Talking points

Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...

Hangzhou drivers lose a day a week on roads

Starting from today, Hangzhou joins Beijing and Shanghai in curbing the number of cars on the road. Private vehicles with number plates ending in 1 or 9 will be barred every Monday from roads in busy areas during rush hours. Those ending in 2 or 8 will be restricted on Tuesdays, and so on. Beijing has had a similar scheme since the 2008 Olympic Games, and Shanghai allows only locally registered cars on main roads during rush hours.

15-kilometre swim in aid of cleaner oceans

Nearly 200 swimmers will jump into the water at Stanley Main Beach at 11am and brave 15 kilometres of open water in the fifth annual Ocean Recovery Alliance Clean Half marathon. The swimmers, from six countries, will wind up in Deepwater Bay. The Ocean Recovery Alliance is trying to raise public awareness about plastic waste in the ocean and to environmental problems in general.

Paratroopers to mark Double Tenth in Taiwan

The 'Team Mighty Dragon' elite paratroopers of the Taiwanese army's airborne division will rehearse in front of the Presidential Office Building this afternoon for Monday's performance for the centennial celebration of the Double Tenth national day. The United Daily News says the performance will feature the first female paratrooper jumping before the presidential office. More than 70 military jets and helicopters flew past the presidential office in yesterday's rehearsal.

Wales' Michael Jackson tribute on despite strife

A Michael Jackson tribute concert will go ahead tonight in Wales despite squabbling among the late singer's siblings, a backlash from fans, a headline act withdrawing at late notice and tickets still unsold. Taking part in the concert will be Jackson's brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie and his sister La Toya, who will be performing live in public for the first time in nearly 20 years. Also expected to be present are his mother Katherine, three children and several other close family members. Brothers Jermaine and Randy, however, criticised the tribute because it coincided with the involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles of Jackson's doctor. Janet Jackson has declined to take part, citing the same reason. American pop giants The Black Eyed Peas pulled out of the tribute concert on Thursday.

First of the Amanda Knox specials to air on US TV

Details of Amanda Knox's time behind bars in Italy will be revealed in a television programme to be broadcast in the US. CBS television will show a special report called Amanda Knox: The Untold Story, which includes a letter written by the American student while in prison for murder, as well as video diaries made by her best friend. Knox, 24, was freed from four years in an Italian prison after an appeals court overturned her conviction for murdering British housemate Meredith Kercher in 2007 in what prosecutors alleged was a drug-fuelled sexual assault. Knox will not appear on the programme, which is thought to be the first in a slew of such TV shows.