Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-04
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Taiwan’s popular Alishan Forest Railway will not be able to reopen on Dec. 25 as

previously scheduled after parts of it were damaged by Typhoon Dujuan, according to the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA).

The TRA announced last month that it expected to resume operation of the full length of the forest railway on Christmas Day after repairs to the most scenic section between Fenchihu and Divine Tree stations had been completed.

Several parts of the forest railway, however, were destroyed by Typhoon Dujuan, which swept across Taiwan last weekend, forcing the TRA to cancel its plan to reopen the line on Dec. 25.

Meanwhile, the Chiayi Forest District Office said it had completed work to remove fallen rocks and trees brought down by the typhoon. The section between Chiayi and Fenchihu stations returned to normal Oct. 1.     [FULL  STORY]

EUTHANASIA PLEDGE:During the festival, government officials and animal rights groups signed a pledge for a zero euthanasia policy for abandoned animals in the city

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 05, 2015
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

A festival in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) yesterday saw hundreds of pets and

pet owners gather to celebrate World Animal Day, while the city government pledged a zero euthanasia policy at an adoption fair in Yonghe District (永和).

Holding placards and shouting slogans during the festival at the 435 Art Zone in Banciao, animal rights activists encouraged the adoption of stray animals and called for an end to animal trading and pet abandonment, while animal lovers gathered to enjoy live music and performances.

Part of the revenue from a market set up by animal rights groups and private businesses would be donated to animal welfare, the event organizers said.

The organizers said an exhibition showcasing works by three animal artists would run until Oct. 18 to promote animal rights awareness.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/03
By: Wang Shu-fen, Kao Chao-fen and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) Although Tropical Storm Mujigae is not expected to directly hit

Taiwan, it has caused high waves along the southern coast of Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Saturday.

As of 3 p.m., waves of over 2 meters had been detected on the coasts of Penghu, Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the bureau said.

At 2 p.m., Mujigae was centered more than 650 km southwest of Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving in a west-northwesterly direction toward the southern Chinese island of Hainan, Hong Kong and Macau, according to CWB data.

According to China’s National Meteorological Center, Mujigae was likely to make landfall between Hainan’s Wenchang City and Dianbai District in Guangdong Province early Sunday.

Due to the influence of Mujigae’s outer current, Tigerair Taiwan announced that it would delay four flights originally scheduled between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday between Taiwan and Macau.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-10-03
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

The student-led Sunflower Movement, seen here during its occupation of the Legislative

Yuan on April 9, 2014, galvanized public opposition to government policy and brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets in support. But people aren’t making as many calls to chat shows, the poll said. (File photo/Keye Chang)

Incessant bickering between the ruling blue and opposition green political camps in Taiwan may drive some in the country crazy, but most people are actually lukewarm or even cold to political and social participation, according to a survey published Friday.

Only 1% of Taiwan’s public have made call-ins or submitted their views about government performance in local media over the past year, according to the survey on the level of public participation in Taiwanese society, conducted by the National Development Council (NDC).

At the same time, only 5% of people in Taiwan have taken to the streets to appeal for their cause over the past year, which seemed a far cry from the student-led Sunflower Movement, in which thousands of people demonstrated outside and inside the Legislature between March 18 and April 10 in 2014 in opposition to the handling of a controversial trade pact with China.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 04, 2015
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

The Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday indicted Pingtung County Council

Speaker Chou Dian-lun (周典論) and nine Pingtung County councilors on charges related to vote-buying and accepting bribes.

Chou and eight of the county councilors are members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), while the remaining councilor, Kuei Hsiao-hui (歸曉惠), is an independent.

The eight KMT councilors are: Wang Chih-feng (王志豐), Pan Yu-lung (潘裕隆), Yen Chin-cheng (顏金成), Li Chi-hsiang (李冀香), Pan Cheng-chih (潘政治), Chen Chao-chung (陳昭忠), Hsu Tien-chu (許天賜) and Chen Mei-chiung (陳美瓊).

Three others, described as friends and business associates of Chou, were also indicted on Friday for their alleged roles in the affair.

The prosecutors’ office said the charges were related to breaches of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選罷法), adding that it is seeking a six-year jail term for Chou and lesser prison terms for the other councilors.

According to prosecutors, bribes were exchanged and vote-buying activities took place during the election for the Pingtung County Council speakership on Dec. 25 last year, which resulted in Chou winning the post.     [FULL  STORY]

‘ZOMBIE’ GOVERNMENT:Taipei property owner Wang Tung-kai said the city issues demolition permits to construction firms and expects them to be nice to residents

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 03, 2015
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday came under fire from Taipei residents whose

homes have been involuntarily included in private urban renewal projects.

Residents complained over what they said was an avoidance of responsibility by the Taipei City Government over the forcible demolition of a privately owned building last week.

A group of home owners protested in front of the Taipei City Government building, demanding that the municipal government punish Pacific Construction Co (太平洋建設), who on Friday last week tore down a building on Tingzhou Rd (汀洲路) owned by a man named Luo Chin-kuang (羅進光).

Luo was the sole holdout in an urban renewal project involving 80 landowners. His building was apparently torn down without notification from Pacific Construction after a protracted negotiation that reportedly spanned more than two years.     [FULL  STORY]