■Pensions
More cash for disabled
Following senior farmers' and fishermen's receiving a NT$1,000 increase of their monthly pension, the Executive Yuan yesterday announced that physically handicapped people on medium to low incomes are entitled to NT$1,000 more in their monthly pension. The program is estimated to benefit over 225,000 people and cost the central and local governments about NT$2.7 billion next year. According to Vice Minister of the Interior Hsu Ying-shen (許應深), currently the monthly pensions received by medium and low income people with physical disabilities receive between NT$2,000 and NT$6,000, depending on the severity of their physical condition. Hsu made the remark after briefing Premier Yu Shyi-kun about the ministry's proposed annual budget for next year.
■ Budget
Cabinet releases projections
The Executive Yuan yesterday tentatively projected next year's annual expenditures at NT$1.61 trillion, a 2.7 percent increase compared to this year, and annual income at NT$1.37 trillion, a 1.5 percent decrease. The budget proposal is subject to change and scheduled to be finalized in late August. According to Director General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Liu San-chi (劉三錡), proposed spending on education, culture and science accounts for most of the total budget -- 18.5 percent, or NT$298.4 billion. It is followed by social welfare's 17.9 percent, or NT$290 billion; national defense's 15.6 percent, or NT$251.9 billion; and economic development's 15.6 percent, or NT$251.7 billion.
■ Shipping
Stranded boat to be moved
The Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau and the local agent of a grounded Saudi Arabia-registered oil tanker yesterday sent tugboats to help unload some of the chemicals on the tanker in preparation for efforts to raise the vessel. The harbor bureau and the local agent will continue salvaging operations of the 30,000-tonne Al Farabi today, which ran aground off Kaohsiung last week. The harbor bureau and the local agent have sent tugboats several times over the past days to try to raise the vessel, but failed due to low tides. To speed up salvaging operations and prevent an ecological disaster, the tugboats offloaded 8,000 tonnes and 5,000 tonnes of methanol and ethanol yesterday in two trips to the crippled vessel. Harbor officials estimated that if the offloading operations go well and the tides are ideal, operations will continue today morning.
■ Sports
Police officers win in Spain
The Chinese Taipei, Taiwan team to the 2003 World Police and Fire Games underway in Barcelona, Spain have won two gold medals as of yesterday, two days into the event, officials from the National Police Administration said yesterday. Police officer Yen Kuo-che (嚴國哲) won a gold medal in the men's judo competition yesterday after beating four of his rivals. Yen spent only one minute in his final round to flatten his challenger. Officer Chen Min-chen (陳名臻) garnered the nation's first gold medal on Sunday in the women's 70kg group judo competition. Team members also bagged one silver and two bronze medals in judo. The team is made up of law-enforcement personnel. Both Yen and Chen waved the national flag when they received their gold medals, to the anger of the Chinese delegation, which protested to the Spanish sponsors.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
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