Thai Vietjet suspends charter flights to Sapporo from February

Thai Vietjet suspends charter flights to Sapporo from February

2024-01-25

Budget airline Thai Vietjet says it will suspend its charter flights from Taiwan to Sapporo, Japan, starting this February. The move will affect nearly 1,000 travelers during Spring Festival. According to the airline, the decision was due to, quote, technical issues at Japan’s New Chitose Airport. Although flights departing on Jan. 27 and 30 will proceed as scheduled, passengers could find themselves without a return flight.

Lin Chao-chun
EzTravel spokesperson
We are starting to notify the affected group travelers. For clients who want to switch to a different group, we will assist them in finding an alternative. For clients who wish to cancel, we will provide a full refund. Based on our latest count, more than 500 of our customers will be affected.

Ringo Lee
Travel Quality Assurance Association PR
For force majeure events, the two options are providing a refund or offering a switch to a different group. Actually prior to the pandemic, this kind of incident was quite common for foreign airlines, especially when it came to charter flights by budget airlines.

Luo Hsuan-hung
Taipei Association of Travel Agents
The flights after Feb. 1 are mainly chartered by some five travel agencies. I’ve been informed by the distributor that flights can resume right after the winter season.

According to the EzTravel agency, more than 500 of its customers will be affected by the suspension. If including the customers of other agencies, some 935 people in total will need alternative plans over Spring Festival.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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泰越捷突宣布2月停飛札幌包機估近千人受影響

2024-01-25

農曆春節旅遊旺季，泰越捷航空忽然公告，因為新千歲機場持續發生不尋常技術問題，台灣飛往北海道札幌包機從2月起停飛，請旅客轉乘其他航班。1月27日、30日出發航班雖然正常，但這些旅客恐面臨沒飛機返台窘境。

[[易遊網發言人林昭君]]
“我們陸續通知受影響的團體旅客，如果有轉團意願的客人，我們會協助尋找替代行程，如果想要取消的客人，我們也會做全額退費處理。目前統計受影響旅客至少5百人以上。”

[[旅遊品保協會公關主委李奇嶽]]
“如果是不可抗因素，就是退費或者是換團。其實從疫情前很多航線，到現在其實外籍航空公司，尤其是外籍廉航的包機行程，問題常常都會發生。”

[[台北市旅行公會理事長駱炫宏]]
“2月1日以後的飛機，大概是5家旅行社包銷。我從總代理那邊得到訊息是，只要過完這冬季就馬上可以恢復。”

易遊網統計，受影響旅客超過500人，加上其他網站，大約共有935人春節行程受影響。

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First US congressional delegation since election meets Tsai and Lai

U.S. lawmakers Ami Bera and Mario Diaz-Balart met President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Thursday. They are the first U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan since the general election. Later in the day, the two of them met President-elect Lai Ching-te and incoming Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim. Lai reiterated his commitment to maintaining the cross-strait status quo.

Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-chairs Ami Bera and Mario Diaz-Balart are on their second day in Taiwan. In the morning, they were warmly welcomed at the Presidential Office.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
I would hereby like to thank the U.S. Congress for its longstanding bipartisan support for Taiwan-U.S. relations. I hope a bill to expedite double-tax relief between Taiwan and the U.S. will be passed soon. Through our bilateral exchanges, we hope to expand Taiwan’s connections with other countries, to strengthen the democratic coalition, and to achieve global prosperity and development.

Mario Diaz-Balart
Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chair
But what this delegation demonstrates clearly is that there’s absolute solid bipartisan support for Taiwan, for its prosperity and for its security. And we listen when you’ve talked about the issue of double taxation and we hope that soon we will be able to, once again, deliver good news on that front as well.

After meeting with the president, the delegation personally congratulated Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim for winning the presidential election. Lai repeated his stance on cross-strait relations.

Lai Ching-te
President-elect
China has continued to harass Taiwan with military activity and gray-zone tactics. But Taiwan has remained calm in its response. In the future, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and I will build upon the good foundation laid by President Tsai. We’ll strengthen the resilience of our society and safeguard the peaceful status quo of the Taiwan Strait. We hope the U.S. will continue to provide strong support for Taiwan.

Ami Bera
Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chair
Mr. President-elect, in your words you talked about the peace, prosperity and stability of the region, and that is exactly what we’re here to represent as the United States Congress. In the 21st century there’s no place for aggressive action, we have to learn to live together, to trade together, to work together, to solve the world’s problems together.

This is the first U.S. congressional delegation to visit Taiwan since the Jan. 13 election. Earlier this week, the U.S. Navy sent a warship through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the election. An official statement said the transit demonstrated the U.S.’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations. It added that no member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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FTV unveils ‘People of Taiwan,’ an art installation celebrating democracy

A large-scale art installation was inaugurated outside FTV’s Linkou headquarters on Thursday. Titled “People of Taiwan,” the piece consists of 35 statues, representing Indigenous people, farmers, merchants, and engineers, as well as Taiwan’s democracy pioneers. The work was created by acclaimed sculptor Fang Hui-kuang, to capture the spirit of Taiwan and its democracy.

Braving the cold, dignitaries stand in file to do the honors. There’s FTV President Dorothy Wang, FTV General Manager Liao Ji-fang, and distinguished guests including Presidential Office Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung, former foreign minister Mark Chen, and former Vice Premier Yeh Chu-lan, the widow of pro-democracy activist Cheng Nan-jung. Together, they inaugurate a public art installation titled “People of Taiwan.” It is a moment for the books.

The resonant voice of Yang lie fills the room as he sings “Formosa,” commemorating the people who paved the way for Taiwan’s democracy. The installation is the work of acclaimed sculptor Fang Hui-kuang. It’s composed of 35 figures and was unveiled to the public on Thursday.

Lin Chia-lung
Presidential office secretary-general
The artistry of this installation shows the eternal spirit of our forebears, which is also the spirit of Taiwan. Of course, FTV is the “Eye of Taiwan,” and the eyes are the windows to the soul.

Mark Chen
Former foreign minister
Art can leave an impression on humanity and on future generations. Literature and the arts can be said to have an incredible influence on us.

Ye Chu-lan
Former vice premier
The Taiwanese people’s struggle for democracy is recorded here. This artwork at the FTV headquarters is a lasting monument that will allow everyone to understand what transpired in Taiwan’s history.

The installation is located outside FTV’s headquarters in New Taipei’s Linkou District. Rendered in lifelike detail, the statues capture the spirit of many prominent pro-democracy figures.

Dorothy Wang
FTV chair
Freedom and democracy were not given to us by the heavens. They were fought for by the people. Our forebears struggled hard, and many of them have already passed. With this artwork, we can keep their spirit alive.

The sculptor Fang says the work includes not only democracy’s pioneers, but also Taiwan’s ordinary folk.

Fang Hui-kuang
Sculptor
They represent Indigenous people, scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, engineers, families… There is even a person holding a child high up, so that the child can see what’s happening in Taiwan. If you look closely, you’ll notice there is an elementary school student as well as a student from Taipei First Girls High School standing at the front. If Taiwan wants to continue on a democratic path, it needs to get young people involved. Taiwan’s pursuit of freedom and democracy requires the involvement of people from every generation.

With his skillful hands, Fang conveyed his love for Taiwan. The work will stand sentry outside FTV, carrying on the spirit of democracy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-01-25

Meet Yuty Huang, plant stylist

Today we take you to meet Yuty Huang, a plant stylist. Before embarking on this rewarding career, she was a fashion designer. Now, she gives people advice on how to arrange plants and decorate their homes. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with Huang to find out more.

Yuty Huang has tips on how to embrace the holiday season.

Yuty Huang
Plant stylist
The easiest thing is that during Spring Festival, you can go to some orchid gardens, or if you’re in Taipei, you can visit the Jianguo Flower Market. There are a lot of varieties. Don’t think about how long it will take you to grow them. Just start by experimenting.

Taiwan is globally renowned for its orchid industry, due to its many flower varieties and advanced horticultural technology. In Huang’s classes, she teaches students how to cultivate orchids, and to arrange them in the best way for each home. Huang says orchids are popular flowers because there are so many varieties. They also last a long time in a home setting.

Yuty Huang
Plant stylist
As I said, there are many varieties of orchids, and the varieties reproduce with each other to form unique flowers.

Before becoming a plant stylist, Huang worked as a fashion designer. After graduating from Istituto Marangoni, a private Italian school of fashion and design, she joined PORTS 1961 as a fashion designer. To decompress from her high-pressure job, Huang began growing plants, and teaching others how to do the same. Today, she shows people how to style plants and pair them with furniture. She also shares tips on soil and pot selection, cultivation, and maintenance. She makes an effort to know every client’s personality, daily routines, and preferences.

Yuty Huang
Plant stylist
When people first take up plant cultivation, it’s usually to decorate their homes. For me, that’s like dressing up. I will pay special attention to the texture of each plant, which is like fabric. I’ll look at the texture of the petals, and whether the color matches the home. It’s like matching a sofa and looking at whether the color is suitable for a space.

First as a fashion designer and now as a plant stylist, Huang hopes to help clients appreciate nature and create a beautiful home environment.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Hengchun employs rocks to weigh items down and counter winter winds

If you’ve ever been to the far south of Taiwan in winter, you might have noticed an interesting sight. The people of Hengchun Township often weigh down their items with heavy rocks, to keep them from being blown away by the wind. Market stalls, tables, and even scooters are all at the mercy of sudden gales. The winds are caused by geography. Winter monsoon winds, blowing over the central mountain range, accelerate where the mountains dip down to the sea at Hengchun. The local people have a special name for the northeast monsoon: the “wind that comes off the mountains.”

A Hengchun night market. Each table at this stall has a big rock sitting on it. Diners are enjoying their snacks right next to the rocks, but this tourist is perplexed. She’s laughing as she films the video, wondering what on earth is going on?

Member of public
They’re heavy, stop the tables getting blown away by the wind.

