■ DIPLOMACY
MOFA asserts Taiping claim
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reaffirmed the nation's sovereignty over Taiping Island in the South China Sea in response to Vietnam's opposition to an ongoing road expansion project on the island. MOFA made the comment in a press release on Tuesday after its Vietnamese counterpart issued a statement on Nov. 15 saying Taiwan had infringed Vietnam's sovereignty with the road expansion project on the island. The Ministry of National Defense is expanding the main road on Taiping, the biggest islet of the Spratly Islands, to approximately 1,150m in length and 30m in width. The expanded road will also serve as an emergency runway.
■ HEALTH
Lyme disease reported
The nation has recorded its first case of Lyme disease since the illness was declared a nationally notifiable infectious disease last month, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) official said yesterday. The case involves a 22-year-old American teacher of English who is said to have been infected during a trip back home between April and May, CDC Deputy Director-General Shih Wen-yi (施文儀) said. The man recently sought medical treatment at a local hospital, which reported his case to health authorities, Shih said, adding that the man was receiving antibiotic treatment. Shih said that every year, the US records more than 10,000 cases of Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Early symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to the joints, heart and the nervous system, Shih said.
■ POLITICS
Lai to Chiu: Go see a shrink
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator William Lai (賴清德) yesterday told Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) to see a psychiatrist, after Chiu accused Lai of inspecting his cell. "I really do not understand why the KMT would nominate such a man as a legislative candidate," Lai said when approached for comments about Chiu's accusation. "He needs to see a shrink, not run for reelection." Lai admitted he had been to the Kaohsiung Second Prison to visit a friend. "I can't remember when, but I did visit the prison when Chiu was behind bars. But I was visiting a friend, not him," Lai said. "I believe the security footage will prove that I am not lying." Prison officials confirmed Lai's story, saying he was nowhere near Chiu's cell. Kaohsiung Second Prison vice warden Lu Tung-yuan (陸東原) said the cell which Lai visited was quite far from Chiu's. Only guards are allowed to visit a prisoner in his cell. Guards must also take off their shoes before they enter a cell, which unlike what Chiu said, makes it impossible to leave shoeprints.
■ POLITICS
Ma woos China, Japan
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday he would work to ease tensions with China while keeping friendly ties with Japan if he is elected next year. Speaking at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, Ma said: "I will resume negotiations with the mainland." Ma said he would use his three-day visit to Japan to end speculation that he was anti-Japanese. "I'm not anti-Japanese, not pro-Japanese. But I'm trying to understand the Japanese," Ma said. Ma said he supported "forward-looking visions" with Japan and greater economic ties.
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
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
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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