TAIPEI: Taiwan shut down ahead of the arrival of strong Typhoon Kong-rey on Thursday (Oct 31) with all cities and counties declaring a day off, financial markets closed and hundreds of flights cancelled for what is expected to be the largest storm by size in 30 years. The storm is forecast to make landfall on the mountainous and sparsely populated east coast around 2pm (0600 GMT), according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, with strong winds and torrential rain affecting almost all