■ 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.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
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