■ Medical
Chen's son-in-law promoted
President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) will be promoted to doctor-in-charge in the Taipei Hospital's Department of Orthopedics, a senior doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital said yesterday. Chao's training at the university hospital terminated yesterday and he has formally started his career at Taipei Hospital. Han I-hsiung (韓毅雄), a professor of orthopedics at the university hospital and matchmaker for Chao and the president's daughter, said Chao, having received sound training in the university hospital, is ready to see outpatients independently.
■ Foreign labor
MECO registers voters
All qualified Filipinos are encouraged to register with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) by Sept. 30 for absentee ballots for next May's elections. MECO's headquarters in Taipei as well as its extension offices in Taichung and Kaohsiung began accepting applications yesterday. Edgardo Espinosa, resident representative and managing director of MECO, was the first to register at the MECO in Taipei, the office said. Inquiries about voting applications can be made by calling (02) 2778-6511 in Taipei, (04) 2205-1306 in Taichung or (07) 331-7752 in Kaohsiung, MECO said.
■ Politics
PFP urges action on islands
Legislators yesterday urged the government to adopt measures to protect the rights of Taiwanese fishermen operating around the Tungsha (Pratas) islands. PFP Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said that the waters around Tungsha are rich in marine resources and are the traditional fishing grounds of Taiwanese fishermen. He suggested that the government demarcate its economic territory and claim sovereignty over Tungsha to ensure the rights of Taiwanese fishermen. Lu said that the natural beauty of the coral atoll of Tungsha has yet to be tapped and it could be a great contribution to tourism. He suggested the government plan a national "marine park" for Tungsha.
■ National Security
Council hires more staff
The National Security Council has recruited 19 new research fellows, including 10 doctoral-degree holders and nine master's degree holders, a spokesman said yesterday. Spokesman Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強) said the new recruits were selected from more than 200 hopefuls. They will begin pre-job training next week. This is the first time that the council has recruited research staffers since the Legislative Yuan passed revisions allowing for recruitment of more staff members to enhance the council's functions.
■ Diplomacy
US denies reports about Lu
Not only did the US not deny Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) a transit visa to New York, it was unaware that Lu was even making a trip, a Department of State official said yesterday. The official, who requested anonymity, said it is Washington's long-standing policy to allow Taiwanese leaders to make transit stopovers in the US and afford them safety, comfort, convenience and treat them with dignity. This policy will continue, he said. The official made the comment after State Department spokesman Richard Boucher brushed aside journalists' questions regarding Lu's trip at a regular news briefing. Boucher referred journalists to the Taipei authorities for the itinerary of Lu's Latin America trip, saying his department was unaware of it.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
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