■WEATHER
Sleet falls on Yushan
Sleet fell on Yushan (玉山), the nation’s highest peak yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said. Sleet is not unusual for Yushan in April, with snow falling on the mountain an average of four days each April, meteorologists said. There are also snowy days on Yushan in May and even into July, they said, adding that it snowed there on July 25, 1974. As of 11am that day, 5.5cm had accumulated on flat ground around the CWB weather station on the 3,952m summit, the forecasters said.
■EDUCATION
Schools to provide G-TELP
Seven universities around the country announced yesterday that they would provide General Test of English Language Proficiency (G-TELP) testing. The universities, including the National University of Tainan and Chinese Culture University, said they would promote the US-based G-TELP system throughout this year. University officials said tests would offer opportunities for students to secure English language proficiency certificates, which would enhance students’ international competitiveness. The G-TELP system originates from a language center at the San Diego State University in California and is aimed at helping non-English speakers obtain a reliable English language evaluation and eliminate possible learning obstacles to improve their language skills, the officials said.
■CRIME
Taiwan, China arrest 1,600
Cooperation between Taiwanese police and their Chinese counterparts has led to the arrest of more than 1,600 alleged swindlers in less than a year, Taiwanese officials said yesterday. A total of 1,663 suspects were arrested between last June and last month as the two sides joined hands in cracking down on Internet and telephone fraud involving criminals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said. In one of the latest cases, 13 suspects were caught in Taiwan and 19 in China for allegedly obtaining NT$500 million (US$16 million ) through telephone scams, the bureau said. The suspects allegedly obtained bank account details by posing on the phone as Chinese police officers and employees at Chinese telecoms firms or prosecutor’s offices. They told the victims their accounts were being used for money laundering or their phone bills were overdue, later using the details to empty bank accounts, the bureau said.
■SOCIETY
Vendor makes ‘Time’ list
A vegetable vendor from Taitung has made this year’s US Time magazine list of the 100 most influential persons in the world based on her philanthropy. Chen Shu-chu (陳樹菊) was ranked eighth in the “heroes” category of this year’s TIME 100 list. “Out of her modest living, Chen, 59, has managed to donate nearly NT$10 million [that’s US$320,000] to various causes, including US$32,000 for a children’s fund, US$144,000 to help build a library at a school she attended and another US$32,000 for the local orphanage, where she also gives financial support to three children,” the magazine states. Chen, who did not complete elementary school because of poverty, was quoted as having told local press that “money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it.” Last month, Chen was selected by Forbes magazine of the US as one of 48 heroes of philanthropy from Asia.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by