■ 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.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
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