■ CRIME
Chens have met before
The Special Investigation Panel (SIP) began to investigate former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) alleged corruption and money laundering cases this year, but its director, Chen Yun-nan (陳雲南), actually crossed paths with Chen Shui-bian 23 years ago during another infamous case — when the former president’s wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), was run over by a truck — local media reported on Sunday. Chen Shui-bian has always claimed the 1985 accident — which happened during Chen Shui-bian’s post-election tour to thank voters for their support after an unsuccessful bid for the county commissioner election in his native Tainan County — was politically motivated. Chen Shui-bian filed a lawsuit against the truck driver, Cheng Jung-tsai (張榮財), and Chen Yun-nan — who was a newly appointed prosecutor — was assigned to the case, ETTV-News reported. The case was closed after Chen Shui-bian withdrew the lawsuit after a second court hearing, the report said. When asked about the case by an ETTV reporter, Chen Yun-nan said he did not remember it.
■ DIPLOMACY
Freddy invites Dalai Lama
The lead vocalist of heavy metal band Chthonic, Freddy Lim (林昶佐), invited the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan in March during a meeting with him in Dharamsala, India, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, said a statement released by Taiwan Guts United, a pro-independence organization created by Lim. Lim, who is planning to organize a Free Tibet Concert in March to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, went to Dharamsala to seek the Tibetan spiritual leader’s blessing for the event and invited him to attend the concert. The Dalai Lama responded positively, saying he felt honored to be invited and would seriously consider attending the concert. However, the Dalai Lama added that he was still working on his schedule after February, Taiwan Guts United executive director Liao Wei-cheng (廖偉程) said.
■ CHARITY
Dogged volunteers required
Animals Taiwan is calling for volunteers to help out with the Fourth Annual Pet Carnival on Saturday and Sunday. The event will include a fashion show featuring stray dogs housed by the rescue center. Volunteers are needed to walk the dogs, distribute fliers and help sell doggie treats at the event. The festivities will be held at Shinkong Mitsukoshi’s Ashanti Square in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義). Volunteers are also needed on Friday to help bathe and groom the dogs. For further information, contact liza@animalstaiwan.org.
■ ENTERTAINMENT
New Year lovers required
Still trying to figure out how to spend New Year’s Eve with your loved one? How about a public declaration of your love at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County? The organizers of this year’s New Year’s Eve party at Sun Moon Lake said yesterday they were offering three couples the opportunity to express their love or even to propose to their partners on a floating waterside stage just before the countdown to the New Year begins. Those interested in taking part are urged to telephone Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration by noon tomorrow at 049-285-5668 ext. 360. The party, set to start at 7:30pm tomorrow at Shueishe Quay, will feature African dance, a musical fountain, a saxophone quartet and a show by Broadway performers, as well as other musical performances. A fireworks display will also take place to herald the New Year.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Chunghwa Telecom yesterday confirmed that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by a Chinese ship, the Shunxin-39, a freighter registered in Cameroon. Chunghwa Telecom said the cable had its own backup equipment, and the incident would not affect telecommunications within Taiwan. The CGA said it dispatched a ship under its first fleet after receiving word of the incident and located the Shunxin-39 7 nautical miles (13km) north of Yehliu (野柳) at about 4:40pm on Friday. The CGA demanded that the Shunxin-39 return to seas closer to Keelung Harbor for investigation over the
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
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