TRANSPORTATION
Cashback rates reduced
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) yesterday announced that cash rebates for frequent metro riders would be cut from the current 10 to 30 percent to 5 to 15 percent starting on March 1, citing rising costs. Those who take MRT trains between 11 and 20 times would receive a 5 percent rebate at the end of the month. Rebates of 10 percent would be given to those taking between 21 and 40 trips, and 15 percent to those taking more than 40 journeys, TRTC said in a statement. The decision was made due to rising electricity and labor costs, it said. The cost of the one-month TPASS that covers unlimited rides on MRT trains, buses, Taiwan Railway trains, light rail and YouBike rentals in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Keelung would remain at NT$1,200, it said.
Photo: CNA
BEREAVEMENT
Ko Wen-je’s father passes
The ailing father of former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) died yesterday, his family has confirmed. Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), who was in his 90s, had been critically ill over the past month and was hospitalized at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Hsinchu branch. Ko Wen-je, who is in detention on corruption charges, was allowed to visit his father at 3:22am on Sunday after the latter’s condition worsened. His father had been in a critical condition in the days before he died and was no longer able to eat, local media reported. The Taipei Detention Center yesterday said that Ko Wen-je is legally allowed to apply for a home visit, but declined to disclose whether he had submitted such an application.
MARINE LIFE
Nesting turtles observed
A record 141 nesting green sea turtles were observed coming ashore to lay eggs on Itu Aba (Taiping Island, 太平島) last year, which could yield up to 35,000 hatchlings, the Ocean Affairs Council said yesterday. From June to September last year, the council joined with the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium to carry out the first systematic study into the sea turtle ecology of Itu Aba, it said. Located 1,600km from Taiwan proper in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), Itu Aba sees the most hatchlings of any site in Taiwan, it said. Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) in Pingtung County and Wangan Township (望安) in Penghu County are also important breeding sites for green sea turtles, usually observing 10 brooding turtles per year, it said. Green sea turtle eggs have a 70 percent hatch rate, so this year could see up to 35,000 hatchlings, although the survival rate is low with just one to two turtles per 1,000 eggs surviving to adulthood, it added.
ENTERTAINMENT
Films to premier in Osaka
Seven Taiwanese films are to have their Japanese premiere at the Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) next month, including Yen and Ai-Lee (小雁與吳愛麗) by director Lin Shu-yu (林書宇) and Family Matters (我家的事) by director Pan Ke-yin (潘客印), which are in the running for awards. The OAFF on Friday announced shortlisted films in the competition section, which included Yen and Ai-Lee and Family Matters, the Ministry of Culture said. The competition section presents films completed after Sept. 30, 2023, which have not yet been released in Japan. The OAFF jurors would choose the winners of the Grand Prix and Most Promising Talent Award from these films, the event’s Web site said. Screenings are to take place at the Theatre Umeda Cinema and ABC Hall during the festival, which runs from March 14 to 23.
An alleged US government plan to encourage Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to form a joint venture with Intel to boost US chipmaking would place the Taiwanese foundry giant in a more disadvantageous position than proposed tariffs on imported chips, a semiconductor expert said yesterday. If TSMC forms a joint venture with its US rival, it faces the risk of technology outflow, said Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Industry Economics Database of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. A report by international financial services firm Baird said that Asia semiconductor supply chain talks suggest that the US government would
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
Starlux Airlines on Tuesday announced it is to launch new direct flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Ontario, California, on June 2. The carrier said it plans to deploy the new-generation Airbus A350 on the Taipei-Ontario route. The Airbus A350 features a total of 306 seats, including four in first class, 26 in business class, 36 in premium economy and 240 in economy. According to Starlux’s initial schedule, four flights would run between Taoyuan and Ontario per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights are to depart from Taoyuan at 8:05pm and arrive in California at 5:05pm (local time), while return flights
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
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