SOCIETY
Literary academic Pei dies
Pei Pu-yen (裴溥言), a renowned scholar of traditional Chinese literature died, of a brain tumor in Los Angeles on Saturday at the age of 96, writer Chi Chi (季季) announced. Pei, a native of China’s Shandong Province, was born in 1921 and studied at the National Women’s Normal College in Sichuan Province before moving to Taiwan at about the time when the Republic of China government was defeated by the Chinese Communist Party in 1949. Pei, who taught in National Taiwan University’s Chinese department, achieved fame for her study and teaching of the Book of Odes (詩經 －先民的歌唱), which comprises 305 poems written in the 11th to 7th centuries BC. Pei was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February. Her husband, Mi Wen-kai (糜文開), who died in 1983, was a diplomat who served in India, the Philippines and Thailand and became famous for his translations of Indian literature, including works by Rabindranath Tagore.
SOCIETY
Teacher wins pole dancing
Lin Hsiang-chen (林詳宸) clinched the top title in the qualifier professional category at the Pacific Pole Championships on Saturday in Los Angeles. Lin was the only non-US competitor, as well as the only dancer from Asia. He was participating in the regional event for the first time, event organizers said. Lin said that he usually spends three months preparing for a competition, but this time he had only about one month. Lin teaches pole dancing at a dance studio. He said that he usually gets off work about midnight, and then rehearses until 3am or 4am. However, the end result is worth the hours, he said. He and the other teachers at the studio want to promote pole dancing in Taiwan through participating in international competitions.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
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
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
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