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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ CULTURE

Dragon Boat festivities start

The 2008 Tainan City Dragon Boat Race Championship festivities are starting today, with a record 119 teams competing this year, the Tainan City Government said yesterday. A series of traditional rituals, including offerings to the river gods, dragon eye dotting and other ceremonies, will be held ahead of the actual races, which will take place on the Tainan City Canal between Anyi Bridge and Chengtian Bridge on Saturday and Sunday evening. Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (�?]) said the city had completed preparations for the races, including cleaning up the canal and testing river current control. The Tainan competition has been held every year for the past several decades to mark the Dragon Boat Festival, which this year falls on Sunday.



■ Transportation

Airline fuel surcharge hiked

The government has approved an 8.3 percent fuel surcharge hike by airlines from June 16 in light of high global crude oil prices, aviation authorities said yesterday. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said the fuel surcharge per passenger for long-haul flights would rise to US$84.50 from US$78, while that for short-haul routes would rise to US$32.50 from US$30. “The increases are to reflect market reality,” a CAA official said, adding that the new fuel surcharges were calculated based on a two-month average of US$157.44 per barrel, compared with a previous figure of US$140.33. The government has to authorize increases in the fuel surcharge, which last rose on May 15. The move comes after the government scrapped a freeze on gasoline prices and raised fuel costs last month by up to 16 percent.



■ POLITICS

Young Chen not running

Former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) office yesterday rebutted a TV report that his son was planning to run in the next legislative election in Tainan County. Chen’s office issued a statement saying that Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) was still in school and had no plan of running in the election nor any intention of pursuing a career in politics. The statement said that the office had already informed SET-TV before it ran the report, which the Chen office dismissed as “groundless.” It expressed regret and said it could not fathom why the TV station would still run the report.



■ DIPLOMACY

Siew meets Miyazaki chief

Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) urged Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru to promote bilateral exchanges during a meeting at the Presidential Office yesterday. Siew in particular encouraged his guest to help promote mutual understanding and interaction between students of the two countries on the basis of long-standing historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Siew said he was hopeful more frequent and advanced bilateral exchanges would be held, thanks to the opening of regular scheduled flights between Taipei and Miyazaki that began last Sunday. The vice president also asked Higashikokubaru to promote Taiwanese mangoes in Japan. EVA Airways offers round trips on the new route every Thursday and Sunday. Taking advantage of the newly opened flights, the governor, along with a 140-member delegation, is visiting Taiwan to promote tourism in his prefecture. Higashikokubaru was a popular TV comedian before being elected the governor of Miyazaki early last year.
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