■ Law
Death penalty ruling upheld
The Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence handed to a boat captain for the drowning of six Chinese women, a court official said yesterday. The court Thursday rejected the appeal of Wang Chung-hsing (王中興), convicted of homicide and given a death sentence by the high court. A crew member was sentenced to life in prison for the same offence. Wang and his crew member Ko Ching-sung (柯清松) were accused of pushing 13 Chinese women into the sea when their human smuggling vessel was spotted by Taiwan's coast patrol in August last year. Six women drowned. The supreme court also upheld the life sentence for Ko along with a NT$200,000 fine.
■ Politics
Ex-legislative speaker dies
Former Legislative Speaker and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) old guard Liang Su-jung (梁肅戎) passed away yesterday as a result of complications brought on by pneumonia. Liang was admitted into the hospital on Aug. 15 for having a serious cold. His condition soon deteriorated, and he went into shock on Wednesday. He died late yesterday night. Liang is survived by his three sons and three daughters. A close friend of Liang's said that whenever Liang was ill, he remained concerned with the merger plan for the pan-blue camp, and he even took a day's leave from the hospital to visit KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to express his support for the merger. Liang was a firm supporter of reunification with China. He was 84 years old.
■ Military
MND helps typhoon victims
The military expanded its assistance of victims of Typhoon Aere yesterday. According to a press release by the Ministry of National Defense, it assigned another 4,128 soldiers, 143 planes, 25 pumps, 131 dumpster trucks help clear the destruction brought on by the typhoon. Taipei County's Sanchung and Hsinchuang areas severely flooded during the typhoon on which struck the nation on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25. In Hsinchu's Wufong Township, where mudslide allegedly buried 15 people alive, the army sent C-47 aircraft to carry four compact bulldozers to help local residents clean up the remains of their homes. The ministry said that it will assign more military personnel to join rescue activities or help residents recover from the devastation.
■ Health
Donations sought care fees
Officials of Taiwan's representative office in Canada have recently called for financial relief for a teenage girl, Chien Hsiao-an (簡孝安), from Taiwan who has been receiving treatment for cancer at a hospital in Montreal since early summer. The officials said Chien flew to Montreal from Taiwan at the beginning of her summer vacation to visit relatives. During her stay there, however, she was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal after doctors there diagnosed that her cancer had metastased to her brain. Chien underwent emergency surgery at the hospital. However, before she can leave the country, her family has to pay over US$250,000 in hospital fees, as well as an additional US$43,500 for the medical flight, according to the office. The officials said that because they lack medical insurance in Canada, the family now faces great financial difficulties.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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