Page Two

Ministry touts ‘top universities’ results

Taipei Times
Date:  Aug 22, 2015
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Ministry of Education yesterday showcased results in the fields of humanities and social sciences from its “top universities” project and demonstrated how research in the two fields can benefit from technological trends, such as big data and wearable devices.

Speaking at a press conference in Taipei, Minister of Education Wu Se-hwa (吳思華) said that the ultimate goal of the project is to foster talented people who can contribute to society and pursue careers overseas.

To achieve this goal, one must develop a solid basis for humanities, compassion for the international community and a good understanding of the world, he said.

Presentations given by school faculties at the press conference indicated that recent research in the humanities and social sciences were conducted with the help of technology.     [FULL  STORY]

Too many irrelevant tasks: Ko

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taipei City Government is not struggling with too many employees and too little to do, but with too many useless tasks to perform, Mayor Ko Wen-je reportedly said Saturday.

After a hard-fought election campaign last year, the outspoken surgeon was sworn in last December with a full reform agenda, including making the city government more transparent and accountable to the public.

Critics recently said that the capital’s 5,522 members of staff were too much, and they hardly had anything to do most of the time.     [FULL  STORY]

Talk show host ordered to pay Gou NT$2 million

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-21
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Talk show host Clara Chou was found guilty of defamation

Talk show host ordered to pay Gou NT$2 million. Central News Agency

Talk show host ordered to pay Gou NT$2 million. Central News Agency

Friday and ordered to pay tycoon Terry Gou NT$2 million (US$61,000).

The dispute has its origin in last year’s mayoral campaign in Taipei City. After the election, Chou alleged that Gou was the businessman alleged to have given NT$300 million (US$9.2 million) in illegal donations to the losing candidate, Sean Lien of the Kuomintang.

The Taipei District Court found her guilty because she never bothered to verify the claims with Gou himself. In addition to the fine, the court also ruled she should publish apologies on the front page of seven major newspapers and on a Chinese-language web site. Appeals are still possible. The Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. chairman had demanded NT$10 million (US$306,000) in compensation.     [FULL  STORY]

McDonald’s ‘goddess’ appears in Taiwan

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-21
By: Staff Reporter

A Taiwanese McDonald’s worker, Hsu Wei-han, has garnered fame and the title

Hsu Wei-han dubbed as the 'McDonald's goddess' by the netizens at a press conference, Aug. 20. (Photo/CNA)

Hsu Wei-han dubbed as the ‘McDonald’s goddess’ by the netizens at a press conference, Aug. 20. (Photo/CNA)

“McDonald’s goddess” for her looks in both Taiwan and overseas after pictures posted of her by RainDog, a Taiwanese blogger, went viral, according to Taiwan’s state-run Central New Agency.

The pictures show her in short skirt and high-heels instead of the regular McDonald’s staff uniform. The pictures have even spurred some Taiwanese men to propose to her. Compliments flooded her Facebook page from all over the world.

People have flocked to the McDonald’s outlet where she works after obsessive searching on the internet.

Hsu has attended different McDonald’s events as a model, as well as her regular counter job. Hsu expressed her appreciation for the compliments on her Facebook page in both English and Mandarin, saying that she will keep working in the restaurant.

The McDonald’s in Taiwan is known for encouraging their young workers to dress up while working. Throughout the Asian region there has been a trend to get female staff members to dress in a cute and doll-like way to attract customers.

Soong apologizes for his role in Martial Law era

‘LONG OVERDUE’:James Soong responded to growing calls for an apology for suppressing freedoms of the press, speech and language while serving under the KMT

Taipei Times
Date: , Aug 22, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday bowed

People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong bows to apologize for his role in the pain inflicted on Taiwanese during the Martial Law era as he released his second presidential campaign video yesterday in Taipei. Photo: CNA

People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong bows to apologize for his role in the pain inflicted on Taiwanese during the Martial Law era as he released his second presidential campaign video yesterday in Taipei. Photo: CNA

in apology for what he said were long-term, excruciating pains suffered by Taiwanese nearly four decades ago, amid growing calls for him to apologize for his roles in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) suppression of the freedoms of the press, speech and language under its one-party rule.

“I would like to express my regret for the harms and wounds that once existed in this island of Taiwan… I also want to extend my apologies to those afflicted with such long-standing and agonizing pains,” Soong told a press conference held for the release of his second campaign video in Taipei yesterday morning.

“We must not forget how many families were torn up and how their emotional sufferings have been passed down from generation to generation. I can now relate to such pains. My apology is long overdue,” Soong said.

Having served in numerous positions under the regimes of former presidents Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), the 73-year-old seasoned politician has been facing calls following his announcement for presidential candidacy earlier this month to face up to the skeletons in his closet.     [FULL  STORY]

MAC refutes former President Lee’s 1992 consensus claim

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/21
By: Chou Yi-ling and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday denied a controversial claim made by former President Lee Teng-hui that the “1992 consensus” was bogus, saying that the council has official documents detailing how the consensus came about.

The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit agreement reached by Taiwan and China during talks in Hong Kong in 1992, that there is only one China and each side is free to offer its own interpretation as to what that means in practice.

During a meeting between Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in October in 1992 in Hong Kong, Beijing demanded a clarification of how both sides would formulate “the one China principle,” the MAC said.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s representative to Canada named vice foreign minister

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-08-20
By: Tang Pei-chun and Romulo Huang, Central News Agency

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan’s representative to Canada, Bruce Jung-da Linghu (????), was named Thursday vice foreign minister to replace Andrew Kao who was transferred in July to serve as deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council. Foreign Minister David Lin said that Linghu is an adequate official to take over the post of vice foreign minister, based on his rich diplomatic experience, specially in North American and Asia-Pacific affairs.

During his long diplomatic career, Linghu has served as director-general of the Department of North American Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Taiwan’s ambassador to the Marshall Islands and director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and in Auckland. He assumed his current post in Canada last year.

Local anti-Japanese volunteer remembered for his efforts during WWII

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/08/20
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan Volunteers (台灣義勇隊), a group of Taiwanese youngsters who fought against Japanese troops in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) in Southeast China, and its leader Lee Yo-pang (李友邦) have been vindicated in high school history textbooks, one of Lee’s sons said recently.

Lee was born in Luchou, New Taipei City, when Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule in 1906. He joined the Taiwanese Cultural Association when he was 15, traveled to Republican China and met with Nationalist Party leader Sun Yat-sen in 1924.

But he was shot to death by the Chinese Nationalist government in Taiwan in 1952 on suspicion of covering Communists in Taiwan and attempting to overthrow the government, said Lee Li-chun (李力群).    [FULL  STORY]

KMT’s Hung Hsiu-chu rejects rumors she plans to quit race

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-20
By: CNA and Staff Reporter

Hung Hsiu-chu, the presidential candidate for Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, said

Hung Hsiu-chu gives an interview to the Chinese Television System in Taipei, Aug. 19. (Photo/Chinese Television System)

Hung Hsiu-chu gives an interview to the Chinese Television System in Taipei, Aug. 19. (Photo/Chinese Television System)

Wednesday that she has no intention of dropping out of the 2016 race. She also denied rumors that she would give way to another candidate and drop to the lower half of the KMT ticket.

“There’s no possibility that I’d step back and run as vice president,” Hung said, adding that it would be a waste of time to try to track down the people who were spreading such rumors. Instead, it would be better to use the time to seek grassroots support and show her intention to go the distance, Hung said.

Amid reports that the KMT has not thrown its full weight behind her, Hung said in response to reporters’ questions that the time is not yet right for the party’s top heavyweights like President Ma Ying-jeou, Vice President Wu Den-yih, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and KMT Chairman Eric Chu to start stumping for her.     [FULL  STORY]

Gay activist makes island-wide tour

Taipei Times
Date:  Aug 21, 2015
By: Chien Hui-ju and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Carrying with him a rainbow colored flag reading: “Starting from Tainan, going to a place

Chang Tse-yu holds a banner with a rainbow-colored slogan against the Ministry of Education’s adjustments to high-school curriculum guidelines. PHOTO: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times

Chang Tse-yu holds a banner with a rainbow-colored slogan against the Ministry of Education’s adjustments to high-school curriculum guidelines. PHOTO: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times

with no prejudice,” 17-year-old Chang Tse-yu (張澤瑜) yesterday brandished the poster he had carried with him on a nationwide trip that startat the end of last month, hoping to send a message on Lovers’ Day today wishing happiness to couples as well as to call attention to the issue of tolerance.

Just before embarking on his journey on July 30, Chang told his mother he was a homosexual, saying he has a boyfriend.

He said he is lucky to have an understanding mother whose response was: “I’m proud that my son has a boyfriend at the age of 17.”

His declaration was met with respect by his friends as well, he said, adding that the affirmation of his orientation caused him to make the best use of the summer vacation with a cross-island journey carrying a rainbow flag

Chang said he hopes his action will bring warmth to the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT) community.     [FULL  STORY]