■ 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.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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