Candidates spend weekend stumping
Former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) is to accompany Chen Chi-mai this week, Liao said. Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei TimesThe party’s Kaohsiung chapter has only one job ahead of the election: to canvas for votes, he added. Photo: CNAThey could include former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), a source said. The KMT believes pan-blue supporters would support Lee “for the sake of Kaohsiung’s development,” the source said. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Saturday and yesterday stumped for his Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) candidate Wu Yi-jheng (吳益政).
Source:Taipei Times
August 09, 2020 15:56 UTC
Court reverses Chao bail decision
Court reverses Chao bail decisionBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterIn a reversal of an earlier court decision, independent Legislator Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) was yesterday detained with restricted communications, becoming the fourth lawmaker to be detained for alleged involvement in a department store bribery case. The three other lawmakers are Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) and Sufin Siluko (廖國棟), and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清). Chao was released after posting bail of NT$1 million (US$33,882) on Sunday last week, but Taipei prosecutors applied again on Thursday to detain him. Independent Legislator Chao Cheng-yu leaves the Taipei District Court to be transported to the Taipei Detention Center in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District yesterday. Chao was transported to the Taipei Detention Center in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城) yesterday afternoon.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Groups hold Taichung clear air parade
Groups hold Taichung clear air paradeCARBON NEUTRAL: While the organizers urged the government to do more to reduce pollution, the EPA said its efforts had reduced the number of ‘red’ air alerts in TaichungStaff writer, with CNAEnvironmental groups yesterday held a parade in Taichung, calling on the government to work harder to cut air pollution and coal use, and outline plans to achieve a carbon-neutral society. The annual parade was headed by Air Clean Taiwan chairman Yeh Guang-perng (葉光芃) and Changhua Mayor Lin Shih-hsien (林世賢) of the Democratic Progressive Party, who dressed as “tree men” to draw attention to climate issues. Members of healthcare and environmental groups form the words “Net 0 carbon” as part of an environmental event in Taichung yesterday. Members of environmental and healthcare groups hold signs with pro-environmental slogans at a news conference in Taichung yesterday before a parade calling on the government to cut air pollution and coal use. Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei TimesThe Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday said in a statement that the government agrees with the groups on reducing pollution.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Construction on Taipei Dome can resume, city says
Construction on Taipei Dome can resume, city saysStaff Writer, with CNAThe Taipei City Government yesterday said that construction on the long-suspended Taipei Dome can resume immediately, after it approved a request by the project’s main contractor, Farglory Group. In a statement, the Taipei Construction Management Office said that after it on July 16 issued a new building permit, Farglory submitted revised design plans and an application to resume construction, which the office approved on Friday. The Taipei Dome is pictured in an aerial view on June 7. While the office is allowing construction to resume, it also called attention to its ongoing disagreements with the contractor. In the intervening years, there have been multiple lawsuits between the contractor and the city over the resumption of construction.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan in Time: The ‘no problem’ doctor
Taiwan in Time: The ‘no problem’ doctorChanghua physician Hsu Tsai-chih got his nickname from his willingness to treat people who couldn’t pay for his servicesBy Han Cheung / Staff reporterAug. 10 to Aug. 16They called him the “No Problem Doctor” (沒關係醫生) because that’s what he always told his patients when they couldn’t pay up. Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Taipei TimesSometimes, patients who received Hsu’s help for free felt too ashamed to go see him again, and their conditions worsened. Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Taipei TimesThere are no biographies on Hsu, except for a picture book published by the Pusin Township Office in 2017. Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Taipei TimesIn response to his children asking him to retire, Hsu said, “It makes me happy to cure other people. An illustrated cutout of Hsu Tsai-chih sits outside his former clinic in Changhua County.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan’s wildlife database the second-largest in Asia
Taiwan’s wildlife database the second-largest in AsiaStaff writer, with CNAA database on biodiversity in Taiwan has compiled records of almost 10 million wildlife sightings, making it the second-largest wildlife index in Asia, with the vast majority of data coming from volunteers, the Council of Agriculture’s Endemic Species Research Institute said. Volunteers pose for a picture at a Taiwan Biodiversity Network news conference on Friday in Taipei. Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei TimesThey are followed by butterflies and moths, with 410,000 sightings, and frogs, with about 100,000, the database showed. For instance, the Centers for Disease Control bases the nationwide distribution of antivenom on the database’s records of poisonous snake sightings, institute director Yang Jia-dong (楊嘉棟) said. In addition to recording wildlife sightings, the institute also promotes civilian science initiatives and education on topics such as roadkill prevention and wildlife conservation on farmland, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Fubon halt Lin An-ko’s strong week
However, the Lions could not sustain their super-charged offense for the whole week, as they were shut out 4-0 by the Guardians in New Taipei City. The Fubon Guardians’ Chang Chin-te, right, celebrates a home run against the Uni-President Lions during their CPBL game at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City yesterday. CTBC Brothers shortstop Chiang Kun-yu connects during an at-bat against the Rakuten Monkeys at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium yesterday. The Uni-President Lions’ Lin An-ko warms up at the Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City on Friday. Lin took a fastball offering and drilled a shot into the right-field stands for his 22nd home run of the season.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Megaport Music Festival’s return delights fans, artists
Megaport Music Festival’s return delights fans, artistsBy Hsu Li-chuan, Yang Yi-han and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerAn announcement that the Megaport Music Festival has been rescheduled for some time next year has been met with great enthusiasm from fans, musicians and the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs. Metal band Chthonic perform at the Megaport Festival in Kaohsiung on March 24, 2018. “However, over the past year, we were truly touched by the fans’ support of the event and we have decided to return,” the committee said. The bureau said that it is always supportive of pop music, and always happy to see music events of every style held in Kaohsiung. Taiwanese rapper Dwagie (大支) said he was “moved” by the decision and said he hopes the organizers would invite him to the event.
Source:Taipei Times
August 08, 2020 15:56 UTC
Lee Teng-hui’s achievements defended
Lee Teng-hui’s achievements defended‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’: A Taiwan Graduate School of Theology professor said that Lee’s quote, ‘the self does not just mean me,’ reflected a struggle with his ‘old self’By Chen Yun / Staff reporterVilification of president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) by people who favor unification with China would not taint the legacy and achievements he has left for Taiwan, Taiwan Society chairman Li Chuan-hsin (李川信) said yesterday. “In a democratic society, we are all free to hold different ideologies and viewpoints, but people can respect each other’s stance,” Li said alongside members of affiliated groups the Northern Taiwan Society and the Taiwan Society Hakka. Messages and a photograph that includes former president Lee Teng-hui are pictured at a memorial at the Taipei Guest House yesterday. Separately, leading figures from the Taiwan Graduate School of Theology and the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan also paid their respects to Lee. According to official records, since the memorial opened on Saturday last week, more than 15,282 had visited as of yesterday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
HPA drafts amendments to ban e-cigarette sales
During the two-month preview period for the draft amendments, which ended at the end of last month, the HPA received more than 4,000 letters from members of the public expressing conflicting opinions on the proposed bans. Asked why the proposals described heated tobacco products as “novel cigarette products,” Wu said that tobacco companies often change their products’ names. The HPA is also to submit a draft concerning the removal of mislabeled tobacco products from online shopping Web sites, he added. Currently, the agency can fine sellers of mislabeled vaping devices up to NT$50,000, based on Article 14 of the act, HPA Tobacco Control Division Director Chen Miao-hsin (陳妙心) said. National Cheng Kung University physician Chen Chuan-yu (陳全裕) said that he estimated a 5 percent increase in e-cigarette use.
