SOCIETY
Trekker returns home alone
A Taiwanese trekker who went missing for 47 days in the Himalayas and saw his girlfriend die there returned to Taiwan yesterday after recovering in a hospital in Nepal. Liang Sheng-yue (梁聖岳) appeared weak and tired on arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and did not respond to reporters’ questions. The 21-year-old and his girlfriend, Liu Chen-chun (劉宸君), 18, arrived in Nepal from India in late February and began their trek in early March. According to Liang, the couple encountered heavy snow on the third day of their journey and they fell off a cliff while trying to get down the mountain to find shelter. They stayed in a cave to wait for assistance. However, their food only lasted for two weeks, after which they had only salt and water. Liu died three days before Liang was found on Wednesday last week by a team of experienced rescuers, who spotted vultures circling above the cave where the couple took refuge.
LABOR
Security guards to get older
A legislative committee on Monday approved a draft amendment that would allow security providers to hire guards up to the age of 70. The proposal, passed by the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee, also retained a clause requiring private security guards and other security personnel to be at least 20. The existing law does not allow private security guards to work beyond 65. Committee convener William Tseng (曾銘宗) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had proposed that those aged 18 to 70 be able to work as security guards, but KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) said it would not be safe to have teenagers working as security guards in residential and office buildings or at construction sites. Huang’s concerns were accepted.
ENTERTAINMENT
Britney Spears to play gig
US pop singer Britney Spears, who rose to international stardom in the late 1990s and has sold about 100 million records worldwide, is to hold her first-ever concert in Taiwan next month, a promoter said. The concert “Britney Live in Taipei 2017” is to take place at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on June 13, with tickets to go on sale on Saturday next week, IMEtw announced yesterday. Seated tickets are to cost NT$2,680 to NT$7,680 and standing tickets are to cost NT$1,680, the promoter said. In a career spanning almost two decades, the 35-year-old has released nine studio albums.
SOCIETY
Marathon club charged
The owner and an employee of a marathon club have been indicted on charges of falsifying documents to bring Kenyan runners into the nation, the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office said on Monday. The club was involved in falsifying invitation letters from a well-established sportswear brand so that the Kenyans could successfully apply for Taiwanese visas, Tainan Chief Prosecutor Chen Chien-hung (陳建弘) said. The club owner and the employee, identified only as Lin (林) and Lu (盧), were found to have invited more than 10 Kenyan athletes to Taiwan between December 2015 and August last year to compete in marathons. Acting on tips provided by the National Immigration Agency, police raided the club and found evidence of falsified documents and account books. The two would also take a cut from the Kenyan runners’ winnings in the races, and they profited by NT$600,000 (US$19,959) from a total of NT$6 million to NT$7 million in prize money during this period, prosecutors alleged.
AGENCIES
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS