The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed seven new COVID-19 cases, six of which are imported. The other case involves a Belgian engineer who entered Taiwan on May 3 and remained in quarantine until May 17, said Chen, who heads the CECC. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung speaks at a Central Epidemic Command Center briefing in Taipei yesterday. The Belgian, in his 20s, is a technician working on an offshore wind project in Changhua County. The government would maintain strict border controls, he said, adding that the nation is still safe from the risk of community outbreaks.

Lawmakers face corruption chargesBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterProsecutors yesterday listed five current and former lawmakers, and four others, as suspects in a corruption probe, and applied to place them in judicial detention. Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau staff carry boxes with documents gathered in connection to a corruption probe involving several legislators in Taipei yesterday. New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), a former legislator, also faces charges under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Former DPP legislator Mark Chen (陳唐山), who also faces pending corruption charges, was released in the morning after posting NT$500,000 bail. He also allegedly urged BreadTalk Group to launch an international business lawsuit over accusations that Douglas Hsu’s subsidiary firm in 2002 forged documents to falsify capitalization figures to gain control of Pacific Sogo.

President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a forum in Taipei yesterday marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Icyang Parod, center, and four Atayal children open an event in Taipei yesterday marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Photo: Luo Chi, Taipei TimesSome attendees shared troubles they had encountered for using traditional names. NOT TROUBLEMAKERSRecovering their traditional names means they are retrieving subjectivity, which does not mean they are troublemakers, Kolas said. Aborigines can register their names with Chinese characters or romanized along with the Chinese characters, Council of Indigenous Peoples Deputy Minister Iwan Nawi said.

Remembering Lee Teng-hui: Leaders, Taiwanese pay respects at Lee memorial’TAIWAN’S HELMSMAN’: A Taichung woman said Lee Teng-hui lived through martial law and its lifting, and she watched him ‘lead Taiwan to become a democracy’By Lee Hsin-fang / Staff Reporter, with APNational leaders and others yesterday paid their respects to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who died on Thursday aged 97 after bringing full democracy to Taiwan. Among yesterday’s visitors was President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who wrote in a book of condolences: “You shall forever be watching over democratic Taiwan.”People pay tribute to former president Lee Teng-hui at the Taipei Guest House in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei TimesTsai was accompanied by Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). In response, New Power Party creative media director Jerry Liu (劉仕傑) called Wang “inhumane,” and urged him to apologize to Lee’s family. Taiwanese singer Chang Li-min (張琍敏), an outspoken supporter of ousted Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), made a similar post on Facebook, writing: “Lee Teng-hui is dead, oh yeah.”Additional reporting by Huang Hsin-po

Human Rights Commission launchedPROUD WORK: Protecting human rights to an international standard would continue, even as a constitutional amendment committee is planned, President Tsai Ing-wen saidBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that she hopes the National Human Rights Commission, launched yesterday, would make a “unique contribution” to the international community by passing on the nation’s experience with promoting human rights. Photo: CNAThe commission’s responsibilities include investigating human rights violations, researching and reviewing human rights policies, generating reports on human rights incidents, promoting human rights and engaging in international exchanges, she said, adding that the tasks should be conducted in the spirit of the Control Yuan as watchdog, while fostering local human rights institutions and instilling in residents a sense of respect toward other human beings. The Presidential Office’s Human Rights Commission Consultative Committee, after adapting many international covenants on human rights to the nation, on May 19 ceased operations so that it could pass on the baton to the commission, she added. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesThe commission is to be a voice for minority groups, comprehensively monitor human rights in Taiwan, consult on human rights, receive complaints on human rights infringements, offer human rights education, assess whether government policies protect human rights, and advise the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan on human rights legislation, she said. Asked what human rights she hoped to bolster, Chen said that she would focus on the human rights of children, inmates and people who are mentally challenged.

White House, Cornell University praise Lee Teng-huiBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reportersThe White House in a statement on Friday marked the passing of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), while Lee’s alma mater Cornell University issued an obituary remembering his academic achievements and his 1995 speech during a visit to the campus. The text “Mourning former president Lee” is displayed over 59th and 60th floors on Taipei 101 on Friday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesThe White House statement said that “President Lee was Taiwan’s first popularly elected leader and stepped down in adherence to term limits. The White House statement came after the US National Security Council remembered Lee as “Mr Democracy.”Then-president Lee Teng-hui, left, holds hands with the Dalai Lama at their first-ever meeting at a government guest house in Taipei on March 27, 1997. Cornell University, where Lee earned a doctorate in agricultural economics in 1968, published an obituary on its Web site.

Rakuten Monkeys catcher Liao Chien-fu connects during their game against the Uni-President Lions at the Taoyuan Intenational Stadium yesterday. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei TimesIt was tied at 1-1 early, with Rakuten hosting the Lions at the Taoyuan Intenational Stadium yesterday. Kuo Yen-wen of the Rakuten Monkeys, second right, celebrates with his teammates after their win against the Uni-President Lions at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium on Friday. Kuo Yen-wen, center, of the Rakuten Monkeys waves after being named most valuable player in Friday’s game against the Uni-President Lions at the Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium. It was not only the Monkeys who won with final at-bats this week, as the Brothers also left it late.

“Environmental Protection Preacher” (環保弘法師) was more than a nickname, though, it was Nien’s actual job title when the full-time activist moonlighted as an environmental writer and speaker for a Buddhist magazine in 1990. The cover of Nien Hsi-lin’s biography, Environmental Protection Preacher, shows him during his anti-Dupont days between 1986 and 1987. The success of the anti-Dupont movement was a pivotal moment in Taiwan’s environmental protection history. Just five months after Dupont scrapped its Lukang project, the Executive Yuan upgraded the Department of Health’s Environmental Protection Bureau to an independent Environmental Protection Administration, greatly expanding its scope and responsibilities. “If Taiwan becomes a complete wasteland, what meaning would independence or unification have?”LATE-LIFE AWAKENINGA screenshot from the Lukang Residents’ Anti-Dupont Movement documentary filmed by Green Team.

