■ POLITICS
Chen attacks KMT bill
Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday hit out at the legislature for approving a law to revoke his presidential perks as he appeals a 20-year jail term for graft. “This malicious law is aimed at persecuting former president Chen, and this amounts to political suppression by the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] ... to appease China,” Chen’s office said in a statement. Last week the legislature passed a bill stripping former heads of state of courtesy treatment, including a monthly allowance and annual expenses, if convicted by a court of grave offenses such as sedition and graft in the first trial. The number of bodyguards assigned to a former leader will also be reduced to two or three from the maximum 12, under the amendment. Chen will lose an annual stipend of about NT$9 million (US$281,000) when the law takes effect within 20 days of being passed. Chen was sentenced to life in prison last year by the Taipei District Court on multiple counts of corruption, but the High Court cut his term to 20 years in June. His courtesy treatment would be restored if he is cleared by the Supreme Court in a final verdict.
■ ENVIRONMENT
Formosa offer accepted
The Yunlin County Government said on Monday that residents had accepted Formosa Petrochemical Corp’s offer of NT$500 million in compensation for agricultural and fishery losses caused by recent fires at its petrochemical complex in Mailiao Township (麥寮). Officials from Mailiao and Taisi Township (台西) have agreed to the offer, said Yunlin County Deputy Commissioner Lin Yuan-chuan (林源泉), who presided over the coordination meeting. As for the development of a feedback mechanism requested by residents, it will be discussed at future meetings, he said. During a meeting with Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) on Monday last week, the company agreed to pay a maximum of NT$500 million in compensation for losses suffered after the July 7 and July 25 fires. Residents had initially rejected the offer, blocking major roads leading to the complex last week.
■CULTURE
Dance troupe tours Europe
The Yi Tzy Folk Dance Theatre from Tainan has performed in six international arts festivals in France and Italy since July 12. The troupe consists of 17 dancers and eight musicians. Yu Hao-yen (游好彥), a well-known choreographer who accompanied the troupe on its tour, said Yi Tzy dances blend special Taiwanese temple festival elements with creative choreography. Troupe leader Kuo Ling-chuan (郭玲娟) said although the month-long performance tour was tiring, it offered invaluable opportunities for the company to learn from their foreign peers. Representative to France Michel Lu (呂慶龍) hosted a dinner in honor of the troupe on Monday, praising them for helping to elevate Taiwan’s international profile and promoting cultural exchanges.
■ CRIME
Granny charged in murder
A woman has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing her 11-month-old grandson to death, almost decapitating the boy, prosecutors said yesterday. The 60-year-old woman was arrested on Monday at the Taipei apartment she shared with her daughter and son-in-law, after police found the baby’s body with 17 stab wounds, a prosecutor at Taipei District Court said. The woman told police that she wanted “everyone to die” after she found some bruises on the baby and feared her son-in-law would be angry with her, prosecutors said.
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
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