POLITICS
Chen Pei-yu enters legislature
Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), a promoter of children’s reading, is to fill a legislative seat vacated by Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), who has been appointed to head the Ocean Affairs Council, the Central Election Commission said. Kuan, who was sworn in as a member of new Premier Chen Chien-jen’s (陳建仁) Cabinet on Tuesday, held an at-large seat representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Chen is to serve the remainder of the legislative term until Jan. 31, next year, the commission said. Control Yuan member Chang Chu-fang (張菊芳) was next in line on the DPP’s legislator-at-large succession list, but Chang decided to keep her position. Her term ends in 2026.
AVIATION
Matsuyama flights resume
A charter flight carrying 179 Japanese tourists arrived at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) from Matsuyama Airport on Saturday evening, marking the resumption of passenger services between the two airports after nearly three years during the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel industry is seeking to benefit from the resumption of international travel, after Taiwan reopened its borders to foreign tourists. The borders had been closed in March 2020 to prevent a domestic outbreak of COVID-19. An annual report on foreign visitors by the Tourism Bureau in 2019 said that Japanese members of group tours on average spent US$303.12 in Taiwan, leading the rankings of foreign travelers. Charter flights between the two airports were launched in 2013, and the operator promoted them based on Songshan and Matsuyama being written with the same Chinese characters. Until the pandemic hiatus, there were also flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Matsuyama.
LOTTERY
Fifteen people win NT$10m
Fifteen receipts issued in November or December last year each won the NT$10 million (US$334,448) special prize in the invoice lottery, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. Three of the 15 receipts with the winning number 28089459 were issued at 7-Eleven convenience stores, including one issued for a NT$39 drink, and another for a NT$13 bill payment charge. Other NT$10 million winners included a person who spent NT$81 on chocolate and other items at a Hi-Life convenience store in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音), the ministry said. FamilyMart convenient stores issued two NT$10 million winning receipts, both for purchases of less than NT$60, in Taichung’s East District (東區) and Taoyuan’s Luzhu District (路竹). Meanwhile, 7-Eleven stores issued two of the 14 receipts with the NT$2 million grand prize-winning number 30660303, it said.
ENVIRONMENT
Hualien commissions e-bikes
Hualien County’s 177 borough and village wardens have received electric bikes for official use as a part of a local drive to contribute to the national goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, the Hualien Environmental Protection Bureau said on Saturday. Replacing the wardens’ combustion engine bikes would save 408 tonnes of carbon emissions through the service life of the vehicles, it said. The project would reduce the county’s emissions of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers by 0.22 tonnes and 3.4 tonnes per year, it added. Hualien also provides residents a subsidy of up to NT$22,800 for every electric bike purchased to replace a motorbike in a bid to encourage electric vehicle ownership, it said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
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