CRIME
Crackdown on drunk driving
The Ministry of Justice on Wednesday said it would propose an amendment to raise the penalty in cases of drunk driving that result in death to a maximum of seven years. The proposed revision comes amid public outcry over a recent incident in which a firefighter’s leg had to be amputated after she was hit by a drunk driver while assisting victims of a traffic accident in Taipei. The driver who hit her was arrested, but later released on bail. The penalty for non-fatal drunken driving is currently a maximum of one year in prison. The ministry is proposing that the maximum penalty in such cases be increased to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to NT$150,000, said Sung Kuo-yeh (宋國業), director-general of the Department of Prosecutorial Affairs. In cases that result in death, the ministry is proposing a term of one to seven years and a penalty of six months to five years in cases of serious injuries, Sung said.
MEDIA
Manga software developed
Newly developed software will give users a chance to instantly become cartoonists, as it automatically converts photographs into cartoon format. The software, called “Manga Director,” will make its debut at Academia Sinica tomorrow and be available for free public use through Facebook within three months, the developers said. Tu Yen-chen, one of the developers at Academia Sinica, said that users can load photographs into the software, which will then convert the pictures into cartoon images. The user can choose the best quality cartoons and add dialogue, thereby creating an e-comic book, Tu said. The software seeks to revolutionize the concept of photo albums and comic books, she said. “Manga Director” is one of the inventions being showcased at an open day tomorrow at Academia Sinica.
EDUCATION
Kids picky about lunch
A recent survey conducted by Public Television Service (PTS) on behalf of the Ministry of Education showed that the one dish that most elementary schoolchildren would like to see changed is eggs. Hsu Chieh-hui (許傑輝), a PTS host, said the children did not like to eat dishes made from bitter melons, cauliflowers or green peppers. While they like eggs, they want it to be made in another form besides braised or fried, New Taipei City (新北市) nutritionist Chuang Pei-ling (莊佩玲) said. Gong Guan Elementary School in Taipei has set a record by having all its students signed up to its on-campus lunch program. School principal Lee Chung-hui (李鍾慧) said about 40 new students who transferred to the school this year did so because of its popular lunches. The school’s chefs have been asked to develop new menu items such as vegetarian pizza, she added.
EMPLOYMENT
School fined for prejudice
The Dominican International School in Taipei was fined NT$600,000 (US$19,860) on Wednesday for violating the Employment Services Act (就業服務法) when it fired two of its staff for religious reasons, the first case of its kind in Taipei. Bureau of Labor Affairs Division Chief Huang Ai-chen (黃愛真) said two female teachers of the Mormon faith were dismissed from the Catholic-faith school. Although the school cited multiple errors made by the two teachers, the e-mail sent to them in March said: “We cannot renew ... your contract for the next school year due to your religion,” evidence that the school dismissed the teachers because of religious prejudice, Huang said. The school was unavailable for comment.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition