■ Politics
Ma denies museum rumors
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman-elect and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday dismissed local reports that the Taipei City Government was planning to use the party's Taipei headquarters to house a "Taipei City Museum." According to the head of the Taipei City Government's metropolitan development bureau, Hsu Chih-chien (許志堅), a meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss possible locations for a new city museum. Although different venues were discussed, the KMT's headquarters was not mentioned as one of the options, he said. If the Taipei City Government decided to use the KMT headquarters for its city museum, it would need to negotiate with the party on whether to buy the property, which could be advantageous for the KMT, which is said to be facing financial problems.
■ Diplomacy
Foreign officials to visit
Officials in charge of economic development from eight of the nation's diplomatic allies in Central and South America will visit Taiwan to attend a month-long workshop on the country's experience in economic development and planning scheduled to start on Monday, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said yesterday. The Latin American officials will learn about Taiwan's economic development and planning by attending over 20 classes to be given by local economics officials and experts at the Grand Hotel in Taipei and via field trips to related locations and venues, said Chen Cheng-chung (陳正忠), secretary-general of the International Cooperation and Development Fund, a MOFA operation.
■ Labor
Most choose new pensions
More than 2 million workers have chosen to change to the revised pension system, while more than 1 million prefer the old system, initial tallies compiled by the Council for Labor Affairs show. Under the old system, a worker must work for the same employer for 15 consecutive years and reach the age of 55, or for 25 consecutive years, to be eligible for a retirement pension. If a worker were to quit before he met one of the two conditions, he or she would get nothing. Under the new system, a worker's employer must deposit an amount equal to at least 6 percent of the employee's salary into his pension account, which he or she can "carry around" when moving to a new company.
■ Politics
KMT wants new blood
Six young newly-elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) national delegates yesterday appealed to party chairman-elect and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to let delegates directly elect Central Standing Committee members during the upcoming National Congress. Currently, the 31 members are elected by the Central Committee members. During the party's National Congress, scheduled for Aug. 19 and 20, Ma is to take the oath of office and the more than 1,000 newly-elected party delegates will elect 210 Central Committee members, who will then elect 31 Central Standing Committee members. In addition to saving time and money as well as narrowing the gap between management and grass-roots supporters, the young delegates yesterday said that the direct election would inject younger blood to the committee.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
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