Taipei Times
Date:  Aug 11, 2015
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday attributed the turbidity of tap water in areas

Muddy water flows through the Dabao River in New Taipei City’s Sansia District yesterday. Photo: Lee Ya-wen, Taipei Times

of the city following Typhoon Soudelor to poor soil and water conservation efforts upstream of Nanshih River (南勢溪), saying that water transferred to purification plants had given rise to the problem.

The poor quality of tap water sparked waves of panic buying in Taipei and New Taipei cities over the weekend.

Asked whether the Taipei City Government had been slow to take action to address the tainted water, Ko said that the city government is not at fault, as it has carried out extensive soil and water protection measures along the Beishih River (北勢溪), which flows into the reservoir.

“This is not the first time Taipei has been hit by a typhoon of this magnitude, but the city’s raw water turbidity surpassed 30,000 nephelometric turbidity units [NTU] over the weekend, indicating a problem,” Ko said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-10
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

A recent poll on Taiwan’s presidential candidacy revealed that Democratic Progressive

Poll: Tsai in comfortable lead over Soong, Hung. Central News Agency

Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen is in a comfortable lead over Kuomintang’s Hung Hsiu-chu and People First Party Chairman James Soong, reports said Monday.

The Cross-Strait Policy Association poll showed that if the presidential election were held tomorrow, Tsai could take 42.9 percent while Soong would trail at 23.3 percent, and Hung faired least with 16.8 percent.

The survey is the first public opinion poll conducted after Soong officially announced his candidacy on August 6.

Meanwhile, a separate study showed that 68.1 percent of those polled cared about next year’s presidential election, while 25.7 percent showed a lack of interest. When asked who could best safeguard Taiwan’s interests during cross-strait negotiations, 34.5 percent said Tsai, as opposed to 22.1 percent for Soong and 16.4 percent for Hung.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/10
By: Chen Wei-ting, Yu Kai-hsiang and Maria Tsa

Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) The section of the Alishan Forest Railway between Chiayi and

Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Railways Administration

Fenchihu is scheduled to return to normal on Wednesday as the line recovers from damage created by Typhoon Soudelor, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said Monday.

Several parts of the forest railway were obstructed by fallen tree branches and rocks during the typhoon, forcing the TRA to suspend service on the popular tourist rail line.

Except the section between Chiayi and Fenchihu, the other part of the tourist railway was back to normal operations on Monday.

The TRA said railway maintenance is expected to be completed by Tuesday, and the line will resume normal operations on Wednesday.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/09
By: Sabine Cheng and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Aug. 9 (CNA) Taiwanese belly dance teacher Alida Lin (林介文) has won the

Photo from Alida’s FB page.

championship of World Dance Festival held in Egypt earlier this month, becoming the first ethnic Chinese to earn that honor.

Lin started dancing at age 3 but did not begin to belly dance until six years ago.

She told CNA that this year’s festival sponsors have offered various classes to nearly 100 participants from around the world and her long and arduous practice has earned the world’s recognition.

Lin, who won a championship in Beijing in 2011, said she practices at least two hours a day, and as a teacher she must study every detail of the art that originates from the Middle East.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-09
By: CNA

An amendment to an aviation agreement between Taiwan and the Philippines is expected

China Airlines and EVA Airways planes at Taoyuan International Airport, March 17. (File photo/Kao Hsing-yu)

to dramatically increase flights and open up tourism between the two countries, Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines said Saturday.

Gary Song-Huann Lin told CNA the Philippines already made it easier last month for Taiwanese to travel there when it launched an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) — an entry permit that can be obtained online — and he said this new revision would further boost exchanges.

Under the agreement, the first revision of the aviation pact for the first time in a decade, the number of passenger seats between the two countries will increase from 4,800 a week at present to 20,000 per week this year.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-08
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Damage to agriculture by Typhoon Soudelor was estimated at

Damage to agriculture estimated at NT$140 million. Central News Agency (2015-08-08 21:13:18)

NT$143 million (US$4.5 million), with more than half registered in Hualien County, the Council of Agriculture said Saturday.

The typhoon left a trail of destruction from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon, with floods, landslides and fallen trees reported from across the country.

The banana growing sector was the biggest victim of the storm, with the equivalent of 382 hectares damaged at a cost of NT$26.54 million (US$837,000). The pomelo and papaya harvest would also be affected, the COA said.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times0
Date: 2015-08-08
By: CNA

Air traffic in Taiwan was seriously disrupted Saturday due to Typhoon Soudelor, which

People at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport look at the departure boards, Aug. 7. (Photo/Kao Hsing-yu)

had been battering the island with gusty winds and torrential rains since late Friday, according to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).

All 279 domestic flights were canceled for Saturday and as of 11am, 37 international flights were canceled and 68 international flights were delayed, the CAA said.

Several Taiwanese carriers also extended flight adjustments for Saturday due to severe weather conditions.

EVA Airways, which originally said all its international flights will operate as usual on Saturday, announced cancellations on its flights BR190, BR189, B7268, BR267, BR835, BR836, BR120, BR119, BR807 and BR808.

V Air said that its ZV9006 flight will be delayed for another day for departure at 9:35am Sunday and another flight ZV6032 has been delayed until 10:15am on Sunday.     [FULL  STORY]