DISASTER RELIEF
Taiwan, Japan to collaborate
Taiwan and Japan yesterday signed an agreement to share information on disasters caused by earthquakes, typhoons and landslides and exchange opinions on landslide prevention measures and on post-disaster reconstruction experiences. The agreement was signed by Taiwan’s East Asian Relations Commission Chairman Peng Run-tsu (彭榮次) and Hatakenaka Atushi, chairman of the Japan’s Interchange Association, in Taipei. Authorities in charge of disaster prevention are entitled to make contact with each other to collect related information. Both countries will dispatch experts to the other’s territory to conduct research, attend conferences and to develop technologies in the areas.
EDUCATION
Cadets graduate in Honduras
Three cadets from Taiwan graduated from Honduran military academies recently with remarkable academic performances, Taiwan’s embassy in Honduras said yesterday. Tien Chien-min (田健民), Chang Shuo-fang (張碩峰) and Chi Fei (齊飛) were among 89 military school graduates who were awarded bachelor degrees and the rank of second lieutenant or ensign during a ceremony on Wednesday, the embassy said. Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, who presided at the graduation ceremony, congratulated the new officers on their achievements and praised the Taiwanese graduates for their outstanding performance. He also expressed hope that the Taiwanese graduates would help in the future to promote military interactions between Taiwan and Honduras.
CRIME
Pilfered goods returned
Ten years after stealing a cup, a blanket and a set of dining utensils from a Cathay Pacific plane, the repentant passenger sent them back to the airline, along with NT$900, airline sources said on Thursday. The airline’s Kaohsiung office received the package on July 19, but as they were unable to contact the sender, who called himself Chiu Chan-ho (邱禪荷), they initially did not open it. Finally, one staffer’s curiosity got the better of her and she opened the package. Lee Hsiung-ta (李雄達), a manager in charge of the carrier’s business in southern Taiwan, speculated that Chiu might be a frequent flyer who took the objects some time ago and was now sending them back after being struck with remorse. Lee said all the items were no longer in production and could be seen as collector’s items. Since the staff could not reach the sender, they decided to donate that NT$900 “interest payment” to the UN Children’s Fund.
POLITICS
Taipei Metropolis proposed
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday submitted a proposal to have Taipei City, Taipei County and Keelung merged into a single administrative district in a bid to improve Taiwan’s international competitiveness. KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said the merger was originally part of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign platform in early 2008, but never materialized for a variety of reasons. Taipei County will be upgraded to a municipality and renamed Sinbei City on Dec. 25 — making it part of a twin city with the capital, Taipei, along with the much smaller neighboring Keelung, Hsieh said. If Taipei, Sinbei and Keelung were to be merged, it would have a population of more than 7 million, constituting nearly 30 percent of Taiwan’s population. Such a merger would definitely make the northern area, to be known as the Taipei Metropolis, into a world-class city with high competitiveness, Hsieh said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
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