Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/01
By: Hsiao Po-yang and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) The local government of Changhua County in central Taiwan plans to establish a

power company this year, which will focus on the trading of locally-produced green energy, the county magistrate said on Sunday.

Apart from the planned company, the county will also seek a permit from the central government to engage in carbon emissions trading, Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) said as he reported his administration’s policies during a New Year celebration at county hall.

Wei addressed the efforts made by the county government to exploit green energy in the form of wind and solar power in 2016.

As a result of this work, Changhua County Government signed deals with four foreign companies to build wind farms and wind-generating power plants in offshore areas of the county, Wei said.   [FULL  STORY]

DOUBLE STANDARD?Taiwan Radical Wings members accused the police of unfair treatment, as people waving rainbow flags were allowed to attend the ceremony

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 02, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter

Members of the pro-independence Taiwan Radical Wings party were evicted from a New Year’s Day

ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building for waving flags promoting Taiwanese independence yesterday, while the party accused the authorities of failing to protect free speech.

Party members participating in the ceremony displayed a “flag of Taiwan” and an “independence flag,” causing a confrontation with police.

Police officers said that only the national flag was allowed at the ceremony, and evicted several party members and volunteers, while some attendees displaying flags advocating marriage equality were allowed to stay.

“Is it not the most typical form of infringement on the freedom of speech that the state treats different opinions differently?” the party said in a statement.    [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 2, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sunday did away with speaking on the morning of New

Year’s Day and instead listened to the playing of music bands as part of the head of state’s public marking of the New Year.

At a New Year’s Day flag-hoisting ceremony that has now become a tradition observed by four presidents, Tsai and Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) stepped out of the Presidential Office at 06:16 a.m. to join the hundreds of citizens already gathered on the open space in front of the building.

They sang the national anthem together with 45 model soldiers from various armed forces units recently commended for their distinguished performance over the course of 2016.

The flag-hoisting was followed by the performance of drummers of the Ministry of National Defense Symphony Orchestra and Fire Ex., a punk music band best known for writing a song for the student-led anti-government Sunflower Movement in 2014.    [FULL  STORY]

Annual Taipei 101 New Year’s Eve pyrotechnic spectacular enhanced by new light show

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

(Taiwan News Photo/ Sophia Yang)

Taipei (Taiwan News) – To ring in 2017, Taipei 101 not only set off a dazzling display of pyrotechnics, but it also featured a spectacular light show for the first time.

The fireworks display at the Taipei 101 skyscraper lasted nearly four minutes and involved the launching of 20,000 fireworks at the stroke of midnight, along with a first-time light show orchestrated by 800 lights and special effects around the building.

Last year, the Taipei 101 fireworks show lasted for 238 seconds and involved a total of 30,000 fireworks. This year, the number was cut in half to reduce the cost, and was compensated by a new light show.

Now in its 13th year, the Taipei 101’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza is considered among the best in the world, attracting huge crowds every year to Taipei’s Xinyi District to enjoy the spectacle. The size and length of the fireworks show has varied from year to year, with a 35 second display in 2005 to mark the grand opening of Taipei 101 and 288 second show in 2010-2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/31
By: Tang Pei-chun and Elaine Hou

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) Protesters disrupted the first regional seminar to discuss reforming Taiwan’s

deficit-ridden pension programs on Saturday, forcing the meeting to end earlier than scheduled, an outcome described as regretful by Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁).

Chen is the head of the national pension reform committee under the Presidential Office, which organized the seminar in Taipei, the first of a series of regional meetings planned around Taiwan to solicit opinions on reforms of the pension system.

Saturday’s meeting was hosted by Minister of Labor Kuo Fong-yu (郭芳煜) and Minister of Civil Service Chou Hung-hsien (周弘憲), and was attended by more than 150 representatives of current and retired civil servants, teachers, laborers, farmers, related government agencies and political parties, according to a statement issued by the committee.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building where the meeting was taking place, it said.   [FULL  STORY]

The China Post
Date: January 1, 2017
By: CNA

TAIPEI — A Taiwanese fishing boat captain was severely injured and two crew members sustained minor

injuries on Saturday after their boat caught fire and exploded at Xingang Fishing Port (新港漁港) in eastern Taiwan’s Taitung County, apparently while refueling.

The 43-year-old captain of the Pingtung Donggang-registered Chin Ming Hsing (金明興) was pulled out of the water by fire department first responders, but initially found to have no heartbeat. After emergency resuscitation restored his breathing, the unconscious man was rushed to hospital, according to the authorities.

Two of the three migrant fishermen on board the vessel suffered minor injuries and were also treated at the hospital, while the third crewman was uninjured.

Police are still investigating the cause of the blast, but crew members said gas leaked when they were refueling the boat and may have caused the explosion.    [FULL  STORY]

The News Lens
Date: 2016/12/30
By: Corbis

Four veterinary centers in Taipei have received licensing to operate “nursing homes” for old pet cats and dogs, the Liberty Times reports. In accordance with regulations announced by the Taipei City Animal Protection Office in September, these animal hospices will provide care for old and sick animals whose owners are no longer able to care for them. The city council hopes that the nursing home will be able to ease the burden of animal shelters as a “no-kill” policy at animal shelters comes into effect in January.

Read more: Is An Animal Welfare Storm Brewing in Taiwan?

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/12/30
By: Maggie Huang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – With 2017 being just around the corner, revelers are planning where to watch the yearend bash pyrotechnic spectacle. As Taipei 101 is expected to draw an influx of visitors, Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO) invites the public to consider another alternative to watch the splendid fireworks show—riverside parks.

According to HEO, there is no place that can rival riverbanks in providing great views of the magnificent pyrotechnic displays, while the Rainbow Riverside Park on the right bank of Keelung River allows revelers to watch fireworks upwind without smoke and haze blocking the view, and Meiti Riverside Park provides the best spot for the Miramar fireworks.

For people seeking to watch both firework shows, Guanshan and Yingfeng riverside parks on the left bank of the Keelung River will be the best choices.    [FULL  STORY]