Taichung City, notorious for its high crime, was embarrassed after some of its invited guests for the 2008 IBAF Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament were robbed on Thursday night while walking down the street.
Taichung police said that the secretary-general of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) had a bag stolen he was carrying for his secretary, Erica. IBAF sectary-general, Australian John Ostermeyer, was in the city with other IBAF officials to watch the 2008 IBAF Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
The mayor said the police would investigate the robbery. He also said the city would continue to improve its security.
Police said that late on Thursday night Ostermeyer and his secretary had walked to the Shin Kong Cineplex to see a movie near the Evergreen Laurel Hotel where they were staying. But when they were walking along Taichung Kang Road returning to the hotel, a young man riding a scooter suddenly rode onto the sidewalk and snatched the bag from Ostermeyer.
Police said Ostermeyer's secretary reported that she had 1,500 euros (US$2,300) and more than NT$2,000 in her bag.
Police said yesterday they have checked a surveillance camera near the location of the incident, but have yet to identify the suspect.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese