■ Administration
GIO promotes consultant
William Yi (易榮宗), a consultant to the Government Information Office (GIO), will be promoted to the agency's second-highest post, GIO Director-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in New York on Sunday. Lin and Yi are on a three-day transit stop in New York on their way back to Taipei after accompanying Premier Yu Shyi-kun on his second overseas trip since assuming the premiership in February 2002. Lin told reporters covering Yu's diplomatic tour that he has asked Yi to serve as his deputy. Lin said Yi, who served as the information division chief at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York before becoming a GIO consultant, will be responsible for international publicity affairs after being promoted to GIO deputy director-general. Yi will fill the position left vacant by Hung Chung-chuan (洪瓊娟), who retired last month.
■ Paraguay
Housing complex set to open
A new Taiwan-funded public housing complex for low-income families in the Paraguayan capital will be inaugurated tomorrow, the Taiwan Embassy in Paraguay said on Sunday. The new complex in Asuncion's Ciudad Nueva district has 120 housing units, an embassy staffer said. Each apartment has a bathroom, a living room and two bedrooms, as well as running water and electricity. This will be the third Taiwan-funded public housing complex for low-income Paraguayan people. The first two complexes are located in the Luque and Nemby. Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte and Taiwan's ambassador to Paraguay Yen Pin-fan (顏秉璠) will jointly preside over the inauguration ceremony for the Ciudad Nueva housing complex tomorrow. Construction of housing complexes for low-income families with Taiwanese funds was one of Duarte's presidential campaign promises.
■ Culture
Martyrs' Shrine completed
Officials celebrated the completion of the reconstruction of Kinmen's Tai Wu Shan Martyrs' Shrine yesterday as part of commemorations of the Battle of the Taiwan Strait 46 years ago. More than 500 politicians, military officers, veterans and civilians attended the ceremony at the shrine, where soldiers who died in the battle are remembered. A memorial service for the soldiers was held after the ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, Fujian Provincial Governor Yen Chung-cheng (顏忠誠) attributed the nation's economic prosperity over the past 46 years to the sacrifice of the soldiers who risked their lives to defend the country from attacks by the Chinese Communists. The Battle of the Taiwan Strait began on Aug. 23, 1958, and lasted for 44 days.
■ Taiwan Fair
Headquarters inaugurated
The headquarters for the preparation of the 2008 Taiwan Fair was officially inaugurated yesterday at the county hall in Tainan, which was chosen to host the international event. During the inauguration ceremony, Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-chih (蘇貞昌) showed how the county will work to make the event a success. The headquarters will be the base for several teams responsible for planning, transportation, construction and publicity. Su said that the first Taiwan Fair was held in 1935 at the site which is the currently the 228 Peace Memorial Park in Taipei. The Taiwan Fair has not been held since. Su said that hotel space for the 2008 event could be a problem, given that an estimated 5 million visitors are expected to attend the fair.
■ Foreign Affairs
Singapore protest urged
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Lin Jhih-long (林志隆) urged local people not to visit Singapore or buy its products yesterday as a protest against unfriendly remarks by its leader concerning Taiwan. According to foreign wire services, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) said, "if a war breaks out across the strait, we will be forced to choose between the two sides ... but if the conflict is provoked by Taiwan, then Singapore cannot support Taiwan." Lee also said that Singapore will not recognize Taiwan if it declares independence. Lee's remarks are unfriendly toward Taiwan and have repressed the island's development space in the world community, Lin said.
■ Crime
Warrant issued for Chang
District prosecutors in Yunlin County issued a warrant for the arrest of Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Jung-wei (張榮味) yesterday after he ignored two subpoenas summoning him to report to prosecutors to assist with an investigation into alleged corruption. Hung Shao-wen (洪紹文), chief prosecutor at the Yunlin District Prosecutors' Office, said Chang will be put on the wanted list unless he shows up in three days. Chang's sister, Chang Li-shan (張麗善), said her brother will appear at an "appropriate time." Chang was absent from hearings held on the alleged corruption scandal surrounding a garbage incinerator project last week and again yesterday. Prosecutors that day opened a safe seized from Chang's residence on Aug. 13 for inspection but found it was empty. Hung said the fact that nothing was found in the safe will not affect the case's investigation, because prosecutors have obtained evidence "through other means."
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
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
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