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.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
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
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
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