■ JUDICIARY
Court finds Hu not guilty
The Taipei District Court yesterday found political commentator Hu Chung-hsin (胡忠信) not guilty in a libel lawsuit filed by President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) daughter Chen Hsin-yu (陳幸妤) in 2005. Chen Hsin-yu filed the suit against Hu after the commentator alleged during a TV talk show in October 2005 that she had used a professional meeting in the US as a pretext to travel there to open a bank account to help her father conceal his assets. The court said that while Hu's allegations were not completely factual, he had nevertheless given his sources. The court ruling also said that as Hu's comments were on a public matter, he had not committed libel.
■ SOCIETY
Taipei pushes moon cake
The Taipei City Government yesterday urged residents and businesses to support groups for the disabled by purchasing moon cakes made by several shelters for disabled people. Showcasing various moon cakes and other snacks -- including egg rolls and pineapple cakes -- at Taipei City Hall yesterday, nine civic groups joined forces to promote the products and encourage disabled people. Addressing the event, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said working at the shelters helped give disabled people a sense of confidence and a sense of accomplishment. "Supporting their products helps take care of disabled people's finances and ease the burden on their families," Hau said. The products can be purchased at shelters sponsored by the Children Are Us Foundation, the Taipei City Disabled Group Association, the Taipei Parents Association of Autism, and the Renai and Songteh branches of the Taipei City Hospital.
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in