■ Justice
US rejects sex-slave case
A US appellate court said on Tuesday that 15 Asian women forced into sexual slavery during World War II cannot use US courts to sue Japan. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the issue involved international relations and the courts were not authorized to hear the claims. The women from Taiwan, China, South Korea and the Philippines sued Japan in 2000, contending they were among 20,000 used as "comfort women" for Japanese soldiers during the war. The appellate court initially ruled that Japan had absolute immunity from a lawsuit under federal law, but the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and instructed the appellate court to reconsider the case. In its opinion on Tuesday, the appellate court said it was extremely "clear the Allied Powers intended that all war-related claims against Japan be resolved through government-to-government negotiations rather than through private tort suits."
■ Society
New rules for `veteran' status
Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday that the requirements for being classified a "military veteran" will be revised. Cho made the announcement at a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning. He said that the new definition will help reduce financial problems in the health-insurance system. Those who have served in the military for more than three years are currently classified as veterans. In the future, military service of more than 10 years will be required to qualify for veterans' benefits. According to current regulations, veterans are fully reimbursed for medical expenses, while regular citizens are only entitled to partial health-insurance coverage. As the military tries to phase out conscription, Cho said that the new definition of "veterans" would benefit the health-insurance system, because the number of people eligible for full coverage would grow too quickly if the definition does not change.
■ Education
Hsieh promises financial aid
Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday promised to improve financial assistance to college students in response to growing complaints from the public that college tuition fees are becoming unreasonable. Urging college students to focus on their lessons, Hsieh said that more money will be made available for those who really need help. He also asked the Ministry of Education to extend the college-tuition financing period. The ministry announced that it has set aside a total of NT$17.4 billion (US$550.5 million) for college and graduate students as scholarships. The ministry is also considering a proposal that students who received ministry loans to cover their college tuition fees would not have to pay back the money if their annual income is lower than NT$240,000 after graduation.
■ Society
Singer's brother not dead
China's Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday denied reports that the adopted brother of the Taiwanese singer Yu Tien (余天) had been executed. Officials said the case against Yu Fu-hsing (余福星) was still pending in the Fujian Supreme Court. Chinese-language media in Hong Kong and Taiwan last week reported that Yu Fu-hsing had been executed on Sunday for smuggling heroin to China. The reports claimed that Yu Fu-hsing had smuggled heroin from Thailand to Xiamen last March. Yu was arrested late last year, and Chinese authorities have sentenced him to death.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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