SOCIETY
Woman fatally hit by train
A woman was yesterday hit by an arriving Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) train after she fell onto the tracks at Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung, and was later pronounced dead, the Railway Police Bureau’s Kaohsiung Precinct said. It received a report from the THSR station of a person falling onto the tracks shortly after the incident occurred at about 12:20pm. Emergency personnel quickly arrived at the scene, but said the woman showed no signs of life after efforts to resuscitate her failed, railway police said. The deceased’s identity and other details of the incident, including the circumstances that led to the woman ending up on the tracks, are being investigated, they said. Train services were not affected.
CRIME
Bribery suspects detained
Four more people have been detained over allegations of bribery relating to green energy projects, the Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office said on Thursday. The four were active-duty and retired military personnel, identified by their last names Chang (張), Chen (陳), Hsu (許) and Yeh (葉). They are suspected of having colluded with a mediator, who is believed to have ties with a criminal gang, in soliciting bribes from green energy businesspeople, the office said. Working with the Investigation Bureau and Maritime Affairs Field Division, authorities on Tuesday raided 34 locations in Taichung, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, and seized NT$1.3 million (US$40,114) in cash. Thirty-one people were questioned and some were granted bail ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$500,000.Prosecutors requested that Chang, Chen, Hsu and Yeh be detained and held incommunicado due to the risk that they could flee, collude or destroy evidence, which was approved by he Changhua District Court on Wednesday.
LEISURE
Free tours of new rail station
The Railway Bureau on Thursday said it is offering eight free guided tours of the rebuilt Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) Kaohsiung Railway Station on Dec. 28 and 29 to celebrate its completion at the end of the year. The tours, each with a maximum of 20 participants, are to provide a first look at the rebuilt station’s air-conditioning, ventilation, and water and electricity pipeline systems, which were previously closed to the public, the bureau said. Bookings would begin at 10am on Dec. 14, details of which are to be posted on the bureau’s Facebook page. During the 40 to 50-minute tour, visitors would be able to enter the underground central control room, from where tunnel smoke control and escape routes are monitored, and the signal system operating room and exit passageways at the end of the platforms, the bureau said.
ECONOMICS
Taiwan-Austria talk held
Taiwan and Austria held an economic dialogue aimed at deepening their partnership in technology innovation, semiconductor development and similar fields, the International Trade Administration (ITA) said on Thursday. The Taiwan-Austria Economic Dialogue, which took place via video conference on Wednesday, focused on enhancing collaboration in digital governance, life sciences, and research and development, the ITA said. ITA head and talks cohost Cynthia Kiang (江文若) said that Austria’s promotion of telemedicine aligns with Taiwan’s leadership in semiconductor and information technology. Austrian Directorate of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy head Elisabeth Weissenboeck said the partnership benefits both countries, as their economies are characterized by innovation and openness.
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
RISING TOURISM: A survey showed that tourist visits increased by 35 percent last year, while newly created attractions contributed almost half of the growth Changhua County’s Lukang Old Street (鹿港老街) and its surrounding historical area clinched first place among Taiwan’s most successful tourist attractions last year, while no location in eastern Taiwan achieved a spot in the top 20 list, the Tourism Administration said. The listing was created by the Tourism Administration’s Forward-looking Tourism Policy Research office. Last year, the Lukang Old Street and its surrounding area had 17.3 million visitors, more than the 16 million visitors for the Wenhua Road Night Market (文化路夜市) in Chiayi City and 14.5 million visitors at Tainan’s Anping (安平) historical area, it said. The Taipei 101 skyscraper and its environs —
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
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