Visa-free entry for transit travelers from five countries
Taiwan will grant visa-free entry for qualified transit travelers from five Asian countries — India, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia — beginning on Jan. 20 as part of its effort to attract upscale tourists. A Tourism Bureau official said citizens of the five Asian countries who possess US green cards or Canadian maple cards have been allowed to enter the country without a visa since Dec. 1. At the suggestion of the Tourism Bureau, the official said, the Executive Yuan has agreed to simplify travel to Taiwan for more citizens from the five countries, granting them visa-free entry if they have visas or plane tickets to the US, Canada, Japan, any of the EU countries, Australia or New Zealand.
Community Services Center closed for the holidays
The Community Services Center closed yesterday for the holidays and will reopen on Jan. 5. The Center’s crisis counseling service can still be reached at 0932-594-578. The Center has released its Spring/Summer Activities catalog, which can be viewed online at www.community.com.tw. People interested in signing up for classes are advised to book early, as space is limited.
Democrats Abroad Taiwan announces meeting
Democrats Abroad Taiwan invites all US citizens over the age of 18 to join an organizational meeting for next year on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Famous Larry’s Pizza in Taipei. Participants must register at www.democratsabroad.org. At the meeting, board members will be elected and formal steps taken to update the country committee to a full committee. Candidates are needed for the director and supervisor positions, the organization said. The chair and the vice chair positions must be of the opposite gender under Democratic Party rules. Those who are interested in running for the positions must inform the committee beforehand to ensure there is enough time to prepare the ballots. For more information, contact the organization at democratsabroadtaiwan@gmail.com.
Toy drive organized for orphans
The Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with The Brass Monkey and the Taipei Baboons, are sponsoring a toy drive for the Harmony Home Association Taiwan, an orphanage for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Donors are welcomed to drop off toys or children’s clothing at 166 Fuxing N Rd in Taipei. For more information, call The Brass Monkey at 02-2547-5050 or check the Australia and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.anzcham.org.tw.
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
Instead of threatening tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, the US should try to reinforce cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductor development to take on challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwanese think tank said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board import duties of 32 percent on Taiwan-made goods and levy a separate tariff on semiconductors, which Taiwan is hoping to avoid. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), a National Science and Technology Council think tank, said that US efforts should focus on containing China’s semiconductor rise rather than impairing Taiwan. “Without
An SOS message in a bottle has been found in Ireland that is believed to have come from the Taiwanese captain of fishing vessel Yong Yu Sing No. 18 (永裕興18號), who has been missing without a trace for over four years, along with nine Indonesian crew members. The vessel, registered to Suao (蘇澳), went missing near Hawaii on Dec. 30, 2020. The ship has since been recovered, but the 10 crew members have never been found. The captain, surnamed Lee (李), is believed to have signed the note with his name. A post appeared on Reddit on Tuesday after a man
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