POLITICS
DPP advises against rally
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Standing Committee yesterday passed a resolution advising party members who are government officials or running in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections not to join a rally planned by the Formosa Alliance. The pro-localization group is to hold a rally on Taipei’s Ketagalan Boulevard on Oct. 20 to protest Chinese bullying, promote Taiwan’s right to self-determination and garner support for its independence referendum proposal. DPP spokeswoman Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said a motion put forward at the committee meeting said civil servants affiliated with the party wanted a clear position from the party headquarters on the matter. Committee members said that while the party steadfastly opposes annexation, any action on the issue at this time could give anti-reformists a pretext to cause disturbance during elections, Wu said.
DIPLOMACY
Tsai touts joint efforts
The nation is collaborating with other countries to establish or bolster cross-border security networks, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday told an international police cooperation forum in Taipei on combating transnational telecom fraud. Cracking down on fraud has become increasingly difficult due to the constantly evolving fraud methods and dispersal of criminal rings across various countries, she said. Taiwan is playing an indispensable role in the international security network, having taken the initiative to bolster ties with other countries, and is willing to and capable of making greater contributions, she said.
HEALTH
Yilan confirms dengue case
The Yilan County Public Health Bureau yesterday confirmed the county’s second imported dengue fever case this year. The patient is a Filipino fisherman recently returned from a trip to the Philippines, the bureau said. He was found to have a high fever upon his arrival at an airport on Saturday last week, it said, adding that blood samples tested positive for dengue fever on Monday. No indigenous cases of dengue fever has been reported in the county so far this year, it added. The bureau urged labor brokerage firms to pay attention to the health of foreign workers when they enter the nation and instruct them to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms such as high fever, headache and muscle pains. People should also keep their environment clean to prevent the spread of the mosquito-borne disease, the bureau said.
SOCIETY
Congress to open in Penghu
The World Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World is to open in Penghu County on Thursday next week, county Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) said on Tuesday. A total of 250 people representing 50 cities in 23 nations are to participate in the meeting, which would be the first of its kind in Penghu, Chen said. The congress — with the theme “In Love With the Ocean: Ecological and Tourism Sustainability, Ocean Economy, Cooperation and Co-creation” — includes a series of academic forums, expositions and cultural and sports events, some of which start today and will run through Nov. 4, Chen said. Other events include the Bay Landscape Art Festival, a carnival street parade, the Penghu Lights Festival, the Global Marine Areas and Harbor City Forum, the Night in Penghu concert, an ironman triathlon and the Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon, Chen 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