"Early Morning World" Involved in Drunk Driving, Child Sexual Assault, and Other Crimes Can Be Subject to Preventive Detention; Teachers Confirmed Innocent and Reinstated with Back Pay for Allowances

Central News Agency

The Legislative Yuan passed amendments to Article 101-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the 17th, adding grounds for preventive detention. These include offenses such as endangering public safety by driving under the influence of alcohol (drunk driving), child murder, child sexual exploitation, and crimes under the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Adolescents Act, as well as fraud. On the other hand, after the implementation of the school incident meeting mechanism, frequent lawsuits against teachers have occurred. Some teachers have been temporarily suspended from employment while under investigation, suffering a loss of benefits during the suspension period. The Legislative Yuan passed amendments to parts of the Teacher Act. It stipulates that teachers who are wanted or detained under criminal proceedings, or who are suspended from employment after being investigated by the school's gender equality committee and confirmed to have engaged in sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual bullying, shall have their academic research allowances back-paid, in addition to their base salary, if the grounds for suspension are removed and they are reappointed without being dismissed or permanently suspended. (Read the full report)

Members of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations announced on the 16th that four senators jointly sent a letter to Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu and members of all political parties, urging the Legislative Yuan to pass a special military procurement bill. The letter emphasized that they believe high-level officials from all parties in Taiwan will quickly reach a consensus, and the US is expected to announce a new batch of military sales. Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Montgomery stated on the 17th that one should not delete all commercial sale items from the special military procurement budget due to dissatisfaction with a single item, as it would weaken Taiwan's interoperability and combat capabilities with the US military. President Lai Ching-te visited the Army Infantry Training Command on the 17th to inspect it, reiterating the importance of the defense special budget and hoping to achieve true peace through "preparing for war to avoid war, and being able to fight to stop fighting." (Read the full report)

Reuters reported that China is using local Taiwanese voices to wage information warfare against Taiwan, in addition to military exercises, by amplifying critical voices on platforms like Douyin and YouTube. This lengthy report points out that China is widely disseminating public statements from Kuomintang and other opposition figures through Chinese state media and social platforms, repackaging them to conceal Chinese involvement, and then re-transmitting them to popular Taiwanese platforms such as Facebook, Douyin, TikTok, and YouTube. According to data provided by the Taiwan Information Environment Research Center to Reuters, relevant content has increased significantly, but it is unclear whether it has influenced the Taiwanese public's stance on unification or independence. The Ministry of National Defense stated that it is responding by strengthening the military's media literacy and psychological resilience. (Read the full report)

The Central Weather Administration stated that a cold front will pass through on the 18th, making it the day with the most moisture, followed by the influence of the northeast monsoon until the 19th. On the 18th, there will be localized brief showers and even thunderstorms in central and northern Taiwan and eastern Taiwan, with rainfall expected to gradually ease by night. On the 19th, eastern and central Taiwan, and the mountains of central and southern Taiwan will have localized brief showers, while other areas will largely transition from scattered rain to cloudy to sunny. Another cold front is expected to approach around the 23rd. Temperatures are predicted to drop on the 18th and rise from the 20th, with a slight decrease again on the 23rd and 24th. (Read the full report)

US President Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on the 16th. The BBC reported that this caught Israel by surprise. Regarding US-Iran negotiations, Trump stated that Iran has agreed to hand over nuclear material buried after last year's US airstrike, which would be significant progress in curbing Iran's nuclear weapons development capabilities. Sources indicate that US and Iranian negotiators have lowered their ambitions for a comprehensive peace agreement, opting instead to seek a memorandum of understanding to prevent further conflict. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be "fully open" to commercial tankers and cargo ships during the ceasefire period. Trump said Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again and is clearing mines with US assistance. However, the US military will continue to blockade Iranian ports until a peace agreement is reached with Tehran. (Read the full report)

Myanmar state media reported on the 17th that President Min Aung Hlaing approved the pardon of 4,335 prisoners, including former President Win Myint. This is the third such measure announced by the authorities in the past six months. Lawyers for the imprisoned former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi subsequently stated that her sentence has been reduced by one-sixth, but it is unclear whether she can serve the remaining term under house arrest. The United Nations has called on the Myanmar government to immediately and unconditionally release Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar held parliamentary elections from December last year to January this year, but the opposition was suppressed and largely absent; Min Aung Hlaing was elected president on the 3rd with the support of the new parliament members. (Read the full report)

The economic policy think tank Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) released its latest economic forecast on the 17th, revising its economic growth rate for this year upwards to 7.22%. CIER President Lien Hsien-ming stated that despite disruptions from Middle East conflicts, the booming development of AI technology and strong demand are supporting economic performance. However, inflationary pressure has slightly increased, with the annual consumer price index (CPI) growth rate forecast at 1.98%, nearing the 2% inflation warning line. On the other hand, the Ministry of the Interior's statistics show that the average number of people per household with registered residency in Taiwan has decreased from 3.20 in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 2.89 in the fourth quarter of 2025. Yung Ching Realty pointed out that due to fewer births, later marriages, and an increasing number of unmarried individuals, family structures are trending towards smaller units. (Read the full report)

Renowned Chinese real estate businessman Pan Shiyi recently posted on his personal WeChat account, reviewing the history of China's property market from prosperity to collapse, pointing out that the market has been declining for 47 consecutive months and hoping that the foundation of trust that can restore public confidence will be restored soon. Pan Shiyi said that after China opened up housing sales in 1998, the industry adopted Hong Kong's "high leverage, high turnover" practices in China. Within a few years, industry competition was no longer just about who could build and sell houses better, but about who "acquired more land, financed faster, and expanded more aggressively." He pointed out that developers survive on pre-sale proceeds, companies operate by constantly borrowing new money to repay old debts, local governments rely on selling land, and homebuyers believe houses will always appreciate. These four are "tied together; if any one breaks, the others will collapse." Pan Shiyi said that for a considerable period, the practices of some Chinese real estate companies were no different from a "Ponzi scheme," commonly known as a "rat club." (Read the full report)

The Cao Gong Branch of the Kaohsiung Municipal Library recently underwent seismic reinforcement engineering, unexpectedly revealing the structure of the "Fengshan Street Office" from a century ago. Cultural heritage groups pointed out that this is an important historical witness to the area and expressed concern about potential damage during the construction. They hope for a complete assessment of the building's condition, with the ultimate goal of complete exterior restoration if engineering conditions permit. The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that professional consultations have been conducted and the engineering will be adjusted to fully present the arched windows. They will also work with cultural heritage groups to promote the culture. (Read the full report)

Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi, who won Japan's first Olympic gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Milan Olympics in February this year with a comeback from a short program error to a record-breaking free skate, touched the world with their "despair to miracle" journey. The two announced their retirement on social media on the 17th, stating, "Although we are bringing our competitive careers to a close, our hearts are filled with the satisfaction of having given our all, and we have no regrets." "RikuRyu" achieved a "grand slam" by winning the Olympics, World Championships, Four Continents Championships, and Grand Prix Final, a feat of extremely high difficulty. (Read the full report)

The "Early Morning World" platforms published news summaries simultaneously at 8 AM: Electronic newsletter, Facebook, Instagram Stories, YouTube.

Stand with the facts. Your every sponsorship is a force to protect news freedom.

Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP for real-time updates.

Text, images, and audio on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or transmitted and used without authorization.