■ Society
Runners take to the streets
More than 5,000 people yesterday braved an early start and a speech from Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to take part in the capital's 9th Annual Terry Fox Run. The event raised more than NT$1.2 million for cancer research. Ma praised participants outside Taipei City Hall for making Taiwan the world's third-largest money raiser in an event held all over the globe before leading runners on the 6.5km course just after 8am. Participants could also opt for a shorter, 2.2km course that ended at the top of Renai Road. Ma, who often competes in charity athletic events around the country and is the chairman of the Terry Fox Run Foundation in Taiwan, finished the longer course in about 30 minutes.
■ Diplomacy
US reaffirms `one-China'
The US on Saturday reaffirmed its "one-China" policy ahead of the presidential elections next March, which it said would be "another milestone in Taiwan's remarkable democratic development." The US "supports free and fair elections in Taiwan," US Department of State spokesman Adam Ereli said in a statement. "The United States does not favor one candidate or one party over another. We look forward to working with whomever the people of Taiwan elect as their next president and vice president. The traditional bonds of friendship between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan remain as strong and vibrant as ever," the statement said. "Taiwan and its leaders can count on the United States to pursue a steady and constructive policy toward East Asia and the Taiwan Strait area. We will continue to adhere to our one-China policy," the statement said.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
The Grand Hotel Taipei has rejected media reports claiming that the hotel had prevented CBS from broadcasting coverage of the Beijing summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on its premises. Media reports alleging that the hotel owner, dissatisfied with CBS’s coverage, prohibited the network from broadcasting political content on the hotel premises, are not true, the hotel said in a statement issued last night. The reports were “inconsistent with how the hotel actually handled the matter,” it said. The hotel said it received a refund request from a
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