■ Business
Ohio delegation arriving
Ohio Governor Bob Taft will lead a large delegation to Taiwan today for a three-day visit, according to a press release issued yesterday by the American Institute in Taiwan. The group will be made up of about 50 representatives from more than 30 companies and organizations. The delegation will identify local companies interested in investing in Ohio, promote Ohio exports and build educational, social and cultural exchanges between Ohio and Taiwan. Taiwan is one of Ohio's top-20 export markets and is a growing source of advanced technology collaborations. Last year Ohio's exports to Taiwan were worth approximately US$201.48 million.
■ Politics
Activist quits KMT post
Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛), president of the Modern Women's Foundation yesterday resigned her position as head of the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) women's affairs department to concentrate on her legislative election campaign. Pan announced her resignation at KMT party headquarters in Taipei yesterday, promising to promote women's issues if she were elected. Pan said she would work for greater female representation in government, the establishment of a gender equality committee in the Executive Yuan, push for a birth health bill and initiate reforms to the Gender Equality Education Law (性別平等教育法). Pan said she would also push for the creation of a women's entrepreneurship fund.
■ Society
PTS holds racism seminar
A two-day seminar next month on ethnic conflict will provide a forum to talk about everyday experiences with racism, social welfare groups said yesterday. Sponsored by the Peacetime Foundation and the Reading Times Foundation, the forum will take a comprehensive look at ethnic conflict. The forum is co-sponsored by the Public Television Service. The seminar is entitled "The Words of the People" and will be held on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24. People over the age of 16 are encouraged to register, and selected participants will have the chance to join small group discussions with experts. Participants will be representative of all levels and sectors of society, foundation representatives said. The seminar will be recorded by PTS and screened in November. To apply, see the seminar's Web page at www.pts.org.tw/php/vote/9309_pub/index.php. The fee is NT$5,000.
■ Judiciary
Phone records recovered
Prosecutors yesterday said they had acquired the mobile phone records of independent Legislator Su Ying-kuei (蘇盈貴) as part of an investigation into whether two grand justices attempted to persuade him to veto the March 19 Shooting Truth Investigation Special Committee Statute (三一九槍擊事件真相調查特別委員會條例). The probe was launched after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Tsung-yi (陳宗義) filed a slander suit on Sept. 22. Yesterday Chen visited Prosecutor-General Morley Shih (施茂林), asking that prosecutors summon him as well as Su as soon as possible, and claiming that "he also knew something about the case." Shih told Chen Tsung-yi that prosecutors were reviewing Su's phone records and would begin summoning witnesses at the appropriate time. After alleging the grand justices had tried to persuade him to veto the statute, Su refused to name them. Chen said Su had insulted the public and defamed the justices.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS