■ Appointments
Huang to join the MAC
Huang Wei-fong (黃偉峰), an associate researcher in European and American Studies at Academia Sinica, has been tapped to be a vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), media reports said yesterday. Chiu Tai-shan (邱太三), the first MAC vice chairman, confirmed that Huang is being considered for the MAC post, but said the appointment will not be final until the Cabinet makes an announcement. Huang, 39, who has a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD in political science from Oxford University, is versed in contemporary Western political theories, American and British politics, EU politics, election strategies and political sociology. Huang, a son of former Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (黃石城), will be the third MAC vice chairman.
■ Justice
Publisher accepts sentence
Scoop magazine's Publisher Shen Jung (沈嶸) said on Friday she will not appeal her sentence of two years in prison in the Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) sex-VCD case. A district court's verdict sentenced her to two years and two months but on Friday, the Taiwan High Court decreased her sentence to two years. Although Shen said she will not appeal, other defendants in the case said they have not made up their minds regarding appealing to the Supreme Court. Shen was indicted after prosecutors argued the magazine was "selling the private lives of others for profit" by giving away copies of the VCD.
■ Cross-strait ties
Matsu faithful head to China
More than 800 Taiwan followers of Matsu, the goddess of the sea, will attend the first Matsu Cultural Festival in Tianjin, northern China on Sept. 25, sources said yesterday. An 11-member delegation from Tianjin City visited Chenlan Temple (鎮瀾宮) in Tachia (大甲) in central Taiwan in July. They invited officials and followers from Taiwan's largest Matsu temple to attend the festival and escort a statue of the goddess to China to be enshrined in Tianjin's Matsu Temple. The temple, established in 1326, was the northernmost "home" of Matsu -- a goddess who has been worshipped for thousands of years by the Chinese, but mostly by people from coastal areas. A major rejuvenation of the temple is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month after it was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution.
■ Politics
Cross-strait talks urged
The Association of Penghu Residents in Taipei City announced a "Peace Declaration" at the Grand Hotel yesterday, urging leaders on either side of the Taiwan Strait to reduce arms procurement. The group also urged the holding of peace negotiations in Penghu to establish a "Great Chinese Economic Alliance." Lu Chun-hui (盧春輝), the chief of the association, said yesterday that Penghu Island has been a bridge between Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants for the past 700 years. The association advocates the transfer of Penghu from a midway island to an area consigned by the UN. Lu said the association will promote referendums on whether to maintain Penghu's status quo or alter Penghu from a county to a special administrative district subordinate to the Executive Yuan.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS