TRAVEL
Tigerair to add route
Tigerair Taiwan is to begin offering two round-trip flights to Oita, Japan, on April 2. That would be the carrier’s 21st route in Japan and the fourth for the island of Kyushu, the carrier said. The airline also has flights for Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki. Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of China Airlines, said the new route is expected to broaden the airline’s network in Kyushu and give Taiwanese travelers more flexibility when they plan trips to the island. It would fly from Taoyuan to Oita every Wednesday and Saturday at noon, while flights from Oita would leave on the same days and arrive in Taoyuan at 5:55pm. An Airbus 320 would be used to fly the new route. Tigerair Taiwan said it hopes to take advantage of Oita’s natural beauty and Taiwanese’s continued interest traveling to Japan.
Photo courtesy of Tigerair Taiwan Ltd
DIPLOMACY
Aid agreement signed
Taiwan signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on Thursday in London to join an initiative to support Ukraine’s workforce development. Representative to the UK Vincent Yao (姚金祥) attended the signing ceremony to join the Human Capital Response Program for Ukraine and affirmed Taiwan’s commitment to helping reconstruction efforts. The program encourages businesses to invest in workplace inclusion, accessibility, childcare support, vocational education and improved work environments to aid Ukraine’s economic recovery. Yao said Taiwan is eager to share its expertise and provide humanitarian assistance. He also highlighted the nation’s long-standing cooperation with the EBRD in transportation logistics, refugee aid and cybersecurity resilience.
TOURISM
Hualien incentivizes travel
Hualien County yesterday launched a new incentive program to attract more foreign tourists, offering travel agencies up to NT$4,000 per person in tour groups to the county. The program is to run until Nov. 30, during which travel agencies that bring tour groups with at least 12 foreign visitors to Hualien can apply for cash rewards. The incentives are based on the length of stay — NT$2,000 per person for two nights, NT$3,000 per person for three nights and NT$4,000 per person for four nights. To qualify, the tour must also include at least one “eco-friendly activity,” such as staying at a certified green hotel, dining at an eco-friendly restaurant or visiting an environmental education site such as Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭) or the Chihnan Nature Center. For more information, visit https://hltrip.tw/agency/rule.php.
SOCIETY
Car crashes in Hsinchu
A sport utility vehicle driver in Hsinchu City yesterday lost control of his vehicle, leaving one person dead and six injured. The driver, a man surnamed Lin (林), abruptly swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle, Hsinchu City Police Bureau Traffic Police Brigade chief Hsu Wei-liang (許惟亮) said. Lin lost control and crashed into the car in front of him and another car waiting to turn left. Lin’s vehicle then flipped over and ran into two other cars and a motorcycle, Hsu said. The woman driving the motorcycle had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Lin and his passengers were treated for multiple abrasions. A breath alcohol test showed there was no alcohol in Lin’s blood, but the case would be handed over to prosecutors for an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter charges, Hsu said.
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
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