Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/09
By: Huang Li-yun and Lillian Lin

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) The Daan Park Station of the Taipei Metro has won the gold award for infrastructure and amenities of the 2015 World Prix d’Excellence Awards presented by the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), an international organization of real estate professionals with national chapters in 48 countries.

A spokesman for the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. said Tuesday that the 18-meter-deep station impressed a jury of 68 experts from 28 countries with its greenery and environment-friendly interior design. Embracing the Daan Park, the underground station, featuring gardening displays and public art, has become a scenic spot in metropolitan Taipei.

The Paris-based FIABCI presents gold and silver awards to projects with excellent environmental rehabilitation and conservation values, heritage restoration and conservation works, resorts and retail outlets, as well as residential compounds.

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 10, 2015
By: Lee Hsin-fang and Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

A group of civic organizations yesterday petitioned the Control Yuan to impeach Minister of

Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) over what they said was the illegal implementation of a set of controversial adjustments to high-school curriculum guidelines made by the Ministry of Education.

The National Academy for Education president Ko Hwa-wei (柯華葳) was also listed on the petition, because the academy went outside of its jurisdiction by issuing official documents to textbook publishers to prohibit sales of textbooks based on the old curriculum — an act not authorized by any law, lawyer Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said.

Other petitioners included Northern Taiwan Society chairman Chang Yeh-sen (張葉森), Restoration of Taiwan Social Justice founder Lin Yu-lun (林于倫), Humanist Education Foundation executive director Joanna Feng (馮喬蘭) and Taiwan Association of University Professors chairman Peter Chang (張信堂).     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/08
By: Kuo Chu-chen and Lilian Wu

Taipei, June 8 (CNA) The head of an illegal paraglider operation in Pingtung, southern

Taiwan, has been indicted for manslaughter after one of its patrons fell to his death early this year.

The Pingtung District Prosecutors Office noted that a 21-member group of South Koreans visited Saijia, Pingtung, in January to go paragliding.

One of them, a 51-year-old man surnamed Lee, fell from the sky after his paraglider took off and collided with another paraglider piloted by a Canadian man.

The operation was run by a man surnamed Su, who ostensibly runs a high-tech company, and he had not applied to the Pingtung County government for a license to operate. He charged his customers NT$1,500 (US$48) per flight.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-09
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Kin Moy, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan’s Taipei Office, arrived in

Taipei Monday to assume his post.

Upon his arrival, Moy told the press in Mandarin Chinese that he was happy to take his new job as America’s top representative in Taiwan. He said besides making new friends, he will work to return the kind friendship the Taiwanese people have extended to him.

Before departing for Taipei, he said in Washington on Sunday, “The next few years will be an important time in the history of our friendship,” adding that he looks forward to joining the AIT team in strengthening ties.

Moy has been in the US Foreign Service for over 20 years and has extensive experience working in and on the Asia-Pacific region, according to a press release by the AIT, which represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties.

He is the first Chinese American to serve as an AIT director and the second high-ranking US diplomat of Chinese descent to serve in the Taiwan Strait area, following Gary Locke, who was the US ambassador to China from 2011 until 2014.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-07
By: CNA

The leader and presidential candidate of Taiwan’s opposition Democratic Progressive

Party, Tsai Ing-wen, said Friday that she has felt a friendly attitude from the US side during her visit to Washington DC, part of her 12-day trip to the United States.

Tsai expressed gratitude for the US goodwill, saying that she had good exchanges of opinions with the US administration officials, members of Congress and think tank experts in Washington.

Taiwan and the United States have conducted close exchanges and she looks forward to continuing smooth communication between the two countries and deepening bilateral cooperation, she said before wrapping up a five-day visit to Washington DC on Friday and departing for New York.

In response to questions about the executions of six convicts in Taiwan on Friday, Tsai said that the death penalty issue needs the consensus of society and comprehensive follow-up measures. She urged the government to focus on issues that she said were more urgent, such as enhancing public security and caring for the disadvantaged     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/06/07
By: Claudia Liu and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Aug. 7 (CNA) Taiwan’s Navy Command Headquarters refuted Sunday a media

report that it had planned to hold a live fire war game on Taiping Island in South China Sea but eventually decided to drop it because of weather and other concerns.

In its statement released Sunday, the Navy said the report by a Taipei-based online news service is untrue, urging news media outlets to check the facts while making reports about military affairs, and refrain from citing groundless rumors or making speculations.

The Sunday report by Storm Media said the Navy planned in March to include the drill on the Taiwan-controlled Taiping in the disputed Spratly Islands in South China Sea in this year’s Han Kuang series of military exercises, slated for September.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-07
By: CNA

The United States on Friday reaffirmed its “one China” policy after a meeting the

previous day between a State Department official and the head of Taiwan’s opposition Democratic Progressive Party, Tsai Ing-wen.

Tsai, the DPP’s 2016 presidential candidate, reportedly met Thursday with Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken for about one hour at the State Department.

It was the first such meeting between a Taiwanese presidential candidate and a US official in the building, which raised questions about the US government’s stance on Taiwan.

However, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said there has been no change in the US policy regarding Taiwan. The US appreciates Tsai’s visit, Harf said, declining to confirm any details of the DPP candidate’s meetings in the US.     [FULL  STORY]