■ Government
Taipei City property seized
The Department of Administrative Enforcement announced yesterday that it had seized non-public property belonging to the Taipei City Government because the city had accrued a debt to the Bureau of National Health Insurance of NT$10.8 billion (US$372 million) in insurance subsidies dating back to last year. The department yesterday commissioned the Taipei Land Administration to seize 30 immovable properties that the city government owns, estimated to be worth about NT$11.2 billion. Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) expressed anger over the department's actions and said that the central government could not confiscate the city's properties on its own because the city had filed an appeal with the Taiwan High Court. Ou added that the department's order would impact on the public's rights in Taipei City and that the central government would have to take responsibility.
■ Crime
Heroin busts at CKS
A Taiwanese man allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 500g of heroin into the country from Macau in his shoes was arrested at CKS International Airport on Sunday night, aviation police reported yesterday. The 40-year-old man, identified as Cheng Ching-hung (鄭清宏), had allegedly packed the heroin into four plastic bags and hidden them in the soles of his casual shoes. According to the aviation police, Cheng was walking strangely in the CKS customs area, drawing the attention of the authorities. Aviation police authorities said they were tipped off months earlier that a drug trafficking ring was attempting to smuggle heroin from Macau, Hong Kong, Thailand, Myanmar and China into Taiwan by air or by fishing boat. Meanwhile, according to CKS police authorities, agents from the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation arrested two other suspected smugglers at the airport on Sunday. The two men were said to each be carrying four heroin bricks around their waists.
■ Weather
Storm forms in the south
The Central Weather Bureau is closely monitoring newly-formed Tropical Storm Dianmu, which is lurking southwest of Guam near the Philippines. The bureau said that the storm was centered some 1,000km southwest of Guam at 8am yesterday and was moving north-northwest at 9kph. Meanwhile, temperatures in Taiwan have shot up due to the influence of a high-pressure system in the Pacific.
■ Youth
Camp for diabetic kids
The Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical Service and Education Foundation is holding its annual summer camp for diabetic primary school children from July 16 through 18. The camp, which the foundation has run for over 10 years, helps diabetic children become more independent and develops their self-confidence, foundation representatives said. During the camp, the children take classes on nutrition and medical care and take part in other group activities. To accommodate the special needs of diabetic children, the camp has an almost one-to-one worker-student ratio. The foundation is hoping for 50 to 60 campers from throughout the nation this year, from grades two to six. The cost will be around NT$4000 to NT$5000 per child. The camp will be held at the China Youth Corps Sun Moon Lake Activity Center (救國團日樂潭青年活動中心). To learn more, see the foundation's Web site at www.kungtai.org.tw or call 02-23667780, ext. 28.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
PROBLEMATIC APP: Citing more than 1,000 fraud cases, the government is taking the app down for a year, but opposition voices are calling it censorship Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday decried a government plan to suspend access to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (小紅書) for one year as censorship, while the Presidential Office backed the plan. The Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited security risks and accusations that the Instagram-like app, known as Rednote in English, had figured in more than 1,700 fraud cases since last year. The company, which has about 3 million users in Taiwan, has not yet responded to requests for comment. “Many people online are already asking ‘How to climb over the firewall to access Xiaohongshu,’” Cheng posted on
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