■Education
Exam postponed
The STYLE/JET examina-tion, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow around the country, has been post-poned due to the concerns over the spread of SARS. The company in charge of the exam, Caves Educational Training, said that because of the rising numbers of suspected SARS cases in
the last two days and concern over the health of the examinees, it decided to push back the exam date. Caves will call or fax all the examinees, their parents or teachers regarding the new exam date. Most of those who had registered for the exam were children aged between seven and 12.
■ Health
Lin urges cooperation
Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) expressed his appreciation yesterday
to those who have been put into quarantine because of concern about the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Lin said that while it is understandable that those who are confined within the Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital might feel that they are healthy and should not have to stay there, the SARS incubation period still has not been determined. He urged those who are isolated to comply with quarantine regulations, adding that those who recently returned from the seriously affected areas of China, Hong Kong and Macau should also heighten their guard. He
also said the government
is putting together a medical team to be sent to China to help Taiwanese business-people who have fallen ill with the disease there.
■ Legislature
Logjam over money
The ruling and opposition parties yesterday failed to reach an agreement for setting up a monitoring mechanism regulating township administration's use of the extra NT$8.4 billion fund within the proposed NT$58 billion public construction project fund. "The DPP insisted that using those allocated budget should be supervised by certain mechanisms," said DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), while KMT law-makers contended that township governments only have to submit their plans to the central administration before the plans are reviewed by the legislature. The review mechanism must be set for monitoring the use of money to make sure the money will be used effec-tively, Chen emphasized.
■ Development
Bio fest set for November
The 2003 International Bio Festival will be held in Taipei Nov. 6 to18, organizers of the event announced on Thursday. Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who doubles as president of the Institute of Biomedical Technology Industry -- one of the organizers of the festival -- said that the two-week event will include an award ceremony, academic discussions, a forum on venture capital and exhibi-tions. Wang said the festival is aimed at promoting the development and inter-nalization of the nation's biomedical technology industry by integrating all related resources.
■ Politics
TSU chief off to Japan
TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) left for Japan yesterday to attend the inauguration of a school established in honor of former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). Huang said he will urge overseas Chinese in Japan to "uphold Taiwan's democratic fruits, Taiwan's indigenous government, Taiwan's course of reforms, Taiwan's national security, and Taiwan's political stability."
■Politics
DPP expels scandalized Lin
The DPP expelled Legislator Lin Chin-hsing (林進興) Thursday because of his indictment along with 39 others in the Kaohsiung City Council vote-buying scandal. The DPP Central Advisory Committee decided in a meeting to cancel Lin's party membership. Anticipating that he would be kicked out of the party, Lin was resigned to Thursday's decision, saying he will serve as an independent lawmaker for the time being. However, he said he is confident that the judiciary will clear his name eventually and that he will be allowed to rejoin the DPP once his innocence is proven. Lin was the only legislator embroiled in the vote-buying scandal that has seen 34 city councilors and six others indicted. He was accused of aiding his former wife, Councilor Chang Wen-hsiu (章玟琇), to accept bribes of NT$5 million from Councilor Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) in return for her promise to support Chu's bid for the council speakership.
■ Diplomacy
S Carolina shows support
The House and Senate of the state of South Carolina have passed a resolution, praising the Republic of China for its contributions to the promotion of world peace, democracy and human rights, and saying that the world should not acquiesce to any kind of military threat against Taiwan. According to the resolution, Taiwan is a "staunch long-term ally" of the US and that the two countries share the same ideals of freedom, and human rights. Taiwan has made remarkable achievements in promoting education, economic development and democracy, it says, adding that the state and Taiwan established sisterhood relations in 1981.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
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