■ 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.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
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