■ 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."
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
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