assistance Act (國軍退除役官兵輔導條例) that extends the penalties for those convicted of spying, breaching national security and leaking classified information.

The act had stipulated that those who are “sentenced for rebellion, treason, corruption or homicide shall be permanently deprived of all the privileges and benefits,” while the amendment extends the penalty of permanent deprivation to those found guilty of espionage.

The amended act states that permanent deprivation of all privileges and benefits granted by the state to veterans is to be instituted if they are convicted of leaking national secrets in accordance with the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法).

Yesterday’s passage of the amendment followed November last year’s amendments of the Act of Military Service for Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍軍官士官服役條例) that stipulated military officers would be deprived of their pensions not only for rebellion and treason, but also for spying, breaching national security and leaking classified information.    [FULL  STORY]

Word on the Street: What do you think about Taiwan’s air quality?

The China Post
Date: April 1, 2017
With Enru Lin and Shane Rothery

Taiwan has been mired in unhealthy air for weeks, with the Environmental Protection

Matteo, 5-year expat from Italy

Administration reporting that there was no “good” air in any city, county or special municipality in the country Wednesday morning. We accosted visitors to Huashan 1914 Creative Park for their perceptions of Taipei’s ambient air.

Matteo, 5-year expat from Italy:

When I first came here, it was just terrible … For sure, the air in Italy is better.

But the air here is better than I thought. I thought it would be similar to China’s but it is better than China’s. I don’t wear a mask. I mean, I smoke a pack a day of cigarettes, so…    [FULL  STORY]

Punishments handed out in academic fraud case

Radio Taiwan International
2017-03-30

The technology and education ministries have completed an investigation into an

The technology and education ministries have separately announced punishments against professors and researchers involved in an academic fraud case involving some of Taiwan’s top universities and institutions. (CNA)

academic scandal involving falsified research results.

The scandal broke in November. Users of online academic forum PubPeer flagged a number of articles by the research team of National Taiwan University (NTU) professor Kuo Min-liang. Kuo and another professor at NTU have since been dismissed.

The university’s president, Yang Pan-chyr, has also been caught up in the scandal, as he is listed as a co-author on some of the flagged papers. Yang has resisted calls to resign but says he will step aside after his term as president ends in June.

The technology ministry announced Thursday that eleven of 18 suspect papers violated codes of academic ethics and announced punishments for eight professors and researchers. Kuo was given a ten-year suspension. The ministry also says it will seek the return of several million Taiwan dollars in funding given to Kuo and the other professors.    [FULL  STORY]