Several government measures and special offers from different divisions are to be launched on Wednesday.
The Department of Health (DOH) will begin administering free shots of Pneumococcus vaccine for children under age five. Approximately 6,500 children are expected to benefit from the new measure.
The DOH will also start implementing its new labeling system for vegetarian food. It has divided vegetarian food into five categories, including food containing eggs, milk, or both milk and eggs, as well as those containing green onions, garlic, green leeks, red leeks and white onions, and those containing none of the ingredients above.
Food manufacturers must follow the categories and label their products appropriately.
Meanwhile, to reward those who save electricity, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) will give a 20 percent discount to those who use 10 percent less electricity compared with the same time period last year. Those who cut consumption by 10 percent for two consecutive years will receive a discount of 30 percent.
Also starting on Wednesday, Republic of China passports holders can travel to Ireland visa-free, however those going to work or study must still apply for visas.
The National Youth Commission will also begin taking applications for internships at overseas non-profit organizations starting on Wednesday. Successful applicants will receive flight subsidies and NT$18,000 in spending money every month.
Both the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) and the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp will start offering special deals for summer travelers.
The TRA will start selling a “TR-Pass” next month to encourage backpacking around the country. Taiwanese students can choose either a five-day or seven-day TR-Pass, which cost NT$599 and NT$799 respectively, while foreign students can also purchase 10-day passes for NT$1,089.
TR-Pass holders will have unlimited access to several TRA train services, including the Chukuang Express, Fuxing Express and commuter trains. However, they will not be able to use the pass on Tzuchiang Express trains, the most expensive service.
Groups traveling on the Taiwan High Speed Rail may be eligible for free tickets. The company is offering a buy-four, get-one-free deal on tickets.
AirAsia, which offers low-priced flights, meanwhile, will launch its service at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport starting on Wednesday
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS