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.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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