■ Politics
TSU to back Chen
The TSU has decided to throw its full support behind President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) re-election bid ahead of the new legislative session slated to begin on Sept. 5. The TSU is to hold a policy seminar today to discuss the party's agenda in the upcoming legislative session. Issues on the agenda will be cross-strait relations, economic revitalization, the post-SARS medical care system, the referendum, the campaign to change the nation's name to Taiwan, the policy to push for the balanced commercial and industrial developments and budget bills on the national defense. High on the seminar's agenda will also be the goal to support Chen's re-election. TSU lawmaker Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘), also the director of the party's youth development department said "the goal of the seminar is to ensure that the TSU will do the utmost to safeguard the continuity of a localized political power."
■ Politics
Yu urges daily meetings
Premier Yu Shyi-kun has asked the heads of five ministries yesterday to preside over a press meeting each morning from next week to "keep society and the media informed." Yu asked the ministries of education, interior, economic affairs and transportation and communications, as well as the Council of Agriculture late last week to convene a meeting every morning to review major events and issues in society and facilitate interactions and understanding with the media.
■ Legal affairs
Crash relatives file suit
Two family members of victims of last year's air crash of a China Airlines (CAL) plane filed suit for damages against the airplane's US builder, Boeing, in a Los Angeles court on Saturday. Attorney Steven Archer said his two Taiwanese clients, Chung Chi-hua and Chung Yen-hua, are seeking reasonable compensation from Boeing on grounds that it failed to duly supervise the maintenance of a Boeing 747-200 it sold to CAL in 1979 which lead to its crash in the ocean on May 25 last year on its way from Taipei to Hong Kong, killing all 225 on board. He claimed that evidence suggested the plane broke up in midair because of metal fatigue and investigators suspect the breakup started from a 15-inch, old crack in the plane's tail. The crack was covered with a stainless steel plate rather than a plate of aluminum alloy as is usually used to patch cracks.
■ Politics
Elderly stage protest
More than 20 elderly people yesterday joined a small rally in front of the Presidential Office yesterday to pledge for the change of the nation's name from Republic of China to Taiwan. The Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan yesterday organized a small rally in front of the Presidential Office featuring twenty senior citizens aged between 70 and 92 to support the campaign drive. Wang Cheng-chung (王正中), an organizer of the campaign, yesterday said, "We hope by having the participation of the elderly that more young people will identify with the campaign to rectify the name of our motherland of Taiwan which has been forced to accept the occupation of several different political regimes over the past few hundred years." The campaign is expected to stage a massive rally on Friday, calling on more than 10,000 participants from Taiwan and abroad to join the march. The campaign, led by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), has summoned more than 250 Japanese supporters through the mobilization of the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association in Japan.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
The Tainan District Court has found a teenager guilty of posting a sexually explicit video of his girlfriend on social media without consent. The court ruled his parents were legally responsible for the boy’s actions, and ordered NT$500,000 (US$16,051) to be paid in compensation to the victim. The incident took place in December last year, when the boy and his girlfriend, both under 18 and legally minors at the time of the incident, were in a relationship. The boy asked her to send him explicit videos, according to a court filing. A month later, he posted the video on social media, with its visibility
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