WEATHER
Mercury dips nationwide
A strong cold air mass coming in from China sent the mercury plunging to about 10oC in the north of the country late yesterday. Temperatures nationwide are likely to drop this weekend, but the cold spell will affect mainly areas north of Chiayi County, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. In New Taipei City’s (新北市) Tamsui District (淡水), the temperature had fallen to 11.7oC yesterday morning, the bureau reported. With seasonal winds strengthening, heavy rains are also expected in northeastern regions of the country, the bureau added. The cold spell could last until Monday, after which temperatures are likely to rise again, it said.
ECONOMY
Sean Chen plans sleepover
Premier Sean Chen (陳冲) said yesterday he plans to stay over night with factory owners this weekend, as part of efforts to understand more about the challenges and difficulties faced by local businesses. Describing small and medium-sized businesses as the backbone of the nation’s economy, Chen said entrepreneurs’ voices need to be heard, so spending a night with them will facilitate bilateral communication. Listing industries related to environmental protection as his priority, he said he intended to use more weekends to call on companies and institutions nationwide. Chen’s tour is in line with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) policy of encouraging his ministers to travel to the countryside and interact with people in different regions. Sincerity is important in such an undertaking, Chen said, adding that he did not want to disrupt the day-to-day lives of the people he visits. “I am willing to bring bedding with me, so the host family doesn’t have to buy any for me,” he said.
POLITICS
Prosecutors file lawsuits
Greater Kaohsiung prosecutors yesterday filed two separate lawsuits to revoke the election of two Aboriginal Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators after it was alleged a family member and campaign aides were involved in vote-buying. The wife of KMT Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明) was released on bail of NT$200,000 (US$6,700) by prosecutors. They also seized NT$4.2 million in cash that was suspected of being used to buy votes. According to prosecutors, Chien denied the money was for vote buying. Meanwhile, a KMT local branch official in Taoyuan District (桃源), Greater Kaohsiung, was detained by Greater Kaohsiung judges on suspicion of conducting vote-buying for KMT Legislator Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉). Several of Kung’s campaign officials were also under investigation for alleged vote buying, prosecutors said, adding that they suspected Kung was behind the act.
TOURISM
Woman dies in bus crash
A tour bus rolled in eastern Taiwan yesterday, killing one Chinese national and injuring 33 others, according to the Hualien County Fire Department. The tour bus carrying a total of 34 people — 32 tourists from Beijing, a local tour guide and the bus driver — hit the hillside because of poor weather conditions and rolled at about 6:20pm. The Chinese woman died of cardiac arrest, according to officials from the department, adding that nine passengers were seriously injured, while the rest suffered minor injuries. The 45-year-old bus driver suffered minor injuries, the officials added. The tour bus was heading north when the accident took place at the 43km mark of Provincial Highway No. 11, which connects Hualien County and Taitung County.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
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