■ Transportation
ETC trial run begins
A 10-day trial run of the electronic Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system began yesterday and will end at midnight on Jan. 25. The trial will take place on eight stops along the north-south Formosa Freeway (Freeway 3) from Holong (後龍) in Miaoli County to Chutien (竹田) in Pingtung County. Two lanes have been allocated at toll booths for the trial run. Vehicles with on-board units (OBUs) are advised to use the innermost lanes. Ministry of Transport and Communications officials asked drivers to make sure they don't enter the wrong lane as offenders will be subject to a NT$3,000 fine. The ETC system was slated to begin operations on Jan. 1 but is now set to go into effect nationwide on Feb. 10. During the three-month promotion period for the system OBUs are priced at NT$680, with free installation. After the promotion period OBUs will be priced at NT$1180 and installation will cost NT$175. A deposit of NT$500 is also required. The ETC tolls will be NT$40 for small cars, NT$50 for buses and NT$65 for cars connected to trailers or other parts.
PHOTO: TSAI CHIH-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
■ Foreign labor
Airport aid now available
A service station was established yesterday at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to help foreign laborers upon arrival. The service station will help with documentation checks and baggage claim, disputes with airport personnel, legal assistance and problems with laborers being mislead or cheated by unlawful bodies on their arrival in this country. Assistance will be given from the moment of arrival until the foreign workers are delivered to the hands of their employers or those who are collecting them at the airport. A service station will also be provided in the departure halls, where a hotline for last minute protests or objections will be available for those who have been unfairly dismissed or are being repatriated.
■ Society
Dog buyers cautioned
The number of people expected to buy dogs is expected to rise sharply as the Lunar New Year brings in the "Year of the Dog" so Council of Agriculture officials yesterday warned dog lovers to ensure their pets receive the necessary vaccinations, especially for rabies. Although Taiwan has been rabies free since the 1960s, the increase in trade between China and Taiwan means that extra caution should be taken since rabies is a serious problem in China, they said. Officials said that pet buyers should avoid buying pets whose origins are unknown. If any member of the public has suspicions about animal smuggling, they should call 0800031131.
■ Travel
Japan mulls driving rights
Japan is considering recognizing Taiwanese driver licenses, Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kazuo Kitagawa said on Sunday. He said that his ministry is discussing the issue with police authorities. Taiwanese tourists cannot use international drivers' licenses in Japan because Tokyo does not recognize Taiwanese licenses. As Taiwan is the second-largest source of tourists to Japan, Kitagawa said his ministry plans to recognize Taiwanese licenses in order to attract more Taiwanese visitors. Taiwanese made about 1.3 million visits to Japan last year.
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
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
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
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