Following the recently publicized scandal involving governmental officials and gambling, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuo Jung-chung (郭榮宗) yesterday warned against the legalization of gambling, saying that such a move would probably cause more social problems.
Kuo said that politicians from every political party frequently gamble abroad, and that allowing casinos into the country and legalizing gambling could present a threat to social order, he added.
Yeh Chih-kuei (葉智魁), a professor from National Dong Hwa University specializing in the research of US casinos, said that casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City have caused crime rates to surge in those areas as well as increasing levels of corruption among government officials.
Those who advocate the establishment of casinos try to make sure that the building of such places will not disturb the social order, Yeh said. However, even in the largely law-abiding society that is the US, crime rates in casino districts are higher than other areas, he added.
Yeh also said that it would be a waste of resources to have extra police helping to maintain order in casino districts if gambling was legalized in Taiwan.
Shih Chao-hui (釋昭慧), professor of ethics at Hsuan Chuang University, said he was planning to pass a petition against the legalization of gambling around election candidates to sign before the elections.
Shih said that the signatures he obtains will be announced later in the month to see which candidates agree or disagree with such a policy and urged voters to vote against those who want to legalize gambling.
"We don't want Taiwan to become the ROC -- the Republic of Casino," Shih said. "Many people are disillusioned, thinking that casinos will bring in money and benefits, but that's not true. We have to surrender social order and morals when we have casinos."
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
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