The legislature yesterday approved an amendment to the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例) that will allow people to buy domestic air and boat tickets at convenience stores and post offices nationwide.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Tsao Erh-chang (曹爾忠) hailed the passage of the bill, saying it would save residents of outlying islands the trouble of buying tickets at airports or travel agencies, which are usually some distance from their homes.
Tsao initiated the amendment following a case in which Uni Air was found to have violated the act by allowing residents of Matsu to purchase plane tickets at convenience stores.
The legislature also approved an amendment to the Agriculture Finance Act (農業金融法) allowing the Agricultural Bank of Taiwan, the credit department of farmers’ and fishermen’s associations, to issue credit cards.
KMT Legislator Hsiao Ching-tien (蕭景田) said the revision would benefit residents in rural and remote areas by making it possible for them to apply for credit cards at nearby agricultural or fishermen’s associations, with applications to be reviewed by the bank.
Also approved by the legislature was an amendment to the Preschool Education Act (幼稚教育法) allocating more funds for the Ministry of Education to hire more teachers to look after children in kindergarten.
Under the current system, a kindergarten school can apply for a subsidy for a teacher with a class of 30 children. After the revision, the ministry will be able to offer subsidies for two teachers in a kindergarten in a class which has more than 15 students and fewer than 30.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
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