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.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
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