■ Diplomacy
DeLay welcomes Chen
US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Tuesday that he would welcome President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) should he make another visit to the US. DeLay made the remarks while attending a party to mark the 25th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. DeLay said that he expects bilateral relations will be further strengthened during Chen's second term. Asked whether he would support a visit by Chen to Washington during his second term, DeLay said: "Absolutely. I hosted President Chen in Houston and we had a very good time and created a personal relationship during that visit. So anytime the president wants to come, I'm very supportive, even to Washington." Asked whether he has talked to the White House about this in light of the fact that the Bush administration seems to have a different view on the issue, DeLay said that he has always talked to the White House about Taiwan and about Taiwan-US relations. Turning to his views on Chen's plan to introduce a new constitution, DeLay said,"That's not something that the US should dictate or even comment on. That's part of freedom. If they want to have a different constitution, that's their right to do so."
■ Education
Minister mum on reshuffle
Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) yesterday declined to comment on whether he will stay in his post. Rumors had suggested he would not be retained once the Cabinet is reshuffled after May 20 presidential inauguration. As one of the ministers singled out by a Chinese-language newspaper that would not continue beyond that date, Huang refused to answer questions from reporters on his political future. Huang said it is a constitutional convention that the Cabinet is reorganized after a new president is inaugurated.
■ Traffic
Rules for Ketagalan changed
The Traffic Engineering Office of the Taipei City Government said yesterday that motorcyclists are now prohibited from traveling on Ketagalan Boulevard between Huaining Street and Chongchin South Road. The office said the change is designed to meet motorists traffic and safety demands. A prohibition on motorcyclists turning left from Ketagalan Boulevard onto Chongchin South Road has been in place for many years. Due to the the boulevard's width, however, signs prohibiting the turn often go unnoticed by motorcyclists, and the prohibition of turning left was usually ignored.
■ Diplomacy
Delegation pushes WHO bid
A group of eight legislators are now in Italy to solicit support for Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Organization (WHO). During their stay, the legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are expected to meet with Italy's health minister to try to win his support for Taiwan's bid. They are also expected to meet with some of their Italian counterparts, including Giuseppe Palumbo, chairman of the Italian parliament's Social Affairs Committee, as well as with members of the Italian media and visit the Vatican. Before arriving in Italy, the delegation visited Berlin, Germany. They met with German parliamentarians, including Klaus Rose, a member of the External Affairs Committee and chairman of a German-Taiwan friendship group, to discuss the WHO's bid and related developments.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
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