CRIME
Six detained for spying
The High Court on Tuesday night granted prosecutors’ request to detain six retired and active military personnel and a Chinese man indicted for leaking military secrets to China. The ruling can be appealed. A summary of the ruling read by a court spokesperson said the seven individuals were indicted on charges related to contraventions of the National Security Act (國家安全法), which carry a minimum prison sentence of five years. The court decided that given the seriousness of their alleged crimes and the potential flight risk, they were ordered to be detained for three months, the maximum allowed for defendants during a trial. One of the defendants, Yang Chien-hui (楊千慧), admitted to all the charges and was deemed unlikely to collude, so she would not be held incommunicado, while the remaining six suspects would be detained incommunicado. Earlier on Tuesday, the High Court Prosecutors’ Office indicted the seven for contravening the National Security Act, the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法) and the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法). The defendants include a Chinese man named Ding Xiaohu (丁小琥), or Ting Siu Fu in Cantonese, who holds a Hong Kong passport, as well as six military personnel, identified as Wang Wen-hao (王文豪), Tan Chun-ming (譚俊明), Lu Fang-chi (呂芳契), Chiu Han-lin (邱翰林), Yang Chien-hui and Yang Po-chih (楊博智).
HEALTH
More flu cases expected
Taiwan could see a rise in influenza cases starting next month, with infections likely to peak at the Lunar New Year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Tuesday. CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that 93,247 people sought outpatient or emergency treatment for flu-like illnesses last week, a 9.1 percent drop from the previous week. However, 42 severe flu cases were reported last week, 10 of which were fatal, she said. Meanwhile, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) warned that neighboring nations, including China, South Korea and Japan, were also reporting rising numbers of flu cases. She highlighted Japan in particular, which logged nearly 1.5 times more cases last week than the week before. She urged travelers to get vaccinated before visiting Japan. Since last month, Taiwan has recorded 300 severe flu cases, resulting in 35 deaths, CDC data showed.
SPORTS
Penghu touts road race
The Penghu County Government on Monday announced an upcoming road race with a novel promotional gimmick — offering a 1kg grouper to each runner who crosses the finish line. The “Run in Penghu” race is to be held on Jan. 18 next year, with the goal of boosting winter tourism in the county, Penghu County Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) said. According to an announcement by the county government, participants would be able to sign up for a full 11km race or a more leisurely 5km route for adults or children. Registration, which opened on Tuesday, is limited to 500 spots for Penghu residents and 600 spots for nonresidents, at a cost of NT$200, the county government said. Each competitor who finishes their race would be given a prize of a 1kg grouper, although nonresident competitors would also be able to opt for a NT$500 voucher, Chen said. The 11k race is to begin in front of the Penghu County Government Building in Magong (馬公) and end at the Caiyuan (菜園) Soil and Water Conservation Classroom.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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