CUSTOMS
FDA seizes baby bottles
Baby bottles imported from Japan were seized by customs officials after tests indicated that they were made using a banned chemical, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. The bottles were among a number of problematic imports seized after border inspections, the FDA said, adding that none of the bottles were sold locally. Samples from the baby bottles were found to contain traces of bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to harden plastics, the FDA said. The Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages stipulates that BPA cannot be used in the manufacture of baby bottles and so the 120kg shipment had to be destroyed or returned, it said.
SOCIETY
Divorce data released
Of the 21,000 divorces registered in the first five months of the year, 4,326, or 20 percent, involved a divorce between a Taiwanese and a foreign national, government statistics published on Monday showed. Of these, by nationality, divorces between Taiwanese and Chinese spouses accounted for 54.1 percent of the total, followed by Southeast Asia at 38 percent, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. The share of transnational divorces in the first five months was consistent with the 20 percent share of total divorces last year and 20.8 percent of total divorces in 2015, but down from a 26 percent share in 2010. The data also showed that about 61,000 couples registered marriages in the first five months of the year, down 2,644, or 4.1 percent, from the previous year.
SOCIETY
Belgian priest gets ID
Ninety-two-year-old Father Pierre Mertens received his national identification card yesterday, becoming the first foreign national in New Taipei City to be naturalized in recognition of his special contributions to Taiwan. The New Taipei City Government said the Belgian priest has devoted himself to humanitarian work in Taiwan for 65 years. Mertens serves in Caritas Taiwan, which was founded in 1968 and is a chapter of Caritas Internationalis, an organization that reflects the social mission and core values of the Catholic Church. Caritas Taiwan once received resources through Caritas Internationalis chapters around the world, but as it has grown more affluent now sends resources to needy countries. The priest was honored in 1997 for good deeds and was also given a medal by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
TOURISM
Travel to Vietnam rises
Visits by people with Republic of China passports to Vietnam in the first half of the year were up 23 percent from the same period last year, Vietnamese tourism figures showed. A total of 297,852 Taiwanese visited Vietnam from January to last month, ranking sixth among all overseas visitors. Last month alone, 50,176 Taiwanese traveled to Vietnam. The increase in Taiwanese arrivals was part of an overall trend, as Vietnam welcomed about 6.2 million overseas visitors in the first six months of the year, up 30 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from Vietnam’s head tourism office. China accounted for the most overseas visitors, with almost 1.89 million visitor arrivals, followed by South Korea (1.07 million) and Japan (380,000). Vietnam’s tourist industry has estimated that 13 million overseas visitors could enter Vietnam this year.
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
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
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