■ Cross-strait ties
Yu comments on PFP's bill
The Presidential Office has "three bottom lines" for the enactment of a proposed "cross-strait peace promotion law," President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) chief of staff Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday. At a party in honor of members of the media, Yu said that the bottom lines are that there is no "1992 consensus" on sovereignty or "one China" policy; that if an office is created to take responsibility for the implementation of the "peace law," it is acceptable that it be established under the Presidential Office; and that the "peace law's" content or stipulations should not infringe on the purview of the president and should comply with the principles of the Constitution. This marks the first time that the Presidential Office has made any statement on the proposed "cross-strait peace promotion law" initiated by the People First Party that is currently under debate in the Legislative Yuan. Yu, the secretary-general of the Presidential Office, reiterated that as long as the draft law complies with the three bottom lines, the Presidential Office will not interfere in either its enactment or its implementation.
■ Transit
MRT seeks correct English
To be able to provide information that uses correct English, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) is organizing a competition to identify errors in its English publications from Sunday to July 31. During this period, the general public will be invited to find errors in the MRT's public displays and in publication materials. The TRTC says that the activity is aimed at improving Taipei's bilingual environment and raising the city's international image, and that their goal is to provide all relevant publications, Web sites and signs in both Chinese and English. The scope of the competition includes finding errors in spelling, word usage, sequence, translation and grammar. Participants who correctly identify errors that do not overlap with entries of other participants will each receive a "Beitou Resort Recreation Center One-day Ticket." Detailed information can be found at the TRTC's bilingual Web site at www.trtc.com.tw/
■ Society
Most teenagers are unhappy
Nearly 70 percent of Taiwan's teenagers do not feel they are leading a happy life, and what troubles them most is academic performance, lack of communication with parents, and the inability to overcome depression and cope with pressures in life, a survey released Thursday found. The Carnegie Training Center surveyed 2,167 young people aged between 13 and 18 last year and found that the traditional value of emphasizing academic achievement has become the top worry of Taiwan's young people. Hei Yu-lung (黑幼龍), an analyst with the training center, said most parents in Taiwan are willing to spend a great deal of money to get their kids into the best school, without realizing that it is self-confidence, communication ability and human relationships that affect a person's life at home, work and in society. Looking into why Taiwan's teenagers do not usually have good communication skills, Hei found that they spend most of their time studying, while leisure time is spent surfing the Internet, watching TV, playing computer games or talking on their cellphones. "They do not have a lot of chances to practice their communication skills, so they remain quite aloof from their peers and parents," he said, suggesting that they try to go beyond just being "academic achievers" and be more creative in developing their potential and enjoy life.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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