HEALTH
Two girls killed in fire
Two girls were yesterday pronounced dead after being rescued from a fire that erupted at a house in Changhua County earlier in the day, the county fire department said. The two girls, aged 12 and two, were discovered with no vital signs on the second floor of a three-story building in Erlin Township when firefighters broke into the premises, it said. The department said that it received a report of a fire at about noon and sent 11 fire engines and 23 firefighters, as well as three ambulances to the scene. The flames were brought under control at 12:32pm and completely extinguished 10 minutes later, enabling firefighters to rescue the two girls, who had lost consciousness. The 12-year-old was taken to Erlin Christian Hospital and the two-year-old to Changhua Hospital, but both were pronounced dead later yesterday. The cause of the fire was still being investigated.
INVOICE LOTTERY
Prizes remain unclaimed
Seven uniform invoices that each won a special prize of NT$10 million (US$342,442) in the May-June draw remain unclaimed, while another five that won a NT$2 million prize also remain unclaimed, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The ministry urged the winners to claim the money ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline. The seven unclaimed NT$10 million uniform invoices were among 16 winners with the number 03016191, while the five unclaimed NT$2 million prizes were among 19 winners with the number 62474899, the ministry said. Among the seven special prize winners, four spent less than NT$100. One bought a bottled tea for NT$20 at a FamilyMart store in Banciao (板橋); one bought a milk tea and a hot dog for NT$60 at a 7-Eleven store in Taoyuan; one spent NT$88 buying dumplings in Beitou (北投); while the other spent NT$90 on a lemon drink at a beverage store in Hsinchu.
HEALTH
Quarantined woman dies
A woman in Kaohsiung who had recently returned from China was found dead while in home quarantine, the local health authority said yesterday, ruling out foul play as the cause of death. Kaohsiung Department of Health Director-General Huang Chih-chung (黃志中) said that the Taiwanese woman, in her 40s, was placed in home quarantine after she arrived at Kaohsiung International Airport from Shanghai on Sept. 16. She was found dead on Monday afternoon at her home in Linyuan District (林園), Huang said. An initial examination ruled out the possibility of foul play, he said, adding that the case has been handed over to prosecutors for further investigation. The Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday said that specimens taken from the woman’s body to test for COVID-19 suggest that her death was not related to the disease.
DIPLOMACY
Smaller banquet planned
The nation is to hold a Double Ten National Day banquet as scheduled, but it is to be streamlined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The smaller-than-usual state banquet is to be held at the Taipei Guest House for visiting foreign dignities and international friends, the ministry said. Although overseas dignitaries are not expected to attend the celebrations because of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, the banquet would still be held for the president, ministerial-level officials and foreign diplomats posted to Taiwan, it said. All guests and service staff would be required to wear masks and observe social distancing regulations, it added.
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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