■ Law
Hsieh loses libel suit
The Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch yesterday dropped Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) libel suit against four major officials of the Chinese-language newspaper the United Daily News. The verdict is final and Hsieh cannot appeal it. Hsieh filed a libel suit against publisher Wang Shaw-lan (王效蘭), president Wang Wen-shan (王文杉), editor-in-chief Huang Su-chuan (黃素娟) and chief staff writer Huang Nien (黃年) over two editorials that ran early last year which implied that he had been involved in the 2002 Kaohsiung City Council speakership election bribery case and had tried to take advantage of his position to manipulate the judicial system. The defendants had argued that the editorials were trying to remind prosecutors to be more careful in investigating the bribery case instead of deliberately attacking Hsieh.
■ Heritage
Shihlin residence to open
Taipei City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs yesterday announced that it will take over management of the official Shihlin residence of former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his wife, Soong Mayling (宋美齡), from the Presidential Office and open the house to the public after renovation and maintenance. The structure has been designated as having historic value, and the grounds of which it is part are already open to the public and proving to be a popular draw. Bureau Director Liao Hsien-hao (廖咸浩) yesterday said the bureau had taken over maintenance and management of the structure while asking the Presidential Office to provide the budget for its renovation and to complete an inventory of the Chiangs' personal belongings.
■ Politics
Man gives up US passport
A long-term supporter of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that he will forfeit his US citizenship to return to Taiwan to serve as a senior adviser to President Chen. Wu Li-pei (吳澧培), founder of the Formosa Foundation and head of an overseas group that is friendly to Chen, said that he would return to Taiwan in mid-July at the latest. Wu said that he first thought about forfeiting his US citizenship and returning to Taiwan when he founded an overseas group supportive of the president in Los Angles in 2000. But with increasing members of the group and the founding of the Formosa Foundation in 2002, Wu said he stayed in the US because he wanted to help the deepening of democracy in Taiwan.
■ Society
Aboriginal homes torn down
About 500 police officers and construction workers yesterday morning demolished illegally-built houses in the "State of Kaosha" (高砂國), an Aboriginal community located in Kaohsiung County's Taliao township, local media reported yesterday. Reports said Kaohsiung resident Su Jung-tsung (蘇榮宗) rented six hectares of land for agricultural purposes from the Taiwan Sugar Corporation in April last year and rented it to almost 200 Aboriginal families at NT$3,000 per household. The illegally-built community later called itself the State of Kaosha, based on an old Japanese name for Taiwan, and refused to relocate. The Kaohsiung County Government decided to act yesterday, and although the demolition team was confronted by members of the community, the structures were pulled down by noon.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
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