■ Crime
Wang's daughter summoned
PHOTO: HU SHUN-HSIANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Taipei prosecutors and special agents from the Bureau of Investigation yesterday summoned The Chinese Bank vice general manager Wang Lin-ke (王令可), the daughter of Rebar Asia Pacific Group chairman Wang You-theng (王又曾), for questioning because they suspect her of helping her father steal NT$47.9 million from the bank. Special agents also interrogated the bank's Taiyuan Rd branch manager, Chen Wen-dung (陳文棟), for his alleged involvement in the case. Prosecutors said that Wang Lin-ke and Chen abetted Wang You-theng by illegally selling Rebar's debts to companies that had difficulty obtaining credit financing. These companies' applications for credit were approved, with no credit checks or endorsements needed, if they agreed to use half of the money from financing to buy Rebar's debts.
■ Politics
New Lu book hits shelves
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday released a new book, The Global Taiwan, saying that the book was written to correct the erroneous notion that Taiwan is part of China, which she said had misled many people in Taiwan and the world. "I think it is a pity that people always get confused when asked about their national identity. Clarifying the confusion is important as it will contribute to the country's nation building," Lu said at her book launch press conference. Likening writing a book to giving a birth to a baby, Lu said that the book is like her 15th child. Lu started writing books at the age of 30. "The energy I spent on this book was much more than that I devoted to my previous works, as I always feel emotional when thinking of the nation's history," Lu said.
■ Society
Actress Beatrice Hsu dies
Beatrice Hsu (許瑋倫), a 28-year-old actress and pop idol, died at a Taichung hospital on Sunday, two days after sustaining a serious head injury in a car crash on the Sun Yat-sen Freeway. The accident occurred on Friday night, when Hsu's assistant, Lin Yi-wen (林怡妏), was at the wheel. For reasons that remain unclear, the southbound car hit a guardrail and was then hit from behind by a truck, Taichung County's Sanyi police department said. Lin suffered light injuries, but Hsu suffered serious head and chest wounds and fell into a coma. The pair were rushed to hospital in Taichung where Hsu died on Sunday evening, the hospital said.
■ Weather
EPA issues air quality alert
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) issued an alert yesterday about worsening air quality in the wake of pollutants accompanying recent cold fronts. The fronts have brought pollutants originating from southern China, EPA forecasters said. According to officials, air quality in northern Taiwan was at its worst in several months on Sunday. Southern Taiwan is also expected to be affected by worsening air quality over the next two days. Officials said this could create difficulties for people with allergies or respiratory problems, and urged anyone affected to avoid going outdoors or to wear a mask if they must go outside.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
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