Disaster relief funds for people affected by Tuesday’s earthquake in Hualien County have topped NT$170 million (US$5.81 million) as of last night, as donations pour in from all parts of society.
Cathay Financial Holding Co yesterday announced that it would donate NT$30 million, the highest donation from the private sector as of press time last night.
SinoPac Financial Holdings Co, Sinyi Realty Inc, Hualien’s Cing Peng Hotel, Panasonic Taiwan Co, Chung Hwa Pulp Corp and Wistron Corp donated NT$10 million each.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp
Acer Inc, Hiwin Technologies Corp and automaker Yulon Group donated NT$5 million each.
Mega Financial Holding Co and First Financial Holding donated NT$3.5 million each, while air-conditioner manufacture Daikin Inc’s Taipei headquarters and Airlie Biomedical and Cosmetic Polyclinic donated NT$3 million each.
Wei Chuan Food Corp, Coca-Cola Co’s local branch, elevator maker GFC corp and Jing Chi, a Taipei plastic surgery clinic, donated NT$2 million each.
Politicians also made donations, with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) taking the lead by donating NT$1 million and Premier William Lai (賴清德) donating one month’s salary.
The National Women’s League, whose assets face possible confiscation by the government, donated NT$42 million after gaining the approval of the Cabinet’s Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the New Power Party (NPP) donated NT$1 million each, while members of the People First Party (PFP) caucus donated one week’s salary each.
Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) both donated one month’s salary, while DPP Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) donated NT$100,000.
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) 34 lawmakers made a donation equivalent to their combined daily salary, while KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) donated one month’s retirement benefits he receives as a former vice president, which is about NT$200,000.
Entertainers Chang Hui-mei (A-mei, 張惠妹), Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰), Amber Kuo (郭采潔), Lin Chi-ling (林志玲) and Aaron Chen (陳昭榮) donated NT$2 million each.
Internet celebrity and fitness studio owner Holger Chen (陳之漢) donated NT$1 million.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
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WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
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