■ Education
Huang attends APEC forum
Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) had a discussion with his Chilean counterpart, Sergio Bitar, on Wednesday for educational cooperation at the APEC forum in Santiago, Chile. This was the third time that education ministers from APEC members have met to discuss cooperative projects in educational development. Except for Russia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Vietnam, all other APEC members sent their representatives to attend the meeting held from April 27 to April 30. Later on Wednesday, Huang and Bitar held a conversation for educational cooperation, in which both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in language teaching, earthquake, biochemical, and basic science research.
■ Cross-strait links
Ma pressures government
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) suggested yesterday that Jodi Shelton, chief executive officer of Fabless Semiconductor Association, urge the government to accelerate the opening of cross-strait direct transport links. The association set up its Asia-Pacific headquarters at Taipei's Nankang Software Development Park last October. The association's members represent fabless firms, integrated device manufacturers, foundry providers, electronic design automation companies and investment bankers. Ma told Shelton that Taipei has been working hard on creating a favorable investment environment at its Nankang Software Development Park and Neihu Science-based Industrial Park. However, Taiwan entrepreneurs have encountered a major investment barrier -- a vague relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the government's restrictions on local enterprises' investments in China.
■ Labor
Union ad lobbies DPP
The Chunghwa Telecom Workers' Union yesterday congratulated Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on his appointment as Cabinet spokesman with a TV commercial featuring footage of Chen speaking on the government's policy of privatizing state-run enterprises. The commercial features Chen saying, "Chunghwa Telecom brings in NT$50 billion to the national treasury each year. Why kill the goose that lays the golden egg?" A narrator then implores the DPP to rethink its privatization policies. The union yesterday announced it would call off a general members' meeting on Ketagalan Boulevard slated for Sunday. That meeting would have paved the way for a future strike.
■ Education
Stipends for Aborigines
The Council of Indigenous Peoples is holding a forum today at its Taipei headquarters for Aboriginal academics interested in conducting research overseas. It will discuss the challenges of life overseas and financial assistance available from the council. Meetings on these topics will also be held at Dong Hwa University in Hualien on May 6 and Pingtung Teachers' College on May 13. The scholarships are open to Aboriginal graduate students and doctoral candidates. The council has also invited academics and experts with overseas experience to speak. Since February, the council has budgeted NT$6 million for the fellowships. Those interested must submit research proposals to the council before its deadline in August. The fellowship is also open to civil servants who have given exemplary service.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
The Grand Hotel Taipei has rejected media reports claiming that the hotel had prevented CBS from broadcasting coverage of the Beijing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on its premises. Media reports alleging that the hotel owner, dissatisfied with CBS’s coverage, prohibited the network from broadcasting political content on the hotel premises, are not true, the hotel said in a statement issued last night. The reports were “inconsistent with how the hotel actually handled the matter,” it said. The hotel said it received a refund request from a
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