Talk show host Chou Yu-kou (周玉寇) claimed in her TV program yesterday that Lee Tao (李濤), talk show host of the TVBS show 2100 Quan Min Kai Jiang [Speaking Your Mind at 2100] had placed a call to the Presidential Office asking President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to spare his station from the ongoing political furor.
The TVBS controversy began after Lee made public a photo that appeared to prove former presidential adviser Chen Che-nan (
"Lee made two phone calls, one to the vice president and another to the premier [Frank Hsieh (
Saying she knows Lee all too well, Chou said that Lee is actually a "coward" who just pretends to be a hero, and is trying to leave the public with the impression that he [Lee] is willing to rebel against authority at all costs in an attempt to defend press freedom.
Asked to respond, Lee was quoted as saying "treat [what she said] as a mere joke."
However, a statement released by Vice President Annette Lu's (
According to the statement, Lu received a call from Lee on Tuesday afternoon after the president announced that he would not have any TV stations shut down during his presidency.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yu-tzu
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it