英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

Recently a Kaohsiung man unwittingly burned himself after sitting next to a heater for an extended period of time. Doctors warn that it’s important to maintain a proper distance and to give the skin frequent breaks from the dry heat produced by heaters. 

Low temperatures have led to an increased use of heaters, but users beware. A male in his 30s went to the doctor because he thought he had an allergic skin reaction on his upper left arm. In fact he burned himself using a heater to the point that red spots had formed.

Liu Jhao-hong
Dermatologist
It’s likely he was near a heat source for a long period of time without wearing much heavy clothing. He was roasted to the point where his arm became red and inflamed.

Doctors say it’s best to stay at least 30 centimeters from a heater and to give the skin a break every half hour.

A poor showing by domestic films at the recently concluded Golden Horse Awards led a group of opposition lawmakers to call for an end to the event. Today most pulled back from their controversial comments and instead suggested more support for local filmmakers. 

The Golden Horse Awards have become politicized due to the strong performance by Chinese and Hong Kong films. Some opposition lawmakers even called for an end to the local awards ceremony, which sparked a stern rebuke from filmmakers and other supporters.

Wang Jin-pyng
Legislative Speaker
The awards ceremony is well run. Since we only took a few awards, we should try to work a little harder.

Over the past few days, DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung had called for a review of the policies supporting domestic films. He says he was improperly targeted as the person who called for an end to the awards ceremony.

After the finance minister criticized local governments for lavish New Year’s Eve celebrations, today Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin struck back. Hau took exception to the claim that spending money on fireworks is a waste of money, arguing that it brings substantial economic value to the city. 

Fireworks are the highlight of New Year's Eve celebrations throughout Taiwan. And in the past few years, events such as the Taipei 101 fireworks display have attracted lots of public attention.

To welcome in the year 2013, a special French fireworks team has been commissioned for the first time. This team has worked on past displays such as the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa and the Doha Asian Games. The show is expected to last 188 seconds and cost a whopping NT$30 million.

Michael Liu
Taipei 101 Spokesman 
I think that fireworks are a sort of memory that everyone can share. It’s also a rare festive event that makes everyone happy for a few moments.

The Financial Supervisory Commission has announced that it’s considering easing rules on day trading to boost low turnover. But some investors think it will have little effect and will simply add more risk. 

After a rebound for two consecutive days, the Taiwan Stock Exchange appeared anemic, rising by just three-tenths of a percentage point. Turnover fell to NT$71.4 billion. This is despite the cabinet’s economic vitalization plan that could permit certain types of day trading.

Investor
The government seems to be doing its utmost with this policy, but it is having little effect. Turnover changed only slightly. Over the long term, I am not bullish. I think it will create more chaos in the market

By allowing certain day trades, investors may be able to make transactions with minimal capital or little cost. However, potential day trading losses can lead to the risk of default when it comes to account settlements, and could adversely affect market stability.

Lo Shu-lei

Before the Next Media sale took place in Macau, protesters converged outside the Executive Yuan building in Taipei. They worry the deal will give the pro-China businessman Tsai Eng-meng a monopoly over local media. 

Nearly a hundred student activists rallied to form a youth association that opposes media monopolies. Since last night the group has been protesting the proposed sale of Next Media’s Apple Daily, Next Magazine and Next TV to a syndicate that includes the Want Want China Times Group. The group is headed by the controversial businessman and media mogul Tsai Eng-meng.

Student Activist
After the acquisition of Next Media’s newspaper unit is complete, it will constitute a monopoly. One voice will ring out louder than all others, and China will be able to disrupt Taiwan’s media freedom.

The first round of protests ended at around 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Academics joined the chorus of people calling on the government to keep big business from monopolizing the media. Premier Sean Chen responded.

Sean Chen