DEFENSE
Vessels enter CGA service
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday showcased its 10th 600-tonne patrol vessel, CG612 Suao, at a ceremony in Kaohsiung. Another vessel of the same class, CG613, was officially named Lanyu during the event, and would be deployed to the CGA’s mobile flotilla in eastern Taiwan. Suao is 65m long and 14.8m wide, with a maximum speed of 40 knots and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704km), the CGA said, adding that it is equipped with a high-pressure water canon, and could carry out firefighting, law enforcement, and search-and-rescue missions. Its low-resistance hull design and improved accommodations also enhance performance and living conditions on board, it said. Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), who presided over the ceremony, said Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) had named the vessel Suao in January and has now formally entered service. Lanyu would bolster the coast guard’s presence in eastern waters, in cooperation with local communities, Kuan added. The CGA said it would continue to expand its fleet and bolster its capabilities in law enforcement, rescue operations, protection of fishing rights, maritime services and marine conservation.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration via CNA
TRAVEL
Starlux resumes Manila trip
Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines yesterday said it would resume Taipei-Manila flights on Dec. 16, offering one daily round-trip service between Taiwan and the Philippines’ capital. Flight JX785 would depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 8:20am and arrive at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 11:05am, the airline said. The flight to Taipei would leave Manila at 11:50am and arrive in Taoyuan at 2:05pm, it said. The route was suspended in March last year after weak ticket sales the prior year, which it attributed to late-night flight times. The airline said it decided to resume the service in response to growing business ties between Taipei and Manila. Tickets would be available starting yesterday. “Relaunching the route not only meets business and tourism demand, but also strengthens our presence in Southeast Asia,” Starlux CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華) said. Starlux also operates daily flights between Taiwan and the Philippines’ Clark International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
SOCIETY
Taipei seeks YouBike fine
The Taipei City Government yesterday said it intends to seek NT$100,000 from YouBike’s operator, after a system failure on Wednesday evening disrupted services for more than 20,000 people. The outage began at about 6:34pm and affected stations in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan before services were fully restored after midnight, YouBike Co said. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the incident seriously undermined public rights, adding that he had instructed the Department of Transportation to impose the maximum penalty for breach of contractual obligations. YouBike said the failure was caused by a software update on Saturday last week, which led to abnormal data checks and a surge in server traffic. The operator apologized for the disruption, pledged to optimize its system and said it would compensate affected users. New Taipei City authorities said they would decide separately whether to impose a penalty, but asked the company to treat trips made during the outage as less than 30 minute rides, which are free.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
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