The rocks aren’t here to deter would-be table-flippers. The northeast monsoon winds are too strong here in Pingtung’s Hengchun Township. This stall owner is afraid the tables might get blown away. Even the lids of the cooking pots and the signs are weighed down.

Member of public
Everyone working here has to pick things up – plates, tables – it’s a shame.

Where the central mountain range dips down to its southern end on the Hengchun Peninsula, the mountains are just 400 to 1,000 meters high. As the northeast monsoon winds blow down off the mountain range from October to April, they produce strong winds in Checheng, Mudan and Hengchun. A sudden gust can even reach “near gale” speeds, equivalent to a tropical storm.

Market stall owner
We have to weigh down the tables and the things on the stalls with stones. Sometimes the northeast monsoon winds here are stronger than a tropical storm.

The “wind that comes off the mountains” can even flip over scooters, which need to be weighed down too. Locals think nothing of it, but tourists might need to watch out.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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ITRI showcases forward-looking innovations, unveils first sustainability report

The Industrial Technology Research Institute has unveiled its first-ever sustainability report, for the year 2022. At a Wednesday press conference, ITRI President Edwin Liu said that a new report will be prepared each year, so that ITRI can monitor its own progress on sustainable development goals. Also on Wednesday, ITRI showcased some of its latest forward-looking innovations, developed based on its 2035 Technology Strategy & Roadmap.

On the window of this bus simulator, you can instantly see facts about passing attractions.

Chen Kuan-ting
ITRI’s Electronic and Optoelectronic System Laboratories
It’s combined with GPS data, and there’s also eye-tracking technology – all of that is integrated.

Wherever passengers look, information follows onscreen. If widely adopted, this “AR Interactive Vehicle Display” could be a gamechanger for the passenger experience. When integrated on planes, coach buses, trains, cable cars, or cruise liners, it could create new opportunities in smart education and tourism.

Chen Kuan-ting
ITRI’s Electronic and Optoelectronic System Laboratories
If you have a chance to go to Cijin in Kaohsiung, you can see it already installed on the Chi Fu No. 2 ferry. We expect this system to be introduced on the Danhai Light Rail by late January or early February.

Besides driving new tourism opportunities, ITRI is making waves in biomedicine with a textile-based artificial ligament. Featuring novel material and technology, the invention solves clinical issues faced by traditional artificial ligaments.

Huang Chih-chieh
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The main problem with traditional artificial ligaments is long-term wear and tear. For example, athletes who get a replacement often develop joint effusion afterward, which requires repeated fluid draining. Wear and tear can even result in rupture and require reoperation. But our artificial ligament supports repair that comes close to the original tissue.

On Wednesday, ITRI showcased new R&D achievements of its 2035 Technology Strategy & Roadmap, which prioritizes “intelligentization enabling technologies” and the application domains of Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society. It also unveiled its first-ever sustainability report.

Edwin Liu
ITRI president
Our 2023 report will be published in 2024 – that is, by the second quarter of this year. Just as how other companies do it, we will publish the previous year’s sustainability report in the second quarter. That will help us review ITRI’s sustainable organizational development.

Through regular reporting, ITRI will evaluate its progress in various fields. ITRI President Edwin Liu said that for 50 years now, ITRI has served as a main driver of Taiwan’s economic growth. Today it’s a large entity of more than 6,000 people. As such, it must focus not only on research, but also on how to move forward toward sustainable organizational development.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Tech startup teams up with Malaysia software provider on AI dental assistant

Artificial intelligence is changing the game for customer service. A Taiwanese startup has launched an AI chatbot specifically for dental clinics. It can answer questions from patients, saving time for medical professionals. On Wednesday, the company signed an agreement with a leading software provider in Malaysia, in hopes of tapping the Southeast Asian market.

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Tech company
Dr. Lo, I want to get my teeth straightened. How do I proceed? My teeth are a mess.

Dr. Lo
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If your teeth are very malpositioned, you can consider these two kinds of orthodontic procedures.

The virtual chatbot can answer complex questions. The era of AI is upon us, and the technology is getting incorporated creatively in a wide variety of medical applications.

Joseph Wang
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At dental clinics, dentist assistants and patient-facing employees have to answer the same questions hundreds of times every day. They don’t get asked hundreds of different questions. So bringing this Dental GPT to clinics can greatly alleviate manpower shortages.

A local AI startup has launched an AI-powered virtual dental assistant. It’s partnered with a Malaysian business to tap the medical market in Southeast Asia.

The partnership is sealed with a handshake. One side is a Taiwanese startup specializing in extended reality and AI. The other side is Southeast Asia’s leading provider of software used at clinics and medical centers.

Joseph Wang
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With this strong alliance, this year, we will be bringing Taiwan’s professional products to all of Southeast Asia. We’ll be standouts in the realm of AI-powered virtual assistant systems.

Dana Ariya
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It is an honor to collaborate with this company and bring this technology to Southeast Asia so that doctors can dedicate more time to their patients.

As new tech creates new horizons, Taiwan startups are reaching overseas to explore new business opportunities.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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