■POSTAL SERVICE
Post Office to lick corruption
Postal company Chunghwa Post will issue a set of stamps on Wednesday to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, the company said yesterday. The set will comprise two stamps, one with a denomination of NT$5 and one of NT$25, the company said. Differing only in color and denomination, the two stamps will feature the same design: a globe with latitude and longitude lines that form the Chinese character “lian,” meaning “clean and honest.” “The image conveys the idea that Taiwan is taking the lead in promoting clean and competent government and its determination in implementing anti-corruption efforts,” the statement reads. First day covers will be sold from Monday.
■HEALTH
More suffer sleepless nights
The number of people in Taiwan suffering from chronic insomnia has nearly doubled in three years, as economic worries caused by the global downturn have brought more sleepless nights, a study showed yesterday. Nearly 5 million, or 21.8 percent of the population, have chronic insomnia, compared with 11.5 percent three years ago, the study from the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine said. The study also found that people with sleeping problems had a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, the society said in a statement. The hike in sleeplessness was largely caused by unemployment as the nation plunged into recession late last year, it said. Chronic insomnia is defined as three sleepless nights in a week with the symptoms lasting for more than a month. More than 60 percent of the 4,000 people interviewed for the study also complained about waking up at night or having difficulties falling asleep within 30 minutes.
■ENTERTAINMENT
Hakka TV scoops awards
Taiwan’s Hakka Television Station won the Best Drama Series and Best Single Drama categories at the 14th Asia Television Awards (ATA) ceremony in Singapore on Thursday. Entering the competition for the first time to compete against programs from networks such as Discovery and National Geographic Channel Asia, Hakka TV earned nominations in four categories. The Best Drama Series award was given to Hakka TV’s 1895 in Formosa, which depicts a love story set during a Hakka revolt against the Japanese. The Best Single Drama award went to Hakka TV’s Love in the Season of Osmanthus, a comedy in which three middle-aged men try to rob a security van. Hakka TV director Hsu Chin-yun (徐青雲) said the station spends considerable effort on the cast, plot and production of dramas, which serve to promote Hakka culture.
■TOURISM
Visitor No. 4 million expected
The four-millionth tourist to Taiwan this year is expected to arrive today, which would be the first time this mark has been reached, the Tourism Bureau said yesterday. The lucky visitor will receive a debit card with a cash value of NT$400,000 (US$12,400) for exclusive use in Taiwan during their visit, bureau officials said. He or she will also receive many other gifts. The Tourism Bureau launched an incentive offer this year as part of a program to increase the number of visitors. The 1 millionth, 2 millionth and 3 millionth visitors also received debit cards earlier this year, but with a lower value. The bureau, in conjunction with the Northeast Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, is also staging two photo exhibitions at the airport until Feb. 28.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
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
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
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS