■ Politics
PFP legislator passes away
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Nelson Ku (顧崇廉) died of lymphatic cancer at Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei yesterday. Ku, born in Shanghai in 1931, began his career as a naval officer in 1954, attaining the rank of admiral. He served as vice minister of national defense, navy commander-in-chief and the country's representative to the Netherlands. Ku entered the legislature as a legislator-at-large in 2001, and again in 2004. PFP Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said that the party will spare no effort to help Ku's family with his funeral arrangements. Lee Fu-tien (李復甸), a professor of law at Chinese Culture University, will fill Ku's legislative vacancy.
■ Society
Booze-up teacher suspended
A Kaohsiung middle school teacher surnamed Chen was suspended after one of his students was hospitalized with alcohol poisoning on Friday. According to local media, the teacher-in-training brought two bottles of wine and one bottle of Kaoliang liquor to a weekend party with his students at the basketball court of Rueifeng Junior High School in Kaoshiung City. Chen reportedly encouraged his students to drink, resulting in one student downing half a bottle of white wine, chased by copious amounts of red wine and Kaoliang, a 40 to 50 percent proof distilled liquor. The student later collapsed in the hallway of his apartment after vomiting and frothing at the mouth, prompting his parents to rush him to the emergency room on Friday night. He was released the next day, according to local media. Chen reportedly became intoxicated with a number of students at the party.
■ Trade
China to buy oranges
Two organizations in China are planning to purchase a total of 12,000 tonnes of oranges for NT$180 million (US$5.49 million), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus said yesterday. The deal to sell the oranges for NT$15 per kilogram was reached after KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited Yunlin County on Thursday and met local fruit growers, who complained that an orange glut had driven prices down to an average of below NT$10 per kg. Ma instructed two KMT members to depart for China on Thursday to meet with Chinese authorities and discuss a deal. China's Taiwan Affairs Office then arranged a meeting between the two delegates and executives from two Chinese marketing organizations. Both sides agreed that the two Chinese companies would purchase 12,000 tonnes of Yunlin oranges at NT$15 per kilogram, the first shipment of which -- three containers -- is scheduled to leave for Shanghai today.
■ Crime
Lawmakers to visit PRC
A group of lawmakers across party lines yesterday said that they would organize a trip to China to discuss with Chinese authorities the issue of enhancing cooperation in combating crime. People First Party Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chu Feng-chi (朱鳳芝) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Rong-shu (許榮淑) said they would join the trip. The lawmakers held a public hearing on the issue as they said that China has become a haven for Taiwanese fugitives, especially white-collar criminals, because of the lack of an extradition agreement between Taiwan and China. Mark Chen (陳明傳), a professor from the Central Police University, hailed the idea, saying the move would put pressure on China to deal with the problem.
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
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
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
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
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