SOCIETY
ID verification launched
The Department of Household Registration has added a new function to its Web site that allows users to verify the authenticity of national ID numbers to curb fraud. The measure was implemented amid complaints that several telecom stores had been scammed by people using national ID cards with altered numbers, the Ministry of the Interior said on Monday. This type of fraud is usually carried out when scammers purchase a product, mostly smartphones, with installment plans using fake ID numbers, it said. Using the new function, businesses can verify a customer’s ID number before making a transaction, the ministry said. Using an altered national ID breaches the Household Registration Act (戶籍法) and offenders could face a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to NT$500,000, it said.
DIPLOMACY
Belizean minister arrives
Belizean Minister of National Security John Saldivar on Monday arrived for a five-day visit to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Saldivar, who is making his second trip to Taiwan as Belize’s national security chief, is to meet with National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee (李大維), Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Tsao (曹立傑). He is also to visit the Ocean Affairs Council, the Coast Guard Administration, National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, and a number of military facilities, as well as local shipbuilders, to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s developments in the respective fields, the ministry said. Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) recently concluded a trip to Belize to mark the anniversary.
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