Eight Taiwanese are being monitored because of suspicion they are affiliated with the Islamic State group, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday.
Bureau section head Huang Yu-shun (黃裕順) told a legislative hearing that the eight were mentally unstable and the bureau was keeping close track of them.
In a previous report to the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, the bureau said eight Taiwanese had been identified as possible Islamic State sympathizers.
Huang was asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) for an update on the situation.
Tsai also asked about the deportation of an Indonesian woman late last month on suspicion she was affiliated with the militant group.
NSB Director-General Peng Sheng-chu (彭勝竹) said the woman had been deported because her work in Taiwan was not consistent with the stated purpose of her entry and she had overstayed her visa.
On the possibility of Islamic State affiliates taking advantage of the Universiade in Taipei to enter Taiwan, Peng said the bureau has security measures in place and has been exchanging information with other nations on a list of suspected Islamic State members.
So far, no one on the list has entered Taiwan, Peng said, adding that the bureau will continue to cooperate with the National Immigration Agency to monitor arrivals.
More than 12,000 athletes from 150 countries are to take part in the student games from Aug. 19 to Aug. 30.
A domestically developed “suicide drone,” also known as a loitering munition, would be tested and evaluated in July, and could enter mass production next year, Taiwan’s weapons developer said on Wednesday. The yet-to-be-named drone was among nine drone models unveiled by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on Tuesday. The drone has been dubbed the “Taiwanese switchblade” by Chinese-language media, due to its similarity to the US-made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which has been used by Ukraine in counterattacks during Russia’s invasion. It has a range of more than 10km, a flight time of more than 15 minutes, and an electro-optical
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number
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