CULTURE
Hugh Lee to receive citation
The Executive Yuan has approved a proposal to present theater director and actor Hugh Lee (李國修) with a presidential citation. Lee, founder of the Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班), died in Greater Taichung on July 2 at the age of 57 after a three-year battle with cancer. Born in Taipei in 1955, Lee set up Ping-Fong in 1986 and was the group’s main actor, director and writer until 2011. His works, such as Can Three Make It (三人行不行), are known for satirizing contemporary political and social events and for using a few actors to play many different characters. He was the first recipient of the National Award for Arts in the drama category when the award was established in 1997.
POLITICS
‘Dreamers’ brings censure
The Control Yuan yesterday censured the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Culture over their lack of decision-making accountability in connection with the musical Dreamers (夢想家). The NT$215 million (then US$7.1 million) musical was performed just twice as part of celebrations for the Republic of China’s (ROC) centennial in 2011. Control Yuan members Ma Hsiu-ju (馬秀如) and Chou Yang-shan (周陽山) said then-Council for Cultural Affairs minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) made all the decisions regarding the musical. Although Sheng’s role as chief executive of the ROC Centenary Foundation helped cut through red tape and expedite the decision-making, it meant a government agency was following the orders of a civilian organization, which was inappropriate, the reprimand said. A lack of foresight and budget control, along with sharp changes to the scheduling, had caused a major budget overrun, it added.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
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