FIREFIGHTERS
Factory offers tribute liquor
Photo: Wu Cheng-ting, Taipei Times
The Kinmen Ceramics Factory yesterday said that all professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters members of disaster-prevention organizations can present their ID at the store to purchase its fire hydrant-themed liquor, originally priced at NT$1,380, for a special promotional price of NT$1,190. The bottle is shaped like a fire hydrant, it said, combining fired ceramic craftsmanship with the idea of safety and protection, vigilance and guardianship, while serving as a reminder to extinguish anger. “This is not just a product; it is a heartfelt tribute to the artisan spirit and those who protect our safety.” Due to limited quantity, purchases are limited to one per person, it said.
RAILWAYS
Couple jumps on tracks
A man surnamed Yan (岩) and his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), jumped onto the tracks at Taichung Railway Station on Saturday, resulting in a fine under the Railway Act (鐵路法), police said yesterday. On Saturday at about 9pm, Yan, appearing intoxicated, got into an argument with Chen, before they both jumped onto the tracks, startling passengers, witnesses said. Railway police were notified and intervened, pulling the couple back onto the platform. Upon investigation, police found that Yan’s backpack and Chen’s phone had fallen onto the tracks as the two argued, leading to their attempt to retrieve the items. Jumping onto the tracks is in breach of the Railway Act, with a fine between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000, the Railway Police Bureau said. The bureau cautions that pedestrians and vehicles must not enter railway tracks, bridges, tunnels or areas within stations that are not designated for public access. Violators are fined, it said, adding that if assistance is needed, people can contact railway personnel or the police for help.
SEISMOLOGY
Earthquake strikes Yilan
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off eastern Taiwan at 4:47pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, according to the agency. The earthquake’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. The quake measured an intensity of 2 in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taichung and Nantou County, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
SOCIETY
Racers enjoy fishy finish
About 2,300 people took part in a Penghu County race yesterday that offered a 1kg grouper to every runner who crossed the finish line. The “Run in Penghu” started at 8am by the Penghu County Government Building in Magong City, with Penghu County Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) and other local officials sending the runners on their way. According to the county government, participants were able to sign up for a full 11km race or a more leisurely 5km route for adults and children. Each competitor who finished the race was eligible to claim a free 1kg frozen grouper or a voucher for a grouper-related meal, the county government said. The Run in Penghu race is held annually with the goal of boosting wintertime tourism in the outlying county.
Taiwanese can file complaints with the Tourism Administration to report travel agencies if their activities caused termination of a person’s citizenship, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday, after a podcaster highlighted a case in which a person’s citizenship was canceled for receiving a single-use Chinese passport to enter Russia. The council is aware of incidents in which people who signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of Russia were told they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, Chiu told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei. However, the travel agencies actually applied
New measures aimed at making Taiwan more attractive to foreign professionals came into effect this month, the National Development Council said yesterday. Among the changes, international students at Taiwanese universities would be able to work in Taiwan without a work permit in the two years after they graduate, explainer materials provided by the council said. In addition, foreign nationals who graduated from one of the world’s top 200 universities within the past five years can also apply for a two-year open work permit. Previously, those graduates would have needed to apply for a work permit using point-based criteria or have a Taiwanese company
The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted two Taiwanese and issued a wanted notice for Pete Liu (劉作虎), founder of Shenzhen-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus Technology Co (萬普拉斯科技), for allegedly contravening the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) by poaching 70 engineers in Taiwan. Liu allegedly traveled to Taiwan at the end of 2014 and met with a Taiwanese man surnamed Lin (林) to discuss establishing a mobile software research and development (R&D) team in Taiwan, prosecutors said. Without approval from the government, Lin, following Liu’s instructions, recruited more than 70 software
Taiwanese singer Jay Chou (周杰倫) plans to take to the courts of the Australian Open for the first time as a competitor in the high-stakes 1 Point Slam. The Australian Open yesterday afternoon announced the news on its official Instagram account, welcoming Chou — who celebrates his 47th birthday on Sunday — to the star-studded lineup of the tournament’s signature warm-up event. “From being the King of Mandarin Pop filling stadiums with his music to being Kato from The Green Hornet and now shifting focus to being a dedicated tennis player — welcome @jaychou to the 1 Point Slam and #AusOpen,” the
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