An unknown assailant threw a chunk of glass at Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu, who was riding in a jeep with a partial bulletproof shield, said she did not know at first what had happened, local news cables reported, adding that police were investigating the incident in Tainan City.
The chunk of glass was apparently thrown from the window of a high-rise building, the reports said, showing footage of a smashed bottle on the street near Lu's jeep.
PHOTO: CNA
Police in Tainan declined to comment.
Lu was slightly injured in the same city in 2004 in a shooting on the eve of the presidential polls. Bullets grazed President Chen Shui-bian (
Interior Minister Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) on Wednesday ordered a tightening of security ahead of tomorrow's legislative elections, with thousands of extra police to be deployed and bodyguards assigned to more than 100 candidates.
In related news, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday said that an emergency response task force has been set up to oversee law and order before and during tomorrow's elections and referendums.
Led by Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (
The task force started its operations yesterday and will close after the vote-counting has been completed.
Meanwhile, National Police Agency Director-General Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told a separate press conference yesterday that a total of 62,419 police officers are ready for assignments on election day.
"Our end goal is to make sure the every single ballot will be cast without any turbulence," Hou said.
He said the police officers and volunteer security personnel would be distributed to a total of 14,377 ballot stations nationwide tomorrow.
Hou also introduced a new online system through which field officers will be able to videotape or audiotape everything with their mobile phones, media players, cameras or other electronic devices and then upload them via the Internet to headquarters.
That way, supervisors back in the office would be able to learn the latest situation at locations where potential trouble might occur, he said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JIMMY CHUANG AND SHIH HSIU-CHUAN
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS