■ EARTHQUAKE
Tremblor hits Ilan
An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale hit the east coast at 2:27pm yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said, locating the epicenter at 34.6km south-southeast of Ilan City. The quake was located at a depth of 18.2km. The highest intensity was felt in Nan'ao Ilan County, at 6 on the Richter scale, followed by Hualien City and Ilan City at 4 and 3 respectively. No damage or deaths were reported.
■ LEGISLATION
Draft bill on discrimination
Governing and opposition lawmakers reached a consensus on Friday on a draft amendment to the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) pertaining to discrimination. The amended bill stipulates that it would be against the law to discriminate against people on the basis of nationality, race, skin color, social rank or place of birth. Violators would face fines of up to NT$30,000 (US$900). After concluding inter-party negotiations on the proposed amendment, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Hsiao Bi-Khim (蕭美琴), Kao Chien-chih (高建智) and Huang Chu-ying (黃淑英) signed the agreement with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Shyu Jong-shyoung (徐中雄) and Joanna Lei (雷倩). Lawmakers who took part in the talks also agreed that existing laws banning foreigners from taking part in activities or doing work that does not match the reason for which their visa was granted should be abandoned.
■ DIPLOMACY
Chen to attend summit
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is scheduled to attend a summit in the Marshall Islands next month with leaders of the country's diplomatic allies in the Pacific. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said Chen would embark on the four-day visit on Oct. 11 and return on Oct. 14. Details of the transfer stop are still being arranged. As Chen has expressed the hope of seeing New Zealand attend the event as an observer, the ministry is making efforts to make this possible, it said. The first summit was held in Palau in September last year, bringing Chen together with heads of the six Pacific island states holding diplomatic ties with Taipei -- the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau, the Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
■ TRANSPORTATION
Free bus in Kaohsiung
Rides on Kaohsiung City buses will be free of charge until Friday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said yesterday. Ferry rides between Kaohsiung's Hsinkuang Wharf (新光碼頭) and Chijin (旗津) will also be free until Tuesday, she said. The measures are part of the city government's effort to promote use of mass transportation. The city government aims to build a more convenient mass transportation system combining the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System, buses, ferries and bicycles, she said. "Everyone is responsible for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The city government should take the lead," Chen said while riding a bicycle on the city's car free day yesterday. "The utility rate of the Kaohsiung mass transportation system so far only amounts to 5 percent. We hope to increase that rate to 15 percent after the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System begins operation [at the end of this year.]," she said.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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