■ Transportation
MRT tries out voice system
The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) began a six-month trial run of a voice-guided system at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT station to better assist visually impaired commuters. If the test is successful, a more complete system will be installed in all MRT stations, according to the company. The new voice-guided system includes a broadcast speaker, an infrared ray sensor, a Braille board and a service bell speaker. The infrared ray sensor will broadcast the message, "visually impaired passengers who need help please stay on the right side, and press the service bell to talk to our staff members," when it senses approaching passengers. The company urged visually impaired or disabled passengers not to hesitate to ask for help at MRT stations if needed.
■ Society
Offensive map removed
A publisher has withdrawn tourist maps from CKS International Airport showing a pop singer with a profanity on her T-shirt, the company said yesterday. The free map of Taipei shows singer Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄) wearing a pink sleeveless T-shirt with the words "dirty white slut" printed on it in gothic letters, a pink cap and hot pants. The words seemed to refer to promiscuity. The map's publisher, the Vision Group, said there had been no complaints about the slogan, but it had still decided to remove the maps from the airport. "The person responsible for issuing the map didn't understand English, but when we saw the picture, we thought it better to withdraw it from circulation," a company spokeswoman said. The map is still available at some hotels in Taipei, though. "We have no right to interfere with the hotels, they make their own decision about the map," she said.
■ Politics
CCP officials `chat' with Li
Writer and independent legislator Li Ao (李敖) yesterday told the press that Chinese authorities had "visited him for a chat" after his first speech in China on Wednesday during which he championed freedom of speech and took repeated swipes at the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In his speech to an audience of about 500 people at Peking University on Wednesday, Li advised the 69 million members of the CCP to relax and stop "wearing a poker-face." Li told the press yesterday that his second speech to an audience at Tsinghua University today will go ahead as scheduled, as will the pungency of the content of his speech.
■ Health
Flu-shot campaign starts
Free inoculations for selected people will begin this week, drawing on the 2.15 million doses of influenza vaccine purchased earlier this year, the Department of Health said yesterday. Health officials said that the medicine is similar to last year's, and that they hoped to see a higher inoculation rate than the 60 percent achieved last year. The free shots are offered to medical personnel, children, rare-disease patients as well as workers in the poultry or livestock industries. Officials from the health department's Center for Disease Control reminded those involved in raising, slaughtering or shipping poultry and livestock to receive inoculations. The inoculation rate last year for this industry was the lowest in the country at 59.9 percent, while those in the medical care and quarantine industries had the highest rate at 88 percent. Hospitals and clinics will provide shots to the general public for between NT$400 and NT$500 each.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
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