HEALTH
Food poisoning affects 60
Sixty people have reported symptoms of food poisoning since Thursday after buying boxed meals from an eatery in Kaohsiung, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said yesterday. It received a hospital report on Thursday about three people who had symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and fever after eating boxed meals purchased from a small storefront restaurant in Sanmin District (三民) the previous day, the department said. As of Friday, the number of people with suspected food poisoning linked to the restaurant had increased to 60, it said, adding that 46 of them had sought medical attention. Seven of the 46 were hospitalized, it said. On Thursday, city officials inspected the eatery and ordered it to close for seven days, citing breaches of food safety regulations, the department said.
COMMUNICATIONS
Ministry welcomes satellites
Applications from international satellite firms to offer services in Taiwan are welcome, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday after the Wall Street Journal on Friday reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin once asked Elon Musk to withhold his Starlink service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). “Operators can apply at any time provided that they comply with our laws,” the ministry said. Access to satellite Internet is crucial for Taiwan to maintain communications if a Chinese attack were to disrupt its networks. Tensions have risen in the past few weeks as China conducted major military drills near Taiwan after President William Lai (賴清德) said in a speech earlier this month that neither side of the Taiwan Strait is subordinate to the other. The Kremlin has denied the claim in the Wall Street Journal.
MILITARY
Soldier dies in Kaohsiung
A soldier stationed at a Marine Corps base in Kaohsiung died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound while on guard duty at about 10pm on Friday. The soldier, identified by his family name, Hung (洪), from the Air Defense and Base Guard Group, had been on sentry duty that night, the Marine Corps Command said in a statement late on Friday. Due to unknown reasons, Hung allegedly shot himself with a firearm he was carrying, the command said. The Marine Corps said it has dispatched officers to assist Hung’s family, and would cooperate with police as well as prosecutors investigating the case. The command added that it would continue to improve psychological counseling for officers and soldiers to help them “establish a correct understanding of life” to help prevent such incidents. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotlines for counseling or assistance.
JUSTICE
Murder appeal rejected
The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Taichung woman surnamed Tsai (蔡) who was found guilty of murdering her boyfriend, surnamed Chen (陳), more than five years ago, upholding the 27-year, six-month sentence. The Taichung District Court in March found Tsai guilty of murder, abandoning a corpse, communication equipment theft and forgery. Tsai owed Chen about NT$1.57 million (US$48,954), the district court said. On March 4, 2019, Tsai hit Chen with a sharp, heavy object multiple times, killing him, and stashed the body in a plastic barrel and filled it with concrete, the district court said, adding that Chen’s body was found more than three years later on Oct. 26, 2022, after members of the public discovered the barrel by accident.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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