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One of the top stories from this past week involved former President Chen Shui-bian being granted medical parole for an initial period of one month. The Justice Ministry’s decision came on Monday after a review committee concluded that he should be given better treatment for progressive neurodegeneration.
Chen is a member of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); he served as president from 2000 to 2008. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on corruption charges and has already served more than six years.
He was released on Monday afternoon.
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Also this past week hundreds of people gathered at Liberty Plaza in Taipei on Friday for a silent vigil in memory of those killed in the terrorist attacks in Paris.
On Wednesday attackers stormed the office of a satire publication, called Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people, including two policemen.
Participants around the world gathered in silent tribute to the attack victims. Many of the people in Taipei carried placards with the slogan “Je suis Charlie”, French for “I am Charlie” in a symbolic declaration of their support of freedom of expression.
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And finally this past week, the Taipei Zoo’s star panda cub, Yuanzai, has moved out on her own. Tuesday was the last day her fans could witness any cuddling or other cute interaction between her and her mother, Yuan Yuan.
For the past few weeks, the zoo has been preparing Yuanzai for independence. She’s learned to eat dinner by herself and to get used to being alone for periods of time.
Meanwhile, Yuan Yuan is entering the prime season for breeding. The zookeepers will adjust the temperature and lighting around her in hopes of adding another panda cub to the Taipei family this year.