CRIME
Lucifer Chu gets 14 months
The Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced media personality Lucifer Chu (朱學恒) to 14 months in prison for indecent assault of a city councilor. Chu was indicted in October last year after being accused of groping and forcibly kissing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chung Pei-chun (鍾沛君) twice at a Taipei restaurant on Aug. 6, 2022. In June last year, Chung went public with the allegations to be “a fighter rather than a victim.” At Chung’s request and with her attorney present, Chu signed a letter a few days later, apologizing to Chung and promising to stay away from her. However, the letter made no mention of the assault, Chung said. She subsequently filed a complaint against Chu, who she said had shown “no remorse for his behavior.” Chu yesterday expressed regret over the ruling. Saying he had not been given a fair trial to uncover the truth, Chu pledged to appeal as he proclaimed his innocence.
TRANSPORTATION
Danhai line plan revised
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Thursday approved a revised plan for the second phase of the light rail network in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), which is to be submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval, the New Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems said. Construction of the second phase of the Danhai light rail Blue Sea Line is set to be completed within five years of the Cabinet approving the project, the department said. The first phase of the Blue Sea light rail opened in November 2020, and the original plan for the second phase, which is to link Tamsui MRT station with Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭), initially included a section that ran through Tamsui Old Street, department head Lee Cheng-an (李政安) said. However, after taking into account the opinions of residents, the department modified the route and submitted the amended plan to the ministry on Oct. 30, 2020, Lee said, adding that the new plan includes changes to the light rail line to be built alongside the Tamsui River (淡水河). The line is to have six stations once it has been built and extend the operating route of the Danhai light rail to 6.6km, Lee said. It is also expected to link with the proposed Bali light rail line in future, he said.
CRIME
Quincy Davis gets jail time
The Taoyuan District Court on Thursday sentenced US-born Taiwanese basketball player Quincy Davis to 30 days in prison over an altercation with his ex-wife last year. The sentence, which can be commuted to a fine, was imposed because Davis repeatedly denied any wrongdoing during the trial, the court said. Disputes of any kind should be handled rationally, the court said in its ruling, adding that those involved should never resort to physical violence. Davis failed to exercise self-control or respect another person’s physical safety, the ruling said, which can still be appealed. Davis was arrested after an alleged fight with his ex-wife in front of Chingpu Police Station in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢) in May last year. The arrest came after it was found that his ex-wife had previously obtained a restraining order against him. At the time, the police did not reveal the details of the altercation, but local media reports said the argument between the two had escalated into “pushing and shoving.” Davis was later released on bail of NT$100,000 after questioning, and was ordered to comply with the restraining order against him.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS