■POLITICS
Tseng libel ruling upheld
The Supreme Court yesterday found former New Party legislator Elmer Feng (馮滬祥) and former Overseas Compatriots Commission member Tai Chi (戴錡) guilty of claiming that former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) wife, Tseng Wen-hui (曾文惠), tried to take 54 suitcases stuffed with as much as US$850 million out of the country after the 2000 presidential election. The case of another former New Party legislator, Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大), who also played a role in the accusation against Tseng, was returned to the Taiwan High Court for further review. In 2002, Tseng won a libel suit against the trio over their accusations. The court yesterday handed down the ruling for the civil suit, ordering Feng and Tai each to pay a compensation of NT$2 million (US$63,000) to Tseng, and to publish half-page apology ads in three Chinese-language newspapers: the Liberty Times, United Daily News and China Times. Yesterday’s ruling was final.
■ DIPLOMACY
No Africa trip for Ma
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has decided not to visit the country’s diplomatic allies in Africa this year. Ma was reportedly scheduled to visit Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principle, Swaziland and the Republic of the Gambia in September. “President Ma has no plans to visit Africa this year on concerns over coming typhoon season. The year-end special municipality elections will also keep him busy,” Department of African Affairs Director-General Samuel Chen (陳士良) said. Ma would attend the annual Africa reception on May 25, organized by African ambassadors to celebrate African Liberation Day, a commemoration of their liberation from European colonial powers 50 years ago, Chen said. The ministry would also hold a series of events to celebrate the anniversary, he said
■ CRIME
'Prankster’ freed on bail
Taiwan-born Lin Nan-hai (林南海), who was held in China for allegedly claiming to have a bomb in his luggage, was released on bail yesterday after he was extradited to Taipei on Wednesday, a Taiwanese prosecutor said yesterday. Chinese authorities arrested Lin, who is a US citizen, on Saturday after he allegedly made the claim on a China Airlines flight bound for Shanghai, leading pilots to divert to Hangzhou. No explosives were found on the flight while Lin, 68, reportedly told Chinese police that he was only “making a joke.” Lin was released on bail of NT$20,000 (US$625), pending further investigation, the prosecutor said. He faces charges of violating the Civil Aviation Law (民用航空法), which carries a maximum three-year prison term and a fine of NT$1.5 million.
■ TRANSPORTATION
Kenting shuttle bus starts
An express bus service began this month for travelers heading from the Zuoying (左營) high speed rail station to Kenting (墾丁). The Kenting Express Line will make stops at Dapeng Bay (大鵬灣), Fangliao (枋寮) and five other spots in Pingtung County, with the one-way trip taking about two hours, the bureaus said. A one-way ticket costs NT$383. Between now and June 30, a roundtrip ticket will cost only NT$600. The bus is part of the Tourism Bureau’s efforts to encourage people to use the public transportation system when traveling. For more details on the service, visit www.taiwantrip.com.tw/ or http://www.kentingtrip.com.tw/.
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
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
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
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
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