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Taiwan quick take

■Defense
MND quells Net rumor
A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) claimed yesterday that Internet reports about four F-16 fighters leaving a training flight to defect to China are nothing but Internet-based lies. Huang Suey-sheng (黃穗生) noted that even the Chinese authorities have rebutted the claims. The rumors, which first began circulating in late May on several Web sites hailing from China, described how four Taiwan F-16s fled to China during a regular training flight and were fired on by other Taiwan fighters before landing at a Chinese airport escorted by Chinese air force Su-27 fighters. The MND official said the rumors are "interesting enough but professionally inept," as they provided many erroneous details about the Taiwan air force.

■ Crime
Suspects nabbed in robbery
Six people were nabbed in Hsinchu City and Taipei City yesterday in connection with the robbery of an armored car May 27 in Hsinchu, according to police. However, only NT$3 million of the NT$35 million stolen from the armored car was retrieved, the police said. The holdup took place in broad daylight in the busy traffic of downtown Hsinchu when an armored car carrying money from a local bank -- the Tenth Credit Cooperative -- stopped at a red light. Four armed men burst open the car door and took away two bags containing NT$35 million while pointing guns at the driver and security guards. Police acting on a tipoff arrested five men and one woman in Taipei and Hsinchu separately, and found the two canvas money bags in a Hsinchu graveyard. One other suspect remained at large, according to the police.

■ Health
Fear not monkeypox
A high-ranking official in charge of public health said yesterday that Taiwan is able to prevent the outbreak of monkeypox, so people need not worry about it too much. Y. L. Chiang (江英隆), deputy director-general of the Center for Disease Control under the Executive Yuan's Department of Health, said monkeypox and smallpox have similar symptoms. Both of them can cause rashes, fevers, chills and fatigue, but monkeypox in humans is not usually fatal. The monkeypox virus is usually found in forested areas in Africa, and is apparently spread from prairie dogs to people. Over 30 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in the US over the past week. Chiang said Taiwan is experienced in examining and preventing the spread of infectious diseases and therefore is able to prevent monkeypox from getting into the country.

■ Defense
Star cadets introduced
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) formally introduced three cadets from Taiwan military academies who have been accepted by prestigious US military academies. They included Hung Wan-ting (洪婉婷), from the Military Academy (CMC) and the first ROC woman cadet to be accepted by the Military Academy at West Point; Yu Chang-jung (余長蓉), from the Naval Academy who is the first ROC coed to be accepted by the US Naval Academy. Rounding out the trio is Ou Tse-wei (歐哲維), from the Air Force Academy. He has been accepted by the US Air Force Academy. Military Spokesman Major General Huang Suey-sheng (黃穗生) said that the three cadets have passed a series of rigorous tests at the CMA, which was conducted by the American Institute in Taiwan

Agencies
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