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.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it