■ HEALTH
Alarms urged for eateries
The Consumer's Foundation yesterday urged hotpot and barbecue restaurants to install carbon monoxide detector alarms and good ventilation systems, adding that the establishments should check their natural gas equipment and pipelines for safety compliance at least every two years. Following an incident on Friday when 26 people in Taoyuan were poisoned by carbon monoxide at a hotpot eatery, the foundation randomly surveyed a barbecue and hotpot restaurant in Taipei and found that just with the barbecue fire ignited, the carbon monoxide density near the stovetop was 1291 ppm. The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection said exposure to carbon monoxide with a density of over 1,200ppm could cause an increased heart rate and arrhythmia. A density of over 2,000ppm would cause unconsciousness or death and a density of over 5,000ppm would kill a person in a matter of a few minutes, the bureau said.
■ TRAVEL
Government issues warnings
The Bureau of Consular Affairs yesterday advised the public to avoid traveling to South Africa on their own because of the worsening public disorder. The bureau issued the warning on its official Web site following a recent incident in which two Taiwanese backpackers were robbed in downtown Johannesburg. The bureau also advised people who join a package tour to South Africa to follow their groups closely and avoid going anywhere alone while in Johannesburg. The bureau also urged the public to postpone any plans to travel to East Timor. If such a trip cannot be avoided travelers should keep track of the latest developments in the country and refrain from taking part in any public assemblies or going to any dangerous areas while in the country, the bureau said.
■ CRIME
Taiwanese in Illinois safe
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that none of the 30 Taiwanese students and 10 Taiwanese professors at Northern Illinois University were injured in the shooting on Thursday when a student fatally shot five people before turning the gun on himself. Ministry spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Chicago contacted the school's Taiwanese Students Association immediately after receiving news of the incident. The vice-president of the association confirmed that all of the Taiwanese students and professors were unharmed.
■ CHARITY
Celebrity items auctioned
With auction items donated by entertainment celebrities, an online charity auction organized by the Chinatrust Charity Foundation will begin at 10am tomorrow to raise funds for disadvantaged children. Among the 40 items donated by 17 celebrities for auction are 15 autographed limited edition posters and calligraphy from Aska Yang (楊宗緯), a costume from the movie The Most Distant Course donated by actress Guey Lun-mei (桂綸鎂) and a red dress that popular singer Elva Hsiao (蕭亞軒) wore in a music video. The auction will continue for four days, ending at 12pm on Friday. The funds raised through the auction will be allocated to the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, the Syinlu Welfare Foundation and the Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation to help children in need. More information can be found on the event's Web site at www.bizdev-chinatrustorg.dc.com.tw/auction.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
Starting next month, people who signed up for the TPass 2.0 program can receive a 15 percent rebate for trips on mid to long-distance freeway buses or on buses headed to the east coast twice every month, the Highway Bureau said. Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the government started TPass 2.0 to offer rebates to frequent riders of public transportation, or people who use city buses, highway buses, trains or MRTs at least 11 times per month. As of Nov. 12, 265,000 people have registered for TPass 2.0, and about 16.56 million trips between February and September qualified for
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
The year 2027 is regarded as the year China would likely gain the capability to invade Taiwan, not the year it would launch an invasion, Taiwanese defense experts said yesterday. The experts made the remarks after President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference on Wednesday that his administration would introduce a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.8 billion) special defense budget bill to boost Taiwan’s overall defense posture over the next eight years. Lai said that Beijing aims for military unification of Taiwan by 2027. The Presidential Office later clarified that what Lai meant was that China’s goal is to “prepare for military unification
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