Source:Taipei Times
August 07, 2020 15:56 UTC
NTU accused of limiting student reporters, input
NTU accused of limiting student reporters, inputRULES WANTED: An NCCU professor said it remains to be seen whether NTU is behind the times or if the problem would be fixed by improved communicationBy Peng Wan-hsin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerNational Taiwan University (NTU) has limited student attendance at university affairs meetings and attempted to influence articles written by student reporters, NTU Students’ Association president Yang Tzu-ang (楊子昂) said yesterday. Yang told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei that a petition calling for student reporters to be allowed to attend one of the meetings on Oct. 24 was launched on Wednesday. Members of the National Taiwan University Students’ Association hold signs at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. NTU is sidestepping the issue of it selectively overlooking student reporters and trying to isolate them, Yang said, referring to NTU on Wednesday saying that it had issued a notice on the matter. NTU should endeavor to give students opportunities to conduct interviews, he said, adding that a system allowing unhindered reporting should be established.
Source:Taipei Times
August 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Spokesman rebuts charges against premier
Spokesman rebuts charges against premierBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterExecutive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) yesterday rebutted accusations by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) had worked to ensure that banking executive Jason Liao (廖燦昌) last year landed the job of chairman of state-run First Financial Holding Co and its subsidiary First Commercial Bank. Liao resigned from both posts after he was indicted on Thursday last week in connection with charges of fraud against Far Eastern Air Transport Corp (FAT) chairman Chang Kang-wei (張綱維), which implicated several of the nation’s leading banks, including Taiwan Cooperative Bank. Ting said that Chang negotiated the loans with Taiwan Cooperative Bank in 2016, during the transition from the KMT government to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government. There were calls demanding that the Executive Yuan remove Liao, but “Su was protecting him at the time,” the KMT said. “Su subsequently appointed Liao as chairman of First Commercial Bank.
Source:Taipei Times
August 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Profit and revenue up for Acer, Largan and Hon Hai
Profit and revenue up for Acer, Largan and Hon HaiBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterPC vendor Acer Inc (宏碁) on Wednesday reported that net profit last quarter soared 192 percent annually and 114 percent quarterly to NT$1.19 billion (US$40.33 million). Operating income was NT$2.13 billion, the highest in its history, Acer said in a news release. Earnings per share were NT$0.4, compared with NT$0.13 a year earlier and NT$0.18 the previous month, company data showed. The company posted revenue of NT$48.85 billion in the first quarter. Total revenue in the first seven months of this year reached NT$2.46 trillion, down 5.87 percent from the same period last year, the company said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Priest relaunches Hualien charity for poor residents
Priest relaunches Hualien charity for poor residentsBENEFITING THE DISADVANTAGED: French-born Priest Yves Moal said that he had no problems securing funding for the new store in just two daysBy Hua Meng-ching and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerHualien County’s Yuli Township (玉里) on Wednesday celebrated the reopening of a second-hand store and redistribution center for disadvantaged and poor residents after the store burned down in February. The center was founded by Catholic priest Father Yves Moal. The ceremony was attended by former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and his wife, Lo Feng-ping (羅鳳蘋), who are Catholics. Bishop Philip Huang (黃兆明) of the Hualien diocese also attended the ceremony and blessed the new center. The ceremony coincided with Moal’s 80th birthday, which was also celebrated with a large cake.
Source:Taipei Times
August 06, 2020 15:56 UTC
Examination Yuan at odds with self
The Examination Yuan is now headed by Wu Chin-lin (伍錦霖) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), while Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村), the newly appointed Examination Yuan president and a former minister of education, is to assume office, along with other newly appointed members, on Sept. 1 for the next four years. The main entrance of the Examination Yuan is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei TimesDuring the Legislative Yuan’s review last month of nominees for the Examination Yuan, Huang said that he was prepared to be its last president. However, a statement issued later yesterday by incoming Examination Yuan vice president Chou Hung-hsien (周弘憲), two incumbent members — Yang Ya-hui (楊雅惠) and Chen Tzu-yang (陳慈陽) — and other officials said that the Examination Yuan should respect the Legislative Yuan and public opinion. Examination Yuan members should state their own opinions as individuals, instead of issing a collective statement under the agency’s name, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 06, 2020 15:56 UTC