■Immigration
Lawmakers look to limit vote
DPP lawmakers yesterday urged the government to deny immigrants from China the right to vote until years after they have acquired ROC citizenship. DPP legislators Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖), Chien Chao-tong (簡肇棟) and Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) said citizens from across the Strait should be denied the right to vote until they have been citizens for seven years. They suggested attaching the measure to the rules governing cross-strait exchanges that are in the process of being overhauled by the legislature. Tang argued that Beijing's constant attempts to annex Taiwan and continued propaganda to achieve that aim warrant the delay. "Over 570,000 Chinese immigrants, long exposed to Beijing's communist propaganda, need more time to assimilate to Taiwanese society," he said. Su echoed the view, saying the delay would ease worries over national security arising from the rapid influx of Chinese immigrants.
■ Zanadau scandal
Su's release to be appealed
Kaohsiung Chief Prosecutor Lin Ching-tsung (林慶宗) yesterday said that he will appeal the Kaohsiung District Court's ruling to release Zanadau suspect Su Hui-chen (蘇惠珍) on Christmas Eve. The appeal will go to the Taiwan High Court's Kaohsiung Branch. Prosecutors requested the detention, saying Su played a major role in the alleged scandal and they needed her to clarify questions. Prosecutors are able to appeal within 20 days after receiving an official copy of the court order. Lin did not elaborate on when he would appeal. Su, the majority shareholder of Zanadau Development Corp, was summoned by prosecutors on Monday for interrogation. After being questioned for more than 24 hours, Kaohsiung prosecutors decided to file a request to the court to detain Su on charges of breach of trust. However, the court decided to release Su without charges.
■ Pornography
CPC to investigate charges
Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) chairman Kuo Chin-tsai (郭進財) yesterday morning promised to immediately look into allegations by PFP Legislator Ke Shu-min (柯淑敏) that a number of the company's gas stations were selling pornographic VCDs, Chinese-language media reported yesterday. According to the lawmaker, several CPC stations in central Taiwan sell pornographic VCDs at low prices in order to attract customers. Those who refuel at these stations can pay NT$49 (US$1.40) for a VCD. "No wonder my son always goes to CPC stations these days," she complained, demanding that the CPC look into the problem.
■ Justice
Suspect lives it up
Stock market player Huang Jen-chung (黃任中), who was detained for owing NT$1.4 billion to the National Tax Administration, appeared relaxed in court yesterday, eating peanuts and drinking soda prepared by his girlfriends. Huang, son of former Judicial Yuan president Huang Shao-ku (黃少谷), was summoned before the Taipei District Court (台北地方法院) to explain his role in the Taiwan Pineapple case. Huang was indicted along with 19 other people in February 2000 for alleged illegal speculation on the Taiwan Pineapple Group. Huang -- as though sitting in his own living room -- enjoyed snacks, a fast-food breakfast and soda in the courtroom, not forgetting to invite his friends and journalists to share in the feast.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Chunghwa Telecom yesterday confirmed that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by a Chinese ship, the Shunxin-39, a freighter registered in Cameroon. Chunghwa Telecom said the cable had its own backup equipment, and the incident would not affect telecommunications within Taiwan. The CGA said it dispatched a ship under its first fleet after receiving word of the incident and located the Shunxin-39 7 nautical miles (13km) north of Yehliu (野柳) at about 4:40pm on Friday. The CGA demanded that the Shunxin-39 return to seas closer to Keelung Harbor for investigation over the
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
An apartment building in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) collapsed last night after a nearby construction project earlier in the day allegedly caused it to tilt. Shortly after work began at 9am on an ongoing excavation of a construction site on Liuzhang Street (六張街), two neighboring apartment buildings tilted and cracked, leading to exterior tiles peeling off, city officials said. The fire department then dispatched personnel to help evacuate 22 residents from nine households. After the incident, the city government first filled the building at No. 190, which appeared to be more badly affected, with water to stabilize the
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