POLITICS
Shen sweeps Yu’s steps
The release of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) legislator-at-large list on Wednesday had an unintended victim. Former DPP lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), wearing shorts and armed with a broom, yesterday turned up at singer-turned-lawmaker Yu Tian’s (余天) house. Shen had previously wagered that Yu would not be included on the safe part of the DPP’s legislator-at-large roster, which is compiled based on the share of the overall party vote. After Yu was included at No. 14 of 34 on the list — well within the range of what the DPP expects to be elected next year — Shen immediately said that he would live up to his promise to sweep Yu’s house.
IMMIGRATION
Development group to open
The New Immigrants’ Development Association is to be formally opened today in Taipei as it seeks to push for better immigrant welfare and more government resources to aid their cause, the group said in a statement released yesterday. The association said it will also push for a specialized government agency to handle issues related to immigrants, such as education, employment and care for immigrants’ children. The group added that it is time the government thought seriously about developing a set of more integrated immigration policies as, citing information previously released by the National Immigration Agency, the nation’s immigrant population will reach 1 million by the end of the year.
CULTURE
Borboa exhibition opens
An exhibition featuring 20 watercolors by Mexican expatriate artist Francisco Borboa began on Friday in Taipei, according to the Mexican Trade Services Documentation and Cultural Office in Taiwan. The month-long show of landscapes, titled “Contemplation,” is Borboa’s latest exhibition since one on religious art last year, said Martin Munoz Ledo Villegas, head of the Mexican office. The exhibition, on the 15th floor of the Taipei World Trade Center International Trade Building, focuses on four natural elements of daily life — mountains, water, cloud and fog — all of which are inspired by the scenery in Mexico, China and Taiwan, he added. Borboa, a devout Catholic, said he uses his art to express his love for God and also for Taiwan, the country in which he has lived for more than 20 years. “Life in Taiwan is very beautiful and Taiwan’s people are very lucky,” he said. “I’m very lucky to live here and I’m very happy, too.”
SPORT
Lu gets journal mention
Tennis ace Lu Yen-hsun (盧彥勳) has been included in this year’s Wimbledon Journal, an annual publication that records important events during the two-week tournament, according to Lu’s official Web site. “Lu. Who? Lu! There did seem to be only one way to defeat Andy Roddick at the All England Club recently and that was deep into a fifth set,” it says about Lu’s stunning victory over the former top-ranked American last year. The journal is one of the traditions of the prestigious tennis tournament and covers the pivotal scenes of each day of the previous year’s competition. Lu, who beat Roddick to advance to the men’s singles quarter-finals last year, appears on several pages of the journal. In one of them, his photo is seen next to top female players including Belgian Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova of Russia. The journal also introduces Lu’s family, including his chicken-farmer father. This year, Lu did not advance past the third round of the men’s singles after losing to French player Michael Llodra on Sunday last week.
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