CRIME
Cannabis seized in Taoyuan
A shipment of about 6kg of smuggled cannabis was seized by customs officials at a cargo services center near Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Thursday. The 6,225g of drugs were found stashed in two large boxes during a clearing inspection at Taiwan Air Cargo Terminal’s facility, one of the largest air cargo centers at the airport, the bureau said. The shipment was destined for Hualien County, it said. With the assistance of Hualien police, the find was later connected to a suspect surnamed Wu (吳), who said that he was only receiving the package on behalf of a friend in prison. The man was taken to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office for further questioning, the bureau said, adding that authorities would expand their search to see whether there are possible suspects in the case.
GOVERNANCE
Cultural center opened
The Ministry of Culture yesterday inaugurated the Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center, which is to take over the promotion and preservation of Mongolian and Tibetan culture from the now-disbanded Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission. The commission was disbanded last month as part of a government restructuring plan, and its tasks and budgets were distributed among the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mainland Affairs Council. The Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center, housed on the former premises of the commission, is headed by Hsu Kuei-hsiang (徐桂香), who served as chief secretary of the commission. The center is also to supervise Mongolian and Tibetan cultural foundations, organize exhibitions, preserve historical documents and artifacts, and train talent in the field, the Ministry of Culture said.
MEDIA
MOJ accused of power abuse
The Control Yuan on Wednesday issued a reprimand to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), saying officials have been abusing their power and infringing on press freedom by investigating members of the media. According to the Control Yuan, its investigations have revealed that some ministry officials have been using lie detectors and accessing journalists’ phone records to investigate members of the media. In response, the ministry’s Agency Against Corruption issued a statement defending agency officials saying they were performing their official duties without the purview of a clear law. The agency said it would draft a law to define its duties and how its officials should carry them out independently while also protecting human rights.
IMMIGRATION
Tsai welcomes exchanges
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday stated her administration’s commitment to allow more foreign nationals to study in Taiwan at a reception for a delegation of Malaysian alumni of local universities. Tsai hosted the delegation of officers from the Federation of Alumni Associations of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia, reiterating her administration’s desire to promote more academic and cultural exchanges between both countries’ students, as part of the New Southbound Policy. The growing numbers of Malaysian students attending Taiwan’s universities have made campuses more diverse, she said. Tsai’s goal is to create a cross-national talent base in Asia that will benefit the whole region’s development, the Presidential Office said in a statement on the event. The government is working on policies to make sure that foreign nationals who want to stay and work could do so, Tsai added.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
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