■ 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.
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