■ CRIME
Museum officials suspected
Two top officials at the National Palace Museum are suspected of influence peddling in connection with the renovation of the institution, prosecutors said. The allegations, related to a NT$160 million (US$1.82 million) project to make the building earthquake-resistant, are the latest in a scandal over whether officials took payments in exchange for granting contracts. Deputy director Lin Po-ting (林柏亭) was detained while former museum director Shih Shou-chien (石守謙) was released on bail of NT$1 million, prosecutors said. The National Palace Museum, renowned for its rich collection of ancient Chinese treasures, reopened in February after a three-year renovation which cost an estimated NT$700 million.
■ EMERGENCY AID
Taiwan sends rice to Kenya
Taiwan donated 5,000 tonnes of rice to Kenya, in collaboration with the international charity organization Feed the Children (FTC), as relief for the East African country, which has been hit by drought, Taiwan's representative to the US, Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), said on Friday. Wu said the donated rice has been shipped to Kenya and will be delivered to Kenyan children by FTC through local social welfare organizations such as orphanages and hospitals in Nairobi. The donation is part of Taiwan's participation in a FTC program to feed millions of children suffering in areas struck by famine, Wu said, adding that another 5,000 tonnes of rice donated by Taiwan had been delivered to diplomatic ally Malawi. Taiwan donated 52 containers of new clothing, worth a total of US$17.6 million, to over 160,000 children in need in 11 countries last year.
■ EVENTS
City announces traffic rules
With the Taipei Dragon Boat Festival beginning today at Dajia Riverside Park, the Taipei City Government reminded the public of traffic regulations near the park, while providing shuttle bus services at the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station for participants at the event. During the festival, which runs through Tuesday, traffic control will be enforced between Dazhi Bridge and floodgates 8 and 9 from 7am to 10pm. Vehicles without authorized permits will not be allowed to enter, the Taipei City Department of Transportation said. Parking slots between Dazhi Bridge and eastward to Yingfeng Riverside Park (vehicles entering through Floodgate 7) and parking slots between Floodgate 9 and Floodgate 10 will be opened to parking for cars and motorcycles.
■ EVENTS
Hospital holds `catwalk'
The National Taiwan University Hospital celebrated its 112th anniversary yesterday, inviting cancer patients to strut the catwalk to show their confidence in fighting cancer, an NTU spokesman said. The NTU Hospital held the show on its 112th anniversary to make the celebration more meaningful, the spokesman said. Lin Yun-ying (林昀縈), a leukemia patient, and Hung Wei-ling (洪維玲), a breast cancer patient, had both suffered from despair and pain during medical treatment and had even written their wills in the expectation they would soon die. However, they conquered their fear and hopelessness and became volunteer workers at the hospital to share their experiences with patients in order to console them and ease their suffering. Lin and Hung joined yesterday's catwalk show to encourage more patients, the spokesman said.
■ SPORTS
Coaching law passed
After being shelved for the past two decades, legislation governing the employment of professional sports coaches finally cleared the legislature on Friday. Lawmakers approved an amendment to the National Sports Act (國民體育法) designating the Ministry of Education as being in charge of issues concerning the employment of professional sports instructors, including wages, welfare and definition of duties. The amendment also stipulates that management of issues concerning the retirement, resignation and laying off of professional coaches be conducted based on regulations that apply to education personnel. Sports Affairs Council officials hailed the amendment's passage, saying it should have a positive effect on the development of the nation's sports program.
■ TRANSPORT
Yuchang Highway opens
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) presided over an inauguration ceremony to mark the opening of the Yuchang Highway in eastern Taiwan yesterday. The 16.2km highway runs through the coastal mountain range linking Yuli Township (玉里) in Hualien County and Changbin Township (長濱) in Taitung County. The highway, which took nine years to build at a cost of NT$2.5 billion (US$75.43 million), also features 12 bridges and the 2.6km-long Yuchang Tunnel. Aboriginal elders also held a ritual to bless the new highway. The opening of the highway will benefit the tourism industry of Taitung and Hualien, Chang said. He added that the government would help promote the two counties' attractions overseas and set up a joint administrative center in eastern Taiwan to improve public services.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
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