EDITORIAL: Spy case warrants law reformAn army officer and a suspected spy were arrested and questioned on Monday, while four others involved in the case were released on bail, the High Prosecutors’ Office said. Lawyer and former prosecutor Weng Wei-lun (翁偉倫) said that the case differs from previous espionage cases, which primarily involved retired military personnel who were recruited abroad and who accepted gifts in exchange for information. If money is the main motivator for military retirees to commit treason, then active military personnel would likely be similarly motivated to commit such acts. One recent case involved a suspected spy who cased pawnshops frequented by military personnel to identify those with money problems who would be most susceptible to recruitment for espionage. CTBC Business School Department of Business and Economic Law associate professor Chen Tsung-chien (陳重見) suggested that the problem might stem from Taiwanese judges’ poor understanding of national security issues, and suggested that a specialized court should try all national security cases.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back, and maybe better than everThe seventh iteration of the franchise delves into the teenage-ness of its 15-year-old turtles in the gross-out humor and the comic book-like feel of the animationBy Jake Coyle / APThere are some good gags and clever innovations in the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but there is one brilliant idea: casting Ice Cube as the voice of the movie’s mutant insect supervillain Super Fly. But we’re now up to the seventh Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, not counting all the series and videogames. Mutant Mayhem, currently in theaters throughout Taiwan, can’t entirely get over the feeling of trodding over well-covered turtle ground. But the most important twist to this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles iteration may be diving into the teenage-ness of its 15-year-old turtles. Yet this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while a half shell of those films, has its own low-key charms.

Ukraine’s drones provide a lessonBy Fang Fu-chuan 方復權Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been going on for nearly a year and a half. At the end of last year Ukraine started building the world’s first “naval fleet of drones” to counter Russia’s Black Sea fleet, news reports said. One of Ukraine’s maritime drones — an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) that resembles a speedboat — is 5.5m long and weighs one tonne. The USV’s main functions include long-range maritime reconnaissance and coastal surveillance, escorting and supporting Ukraine’s conventional fleet and countering amphibious operations, among others. In such a scenario, easily concealed sea drones and their operators stationed in bunkers might well play a role in turning the tide of the war.

S Korea experts to test superconductor breakthrough claimBloombergSouth Korean experts have created a committee to verify claims about a potential breakthrough in superconductor technology that has been driving both excitement and controversy among markets and industry participants. The Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics (KSSC) asked the Quantum Energy Research Centre to submit samples that are required in the verification process of room-temperature superconductors, the institution said in a statement on Wednesday. Excitement grew further after a video of a team of Chinese scientists replicating the South Korean team’s findings went viral. Research institutes of KSSC members are to conduct cross verification if the Quantum Energy Research Centre provides samples, the statement said. Meanwhile, investors continued to pile into some South Korean stocks seen as related to superconductors, even as the stock exchange warned of speculative bets and unfair trades.

The funds managed by the bureau, such as the Labor Pension Fund, the Labor Retirement Fund, the Labor Insurance Fund, the Employment Insurance Fund and the Arrear Wage Payment Fund, posted gains of NT$470.98 billion during the six-month period, for a rate of return of 8.59 percent. The new Labor Pension Fund, launched in July 2015, had NT$3.79 trillion in assets as of the end of June, the most of any of the labor funds, and reported a rate of return of 8.38 percent in the first half, the bureau said. Overall, the funds managed by the Bureau of Labor Funds had combined assets of NT$5.86 trillion as of the end of June and generated NT$178.08 billion in returns in June alone. Bureau of Labor Funds Deputy Director-General Liu Li-ju (劉麗茹) said the funds the agency manages have built positions in electronics stocks because the nation’s electronics industry, including TSMC, has stayed ahead of its peers in terms of global competition. From January 2013 to June this year, the funds have had an average 4.99 percent rate of return, she said.

Three strategies to stop phone fraudBy Chiueh Tzi-cker 闕志克Perpetrators carrying out transnational telecommunications fraud originally came from Taichung. As a result, failure to eradicate telecom fraud has consistently ranked very high on surveys of public complaints about the government. To curb telecom fraud, the National Communications Commission said it has urged telecoms to adopt the following two measures. The following are three ideas that could effectively stop telecom fraud. The first is to aggressively detect phone numbers that perpetrators use to carry out telecom fraud based on their specific usage patterns.

‘Brave, but mad’ Russian activist diesAFP, DAVYDKOVO, RussiaDuring his trial, Anatoly Berezikov repeatedly said that he was afraid of “disappearing.” Two weeks later, on June 14, he was found dead in his cell in southwest Russia. Rights advocate Tatiana Sporycheva during an interview in Tbilisi on Monday last week shows a video clip of Anatoly Berezikov, right. Photo: AFPHis friends and allies dismiss that account, saying they believe Berezikov was tortured in detention, possibly leading to his death. They can kidnap you, imprison you, search you, intimidate you, torture you and kill you,” said Tatiana Sporycheva, a rights advocate who supported Berezikov. He claimed to have put up posters from an Ukrainian campaign that offers Russian soldiers guidance on how to surrender.

Tunisian president Kais Saied sacks his prime ministerAFP, TUNISTunisian President Kais Saied on Tuesday sacked Najla Bouden as prime minister without explanation and replaced her with former central bank executive Ahmed Hachani, whom he tasked with overcoming the “colossal challenges” facing the cash-strapped north African country. No official explanation was given for Bouden’s dismissal, but several local media firms highlighted Saied’s displeasure over a number of shortages, particularly of bread in state-subsidized bakeries. New Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, right, and Tunisian President Kais Saied shake hands at the presidential palace of Carthage in Tunis on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFESaied immediately appointed in her place Hachani, who until then worked at the Tunisian central bank and studied law at the University of Tunis, where Saied taught. The new head of government, a figure unknown to the general public, was sworn in before the president, the presidency video said.

Ko has published two books, expounding his ideas to forge a new third political force in Taiwan, calling it “colorless,” or as a “white-color party,” and named them The White Power and The White Power II in English. Chang yesterday posted a message on social media saying Ko had written a book in 2014 that is on sale at online foreign platforms with the title The White Power, then followed up with a second book later that year, titled The White Power II. The TPP had to withdraw its slogan “Vote White, Vote Right,” due to the backlash from domestic media and Taiwan-based foreign journalists. The two books are still available online on international platforms such as Amazon, eBay and Wob with the title The White Power, Chang said. The TPP last week had to remove its slogan “Vote White, Vote Right” from its Web site following criticism about its resemblance to the language used by white supremacists.

From left, Brayden Sung, Audrey Sung and Jayden Sung pose for a photo before the Stars of Tomorrow Concerto Night at Eslite Performance Hall last Wednesday. Audrey Sung practices before the Stars of Tomorrow Concerto Night at Eslite Performance Hall last Wednesday. The three often do volunteer work together, such as helping at beach cleanups and playing for charity groups. Jayden Sung poses for a photo before the Stars of Tomorrow Concerto Night at Eslite Performance Hall last Wednesday. Brayden Sung poses for a photo before the Stars of Tomorrow Concerto Night at Eslite Performance Hall last Wednesday.

21 receipts win NT$10 million in May-June invoice lotteryStaff writer, with CNAA total of 21 receipts with the NT $10 million (US$317,460) special prize-winning number 29268886 were issued in May and June as part of Taiwan’s invoice lottery, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday. There were 16 receipts issued with the number 12912565 that won the invoice lottery’s NT$2 million grand prize, the MOF saidThe MOF released the winning invoice lottery numbers for the May-June period on July 25. The MOF releases the winning invoice lottery numbers for the May-June period on July 25. FamilyMart said it issued two receipts with the winning special prize number and one with the winning grand prize number. Hi-Life said it issued one receipt each with the special prize number and grand prize number, with the special prize receipt issued in Hukou Township in Hsinchu County for a purchase of NT$15.

Biden set to order curb on tech investment in ChinaEXECUTIVE ORDER: The investment controls are part of a broader effort by the White House to limit China’s capabilities to develop next-generation technologies US President Joe Biden is planning to sign an executive order to limit critical US technology investments in China by the middle of next month, according to people familiar with the internal deliberations. The order focuses on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. It would not affect any existing investments and would only prohibit certain transactions. Other deals would have to be disclosed to the government. The timing for the order, slated for the second week of next month, has slipped many times before, and there is no guarantee it would not be delayed again, but internal discussions have already shifted from

The Liberty Times Editorial: Why Hou You-yi is losing supportAt the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) National Congress on Monday last week, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) was unanimously approved as the party’s candidate for next year’s presidential election. Hou and Han were elected as mayors in 2018, but the following year, Han set his sights on the presidency, while Hou kept out of it. All along, many nonaligned voters gave Hou the thumbs-up for his centrist approach. The attitude of those swing voters was bad for Han and Chu, but good for Hou, whose popularity kept climbing. At the time, at least one other politician took a cool view of the surging tide of support for Han.

Boosting Taiwan-UK economic tiesBy Huynh Tam SangDespite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, Taiwan and the UK have maintained long-standing and substantial trade ties, with London ranking as Taiwan’s 21st-largest trading partner globally and third-largest trading partner in Europe. For Taiwan and the UK, concrete steps toward making the ETP a reality demonstrates the shared vision of enhancing economic ties. There are vast opportunities for Taiwan and the UK to strengthen economic ties. Taiwan is Britain’s largest offshore wind market in the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 30 British offshore wind firms establishing operations there. In post-EU Britain, London should align its Indo-Pacific engagement with economic tradecraft, and strengthening economic ties with Taiwan, notably through an ETP, should be a crucial part of Britain’s grand strategy.

TPP drops controversial sloganStaff writer, with CNAThe Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday decided to remove a controversial slogan — “Vote White, Vote Right” — from its Web site after the wording was criticized as being similar to that used by US white supremacist groups. TPP spokeswoman Lin Tzu-yu (林子宇) told a news conference that the slogan had referred to the color white that the TPP brands itself with. A screen grab from the Taiwan People’s Party’s English-language Web site is pictured on Sunday. Hale said the slogan is the same as that used by a now long-defunct US white supremacist party. Founded in 1958 by Edward Reed Fields in Knoxville, Tennessee, the party was built on antisemitism, racism and opposition to integration, and was known for its “Vote Right — Vote White” slogan before its dissolution in 1987.