■ POLITICS
Court annuls legislative win
The Taoyuan District Court yesterday annulled the election victory of Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井). Liao was accused by prosecutors of handing out bribes during his campaign for the legislative election in Taoyuan County constituency No. 2 earlier this year. When asked for comment, Liao said he would appeal. Liao protested his innocence, saying he had upheld his integrity over the past four decades as a civil servant.
■ POLITICS
Wu implicated in scandal
Former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) yesterday became involved in another alleged corruption scandal. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office investigating alleged corruption concerning the construction of the Nangang Exhibition Center named Wu as a defendant. Prosecutors questioned former minister of the interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲), another defendant in the case who has been detained since last Wednesday. Shortly after the questioning, Taipei District Prosecutors Office Spokesman Lin Chin-chun (林錦村) said Wu had been listed as a defendant, but refused to elaborate.
■ DEFENSE
Prep school to allow girls
The Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School said yesterday it expected to begin accepting female students next year. The school said it had proposed the idea to the Ministry of National Defense and received initial support for the plan. Two female military officers are scheduled to report to the school next month to help with its plan to accept up to 20 female students beginning next year, a school spokesman said. The Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School was established by the ministry in Fongshan (鳳山), Kaohsiung County, in 1976 with the aim of recruiting exceptional talent to help meet national defense needs and raise the quality of the country’s military officers. The school, which has no tuition, has accepted only male students since its inception.
■ DIPLOMACY
Idaho happy about ties
The signing of a joint statement between a Taipei-based business association and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture represents a renewal of the strong ties between Taiwan and the Midwest state, Idaho Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter said at a reception in Taipei on Monday. Otter, a long term supporter of Taiwan, is the first US state governor to visit Taiwan since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took office in May. Otter made his first visit back in 1998 when he served as Idaho’s lieutenant governor. “It was 10 years ago that I sat at that desk and had the opportunity to ... sign the birth certificate of a great friendship,” said Otter, adding that the statement represents promising bilateral cooperation between both sides. Last year, Idaho’s exports to Taiwan totaled US$304 million, an increase of 76.8 percent over the previous year, making Taiwan Idaho’s sixth-largest export market, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. In his remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) expressed gratitude for the Idaho state legislature’s staunch support for Taiwan’s democracy and its bid to join the WHO. In 2006 and last year, Boise passed resolutions calling for Taiwan’s participation in the health body. It has also called for a US-Taiwan free-trade agreement. The governor and the 22-person delegation is expected to leave tomorrow.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
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