■ 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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
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