■ Crime
Marshalls man convicted
A Marshall Islands man was convicted yesterday of attempting to murder a Taiwanese volunteer teacher in May and sentenced to seven years in jail. Chief Justice Carl Ingram said the sentence showed that serious assault was not acceptable in the Marshall Islands. Andy Jeillan, 20, changed his original plea from not guilty to guilty of one count of attempting to commit first-degree murder. His unprovoked attack on Yeh Chao-min, 30, at her apartment in the capital Majuro with a metal pipe late last month left her with a fractured cheekbone and other facial injuries. She was flown home for surgery. The assault prompted an outcry from government leaders, Taiwanese embassy officials and the media.
■ Crime
Yu Fu-hsing may be alive
Hong Kong newspapers yesterday reported that famous Taiwanese singer Yu Tien's (余天)'s adopted younger brother, Yu Fu-hsing (余福星), may not have been executed in China as previously reported. On Sunday, Hong Kong newspapers reported that Yu Fu-hsing had been executed after being caught trying to smuggle heroin into Xiamen. But newspapers yesterday said Yu was still in prison, and that his execution might not take place for another six months. Yu Tien yesterday said he has not been officially informed about whether his younger brother was executed. Newspapers said Yu Fu-hsing smuggled heroin from Thailand to Xiamen last March. He initially planned to transport it to Taiwan directly by boat, but because of Taiwan's tightened security at the time, he decided to transport the drugs to Xiamen and wait before bringing it across the Taiwan Strait. Yu was arrested late last year, and Chinese authorities have sentenced him to death.
■ Military
China report expected soon
The US Department of Defense is expected to release a report on China's military buildup around the July 4 US Independence Day, the Republic of China's top representative to the US said in Los Angeles Sunday. David Lee (李大維), who is currently on a brief visit in the southern California city, made the remarks while meeting with a group of Chinese-language media correspondents. In line with the principles of a Taiwan-US mutual trust mechanism, Lee said, US authorities will brief the Taiwan representative office in Washington, D.C. before the report on China's military power is released. The report is expected to include an in-depth assessment of China's military power and strategy and a detailed analysis of its missile and naval force buildup across the Taiwan Strait, China affairs experts said, adding that the report is expected to raise concerns over China's ever growing military threat to Taiwan.
■ Politics
DPP publishes rally DVDs
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday published DVDs recording the massive rally held on March 26 in Taipei to protest China's passage of its "Anti-Secession" Law. In addition to the Chinese-language version, English and Japanese versions are also available. According to DPP secretary-general Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋), the massive rally united the Taiwanese people and made Taiwan's rejection of China's claim over the country heard by the world. The recording was made to raise awareness of the event and commemorate it. Lee said that the DVD will be available to Taiwanese emigrants and students overseas.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
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