■POLITICS
Kuo relieved of status
The Judicial Yuan’s Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries resolved on Friday night to discipline former Government Information Office (GIO) staffer Kuo Kuan-ying (郭冠英) by relieving him of his public servant status. The commission also ruled that Kuo should be banned from serving as a government official for the next three years. Kuo had been relieved of his job by the GIO in March because of a number of online articles he wrote under the pen name Fan Lan-chin (范蘭欽) smearing Taiwan and Taiwanese. The Control Yuan voted on July 21 to impeach Kuo, saying that Kuo had publicized articles that defamed the nation and harmed the feelings of Taiwanese people and deceived his superiors.
■HEALTH
Four hospitalized with flu
Four more people have been hospitalized with the A(H1N1) virus, bringing the total number of patients hospitalized with the new flu strain to 296 since the outbreak began, the Central Epidemics Command Center (CECC) reported yesterday. CECC officials said the new patients, two male and two female, are aged between six and 10. Seventeen of the 296 patients have died, while 247 have recovered and 32 others remain in the hospital, the CECC said. As of yesterday, 326 classes in 257 schools around the country remained suspended because of A(H1N1) infections among students. The number of affected classes accounts for 0.32 percent of total classes, the CECC said.
■SOCIETY
‘City gardens’ encouraged
To welcome next year’s Flora Expo, the Taipei City Government yesterday launched the first of a series of “city garden” programs to encourage citizens to grow flowers or potted plants in their garden or community. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the Taipei International Gardening and Horticulture Exposition (Flora Expo) is part of the city’s “trilogy of international events.” As public participation was the key to the success of the Summer Deaflympics, he said he hoped to see citizens show similar support for the Flora Expo. Hau said he hoped the six-month event, scheduled to open on Nov. 6 next year, would attract between 6 million and 8 million local and international visitors. Those who did not receive the free potted plants at Da-an Park yesterday can try their luck at the city’s 24 Matsusei Supermarkets today, or visit the 124 offices of Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) on Oct. 3. The last chance will be at the Taipei Flower Market on Oct. 4.
■ENVIRONMENT
Tonnes of driftwood cleared
Forestry Bureau Director-General Yen Jen-teh (顏仁德) said the bureau has cleared 460,000 tonnes of driftwood out of downstream areas in southern Taiwan, which was battered by floods and landslides that were caused by Typhoon Morakot early last month. Citing the bureau’s assessment of the damage, he said the flood had washed down an estimated 980,000 tonnes of driftwood, which has clogged downstream rivers, farmland and fishing ports in 110 townships. The government has outlined a variety of plans to make good use of the massive amount of driftwood left behind by Typhoon Morakot, including building a driftwood park, organizing a driftwood art contest and making charcoal out of driftwood, he added.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
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