■ 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.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
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