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Official: small number of foreign workers aid ISIS

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-10-06
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

An immigration official said Wednesday that a single-digit number of foreign workers are on a

The file photo shows National Immigration Agency Director General Ho Jung-chun.

The file photo shows National Immigration Agency Director General Ho Jung-chun.

Taiwanese intelligence agency’s watch list for supporting ISIS activities. The statement came after a local media’s disclosure of an “ISIS kill list” in which 69 Taiwanese are targeted.

Asked by Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Chi-mai during a legislative interpellation session Wednesday if there are any foreign workers in Taiwan involved in supporting or sponsoring the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, extremist activities, National Immigration Agency (NIA) Director-General Ho Jung-chun replied the National Security Council (NSC) does possess a watch list of less than 10 people.

The Chinese-language Mirror Media recently disclosed a “kill list” of 69 Taiwanese named as IS assassination targets, which was initially released by a pro-ISIS hacker group earlier in June and was later made known to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to media reports, the officials said that the authorities have conducted a probe into the information but have found it to be widely inaccurate with half of the names on the list correspond to nonexistent people.

The local media reported that people on the list are civilians and there are no politicians. Most of them are highly-skilled professionals specializing in information technology or computer science.     [FULL  STORY]

One more good reason to go up to Yangmingshan

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-07-24
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Yangmingshan, a national park just outside of Taipei, is easily accessible, filled with mountains 6771428and perfect if you want to get out of the city and get some fresh mountain air. But many people might not realize there is one more good reason to go up there—to visit the residences of the late eminent writer Lin Yu-tang and late President Chiang Kai-shek.

Lin Yu-tang was born on October 10 in 1895 in Longxi (Zhangzhou) County, Fujien Province. Lin is the author of a number of notable collections including My Country and My People, The Importance of Living, Moment in Peking, Leaf in the Storm, The Vermilion Gate, The Wisdom of Laotse, and The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo.

This house was the government’s gift and was designed by Lin himself. The villa with white walls and indigo roof represents a unique architecture of mixing the Chinese style of a quadrangle courtyard surrounded by four houses with Spanish architecture.

The furniture and setout are said to remain the same as before Lin died in 1976 to reflect his lifestyle.     [FULL  STORY]

Ma offers Tsai advice on Itu Aba

GLOBAL REACH:Former president Ma said that the government could buy Internet and international media advertising to explain Taiping Island’s status to the world

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 17, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

In an opinion piece yesterday published by the Chinese-language United Daily News, former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) presented 10 pieces of advice “for President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) reference” on ways to uphold Taiwan’s rights in the South China Sea and the status of Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島).

Tuesday’s ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands, over a case the Philippines brought against China said all high-tide features in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), including Itu Aba Island, are “rocks” rather than “islands” and are not entitled to 200 nautical mile (370.4km) exclusive economic zones (EEZs).

In the article, Ma said that when attorneys representing the Philippines in November last year started to “exert all their efforts to downgrade the legal status of Taiping Island and quoted a [Taiwanese] international legal academic’s article to falsely assert that Taiping Island lacks a fresh water source, is not arable, has no civilian residents and relies on imports for resources, I was alarmed and started to prepare a counterattack.”

Arranging ministers and academics for a visit to the island in December last year, making a personal visit to the island in January and inviting local and foreign academics and journalists to the island in March, April and May were all parts of his countermeasures, he said.     [FULL  STORY]

Most reject idea of ‘one China’: survey

OLD SCHOOL:Respondents identifying as pan-blue supporters were split on the idea of both sides of the Taiwan Strait belonging to the ROC, with 54.3 percent agreeing

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 15, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Despite China’s repeated attempts to force Taiwan’s incoming administration to china-flag-crossed-outaccept the idea that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to “one China,” a survey released yesterday showed that most people reject the construction.

The survey, conducted by Taiwan Indicators Survey Research (TISR) on Thursday and Friday last week, sought to gauge Taiwanese perception of the notion that “both sides of the Strait belong to one China,” which is backed by both the Taipei and Beijing constitutions.

Article 11 of the Additional Articles of the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution states: “Rights and obligations between the people of the Chinese mainland area and those of the free area [Taiwan], and the disposition of other related affairs may be specified by law.”

In the preface to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Constitution, Taiwan is listed as part of the “sacred territory” of the PRC.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan film talents to attend PAS workshop in France

Taiwan Today
Date: January 30, 2016

Eight young film directors and producers from Taiwan are to undertake

Young Taiwan filmmakers and their PAS instructors are set to reunite for a three-day follow-up workshop Feb. 8-10 in Paris. (Courtesy of MOC)

Young Taiwan filmmakers and their PAS instructors are set to reunite for a three-day follow-up workshop Feb. 8-10 in Paris. (Courtesy of MOC)

a three-day follow-up South Production Workshop (PAS) Feb. 8 to 10 in Paris.

Conducted under the auspices of the annual Nantes-based Festival of the Three Continents in conjunction with Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris and Taipei Film Festival, the workshop will reinforce initial PAS training given to the participants last July. This was the first time for Taiwan to take part in the PAS since its establishment in 2000.

According to the ROC Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan talents will learn more about script writing, post-production processes and how to attract cross-border funding and marketing support.

“We believe the training will encourage local youths to sharpen skills and conduct exchanges, further showcasing their unbridled creativity on the global stage,” an official from the MOC Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development said.

The participants’ film projects are “A Love to Boluomi” directed by Lau Kek-huat and produced by Chen Jing-lian; “Raining Roses” by Rina Tsou and Joseph Israel Laban; “The Hunter” by Albert Zoe and Xie Xiang-yu; and “The Sand in their Eyes” by Liu Chia-hsin and Stefano Centini.

Freeway traffic controls in Taiwan for Mid-Autumn holiday

Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-20
By: CNA

Traffic controls will be implemented on Taiwan’s freeways to cope with anticipated spikes

National Freeway No. 5 in Yilan, April 5. (File photo/Li Chung-yi)

National Freeway No. 5 in Yilan, April 5. (File photo/Li Chung-yi)

before and during the 3-day Mid-Autumn Festival weekend that starts Sept. 26, the National Freeway Bureau said Saturday.

Tolls will be suspended between 11pm and 6am every day from Sept. 25-28, the bureau said, adding it is expecting 2.3 million-2.8 million motorists per day on the freeways during that period.

During the toll periods, a single rate of NT$0.9 (US$0.03) per kilometer will be charged over the four-day period, a 25% discount from the standard rate.

Motorists traveling between the Hsinchu and Yanchao interchanges on National Freeway No. 3 will receive an additional 20% off.

However, the standard toll-free first 20km of travel on all freeways will be suspended during the holiday, the bureau said.

Between 7am and noon on the first two days of the holiday, only vehicles with three or more occupants will be allowed to enter the southbound lanes from the Nangang onramp in Taipei and the Shiding and Pinglin onramps in New Taipei..