■ CRIME
Sex crime suspect deported
A fugitive from the US who allegedly sexually assaulted his patients while practicing dentistry in the US between 2003 and 2006 was deported yesterday after he was tracked down by local police last week, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said. Departing aboard a United Airlines flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport under the escort of US police officers, the man was expected to be taken back to the US to face trial, the bureau said in a statement. Shiu Tony Gong, a 40-year-old US citizen, was a dentist in Alameda, California. He allegedly molested and sodomized his patients after putting them under anesthesia between June 2003 and August 2006, the bureau said. Gong fled to Taiwan on Sept. 24, 2006, just before he was placed on a wanted list by a California court on Oct. 5, 2006, the bureau said. Gong had since taught English in a cram school under the name “Tony J” and had changed his address frequently, it said.
■POLITICS
Premier approves changes
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) yesterday approved the appointment of Taipei police chief Wang Cho-chun (王卓鈞) to replace Hou You-yi (侯友宜) as director-general of the National Police Agency (NPA). Hou was designated president of the Central Police University, replacing Shieh Ing-dan (謝銀黨). The personnel change was proposed by Minister of the Interior (MOI) Liao Liao-yi (廖了以) yesterday afternoon, Cabinet spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said. The changes will take effect as soon as the paperwork is completed, Shih said.
■EDUCATION
No to Chinese degrees
It might take two to three years before Taiwan starts recognizing degrees issued by Chinese educational institutions, Minister of Education Cheng Jei-cheng (鄭瑞城) said yesterday. Fielding questions at the legislature, Cheng said that the ministry was leading an initiative to study the feasibility of Taiwan recognizing China’s academic credentials, in line with one of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign promises. “Since this is a matter that also involves Chinese authorities, a final decision is not expected to be made soon,” Cheng said. “It will be at least two to three years before the first batch of Chinese students will be allowed to come and study at local colleges and universities.” Also speaking during the session, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the ministry must be careful and remain vigilant in considering such an important decision.
■FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ma trips not confirmed
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday it was not sure whether President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would attend the inauguration ceremonies of the new presidents of Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, two of the nation’s diplomatic allies. “So far, we have not received instructions on whether President Ma will head the congratulatory delegation, but the plan is to send the highest-level governmental delegation as both Paraguay and the Dominican Republic are very important allies,” Simon Ko (柯森耀), director-general of the ministry’s Central and South American Affairs division, said at a regular press briefing. The Dominican Republic will hold the inauguration ceremony for President Fernandez on Aug. 16, while Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo, who won his country’s April 20 election, is scheduled to be sworn in on Aug. 15.
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
Hungarian Member of Parliament Tompos Marton said he considers Taiwan to be a better alternative to China as a strategic partner. Marton, who is the vice president of the opposition Momentum Party, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency on Sunday. He draped a Republic of China flag across his shoulders to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the capital city, Budapest, on Thursday last week, and openly voiced support for Taiwan on social media. He said in the interview that he wanted to remind the world that there were alternatives to China, and that “Taiwan has
A female physician at New Taipei City’s Shuang Ho Hospital was bullied and made to work for 32 consecutive hours by a senior colleague while pregnant before later having a miscarriage, an internal investigation found, the hospital said on Monday. The perpetrator has been removed from his post, the hospital said. The attending physician in the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, identified by the pseudonym Y, earlier on Monday told reporters that she had been bullied by a male senior colleague who arranged shifts in her department. In January, shortly after she became pregnant, Y asked the department director if she could avoid overnight