TRANSPORT
Bus accident injures 23
A shuttle bus carrying 33 people to a tourist destination in Yanmingshan National Park yesterday skidded and rolled, injuring 23 passengers. The No. 108 shuttle bus, which stops along destinations on the mountain, skidded at about 2:26pm, just before arriving in the Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) hot springs area, its terminal stop. The Taipei City Government Department of Transportation said all the injured passengers sustained grazes, with one suffering a fractured humerus, possibly requiring surgery. All the injured passengers were hospitalized. Nineteen of the injured passengers were foreigners, including six Malaysians, four Hong Kongers, two Filipinos, two Singaporeans, two Americans and three Chinese. No passengers were in a critical condition, the department said. A preliminary investigation by the police linked the accident to malfunctioning brakes.
TOURISM
Lighthouse opens to public
The century-old Fuguijiao Lighthouse (富貴角) on the nation’s northernmost point was opened to the public yesterday, with visitors to the lighthouse receiving a stamped souvenir certificate featuring the lighthouse. The 14.3m-tall lighthouse was built by Japanese for the construction of a submarine cable between Taiwan and Japan, and also to serve as a navigation aid. In 1962, the tower was renovated into an octagonal building and painted black and white. To promote the lighthouse as a tourist destination in the Guanyinshan National Scenic Area, the Tourism Bureau has sought to add more recreational facilities in neighboring areas. Several abandoned barracks nearby have been converted into an art center. The Tourism Bureau suggested that visitors can enjoy artistic programs in the art center, taste marine delicacies in the nearby Fuji Fishing Port (富基), and tour the unique lighthouse.
EDUCATION
Delayed school start backed
More than 90 percent of parents are in favor of delaying school start times so that children can get more sleep, according to the results of a survey released by Commonwealth Parenting magazine. Half of those in favor of the delay believe that getting enough sleep would keep children in good spirits and help them perform better academically. However, about 10 percent of parents did not support delaying school start times, saying that it would encourage children to go to bed later. The survey was conducted online between July 28 and Aug. 7, involving 1,996 parents. According to a study conducted in 2010 by the Sleep Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, sixth-graders get an average of 8.7 hours of sleep on weekdays. However, senior-high school students get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep, far less than the US National Sleep Foundation’s recommendation of eight to 10 hours.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Spy leader to be sentenced
Former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer Zheng Xiaojiang (鎮小江) and the spy ring he recruited, who were indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for violating the National Security Act (國家安全法), are to be sentenced on Tuesday. After months of investigations, the office found that Zhen came to Taiwan in the name of sightseeing, but had actually sought to develop a network for espionage. Zhen was found to have recruited, among others, retired army major general Hsu Nai-chuan (許乃權), who had run for the Kinmen County commissioner’s office, but failed, and retired air force colonel Chou Chih-li (周自立).
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
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