■ SOCIETY
Brothers to realize dream
Two brothers who have long suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare disease, will leave for New York to see the Statue of Liberty today. Teenagers Tseng Yi-kai (曾奕凱) and Tseng Yi-chi (曾奕棋) suffer from the inherited fatal disorder, which leads to a rapid loss of muscle strength and atrophy of muscular tissue. The brothers have long wished to visit the famous New York City landmark, which for them symbolizes freedom -- the thing they long for the most as they are confined to a wheelchair and are entirely dependent on other people. Paragon Investment Managers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Airlines and the New York City branch of the Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation have worked together to help the brothers realize their long-held dream.
■ EXHIBITIONS
Costume show opens
Fans of Peking Opera have an opportunity to see costumes and designs at an exhibition held at the Taipei Costume Cultural Center that opened yesterday and ends on Oct. 4. The exhibition features the works of actor-turned-designer Lee Chih-chi (李志奇) and a collection of props and costumes made by Lee's late father, Lee Huan-chun (李環春), a well-known actor in the field. Through the exhibition, Lee Chih-chi wants to share the charm of the ancient Chinese tradition and honor his father. The exhibition also displays a collection of costumes by the elder Lee, of which many items are more than half a century old and survived the Cultural Revolution. Headdresses and accessories used by Peking Opera actors are also on display, the Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said.
■ DIPLOMACY
Chen Chu visits Hachioji
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) visited a Japanese electronics firm yesterday in Hachioji, a satellite of Tokyo, and was "deeply impressed" by its high-tech development. Chen, who arrived in Japan on Friday, was there to boost relations with the city of Hachioji, which established sisterhood ties with Kaohsiung in November last year. Chen hailed Hachioji's transformation from a city of contract manufacturers to one now focused on research and development, expressing hope that Kaohsiung could follow suit. Chen, who was heading a 39-member delegation of city government officials, said Kaohsiung hoped to strengthen exchanges with Hachioji -- the 23rd city to establish sisterhood ties with Kaohsiung.
■ CRIME
Cosmetics scam uncovered
The Taichung branch of the Ministry of Justice on Friday busted MOTIF, a cosmetics company that pretended it was an Australian firm. Having opened a number of stores nationwide, the company also claimed it was importing its products from Australia. The bureau determined that the products were in reality being produced at an underground factory in Taichung Country. It also found that the products contained banned ingredients such as the antibiotic Lincomycin and Dexamethasone, a steroid. One of its products, which the company claimed could cure acne, retailed for NT$1,800 (US$54) while costing less than US$1 to produce, the bureau said. The bureau said company employees would be charged with violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (藥事法) and fraud. The bureau has also contacted health authorities to ensure that the products are removed from the shelves.
■ GOVERNMENT
EPA asks for computers
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is again calling for donations of second-hand computers that can be given to children living in the country's remote areas. Cheng Chi-pu (鄭啟璞), an EPA section chief, said that to narrow the digital gap between the rural and urban areas, the administration has been running the donation program since 2005. In the last two years, the EPA has distributed 1,500 and 3,800 computers respectively, Cheng said, adding that this year's goal is to send out another 3,800 second-hand computers. Those who want to donate computers can get more information on the Web at recycle.cier.edu.tw.
■ GOVERNMENT
Ministry to focus on parks
Lin Chin-rong (林欽榮), the new head of the Ministry of the Interior's Construction and Planning Agency, said that he will raise the profile of national parks and focus on national land-use planning. Speaking after assuming his new post, Lin said that the country has beautiful national parks and the first national ocean park will soon be established on the outlying Taiwan-held island of Tungsha (東沙). The agency will increase its publicity for national parks as part of its efforts to attract more local and foreign tourists, he said. Stressing the importance of land resources, Lin said that much greater attention will be paid to national land-use planning in the future. Existing policies on urban redevelopment are heading in the right direction, he said, adding that he would focus on implementing the policies and looking for areas where the agency's regulations could be improved, he added.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard