DIPLOMACY
Slovak pact inked
Bratislava Region President Juraj Droba yesterday signed a partnership agreement with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas. The pact was signed at a ceremony at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, during a six-day visit by Droba, as part of a Slovak delegation led by National Council Deputy Speaker Milan Laurencik. Droba said he would like to see increased Slovak investment in Taiwan as the two sides work to develop action plans and agreements. The agreement includes cooperation in economic development, public health, technology, tourism, culture and education, a Kaohsiung City Government press release said.
DIPLOMACY
NYCU wants Ukrainians
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) is planning to sponsor the studies of up to 40 Ukrainian students on its campus to show its support for the country, it said yesterday. NYCU vice president Wei Shun-hua (蔚順華) said an ongoing fundraising campaign launched in April to meet that goal has received substantial donations from various companies and alumni that can support four-year study programs for at least 30 students. Under the project, Ukrainian students displaced by the war with Russia would be able to further their studies while taking free Mandarin-language courses to better adapt to life in Taiwan beginning in the fall semester this year, Wei said. Aside from tuition, the program covers students’ transportation expenses to Taiwan, accommodation and living expenses, as well as other miscellaneous expenses students may encounter during their studies, he said.
TOURISM
Taipei wins ‘Quint Status’
Taipei has been named Asia’s Best Leisure Destination for a fifth consecutive year by Global Traveler, a monthly US-based magazine catering to frequent business and luxury travelers. By winning the honor for a fifth year running, Taiwan also earned “Quint Status,” Global Traveler said on Wednesday in its article announcing the winners of its 10th Leisure Lifestyle Awards for this year. Taipei was followed by Seoul, Phuket, Tokyo and Singapore as the top five Asian leisure destinations. Rounding out the top 10 were Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Osaka and the island of Bali, the magazine said. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was in fourth place in the Best Airport for Layovers category, behind Istanbul Grand Airport, Miami International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport.
CRIME
Man made gun ‘for food’
A Thai man who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for constructing a firearm from old shovels, scrap metal and pipes said he made the weapon to hunt for food, the Taichung District Court said on Wednesday. The man was arrested on Sept. 7 last year after authorities found him shooting birds by an embankment in Taichung, the verdict said. Police confiscated the man’s homemade firearm, as well as gunpowder and metal pellets he was using as ammunition. In his defense, the man said he had been using the weapon to hunt for food, with his lawyer citing the nation’s Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), which allows those from Taiwan’s indigenous community to legally possess homemade hunting weapons. However, the court said the exception did not apply, as the man was from Thailand, not a member of Taiwan’s indigenous population. The verdict may be appealed.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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