英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

Boracay is a popular place for Taiwanese tourists who are visiting the Philippines. But one couple is complaining about overcharging which took place at seafood restaurant where they paid NT$4,700 for a single lobster. 

Boracay is known for its beautiful beaches and bountiful seafood. Unfortunately, Mr. Ho and his girlfriend were unwittingly duped when they went to a local restaurant that had a sign advertising lobster for the equivalent of NT$128. When they finished their meal, they learned the price was actually NT$128 per 100 grams, meaning their 3.7 kg lobster ultimately cost NT$4,700. Worse yet, the couple didn’t have the cash on them to pay this exorbitant bill and they were soon taken to the local police station.

While many people may be shocked by this news, the reality of the situation is that the price of such lobster at markets in Taiwan may be even more expensive.

Fishmonger
It’s impossible. NT$128 is impossible. Even at a 70 percent discount it would be impossible to cost just NT$120.

Chen Yi-chuan of Taiwan’s Travel Quality Assurance Association reminded tourists to pay more attention when visiting the Boracay Fish Market. He warned that such vendors may deceptively label prices and said it’s important to know just how much you are spending before you commit to a meal.

Taiwan’s Ang Lee has received one of France’s highest cultural honors. Yesterday he was made an officer in the French National Order of Arts and Letters. During the ceremony, the culture minister praised Lee for communicating touching stories to different cultures around the world. 

The French minister of culture and communication, Aurelie Filipetti, inducted Ang Lee into France’s cultural honor role. She praised Lee for his contribution to globalization and his vision that every individual contains great potential. 

Lee said that as a young person, he was inspired by French film. And in “Life of Pi” he even added a role for revered French actor Gerard Depardieu.

Gerard Depardieu
French Actor 
The chef is not in the book, but it is indeed a very good adaptation.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is standing by his decision to grant himself sweeping powers, despite protests from hundreds of thousands in the capital city of Cairo. Similar protests and unrest have spread throughout major cities as the power grab embroils Egypt’s political system. 

Demonstrators clashed with the police near Tahrir Square and the US embassy. The scene was filled with tear gas and protestors throwing stones and other debris, as many were injured and one fatality was attributed to tear gas.

Protestors filled Tahrir Square both day and night, despite the danger, even setting fire to nearby cars. They have been protesting every since Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi announced last week that the president would be immune to judicial review. This led the square to be inundated by tens of thousands of protestors who camped out and demanded he rescind his expanded powers. 

Protester
We reject any form of dictatorship. We want democracy.

Egypt's second largest city of Alexandria also saw similar violent protests with demonstrators ransacking the headquarters of Morsi’s political party, the Muslim Brotherhood. Files and office furniture were thrown from the balcony of this office as protestors vented their anger. The last thing the protestors want is another dictator after successfully toppling former President Hosni Mubarak.

As the importance of Songshan Airport grows, the areas surrounding it remain stagnant. Besides a few low-rise apartment buildings, little development is taking place. To raise competiveness, the Civil Aeronautics Administration plans to turn it into an air transit industrial corridor.

Besides the square in front of the airport metro station, the administration wants to develop three plots of land. The administration’s new office will also be built near the airport. Altogether, it comprises over 8 hectares to be developed using the build-operate-transfer model.

Today was the first investment promotion meeting. Eighty-five enterprises sent executives to attend, including Nanshan Life Insurance and Shin Kong Group.

Yeh Kuang-shih
Ministry of Transportation
We forecast that NT$3-400 million will be invested using the BOT model. Our conservative estimate is that it will produce thousands of jobs.

TransGlobe Life Insurance was the surprise winner in the third auction of insolvent Kuo Hua Life Insurance. The deal includes a government payout of more than NT$88 billion, igniting a fair bit of controversy from lawmakers. 

In August 2009, Kuo Hua Life Insurance was brought under government receivership due to deteriorating asset value. On Tuesday, the government conducted its third auction of the company, with TransGlobe beating out Chinatrust Life Insurance and Mercuries Life Insurance to run the troubled insurer.

Chu Yun-peng
Insurance Stabilization Fund Chairman
We consider the results of the auction to be below market expectations with a final settlement price of NT$88.368 billion.

TransGlobe’s acquisition of Kuo Hua Life Insurance includes a payment of NT$88.4 billion by the government’s Insurance Guaranty Fund, setting a record for the largest government settlement for a troubled financial institution.