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world news Diabierna 14 OctOber 2022
1 ticket to ride: Germany eyes public transit revolution

BERLIN (AP) — Ger- port, reducing gasoline use 9-euro ticket this summer,
many wants to introduce and helping combat inflation. it won’t be valid for intercity
a public transit pass that One of its biggest attractions trains.
costs 49 euros ($47) a for users is that it will be valid
month and will be valid on all the country’s regional Questions over financing for
nationwide — if officials bus, train and tram networks, the ticket still have to be re-
can agree on the funding. each of which have myriad solved, however. Germany’s
fare options that many find federal government has of-
The proposal follows a wildly baffling to navigate. fered to subsidize it with 1.5
successful “9-euro ticket,” million euros annually; states
which was on offer in Ger- “With the 9-euro-ticket we have expressed a willingness
many for three months this showed: simplicity is better,” to do the same, pending an
summer as part of efforts to Transport Minister Volker parts from Germany’s 16 would be paperless and could agreement on federal fund-
help people switch to envi- Wissing said Thursday after states. be bought for a single month ing for regional train services.
ronmentally friendly trans- a meeting with his counter- Wissing said the new ticket or as a rolling pass. Like the

France starts exporting gas to Germany amid energy crisis

PARIS (AP) — France has Obergailbach has began de- maintenance and, in some
for the first time started livering an initial daily capac- cases, to repair corrosion
sending natural gas to ity of 31 gigawatt-hours. problems. The government
Germany, French gas net- said that EDF, which is oper-
work operator GRTgaz The amount is expected to ating France’s nuclear plants,
said Thursday, as Berlin eventually increase to a daily has committed to restart all
strives to diversify its en- maximum of 100 gigawatt- of them by this winter.
ergy supply following the hours, representing less than
interruption of Russian 2% of Germany’s overall France imports nearly all
gas deliveries. gas consumption, according its natural gas from abroad,
to figures from the French mostly from Norway and
GRTgaz said the gas pipeline Ministry for Energy Transi- other countries including
connecting both countries at tion. The Netherlands, Algeria and
the French border village of many agreed to an energy Nigeria via pipelines and via
The head of Germany’s net- The move comes as Ger- solidarity deal. France would tanker terminals. The French
work regulatory agency, Klaus many and other European help Germany with gas sup- Energy Regulatory Commis-
Mueller thanked GRTGaz countries seek to diversify gas ply, while Germany would sion announced earlier this
in French in a tweet Thurs- imports after Russia choked generate more electricity to month that its gas reserves
day, adding that “French gas off the supplies of cheap supply France during times are 100% full in anticipation
deliveries via Saarland help natural gas that the continent of peak consumption. of winter.
Germany’s supply security.” depended on for years to run
factories, generate electricity The French government has France relies on nuclear en-
Although Germany’s gas and heat homes. expressed concerns over po- ergy for about 67% of its
storage facilities are now tential electricity shortages electricity — more than any
nearly 95% full, officials say French President Emman- during the winter as 25 of other country — and on gas
citizens will still need to save uel Macron announced last France’s 56 nuclear reactors for about 7%.
gas this winter. month that France and Ger- are now shut down for usual

Tourists flock to Taiwan as COVID entry restrictions eased

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — go out during the weeklong ... I miss it so much.”
Taiwan lifted all its CO- monitoring period, they need
VID-19 entry restrictions a negative test from either Sonia Chang, a travel agent,
on Thursday, allowing that day or the day before. said the changes are good for
tourists unfettered access both the the tourism indus-
to the self-ruled island af- There are also no longer any try and Taiwanese residents,
ter over 2 1/2 years of bor- restrictions on certain na- who can now travel abroad
der controls. tionalities being allowed to without having to quarantine
enter Taiwan. when they get home.
Hong Kong and Taiwan, to-
gether with mainland China, Dozens of visitors from Valaisurang Bhaedhayajibh, a
required most visitors to Thailand were among the 53-year-old business devel-
complete a mandatory quar- first to arrive under the new opment director of a design
antine period throughout rules at Taiwan’s Taoyuan firm, called the new rules the Taoyuan airport’s arrival tions and welcoming back
the pandemic, even as most International Airport, which convenient. hall, the travelers from Thai- tourists, mainland China re-
countries reopened their bor- serves the capital Taipei, on land were met by the Taiwan mains one of the few places
ders to tourists. a Tiger Air flight that landed “We don’t have to do the test Tourism Bureau’s direc- in the world adamant in
shortly after midnight. before coming here, and also tor, Chang Shi-chung, who keeping borders closed and
Visitors are no longer re- after arriving,” he said. “We handed out gifts. sticking to a “zero-COVID”
quired to quarantine upon Tourists like 32-year-old Mac are still required to do the strategy to stamp out the vi-
entry, or take any PCR tests. Chientachakul and his par- self-test every two days, and Taiwan’s tourism bureau es- rus. Hong Kong ended its
Instead, they will need to ents were excited to visit the everything has been provid- timated that a total of 244 mandatory quarantine policy
monitor their health for a island. ed” by Taiwanese authorities, tourists from some 20 tour for inbound travelers late last
week after arriving, and ob- including the rapid testing groups will arrive Thursday. month, requiring just a three-
tain a negative result on a “Hot pot is my favorite dish kits. day self-monitoring period.
rapid antigen test the day in Taiwan,” Chientachakul With both Hong Kong and
they arrive. If people want to said. “It’s my first thing to do At a welcome ceremony in Taiwan getting rid of restric-