TOURISM
Singaporeans laud Taipei
Taipei is the top tourism destination for Singaporeans to ring in the New Year, according to a survey by popular US tourism Web site TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor published on Thursday a list of the favored New Year’s destinations for Singaporeans, which was covered by the city-state’s Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao yesterday. Aside from Taipei, the other top cities were Hong Kong, their home city, Bangkok and Sydney. Among the favorite travel spots for Singaporeans, Hong Kong and Phuket reported the largest increases in hotel prices for the holiday.
WEATHER
Cold air mass approaching
The Central Weather Bureau said yesterday that another cold air mass is set to approach Taiwan today, sending temperatures plunging to lows of about 10?C in northern and central parts of the nation. The cold weather is likely to continue into Monday, with generally cloudy skies, the bureau said. Under the influence of the cold air mass, temperatures of between 11?C and 15?C can be expected in the north, between 10?C and 16?C in central Taiwan and between 12?C and 23?C in the south, the bureau said. However, before the air mass arrives, the weather is expected to remain relatively warmer, with highs of between 17?C and 21?C, the bureau said. However, it forecast that mountainous areas and northeastern Taiwan in particular could expect rain, while snow was likely yesterday evening in high mountainous areas.
INTERNET
Ministry takes aim at Uber
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday it would order Uber to shut down its local operations unless the smartphone app-based transport network obtains the correct business license. The ministry said Uber has registered as an information services business, while in reality is it operating a transportation business. The company has also recruited drivers who do not have the commercial driver’s license normally required to be a taxi driver. The Uber app takes ride requests from users and pairs them with drivers to avoid the hassle of hailing a taxi. Since September, the government has slapped dozens of fines of between NT$50,000 and NT$100,000 on the company and its drivers for violating the Highways Act (公路法), the ministry said. It said that the company has continued to ignore Taiwan’s legal requirements and has still not filed an application for a car transport business license. San Francisco-based Uber entered the local market in the middle of last year. As with many other countries in which it has launched services, it has faced hurdles due to local regulations and taxi drivers worried about losing business.
EDUCATION
Huang takes helm at PEN
Former minister of cultural affairs and deputy minister of education Huang Pi-twan (黃碧端) took over as president of Chinese Taipei Center of International PEN on Wednesday. Following a handover ceremony presided over by the center’s auditor, Hu Yao-heng (胡耀恆), Huang said she would continue the tradition upheld by her predecessor, Perng Ching-hsi (彭鏡禧), and others to promote literary exchanges with other countries. Perng is leaving after finishing a four-year term. The Chinese PEN was established in 1924 in China. In 1958, it was moved to Taiwan. It publishes a quarterly English translation of poems, novels, essays and other literary works by Taiwanese authors and poets.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost