Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (
Starting tomorrow, media outlets will have to apply for approval 48 hours in advance for reporters and photographers to enter the airport's restricted areas.
The airport police will forward the applications to the National Police Agency for a case-by-case assessment.
Privacy
Lee said that the decision to restrict access was made to maintain safety and order at the airport and prevent the exposure of government officials' secret visits abroad or the unannounced arrival of foreign political figures.
The changes would also reduce the discomfort of ordinary passengers who otherwise would be inconvenienced by the media.
Lee said the new regulations were written in accordance with international standards and examples, but were still more lax than in most countries.
For instance, the media in Singapore has to apply 10 days in advance for airport access, according to Lee.
48 hours
The National Police Agency originally requested that applications be filed 72 hours in advance, but the ministry decided on 48 hours, Lee said.
In emergencies, these restrictions will not apply, he said.
The interior minister added that better media facilities are now available at the airport, including special media interview areas and press rooms.
Better communication
Lee also stressed the importance of maintaining good communication between the police and the media at the airport.
Lee said that in the UK, airport personnel must supervise reporters who are conducting interviews, but the interior ministry decided against adopting such a regulation.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
Former minister of transportation and communications Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), who was sentenced to eight years in prison for taking bribes from contractors, has died aged 69, sources said today. The sources said Kuo was rushed to Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei for emergency treatment due to a life-threatening aortic dissection on Sunday and was pronounced dead at about 11am today. The hospital declined to disclose any information about Kuo's disease, citing patient privacy. Kuo was transport minister between January and August 2006, during which time she oversaw the official opening of the 12.94km Hsuehshan Tunnel, the longest in Taiwan. In April
RSS