■ 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 Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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