■ ENVIRONMENT
Agencies black out
The Presidential Office and several government agencies switched off their lights at 8:30pm yesterday for one hour as part of the global “Earth Hour” campaign observed by more than 120 countries. Wu Chia-ling (鄔嘉綾), an executive at the Society of Wilderness, which is leading a carbon-reduction drive in Taiwan, said that aside from the government, the private sector, including prominent buildings in Taipei City such as Taipei 101, the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel and NEO19, also took part in the activity. Wu said the one hour lights-out campaign in Taiwan would save between 250,000 and 280,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is equivalent to cutting 170 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Hundreds of thousands of individuals also took to the streets in eastern Taipei City yesterday afternoon in a show of support for the campaign, she said.
■ DIPLOMACY
Tung visits Taiwan: report
Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a six-day visit, a local report said yesterday. Tung is now vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The CPPCC has no legislative power, but in theory advises China’s rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress. The former shipping magnate is expected to visit the nation’s largest port in Kaohsiung and meet Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), the United Evening News quoted unnamed sources as saying. However, in a bid to keep his trip low-profile because of the political sensitivity associated with his position, Tung is not scheduled to meet any government officials, the report said. Tung lead the former British colony from its handover to Chinese rule in 1997 until his resignation in 2005. He never visited Taiwan during his terms.
■ TOURISM
Thai office holds food fair
A food and products fair was launched yesterday in Taipei as the final event in “Thailand Week 2010,” which aims at promoting better understanding of the Southeast Asian country. At the fair, 20 booths set up in the plaza in front of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei offered food, handicrafts and tourism and visa services. “The purpose of this event is not only to promote Thailand tourism and food, but also to showcase every aspect of Thailand to the people of Taiwan and others who are currently in Taipei,” said Arbhorn Manasvanich, executive director of the Thailand Trade and Economic Office.
■ CRIME
UK citizen detained
A British-Indian businessman was in police custody yesterday over his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run in Taipei City. In the early morning on Thursday, scooter rider Huang Chun-te (黃俊德), 32, was hit from behind and killed at the scene. Video clips from a nearby security camera showed a black Mercedes hit him from behind and immediately left the scene. Chen Wen-chih (陳文智), deputy chief for Taipei City Police Department’s Da-an Precinct, said Yang Sheng-hung (楊盛宏), a retired sergeant from the Taipei City Police Department, took his car to a car maintenance shop and saw the Mercedes, which was also there for maintenance. Chen said Yang felt there was something wrong with the Mercedes and called police to tip them off. At press time, the businessman was being interviewed at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. Prosecutors have barred him from leaving the country.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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