CRIME
Men arrested in Philippines
Two Taiwanese were arrested in the Philippine province of Batangas yesterday on charges of illegal mining, according to local police. A brief report by Batangas police said that a 69-year-old man from Taipei, identified only by his surname, Wang (王), along with an accomplice also named Wang from Kaohsiung, were arrested in Tanauan City in northeastern Batangas. Local police said the two men employed several people to engage in the illegal activity and were reported to police by other villagers. According to Philippine environment protection authorities, the two men did not have mining licenses.
TRANSPORT
EVA to fly to NYC direct
EVA Airways said it would launch direct round-trip flights from Taipei to New York City beginning on June 18, which will shorten flight times by nearly three hours. The new schedule will make EVA, the country’s second-biggest international carrier, the only airline to fly nonstop between Taoyuan International Airport and John F Kennedy International Airport in both directions. EVA Air currently flies four weekly flights nonstop from Taipei to New York, but makes a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska on the return flight because of strong headwinds. The carrier has decided to sacrifice the amount of cargo it carries on the New York--Taipei leg to allow its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to cover the distance without refueling. Flight time on the return leg will be 15 hours and 50 minutes, compared with 14 hours and 55 minutes for the Taipei-New York leg.
TOURISM
Swiss draw hotel students
The number of Taiwanese students studying hotel management in Switzerland has steadily increased over the past year since the government started devoting more effort to promoting tourism, the Swiss representative office said. Travel restrictions between Taiwan and China have been relaxed, which has resulted in higher demand for international-standard hospitality management personnel in Taiwan, according to the Trade Office of Swiss Industries (TOSI) in Taipei. The TOSI’s data showed that 224 student visas were issued last year, of which 169, or about 75 percent, were for people wishing to study hospitality management, compared to an annual average of about 150 over the past decade. Switzerland, which is known for its hotel and hospitality management education, is home to several top-ranked schools in the sector, including Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Les Roches International School of Hotel Management and the Glion Institute of Higher Education.
SPORT
Kinmen marathon today
Runners from 15 countries or regions around the world will take part in the fifth Kinmen Marathon today, with last year’s winner in the women’s race returning to defend her title. A total of 2,492 runners from the US, Canada, Russia, Portugal, Japan, China and many other countries have signed up for the race, organizers said. The winners in the men’s and women’s race will receive cash prizes of NT$200,000 (US$6,760) and NT$100,000, respectively. Another NT$100,000 is available for any runner who breaks the all-comers record set at the Taipei International Marathon (men: 2:10:24, women: 2:27:36). A total of 1,405 people have signed up for the half marathon and 430 runners will contest a 11.2km race. While the winners of the half marathon will also receive a cash prize, those who come first in the 11.2km event will be awarded a local specialty — Kinmen kaoliang liquor — the organizers said.
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
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
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