■ Crime
Ransom topples motorcyclist
A passing motorcyclist was knocked off his bike when he was struck by more than NT$20 million (US$603,320) in ransom money tossed by a kidnap-victim's relatives from a highway overpass on Tuesday evening. The ransom, packed into two nylon bags, landed on 57-year-old Lu Fang-nan (呂芳男) when he rode under the overpass just as the relatives were meeting the kidnappers' demands, Chinese-language media reported yesterday. "What does this have to do with me? Why did I get hit? I'm certainly unlucky enough," one newspaper quoted him as saying. Lu, who later sought medical attention for swelling and bruising of his left leg, said he rode off not realizing he had hit by a small fortune. The victim, a Taipei electronics businessman surnamed Lin, was kidnapped last Friday night and released on Tuesday after payment of the ransom.
■ Crime
Drug seizures soar
The amount of contraband drugs seized by law enforcement authorities last year surged 200 percent compared with the year before, the National Police Administration (NPA) reported yesterday. According to police tallies, 2,339.86kg of drugs were seized last year, marking an increase of 1,559.98kg from the 779.88kg found in 2002. Officials attributed the sharp rise mainly to the increase in seized second- and third-grade drugs. The amount of confiscated first-grade drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, opium and morphine, declined from 442.65kg in 2002 to 262.37kg last year. Heroin seizures alone decreased 176.14kg. Seizures of second-grade drugs, such as amphetamines, zoomed from 288.16kg in 2002 to 1,647.9kg last year, while third-grade drug seizures also jumped from 75.98kg to 429.59kg because of a substantial rise in ketamine seizures.
■ Health
Research deal signed
Tzu-Chi Buddhist General Hospital in Hualien signed a contract with a US firm yesterday to cooperate on the development of cancer-fighting drugs based on a plant extract. Han Hung-chi (韓鴻志), director of Tzu-Chi Hospital's cancer research laboratory, said his research team has discovered a substance in the Chinese thorowax root (Dupleurum Scorzonerifolium) that can stem growth of cancerous cells. Han said his team will cooperate with Seattle-based Phenogenomics Co in using root extracts to develop cancer-fighting drugs.
■ Overseas Chinese
Tzu Chi urged to recruit
Taiwan's representative to the Philippines has urged the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation to encourage retired elementary and high-school teachers to teach abroad. Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興) made the appeal during a courtesy call at the Tzu Chi's branch office in Manila on Wednesday. Wu said he understood that many retired teachers are Tzu Chi members. "As many Chinese schools in Southeast Asian countries face a shortage of teaching staff, I hope Tzu Chi can help recruit retired schoolteachers to teach in overseas Chinese schools," Wu said. "I believe it's an effective way to help disseminate Chinese cultural legacies and values." Wu said the Chinese community in the Philippines has traditionally attached great importance to Chinese-language education and has offered much support to Chinese schools in various parts of the country. "There are now more than 140 Chinese schools in the Philippines, with over 100,000 teachers and students," Wu said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
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