Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/26
By: Sophia Yeh and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Jan. 26 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) flew to Taiwan’s Matsu Islands on Thursday to visit military personnel posted there and wish them a happy Lunar New Year. The president was accompanied by National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬), Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) and other government officials.

Speaking at a luncheon held in honor of military officers, Tsai praised the servicemen for their dedication to safeguarding and protecting the country, particularly at a time when most people are preparing for family reunions during the Lunar New Year holiday, Jan. 27 to Feb. 1.

“There can be no break in national security,” Tsai said.

The Matsu Islands, located in the Taiwan Strait and administered by Lienchiang County under the streamlined Fujian Province, are an outpost and a fortress that protects Taiwan proper and the offshore Penghu County, Tsai said.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2017
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday criticized amendments to the Labor

President Tsai Ing-wen, front row second right, and Lienchiang County Commissioner Liu Tseng-ying, front row third right, look at earthenware casks containing liquor at the Tunnel 88 distillery in Matsu’s Nangan Township yesterday. Tsai visited the island to greet the troops stationed there and learn about the local distillery industry. Photo: CNA

Standards Act (勞動基準法), which were enacted last month, saying they had caused prices of most consumer goods to increase and forced shops and businesses to close during the Lunar New Year holiday.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said there has been much inconvenience and disruption in people’s lives since the amendments introduced the “one fixed day off and one flexible rest day” rule to enforce a 40-hour workweek policy and scrapped seven national holidays.

Hung said the new policy has made a mess of things, with most people demanding that the government review it and make adjustments.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 27, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A bag of scratch-off lottery tickets amounting to NT$300,000 was

A 67-year-old man surnamed He holds up his scratch-off lottery tickets on Thursday, Jan. 26. His bag of scratch-off lottery tickets was stolen on Wednesday but later retrieved by police. He has run his lottery ticket booth at Shilin Night Market for the past 10 years. (CNA)

returned to a 67-year-old man on Thursday after police captured the thief.

The 67-year-old man, surnamed He, is a long-time scratch-off lottery ticket seller at Taipei’s popular Shilin Night Market, having run his booth for over 10 years in order to provide for his sick family members, according to the Central News Agency.

On Wednesday, just when he was wrapping up a day of selling tickets before the holidays in hopes of earning more money for the Lunar New Year, his bag of tickets were stolen around 6:13 p.m.

According to an investigation carried out by police at the Taipei City Police Department Shilin Precinct, he placed his bag filled with 20 booklets of tickets ranging from NT$2,000 to NT$100, his identification and NT$3,000 in cash at a booth just beside his own.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: January 25, 2017

Taiwan was praised as a prime location for filmmaking by acclaimed U.S. film director Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese (left) meets with Hou Hsiao-hsien, one of Taiwan’s best-known directors, at a news conference Jan. 20 in Taipei City. (CNA)

while speaking about his most recent work “Silence” at a news conference Jan. 20 in Taipei City.

“Silence” was filmed entirely in Taiwan with the assistance of local governments, notably the Taichung City Government, whose Information Bureau provided considerable support to the film crew. On Jan. 24, the movie was nominated for an Academy Award in the cinematography category.

“[The film] was brought to fruition here in this extraordinary country,” the director said. “This is something that has been a dream of mine for so many years. I hope it will be received as a gift to Taiwan and the Taiwanese people who made this possible.”

Scorsese added that in the future he would like the opportunity to make a movie set against the backdrop of modern Taiwan cities like Taipei and the central municipality of Taichung.  [FULL  STORY]

Trump Administration wanted all politically appointed ambassadors to leave before Jan. 20

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/25
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – United States President Donald Trump’s order to remove all politically

(By Associated Press)

appointed ambassadors within the shortest delay apparently did not apply to the American Institute in Taiwan, reports said Wednesday.

As Taiwan and the U.S. do not maintain official diplomatic relations, Washington’s interests on the island are represented by AIT, which is based in the U.S. but has offices in Taipei and Kaohsiung. The director of the Taipei office, Kin Moy, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, is in effect the top U.S. representative in Taiwan. The chairman of the board, based in Arlington, Virginia, is James Moriarty, a former career diplomat.

In a surprise move, then-President-elect Trump’s transition team announced earlier this month that it expected all politically appointed ambassadors to leave their posts by his inauguration day, January 20.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/25
By: Wu Hsin-yun and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Jan. 25 (CNA) People in central and southern Taiwan are being advised to beware of fine

Kaohsiung (CNA file photo)

airborne particles from Friday through Sunday, as the air quality index (AQI) is forecast to reach orange or red levels.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said Wednesday high PM2.5 levels are expected to accumulate in central and southern Taiwan starting on Lunar New Year’s Eve because of poor air circulation caused by a weakening cold air mass from China and a high pressure reflux.

It forecast an orange-level AQI, which can cause problems for people with allergies, seniors and children. These groups are advised to stay indoors; if they must go out, they should wear a mask, the EPA said.

Further south in Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the AQI will reach the red level, which can cause health problems for everyone.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 26, 2017
By: The China Post news staff

The Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) saw a power outage Wednesday, but no major disruption to

An Innolux plant at the Southern Taiwan Science Park is seen in this photo taken on Wednesday, Jan. 25. An outage occurred at the park in the morning, disrupting electricity supply to two Innolux plants for more than three hours, but the company said production was not seriously affected. (CNA)

production was reported.

The supply of electricity to the science park was cut after encountering a switch anomaly at a power substation station at 8:21 a.m.

But the low-voltage electricity supply returned to normal at 8:29 a.m., Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) said.

High-voltage electricity remained unavailable until a few hours later, affecting mostly LCD panel maker Innolux, Taipower said.

Two of Innolux’s fabrication facilities at STSP had power cuts for more than three hours, but the company said that emergency backup power allowed all of its employees to evacuate the two plants safely.    [FULL  STORY][

Lin Fei-fan told The News Lens he plans to leave his country later this year to advance his vision for Taiwan independence and left-wing politics.

The News Lens
Date: 2017/01/24
By: Edward White

“The Sunflower Movement gave us an unprecedented opportunity to do something beyond electoral politics.”

In a stuffy conference room in central Taipei on Jan. 7, political activists and legislators from Hong Kong and Taiwan discussed the political environments and democracy movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Tucked away in a corner, Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), sat at a desk listening to the group, which included local politicians from Taiwan’s reform-focused New Power Party and Hong Kong democracy campaigner Joshua Wong (黃之鋒).

Despite an apparent attempt at anonymity, Lin’s presence did not go unnoticed by the cadre of local and international media. As the morning wore on, a steady stream of people approached him and eventually he agreed to an interview. As he moved to the back of the room, the dozens of cameras and reporters turned from the panel of speakers and swarmed on Lin.    [FULL  STORY]

Staircase should have been equipped with central railing: reports

Taiwan News
Date: 2017/01/24
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City’s Regent Hotel was slammed Tuesday for alleged safety violations in

Investigators visit the scene of Leslie Koo’s accident. (By Central News Agency)

the wake of the death of Taiwan Cement Corporation Chairman Leslie Koo.

The tycoon died Monday morning after having fallen down a staircase at the hotel following a wedding Saturday evening.

With prosecutors inspecting the scene Tuesday afternoon, reports said that the staircase where the accident happened should have had a railing in the middle because it was wider than 3 meters.

The hotel said it was willing to cooperate with official demands, and pointed out that each step on the staircase had anti-slip strips while staff was assigned to help visitors. Out of respect for the deceased, it would refrain from further comments, hotel officials said.    [FULL STORY]