MILITARY
Koo outlines RTX refund
The amount that US defense contractor RTX Corp overcharged Taiwan for weapons would be fully compensated, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said yesterday, reiterating a ministry statement from a day earlier. The overpricing case involving RTX — formerly known as Raytheon — was voluntarily investigated by US authorities to crack down on improprieties in the US arms sales system, Koo said on the sidelines of a legislative meeting. After US authorities informed Taiwan of the investigation’s results, judicial proceedings began and should result in the amount of the overcharges being returned to Taiwan, he said. Asked about the amount of funds involved, whether the overcharged funds would be fully returned and when the US notified Taiwan of the case, Koo said all of the money would be returned, but he declined to provide further details on the other questions. However, he did say that the major sale on which the case is based occurred in 2013 and that because the case involved other countries as well, Taiwan benchmarked the prices with the other parties. Yi Media on Tuesday reported that US arms sales to Taiwan might involve “international fraud.” Koo said Yi Media’s report portrayed Taiwan as being “a person taken advantage of.” Such a description was part of an effort to support an “America skepticism theory” that does not reflect reality, he said.
Photo: Lin Che-yuan, Taipei Times
ISRAEL
Office helps duo leave
Taiwan’s representative office in Israel said it helped two Taiwanese leave the country by land on Thursday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The office said it received a telephone call on Wednesday from two Taiwanese who were visiting Israel and wanted to leave, but were unable to due to flight cancelations following Iranian airstrikes. The office promptly arranged a vehicle to help the two leave Israel, it said. The duo arrived in Jordan earlier on Thursday and were waiting for a flight back to Taiwan, it said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously said that as of late August there were 266 Taiwanese in Israel. Meanwhile, the ministry said that Taiwan’s representative office in Jordan, which is also responsible for matters in Lebanon, has reported that one Taiwanese student previously in Lebanon left the Middle Eastern country on a Chinese-government-arranged cargo ship late last month, the ministry said. There are five Taiwanese in Lebanon, the ministry said. Three have informed the office that they would return to Taiwan early this month, it added. The Jordan office would continue to keep in touch with the five remaining in Lebanon to offer assistance should they need any, the ministry said.
CRIME
Cannabis suspects indicted
Ten people, including two brothers who made a living by producing tea, have been indicted for growing cannabis in Nantou County, Taichung police told a news conference on Thursday. Taichung police said that the brothers, identified by their surname, Lin (林), as well as eight others, were arrested in June and their cannabis-growing operation smashed. Police said that they received a tip-off that the Lins had allegedly started growing cannabis at their home in Lugu Township (鹿谷) earlier this year. During a raid of the residence, 51 cannabis plants, as well as tools and equipment for producing the illegal drug, were seized, police said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
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