■ ENTERTAINMENT
Concert at Liberty Square
A concert dubbed "Sing For Freedom" will be held today at the newly re-named Liberty Square in front of the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, previously known as the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the concert organizer said yesterday. The concert, organized by the National Cultural Association, will be hosted by local entertainer Joy Topper (豬頭皮) and Janet, host of Fun Taiwan, a Discovery Channel television program. Many foreign and local bands and singers have been invited to play diverse styles of music at the concert which is aimed at expressing peace and freedom, the organizer said.
■ TRAVEL
US visa fee set to increase
The State Department announced on Thursday that it will increase the fee for non-immigrant visa applications by more than 30 percent, from US$100 to US$131, starting on Jan. 1. The American Institute in Taiwan said yesterday that it had not received formal notification from the US State Department about the price hike. According to a statement from the State Department, the rise is to pay for increased processing costs and security enhancements implemented since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "Because of new security-related costs, new information technology systems, and inflation, the US$100 ... fee is lower than the actual cost of processing non-immigrant visas," it said in a statement.
■ AVIATION
Helicopter ban stays: CAA
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday that except for emergency medical relief, helicopters will still be barred from making rooftop landings. CAA Director General Billy Chang (張國政) was responding to a suggestion by Far Eastern Group (遠東集團) chairman Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) that the government should open helicopter routes between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and buildings in Taipei that can accommodate helicopter landings in view of the heavy traffic between Taipei and Taoyuan. Hsu's idea was supported by Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌). However, Chang said that easing the restriction would negatively affect aviation safety. Chang said any private or chartered aircraft would have to apply for permission from the CAA before flying already fixed routes.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
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