■ Appointments
Huang to join the MAC
Huang Wei-fong (黃偉峰), an associate researcher in European and American Studies at Academia Sinica, has been tapped to be a vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), media reports said yesterday. Chiu Tai-shan (邱太三), the first MAC vice chairman, confirmed that Huang is being considered for the MAC post, but said the appointment will not be final until the Cabinet makes an announcement. Huang, 39, who has a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in political science from Oxford University, is versed in contemporary Western political theories, American and British politics, EU politics, election strategies and political sociology. Huang, a son of former Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (黃石城), will be the third MAC vice chairman.
■ Justice
Publisher accepts sentence
Scoop magazine's Publisher Shen Jung (沈嶸) said on Friday she will not appeal her sentence of two years in prison in the Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) sex-VCD case. A district court's verdict sentenced her to two years and two months but on Friday, the Taiwan High Court decreased her sentence to two years. Although Shen said she will not appeal, other defendants in the case said they have not made up their minds regarding appealing to the Supreme Court. Shen was indicted after prosecutors argued the magazine was "selling the private lives of others for profit" by giving away copies of the VCD.
■ Cross-strait ties
Matsu faithful head to China
More than 800 Taiwan followers of Matsu, the goddess of the sea, will attend the first Matsu Cultural Festival in Tianjin, northern China on Sept. 25, sources said yesterday. An 11-member delegation from Tianjin City visited Chenlan Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Tachia (大甲) in central Taiwan in July. They invited officials and followers from Taiwan's largest Matsu temple to attend the festival and escort a statue of the goddess to China to be enshrined in Tianjin's Matsu Temple. The temple, established in 1326, was the northernmost "home" of Matsu -- a goddess who has been worshipped for thousands of years by the Chinese, but mostly by people from coastal areas. A major rejuvenation of the temple is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month after it was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution.
■ Politics
Cross-strait talks urged
The Association of Penghu Residents in Taipei City announced a "Peace Declaration" at the Grand Hotel yesterday, urging leaders on either side of the Taiwan Strait to reduce arms procurement. The group also urged the holding of peace negotiations in Penghu to establish a "Great Chinese Economic Alliance." Lu Chun-hui (盧春輝), the chief of the association, said yesterday that Penghu Island has been a bridge between Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants for the past 700 years. The association advocates the transfer of Penghu from a midway island to an area consigned by the UN. Lu said the association will promote referendums on whether to maintain Penghu's status quo or alter Penghu from a county to a special administrative district subordinate to the Executive Yuan.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
STRICTER ENFORCEMENT: Taipei authorities warned against drunk cycling after a sharp rise in riding under the influence, urging greater public awareness of its illegality Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles. Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed. Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed. Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
RSS