ENTERTAINMENT
Film screenings announced
Mongrel (白衣蒼狗), an award-winning movie on the life of migrant workers working illegally as caregivers in Taiwan, is to start a limited run in Kaohsiung on June 27. The first two theaters on the screening tour are Vieshow Cinema in the FE21 Mega shopping mall and in89 Cinema at the Pier-2 Art Center, with subsequent screenings to be announced. The movie earned a Golden Camera Special Mention Award in the category dedicated to first feature films at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. “It’s not a film that caters to mainstream tastes and it’s not a successful art film. I did what I could, that’s all,” said Singaporean director Chiang Wei-liang (曾威量), who codirected the film with Taiwanese director Yin You-qiao (尹又巧).
Photo courtesy of Activator Co
AIRLINES
CAL flight to be probed
The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport yesterday said that it would launch an investigation into a China Airlines (CAL) flight that failed to follow air traffic control instructions and landed on the wrong runway at Busan’s Gimhae International Airport, classifying the case as a “quasi-accident.” Although Thursday’s incident involving Flight CI186 from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport caused no damage or injuries, it met the criteria for a serious incident under aviation safety regulations, the ministry said. The ministry said that its Korea Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board would lead the probe. The incident was first brought to public attention by Taiwanese aerospace YouTuber and former pilot James Wang (王天傑), who said during a livestream that the CAL aircraft had landed on the incorrect runway. The Transportation Safety Board earlier said that it would support the South Korean investigation if requested and is prepared to take over should the South Korean authorities opt not to proceed with their own probe. CAL has launched an internal investigation.
CRIME
Fraud suspects arrested
Six people who set up a fan page that purported to belong to Nvidia Corp chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) have been arrested for alleged investment fraud, the New Taipei City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps said on Wednesday. The operation allegedly defrauded more than NT$13 million (US$438,183) from more than 100 people, police said. The suspects operated what they presented as a digital technology marketing company, with a manager surnamed Lee (李) and five others, police said, adding that the fake fan page lured people into joining Line groups by claiming to offer stock analysis and investment tips from Huang, but led to fake investment Web sites.
CULTURE
Diving event announced
The Ministry of Culture has scheduled two events in the middle of August as it introduces Protected Wreck Days to raise public awareness of underwater cultural heritage. In collaboration with National Tsing Hua University, the ministry said that it would hold a three-day scuba diving event from Aug. 15 to 17, focusing on “Jiangjun No. 1” (將軍1號), a shipwreck discovered near Penghu County in 1995. There is also a one-day seminar on Aug. 15. The Jiangjun No. 1, near Jiangjun Islet in Penghu County, is believed to have been a wooden vessel carrying building materials and ceramic goods, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage said. The three-day diving event has 20 spots available for applicants holding a Divemaster certificate or higher.
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
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday vowed to protest at the EVA Air Marathon on Sunday next week should EVA Airway Corp’s management continue to ignore the union’s petition to change rules on employees’ leave of absence system, after a flight attendant reportedly died after working on a long-haul flight while ill. The case has generated public discussion over whether taking personal or sick leave should affect a worker’s performance review. Several union members yesterday protested at the Legislative Yuan, holding white flowers and placards, while shouting: “Life is priceless; requesting leave is not a crime.” “The union is scheduled to meet with
‘UNITED FRONT’ RHETORIC: China’s TAO also plans to hold weekly, instead of biweekly, news conferences because it wants to control the cross-strait discourse, an expert said China’s plan to expand its single-entry visa-on-arrival service to Taiwanese would be of limited interest to Taiwanese and is a feeble attempt by Chinese administrators to demonstrate that they are doing something, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said the program aims to facilitate travel to China for Taiwanese compatriots, regardless of whether they are arriving via direct flights or are entering mainland China through Hong Kong, Macau or other countries, and they would be able to apply for a single-entry visa-on-arrival at all eligible entry points in China. The policy aims
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