Tsai vows to liberalize finance rules‘INCREASINGLY FAVORED’: Taiwan’s ‘transparent laws and efficient courts’ as well as its financial institutions give it a major advantage to become a financial hub, Tsai saidBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTaiwan would liberalize banking and investment rules to establish itself as a regional financial hub, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Taiwan Capital Market Forum in Taipei yesterday. “These bring new challenges and opportunities.”President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Taiwan Capital Market Forum, held by the Liberty Times, in Taipei’s Neihu Disitrct yesterday. Second, our comprehensive financial institutions,” she said. In addition, dividend yields are high in Taiwan, transactions are stable and transparent, and compared with surrounding countries, the liquidity of Taiwan’s capital markets is high, Tsai said. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told the forum that Taiwan has taken advantage of the US-China trade dispute by encouraging investment.

Lawmakers raided in graft probeBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterInvestigators yesterday searched the offices and homes of six current and former lawmakers, in connection with a corruption probe over allegations of taking bribes and other illegal activities arising from disputes in Far Eastern Group’s (遠東集團) takeover of Pacific Sogo Department Store (太平洋崇光百貨). Also under investigation were former New Power Party legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), former independent legislator Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) and former DPP lawmaker Mark Chen (陳唐山). Prosecutors and investigators, center, yesterday hold brown paper bags on their way out of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chen-ching’s office in the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The corruption probe centered on efforts to amend Article 9 of the Company Act (公司法), deliberated in the Legislative Finance Committee. They said he allegedly gave bribes to Chao, and other unspecified lawmakers, to pressure government agencies for rezoning permits.

People attend the Taiwan Capital Market Forum held by the Liberty Times in Taipei’s Neihu District yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesAs the heavily weighted TSMC could easily influence the local bourse, investors should refrain from gloating over the rallies, Huang added. “We should think how the TAIEX would perform if there were no TSMC,” Huang said. Instead of feeling good about the market thanks to the success of one big company, the regulator should focus more on the balanced development of all listed corporations, he said. There is a balance between insufficient and excessive investor protection, but the commission would improve investor education so that they can make good decisions, Huang said.

Lee’s support of art scene laudedBIG INFLUENCER: Had it not been for the former president, the art and cultural scene in Taiwan today would not be the same, singer Julian Lo saidBy Chen Feng-li, Ling Mei-hsueh and Dennis Xie / Staff reporters, with staff writerArtists and musicians yesterday expressed their condolences for the passing of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), as well as their appreciation of his support for the arts and cultural industries. Wang Ying-hsin (王英信), who in 1997 was invited by Lee to create a 2.2m sculpture of the then-president, said that Lee loved art and he frequented many exhibitions during his time as president to support local artists. Lee would even visit artists’ studios, as he wanted to get to know artists and their working environments better, Wang said. “To date, which other mayor has had such an appreciation of art and culture?”Musician Mali Liu also appreciated Lee’s love of music. When Japanese photographer Koki Sato took part in the art exhibition “Geisai Taiwan2” in Taipei in 2010, Lee was the subject of some of his works.

Nation’s leaders mourn Lee’s passingFAREWELL, SKIPPER: Lee Teng-hui was like the old captain of a democratic ship called ‘Taiwan,’ and his aspirations for that ship will never die, Chen Shui-bian saidBy Sean Lin and Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reportersGovernment agencies across the nation yesterday flew the national flag at half-mast to mourn the passing of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who died on Thursday aged 97. The arrangements for the memorial were decided at an intergovernmental meeting attended by Lee’s two daughters earlier yesterday, Huang said. A man yesterday kneels outside Taipei Veterans General Hospital’s Huai-en Hall to pay his respects to former president Lee Teng-hui, who died on Thursday. Lee’s family said that people were welcome to visit and mourn the former president, but asked that they not lay wreaths or baskets, he said. The national flag yesterday flies at half-mast at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei to mourn the passing of former president Lee Teng-hui.

Aquarium’s 91 marine exhibits are legal, OCA saysBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) yesterday said that the Japanese aquarium Xpark, which is to open next week in Taoyuan, had applied and received approval to legally import 91 marine species, in response to public concern over where it is sourcing the animals. The aquarium is to feature hammerhead sharks, leopard sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, penguins, seals and sea lions, among others, the company said. People take pictures of jellyfish at the Xpark aquarium in Jhongli District, Taoyuan, yesterday. Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei TimesWhile some aquariums feature whale sharks, the agency in June listed whale sharks, eagles and mobulid rays as endangered and first-class protected species. Visitors look at images of marine creatures projected on the floor in an interactive area of Xpark aquarium in Jhongli, Taoyuan, yesterday.

As of yesterday afternoon, 206 foreign dignitaries from 45 countries and organizations had expressed sadness over Lee’s death, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “President Lee’s death is truly regrettable, and I pray for his soul from the bottom of my heart,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday, as well as writing it on Twitter. “An alumnus of Iowa State University and Cornell University, President Lee also epitomized the strong people-to-people ties which bind the United States and Taiwan,” the AIT said in a statement. “Throughout his life, President Lee was a superlative leader, reformist and public servant,” said Project 2049 Institute chairman Randall Schriver, former US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, in a statement. The British Office Taipei, the European Economic and Trade Office and other local representative offices also honored Lee’s role in building Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.