The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal to increase penalties for illegal betting and match-fixing, with crimes undermining the fairness of sporting games that lead to the death of an athlete punishable by life imprisonment.
People who manipulate events linked to the Sports Lottery face up to 10 years in prison under the proposed changes to the Sports Lottery Issuance Act (運動彩券發行條例) — which are to be forwarded to the legislature for approval.
If a crime involves violence, coercion or other illegal actions toward an athlete that result in serious injury, the punishment would be increased to three to 10 years in prison and a fine of NT$20 million to NT$50 million (US$608,754 to US$1.52 million).
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Owners of sports teams, lottery issuers and employees who fail to cooperate with investigations and the judicial process would no longer be punished under the Sports Lottery Issuance Act, but the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Criminal Code, the proposed amendments say.
Surplus revenue from sports lottery sales would be used to train athletes and improve the quality of domestic sports, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said, adding that the Cabinet has amended articles 21 and 21-1 of the act to ensure that sporting competitions remain fair and people’s interests are protected.
The proposal aligns with the Sport Industry Development Act (運動產業發展條例), as the Taiwan Sports Lottery falls under the umbrella of the sports industry, the Sports Administration said.
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
The arrival of a cold front tomorrow could plunge temperatures into the mid-teens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Temperatures yesterday rose to 28°C to 30°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and 32°C to 33°C in central and southern Taiwan, CWA data showed. Similar but mostly cloudy weather is expected today, the CWA said. However, the arrival of a cold air mass tomorrow would cause a rapid drop in temperatures to 15°C cooler than the previous day’s highs. The cold front, which is expected to last through the weekend, would bring steady rainfall tomorrow, along with multiple waves of showers
RSS