JUDICIARY
No timetable for executions
The government has not discussed when it would next execute death-row inmates or who would be executed, Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫) said yesterday, denying an Apple Daily report that 10 executions were scheduled for next month, after Double Ten National Day. He said the death penalty was the government’s current policy and that any execution would be carried out only after a thorough review. He also denied reports that the ministry faced a shortage of police officials to carry out the death sentences because few want the job after more senior officers retire. The Supreme Court has confirmed 12 death row convictions this year, bringing to 51 the number of people awaiting execution.
SOCIETY
Eco-wedding contest planned
The Environmental Protection Administration announced on Monday it was throwing a “low-carbon” wedding competition that will distribute vouchers worth up to NT$100,000 to couples planning to wed this year. Couples who generate the least carbon emissions through their weddings will be awarded gift vouchers that can be used to buy environmentally friendly products, Control and Evaluation Department Director-General Yuan Shaw-ying (袁紹英) said. Contestants will first be rated based on the amount of carbon emissions released in the decoration of wedding venues, the carbon footprint of the meals served, the wedding dress and transportation used by the bridal couple and their guests, Yuan said. Finalists will then have to submit a detailed plan for their low-carbon wedding. There will be three winning couples, one each from the north, center and south of the country. Interested couples must register for the contest by 5pm on Oct. 18 at greenliving.epa.gov.tw/GreenLife/.
TOURISM
Alishan nears record mark
The number of visitors to Chiayi County’s Alishan National Scenic Area this year reached 997,347 as of Monday, edging toward setting a new record of more than 1.07 million, the county’s Forest District Office said yesterday. The office expected the number of visitors to hit a new record in the next three months, attributing the high number of visitors this year to fewer typhoons and rebuilt access roads. The scenic area, a 2,200m high mountain resort established in 1976, has received an average of 800,000 visitors a year during the past decade, the office said. The current visitor record of 1.078 million was set in 2009. However, in August of that year, the area was devastated by Typhoon Morakot and the number of visitors plummeted, the office said.
TOURISM
Tour bus deals on offer
Tourists planning a one-day or half-day trip to scenic spots throughout the country next month might want to take advantage of special deals offered by the Taiwan Tour Bus Service, the Tourism Bureau said yesterday. Tourism Bureau Deputy Director Wayne Liu (劉喜臨) said the service has been popular among both domestic and international travelers. Bureau statistics showed that 50 percent of Taiwan Tour Bus passengers are international tourists. The bureau said 30 routes had been selected and it would promote one route each day next month. Those traveling on a route on its promotion day will need to pay just NT$499, which covers both the bus fare and tickets to tourist facilities. A one-day Taiwan Tour Bus trip normally costs NT$1,500. A half-day trip costs NT$1,000. The special discount will only be available to the first 100 takers daily, according to the bureau. Those interested in the special deals must reserve their trips online at www.taiwantourbus.com.tw.
SOCIETY
Elderly celebrate senior day
More than 1,000 elderly people attended an event at the Taipei Arena yesterday in celebration of the Double Ninth Festival, the traditional senior citizen’s day that falls on Oct. 5 this year. The event, organized by the Bureau of Health Promotion, featured a nationwide competition among 26 teams of contestants, average age 74. The competition was held in response to the WHO’s “active aging” campaign, which advocates optimizing opportunities for health and participation in order to enhance quality of life as people age, bureau Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said. Chiou said exercising can help senior citizens maintain their strength and improve their movement, which would allow them to be more independent.
AGRICULTURE
Techniques protected: COA
The government has measures in place to control the transfer of agricultural techniques to China, Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄) said on Monday in response to media reports that said China has set up 25 “Taiwan farms.” The reports raised fears of a Taiwanese agricultural brain drain and transfer of farming techniques to China. “We have implemented measures to prohibit the transfer of sensitive techniques to China and restrict visits by [research and development] personnel in these skills to China,” Chen said. Taiwanese agricultural products have enjoyed patent protection following the implementation of a cross-strait intellectual property rights protection cooperation agreement in September last year, Chen said. Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) also told lawmakers that the government would continue to monitor the issue.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai
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