ENVIRONMENT
Carbon measuring launched
Taiwan launched its first carbon footprint calculation scheme for the aviation industry yesterday in an effort to prepare for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which will take effect next year. The program is designed to help airports, airlines and ground service companies better understand their carbon emissions amid increasing concern over global warming, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said. In the preliminary stage of the program, the CAA plans to monitor flights to and from Magong Airport in Penghu to keep a record of their greenhouse gas emissions. The calculations would follow a British Standards Institution-approved procedure, CAA Director-General Yin Chen-pong (尹承蓬) said. The agency will take a variety of measures to cut down on an assumed consumption of 52kg of carbon dioxide per passenger per one-way flight, Yin said, adding that these could include introducing new aircraft and hybrid vehicles for ground services.
HEALTH
Group releases sinus book
A medical organization released a handbook on sinus infections yesterday, urging people to download a free version online. Although one in every four Taiwanese is estimated to have experienced some degree of sinus infection, not many understand its causes and treatments, Fang Sheen-yie (方深毅) of the Taiwan Rhinology Society said. Most sinus infections are treated with medication — surgery is only advised for people with complications that are difficult to treat, said Huang Hung-meng (黃弘孟), deputy superintendent at Taipei City Hospital’s Yangming branch. The Chinese-language handbook, presented in a -question-and-answer format, is available for download on the organization’s Web site and will be distributed for free at major hospitals nationwide.
ELECTIONS
Crackdown on bets pledged
Prosecutor-General Huang Shyh-ming (黃世銘) yesterday pledged to crack down on betting on the outcome of the presidential election. Huang made the pledge as reports were emerging that vote-related gambling was taking place in the less-policed central and southern regions. “I’ve ordered prosecutors to do everything they can to battle illegal operations linked to the elections. Clean elections are our goal,” he said. Huang said the authorities have received 294 reports of suspected gambling and other economic crimes linked to the election. There is growing concern that gambling might fuel election violence, because people who have placed large bets on one side winning may seek to harm candidates to tilt the result in their favor.
ENTERTAINMENT
Hsu Hua-feng passes away
Actress Hsu Hua-feng (徐華鳳) passed away in Greater Taichung yesterday after battling stomach cancer for a number of years. She was 41. According to Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Hsu checked in on Thursday last week and died early yesterday of organ failure. Her husband was at her bedside. Hsu was diagnosed with having stage-three cancer three years ago and later had her stomach removed. At one time, she seemed to have her cancer in control and married her longtime boyfriend in Bali, Indonesia, in 2009. Despite long and painful cancer treatments, Hsu remained optimistic and shared her experiences of fighting cancer with the public. She also expressed her wish to be pregnant and become a mother. Hsu appeared in numerous TV dramas, including Meteor Garden (流星花園).
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
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