Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/02
By: Maubo Chang

Taipei, May 2 (CNA) Thousands of followers of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in its birthplace of China, staged a parade Saturday in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.

The marchers, from different chapters of the spiritual movement in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taitung and Penghu, wound through the streets of the city for more than two hours.

Hsiao Yung-ta, a Kaohsiung councilor from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), took part in the parade, saying that the Communist Party of China is not afraid of either the ruling Kuomintang, or the DPP, but is afraid of the Falun Gong practitioners, because the virtues of sincerity, kindness and tolerance advocated by the movement runs counter to the cruelty of the communist party, which is why it is so keen to prosecute Falun Gong followers.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/01
By: Chen Wei-ting and Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, May 1 (CNA) Some 5,100 Chinese group tourists visited Taiwan Friday, the first day of China’s three-day Labor Day weekend, while still more are expected later in the month, a peak time for cross-strait travel.

Tourism Bureau data showed that about 5,100 Chinese tourists are expected to visit Taiwan each day May 2-4, with 6,000 tourists daily May 5-8.

The momentum could continue at least through late May as many middle-aged or senior Chinese tourists take the opportunity to travel in warm weather, officials said.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-05-01
By: CNA

The United States and Taiwan are exploring ways in which they can cooperate

to assist survivors in the wake of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake that devastated large areas of the Himalayan country and killed thousands, after Taiwan made a request in this regard, officials said Thursday.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) “is aware of Taiwan’s interest and willingness to provide disaster relief and assistance to Nepal,” Joseph Bookbinder, an AIT spokesman, told CNA. “We are exploring ways in which we could cooperate to assist the earthquake victims.”

The AIT represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.     [FULL  STORY]

ESCAPE FROM HOME:Police cordoned off the area where the premier lives early on, allowing him to leave unnoticed by scores of people demonstrating outside

Taipei Times
Date:  May 02, 2015
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff writer

More than 100 former freeway toll collectors yesterday rallied in front of the Taipei apartment building where Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) lives to stage a Workers’ Day protest, with a large police force already deployed at the scene to control the crowd.

According to a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily, a group of protesters gathered near Mao’s apartment block at about 7am, but the neighborhood was already cordoned off because the police had been tipped off in advance.     [FULL  STORY]

TODAY.AZ
Date: 01 May 2015
By: OddityCentral

A bizarre new dog grooming trend in Taiwan has dog owners giving their pet pooches square or round haircuts. Canine hairdressers all over Taipei are up to date on the special technique required for these eccentric makeovers.

“It came about because people were always looking for more impressive haircuts, and somebody came up with the idea of shaping the dog like a hedge,” parlour owner Tain Yeh says. It started with a few people opting for these haircuts and sharing their pets’ photographs online, after which the trend caught on. Thousands of pet owners are now approaching salons, asking for their dogs’ hair to be cut in geometric patterns. Some are actually doing it simply to gain more likes and shares!

Yeh says that the peculiar styles aren’t suitable for all breeds. “The dog needs to have plenty of hair to play around with so that you can shape it around the face and body,” he explained. He also added that these special haircuts need a lot more maintenance than regular ones.

The dogs, in their quirky haircuts, do look adorable, if somewhat a bit strange. The ones with perfectly round hairdos appear to be sporting an afro, while square-faced dogs look as though their head is squeezed into an invisible box. Most of the dogs don’t seem to mind the haircuts at all though – they sit through the entire process rather patiently, letting the hairdressers do their thing.

Taipei Times
Date: May 01, 2015
By: Lii Wen  /  Staff reporter

Legislators from across party lines yesterday pledged support for major reforms

to shorten the legal workweek, as the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee cleared amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).

If passed by the legislature’s plenary session later this month, the landmark piece of legislation would change regulations that define work hours as 84 hours per two weeks to 40 hours per week — effectively ensuring two days off per week.

The new policy is set to be implemented by next year and expected to benefit about 3.4 million workers in the private sector.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/30
By: Lu Hsin-hui and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) The Republic of China Navy will hold a ceremony Friday to decommission Knox-class frigates from service to be presided over by Lee Shi-ming (李喜明), the commander-in-chief of the ROC Navy, a spokesman for the Navy said Thursday.

As Taiwan has recently purchased Perry-class frigates from the United States, the ROC Navy will decommission a fleet of eight aging Knox-class frigates in phases, according to the spokesman.    [FULL  STORY]

DIPLOMATIC TURNAROUND:The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the National Fire Agency to assemble a search-and-rescue team, a Cabinet spokesman said

Taipei Times
Date: May 01, 2015
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Nepalese government is considering accepting Taiwan’s offer to help with

search-and-rescue efforts for Saturday’s earthquake, while Taiwan is also seeking to cooperate with the US to transport relief supplies to the Himalayan country, Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun (孫立群) said yesterday.

Despite previously turning down Taiwan’s offer to send search-and-rescue teams, the Nepalese government said it has changed its position and is willing to consider the offer, Lih-chyun said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested that the National Fire Agency put together a search-and-rescue team ready for immediate mobilization, Sun said.     [FULL  STORY]