Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/10
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Over 1,000 people on Friday rallied at the Legislative Yuan to demand law amendments that they say will improve Taiwan’s democracy, one year after student activists evacuated the legislative chamber to end their 24-day protest against a controversial trade pact with China.

The protestors demanded lawmakers pass amendments to Taiwan’s Referendum Act and Civil Servants Election and Recall Act during the current legislative session before Oct. 3 to “give the power back to the people.”     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-10
By: CNA

China has reported three new cases of avian flu infections early this month, raising travel

alerts to the country, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

Shanghai saw two H7N9 cases on April 4 and April 6, while Yunnan province in the southwestern part of the country reported one H5N1 case on April 3, the agency said.

In Shanghai, a 52-year-old male and a 37-year-old female have been infected, according to the CDC. The male has been recovering, while the female remains in critical condition.

The Yunnan case involves a six-year-old boy, who has recovered, the CDC said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 11, 2015
By: Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Two air force officers accused of spying for China, retired Colonel Ke Chi-hsien (葛季賢) and

Lieutenant Colonel Lou Wen-ching (樓文卿), were released on bail of NT$200,000 (US$6,4　02) last night after being taken for questioning at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.

After admitting to having been recruited as members of a spy ring and passing on classified military information to China, Ke and Lou were granted bail and released, but prohibited from exiting the country, prosecutors said.

The two men were transferred to the custody of Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday afternoon, after being detained and questioned on Thursday by officers from the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau (MJIB) section in charge of national security matters.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-09
By: CNA

Lawmakers in Taiwan across party lines agreed Wednesday that the voting age for

referendums should be lowered from 20 to 18.

After a review of an amendment to the Referendum Act, legislators reached a consensus that citizens who are 18 or older can vote in referendums.

However, people who are deemed by the courts to be incapable of making an informed decision through disability will not be allowed to vote.

The lowered minimum voting age is aimed at letting more young people participate in the electoral process.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/09
By: Tang Pei-chun and Ted Chen

Taipei, April 9 (CNA) The Bureau Francais de Taipei (法國在台協會) said Thursday that it is not

aware of any recruitment efforts by the French Foreign Legion in Taiwan, and suspects a scam, after local media reported the office was recruiting Taiwanese people to work in France for a high salary.

Local media have been covering an employment agency advertisement that promised prospective Taiwanese mercenaries yearly salaries of at least 40,000 euros, permanent residency in France if they are chosen by the French Foreign Legion and complete at least five years of service.

The bureau emphasized that by law, the French Foreign Legion is only authorized to recruit on French soil, adding that it is unlikely that the military service wing of the French Army will require the services of a Taiwanese employment agency for new blood.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-04-09
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Taiwan’s National Central Library said Wednesday it has launched a partnership with the

University of Oxford to establish the country’s 14th center for Chinese studies overseas.

The center in Oxford will both provide resources for Chinese studies and promote the academic accomplishments of Taiwanese scholars, the library said.

Both sides also signed another memorandum of understanding to exchange their books in hopes to facilitate academic discourse, it said.

The center in Oxford is the second of its kind Taiwan has founded in Britain, following another at the University of London in 2012.

Taiwan has been establishing such centers in countries around the world including the United States and Russia since 2012.

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/04/09
By: Sophia Yeh and S.C. Chang

Taipei, April 9 (CNA) The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP，民進黨) basic principle in handling cross-Taiwan Strait relations is “maintaining the status quo,” the party’s chairwoman said during a party meeting Thursday, as she tried to ease concerns over the DPP’s China policy ahead of next year’s presidential race.

Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文）was quoted by DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng （鄭運鵬）as saying that she is confident of handling cross-strait ties well and will try to “avoid accidents” and will not provoke “contradictions, confrontations or conflicts.”

Tsai made her remarks during a closed-door meeting of the party’s China policy committee, according to Cheng, when many people at home and overseas are concerned about the party’s China policy.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei: Catholics remember George Wang, an actor "who knew how to listen"

AsiaNews.it
Date:  04/08/2015
by Xin Yage

The artist made more than 30 films, in Taiwan and Italy. Exponent of the local Catholic community, he prayed every morning and evening to thank God for his life. He worked with Ang Lee and Liliana Cavani.

Taipei (AsiaNews) – The Catholic community in Taiwan prepares to bid a final farewell to George Wang (王 玨), a famous Chinese artist belonging to the Catholic community, who took part in the production of more than thirty films as an actor. He died last March 27 and will be buried tomorrow in the capital.

He was born in 1928 in Dandong (丹東 today Liaoning Province, mainland China), but spent most of his life between Taipei and Rome, because since 1959 he starred in numerous martial arts films of Asian production made in Europe. His daughter was born, grew up and got married in Rome. Today she emotionally recalls her father’s career: “An exceptional person, an unforgettable artist.”     [FULL  STORY]