■ CRIME
Police crack gown swindle
Police have cracked a criminal ring that had allegedly been swindling money by encouraging people to donate Buddhist gowns to change their fates, newspapers said yesterday. Five ring members were indicted on Saturday on charges of fraud by the Taipei Prosecutors’ Office. Since 2005, the five had been giving talks on radio and cable TV channels to discuss life’s problems and take calls from radio listeners and TV viewers. When someone called in to seek advice about a problem, the ring members would ask them to buy the Life Book the ring had written. The ring members would warn the caller that he or she was going to suffer a disaster, illness or divorce, unless the caller donated money to buy Buddhist gowns to be given to temples.
■ EDUCATION
‘Zeros’ may pass: official
It is possible, although unlikely, that students who score a zero on their college entrance examination would be accepted by universities this year, an official at the College Entrance Examination Center said. Kuo Kun-huang, director of the center’s Freshmen Placement Section, said that with the number of places at universities similar to the number of students applying to take this year’s examination, the above scenario was not impossible, although “it would be the last thing I’d want to see.” Noting that there are 88,000 students who have applied to take part in this year’s Assigned Subject Examination for College Admission, Kuo said that based on past experience, only 90 percent or so of the test takers would actually apply for admission at a local university.
■ DEFENSE
Arms sales statement issued
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) last night issued a statement saying that the US has not informed Taiwan that it will put arms sales on temporarily hold. The statement also stated that “Taiwan’s arms purchase policy has not changed, nor will Taiwan change its determination to defend itself as result of cross-strait conciliation.” In addition, it noted that the MND will continue to actively pursue all procedures completed in accordance with the law, all purchase bills approved by the legislature, and any purchase currently in progress. “The government has expressed a strong will to go through with the arms purchases through various channels and has also asked the US to sell Taiwan defensive arms as soon as possible,” it said.
■ POLITICS
Official plans green wedding
A Kaohsiung City councilwoman said yesterday she would rely on the MRT rather than a limousine to get around on her wedding day to help save energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions. Councilor Chen Hsin-yu (陳信瑜) of the Democratic Progressive Party said that on her wedding day on Sunday, she and her groom and relatives from both families would take the MRT from the Presbyterian church in the Cianjin District (前金) where they will be wed, to Hanshin Arena, the site of their wedding banquet, to demonstrate their resolve to help reduce global warming. Chen will be wearing her white wedding gown on her MRT ride. Huang I-chung (黃一中), director of Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp’s (KRTC) Department of Public Affairs, welcomed Chen’s plan, saying that the KRTC would offer the couple a free ride as a gesture of its best wishes. Describing Chen’s plan to ride the MRT in her wedding gown as “innovative and unforgettable,” Huang encouraged other future newlyweds to follow in Chen’s footsteps.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
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