FALLOUT:Remarks from the Consumers’ Foundation on Tuesday could spark disputes over treatment of the victims of the Color Play Asia blast and fire, experts say

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 16, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Taiwan Medical Association (TMA) yesterday urged the public to respect

physicians’ professionalism and medical decisions in the wake of recent “suggestions” from the Consumers’ Foundation’s on the treatment of burn victims in the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) inferno last month.

“More than 20 of the victims sustained burns covering more than 80 percent of their bodies. However, despite these distressing circumstances, the nation’s doctors have managed to maintain a relatively low fatality rate in the catastrophic event,” association secretary-general Tsai Ming-chung (蔡明忠) told a news conference in Taipei.

The public should have faith in Taiwan’s medical system, which was highly lauded by six Japanese physicians who visited earlier this week to conduct case discussions and exchange views on the treatment of burn victims, Tsai said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-14
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu still planned

to visit a night market in Kaohsiung City Tuesday evening, despite earlier fears of incidents with opponents.

A KMT congress scheduled for July 19 is expected to ratify her nomination for the January 16 election, but she has been faced with criticism she might find it hard to win votes in Southern Taiwan due to her pro-China stance. The KMT might even lose 2.6 million votes, reports said Tuesday.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/07/14
By: Ku Chuan and Lillian Lin

Taipei, July 14 (CNA) Two panda experts flew to Taipei from China Tuesday to help the Taipei Zoo monitor giant panda Yuan Yuan, who has been showing signs of pregnancy lately, though zookeepers are yet not able to provide confirmation.

A spokesman of the zoo said Tuesday that Yuan Yuan received two artificial inseminations on March 26 and 27.

On June 11, zookeepers found the 11-year-old panda apparently losing her appetite and exhibiting other signs of pregnancy.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-07-14
Editorial

The dust explosion accident at Formosa Fun Coast water park in New Taipei city, which

injured almost five hundred including three deaths since it took place 2 weeks ago, has once again shown the resiliency of of Taiwan’s civic society, which can be evidenced by the outpouring of donations and volunteers to the relief of the disaster. The accident has also exposed the incompetence of government officials, who have failed to provide timely and proper assistance to those affected and their families.

During such a disaster, government officials, first and foremost, must seek fair and sufficient compensations for the victims and their families, while demanding related operators to take responsibility and penalize them according to the law, rather than look for scapegoats or resorting to sentimental expressions.     [FULL  STORY]

CHARGING AHEAD:A government project with so much money should be sustainable; establishing bylaws would create a well-defined course of action, an organizer said

Taipei Times
Date:  Jul 15, 2015
By Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

An alliance of non-governmental organizations yesterday said it would start monitoring

a NT$3 billion (US$95.8 million) energy conservation project implemented by the Executive Yuan in March.

Green Citizen Action Alliance deputy secretary-general Hung Shen-han (洪申翰) told a news conference in Taipei that he and his fellow environmental campaigners would start visiting local governments across the nation to learn what measures they have taken to cut electricity use.

The Executive Yuan project aims to fund conservation efforts undertaken by local governments.     [FULL  STORY]

An artist with Asperger’s syndrome returns to Taiwan to pursue his art career and learn to be self sufficient

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 14, 2015
By: Han Cheung  /  Staff Reporter

While Alex McGregor may have trouble understanding concepts, reading between the

lines or socializing with people, he can tell you exactly what day of the week you were born a mere second after learning your birthdate.

Alex, 18, has Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that is on the high functioning end. But he doesn’t let the condition limit him. He has a full-time job at a restaurant, lives in his own apartment and is a budding artist.

Half Taiwanese and half Australian, Alex moved back to Taiwan in April to pursue his art career and independence after spending junior high and high school in Sydney.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-07-13
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

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

Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen leads nearly 19 percentage points over Kuomintang’s presidential hopeful Hung Hsiu-chu, reports said Monday.

The Taiwan Public Opinion Studies Association poll showed that if the presidential election were held tomorrow, Tsai could take 43.1 percent while Hung would trail at 24.2 percent.

The survey also disclosed that if People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong were thrown into the mix, Tsai’s rating would drop to 41.4 percent as opposed to 21 percent for Hung. Meanwhile, Soong’s elected rating would be at 14.3 percent.

A separate poll also showed that those who voted for Ma Ying-jeou in 2012, 42 percent would go for Hung while 20 percent would vote Soong. The 18 percent polled said they would switch camp and vote for Tsai instead. Meanwhile, 19 percent remained undecided.     [FULL  STORY]

BUILDING BRIDGES:The former captain of a fishing vessel said his tours on Pingtung County’s Siaoliouciou Island were aimed at raising environmental awareness

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 14, 2015
By: Chen Yan-ting and Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A former fisherman has forged a second career from the conservation of the sea turtles

that forage and lay eggs around the unpolluted coastline of Pingtung County’s Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球).

Former fishing vessel captain and native to the island Lee Wen-te (李文得), 56, said at first he was a volunteer on a project to conserve the turtles, and he became an ecotour guide this year through the Ministry of Labor’s multiple employment promotion project.

Lee said he had spent more time at sea than in his hometown, as each voyage to and from distant fishing grounds took nearly two years.

Although he welcomes visitors who come to see the turtles foraging in the shallow waters around the island, Lee said that he is also concerned about the possible impact of tourism on the island’s ecosystem, so he decided to raise awareness about the turtles by running ecotours.     [FULL  STORY]