DIPLOMACY
VP visits New Delhi
Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who is to represent the Republic of China (ROC) at today’s canonizations of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, made a refueling stopover yesterday at an airport in New Delhi en route to the Holy See. The 90-minute stopover makes Wu the first incumbent high-ranking ROC official to make a stopover in India’s capital. In addition to attending the canonizations, Wu is to present Pope Francis with a portrait of the pope painted by local artist Liang Dan-feng (梁丹丰), on behalf of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Meanwhile, the Times of India reported on its front page that both India and Taiwan had tried to keep Wu’s stopover secret. The report said that during the stopover, Wu was to meet with senior Indian officials. However, the report added that no Indian officials were prepared to comment on the matter, saying only that the economic and cultural relations between India and Taiwan have been enhanced and that India is not opposed to associating with Taiwan.
HEALTH
H7N9 flu cases monitored
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring two confirmed cases of H7N9 avian influenza earlier this week, as well as anyone who has come in contact with them. Both patients infected with the disease remain hospitalized, the centers said, adding that the first case, a female Chinese tourist, is in a serious condition. While all 94 people who came in contact with the woman have tested negative for H7N9 influenza, measures to prevent the spread of the disease have been taken, the centers added. Twelve of the 122 people who came in contact with the second case, a Taiwanese businessman, were also given prophylaxis treatment, according to the centers. Currently, there is no sign of any spread of the flu, it said.
CRIME
Could-be bomber arrested
A man was arrested on Friday at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, one day after he threatened to plant a bomb at the country’s main gateway, the Aviation Police Bureau said. Police were informed on Thursday that the man, who identified himself as a college student surnamed Lee (李), had said he would plant a bomb at the airport. The man had called up a Chinese-language media organization to inform it about his plan. Police were able to track him down. They found him at the airport’s Terminal 2 and arrested him.
ENVIRONMENT
Oil refiner fined for pollution
CPC Corp Taiwan, the country’s biggest oil refiner, is to be fined NT$400,000 (US$13,212) after its naphtha cracker polluted the air on Friday afternoon when the facility’s uninterrupted power supply tripped, a Greater Kaohsiung official said. The electrical short resulted in a system failure that caused heavy black smoke to be emitted up one of the Fifth Naphtha Cracker’s flares used to combust hazardous gases, said Hsu Ju-kai (許如凱), head of CPC’s Greater Kaohsiung complex. Firemen were called to the scene and had the situation under control within 30 minutes after arriving at the factory, the local fire department said. Officials from Greater Kaohsiung’s Environmental Protection Bureau were also there collecting samples of the air, and Chang Jui-hun (張瑞琿), the bureau’s chief secretary, said toxic alkanes and alkenes were later found among the samples. It was the second time CPC was found guilty of an air pollution violation in the past 12 months, Chang said.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
A KFC branch in Kaohsiung may be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,907 and US$6.37 million), after a customer yesterday found an entire AAA battery inside an egg tart, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said today. The customer was about to microwave a box of egg tarts they had bought at the fast-food restaurant’s Nanzih (楠梓) branch when they checked the bottom and saw a dark shadow inside one of them, they said in a Threads post. The customer filmed themself taking the egg tart apart to reveal an entire AAA battery inside, which apparently showed signs of damage. Surveillance footage showed
GROUP EFFORT: The number of inbound travelers rose 11 to 12 percent last month, with a significant increase in tourists from Europe and North America, an official said The government aims to attract 9.4 million visitors this year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, citing last year’s success in diversifying tourist markets. Taiwan last year drew about 8.57 million international arrivals, 72.3 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. By contrast, the nation had about 18.94 million outbound tourists last year, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 level of 17.1 million. The estimated tourism revenue deficit was about NT$700.9 billion (US$22.22 billion). Taoyuan International Airport Corp expects more than 160,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s largest airport daily during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday. As of Jan. 30, the nation’s average hotel occupancy rate
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