■ HEALTH
H1N1 toll now at 46
A 37-year-old man died of influenza A (H1N1) five days ago, bringing the number of H1N1 deaths in the country to 46 since the outbreak of the virus early last year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The latest H1N1 fatality was also the fourth in 10 days, following the deaths of a 21-year-old female university student and a 24-year-old man, CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said. In the most recent case, the patient developed flu symptoms early this month but did not seek medical attention until July 19, Chou said. After the patient’s condition began to worsen on July 23, he was transferred to the intensive care unit of a hospital where he died three days later, Chou said. Except for a 17-year-old patient, none of the victims who have died of H1N1 in Taiwan had been vaccinated against the virus.
■ FILM
Hsu, Sun up for awards
Director Hsu Li-kong (徐立?nd actor-turned-charity volunteer Sun Yueh (孫越) have been named by the Golden Horse Film Festival to receive special awards for their contribution to the local film industry, the festival organizer said. The Golden Horse Awards will present a lifetime achievement award to Hsu and a special contribution award to Sun. Hsu and Sun will receive the honors at this year’s awards ceremony on Nov. 20 in Taoyuan County. Hsu, one of the co-founders of the Golden Horse Film Festival, has helped cultivate several directors including Ang Lee (李安), Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮) and others who have earned awards at film festivals in Berlin and Venice. Sun is a two-time Golden Horse award winner. He has devoted himself completely to charity work since retiring in 1989.
■ AGRICULTURE
Taitung pig sales suspended
Butchers and pig suppliers in Taitung County will suspend sales for 11 days during the period July 30 to Aug. 31 because of low supplies. The pork market in Taitung usually closes for a few days each summer ahead of the Ghost Festival in August when demand tends to rise sharply, but sales have never been suspended for more than seven days at a time. However, this year there has been a shortage of pork because of high summer temperatures, which affect the survival rate of pigs, and because pig stocks were depleted by Typhoon Morakot in August last year, said Wu Tze-he (吳子和), who is in charge of livestock production affairs in the Taitung County Government. This month, temperatures in Taitung have ranged on average between 25 ºC and 32 ºC.
■ CRIME
Executives sentenced
Taipei District Court sentenced yesterday Hu Hung-chiu (胡洪九), the former chief financial officer of Pacific Electric Wire and Cable Co (太平洋電線電纜), to 18 years in prison for embezzlement, conversion and forgery. The court also fined him NT$1 billion (US$30 million). Meanwhile, two former chairmen of Pacific Electric Wire and Cable Co, Jack Sun (孫道存) and Tung Ching-yun (仝清筠), were also respectively sentenced to four years and three years and two months in prison. Hu, also former chairman of chipmaker Mosel Vitelic Inc (茂矽), was indicted on charges of stealing about NT$17.1 billion from 1993 to 1998 when he worked at the company. The ruling found Sun guilty of conspiring with Hu in the embezzlement. It also ruled Tung of having embezzled NT$54 million from Pacific Electric in 2002 through fake business transactions.
Staff Writer, with CNA
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 High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
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