■ CRIME
Sex crime suspect deported
A fugitive from the US who allegedly sexually assaulted his patients while practicing dentistry in the US between 2003 and 2006 was deported yesterday after he was tracked down by local police last week, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said. Departing aboard a United Airlines flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport under the escort of US police officers, the man was expected to be taken back to the US to face trial, the bureau said in a statement. Shiu Tony Gong, a 40-year-old US citizen, was a dentist in Alameda, California. He allegedly molested and sodomized his patients after putting them under anesthesia between June 2003 and August 2006, the bureau said. Gong fled to Taiwan on Sept. 24, 2006, just before he was placed on a wanted list by a California court on Oct. 5, 2006, the bureau said. Gong had since taught English in a cram school under the name “Tony J” and had changed his address frequently, it said.
■POLITICS
Premier approves changes
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) yesterday approved the appointment of Taipei police chief Wang Cho-chun (王卓鈞) to replace Hou You-yi (侯友宜) as director-general of the National Police Agency (NPA). Hou was designated president of the Central Police University, replacing Shieh Ing-dan (謝銀黨). The personnel change was proposed by Minister of the Interior (MOI) Liao Liao-yi (廖了以) yesterday afternoon, Cabinet spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said. The changes will take effect as soon as the paperwork is completed, Shih said.
■EDUCATION
No to Chinese degrees
It might take two to three years before Taiwan starts recognizing degrees issued by Chinese educational institutions, Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) said yesterday. Fielding questions at the legislature, Cheng said that the ministry was leading an initiative to study the feasibility of Taiwan recognizing China’s academic credentials, in line with one of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign promises. “Since this is a matter that also involves Chinese authorities, a final decision is not expected to be made soon,” Cheng said. “It will be at least two to three years before the first batch of Chinese students will be allowed to come and study at local colleges and universities.” Also speaking during the session, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the ministry must be careful and remain vigilant in considering such an important decision.
■FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ma trips not confirmed
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday it was not sure whether President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would attend the inauguration ceremonies of the new presidents of Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, two of the nation’s diplomatic allies. “So far, we have not received instructions on whether President Ma will head the congratulatory delegation, but the plan is to send the highest-level governmental delegation as both Paraguay and the Dominican Republic are very important allies,” Simon Ko (柯森耀), director-general of the ministry’s Central and South American Affairs division, said at a regular press briefing. The Dominican Republic will hold the inauguration ceremony for President Fernandez on Aug. 16, while Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo, who won his country’s April 20 election, is scheduled to be sworn in on Aug. 15.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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