TRANSPORTATION
MRT to offer discounts
Passengers traveling to and from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport who transfer between the MRT Circular Line and the Taoyuan Airport MRT line would be given a 20 percent discount on their fares starting on Thursday, when national borders are to reopen, Taoyuan Metro Corp said. The promotion is to run until Nov. 12. It would apply to passengers transferring at New Taipei Industrial Park Station, where the two lines intersect, the company said. Express train services would also resume on weekends and during weekday off-peak hours beginning on Thursday, it said last week, adding that express trains would depart at 30-minute intervals. During peak hours, trains would depart at 15-minute intervals, it added.
CRIME
Six held over altercation
Taitung County police on Saturday took six people into custody over an attack at a restaurant that stemmed from an earlier traffic dispute. Police said that a tourist, surnamed Chien (簡), and an Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) resident, surnamed Shih (施), got into an altercation in front of an elementary school at about 11am due to a traffic dispute. Chinese-language media reported that Chien allegedly threatened Shih with a knife before the two left the scene. Following the incident, a group of local residents surrounded a restaurant where Chien was believed to be and demanded that staff hand him over, a video showed. The group then stormed the restaurant and attacked an unidentified man, and injured a tourist, surnamed Huang (黃), the Taitung Police Precinct said in a statement.
SOCIETY
Rules to cover restrooms
A new regulation in Taipei is to ensure that public restrooms are safe, clean and user-friendly, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection said on Friday. The new rules are to take effect on Wednesday. They would cover 13 types of public or private areas, including parks, convenience stores, gas stations, chain restaurants, tourist spots, hospitals and government agencies, the department said. Agencies responsible for restrooms would be required to keep the facilities clean and functional, and provide basic supplies, including tissue paper, toilet seat disinfectant wipes, shelves or hooks, soap hangers or dispensers, and an alarm system for use in an emergency, it said. The regulation has a one-year grace period for administrative agencies to make sure the necessary equipment is installed in the restrooms, which can be extended for a second year if approved by the department, it added.
SOCIETY
Events to mark Girls’ Day
Educational events are to be launched to celebrate the 10th Taiwan Girls’ Day, the Gender Equality Commission said on Saturday. An exhibition featuring works by Asali Sun (孫傳莉) would run from Saturday to Oct. 31 at the National Taitung Living Art Center, the commission said. The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra is to hold a concert honoring women, while the Taiwan Women’s Film Association, the Ministry of Education and other sponsors would present films on gender equality and feminism at this year’s Women Makes Waves International Film Festival from Friday to Oct. 23, the commission said. Nineteen local governments are to hold events, including fun runs, markets and gender equality workshops, to mark Taiwan Girls’ Day, it said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
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