■ Society
Family found dead in NYC
A family of four was found dead in a Harlem apartment in New York City in an apparent suicide by the father, who had sent a letter to relatives in Taiwan saying he was depressed over a financial setback. Fred Wang, 42, his wife, Christine, his 8-year-old son Dennis and his 6-year-old daughter Serena were discovered dead on Thursday night of apparent carbon-monoxide poisoning. They were found by a relative who went to their housing complex after Wang sent his family a letter by express mail saying he was upset by a failed business venture. Coals were burning in silver-colored bowls in the room and a blanket was draped over the door, said Sergeant Mike Wysokowski, a police spokesman. The drapes had been pulled closed. A grandmother who lived with the family was unharmed.
■ Media
TVBS slapped with fine
The Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday issued a NT$200,000 (US$6,000) fine to television station TVBS for "not honestly reporting the transfer and background of its shareholders." The fine came as one of the station's talk shows publicized evidence related to government scandals for the second straight day, but GIO minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) denied to reporters that there was any connection. "We decided to fine them [TVBS] because we discovered that the station did not honestly provide necessary information as required when they were renewing their license for the channel earlier this year," Yao said. He warned that such dishonest behavior could result in suspension of the station's license. The GIO is investigating whether TVBS Chairman Norman Leung (梁乃鵬), who is also the former chairman of the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority, is eligible to hold such a high-ranking position in Taiwan's media industry.
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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