Premier Frank Hsieh (
Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that in reviewing accountability for the recent water-supply problem in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, the premier had expressed the hope of soliciting a water-supply expert to replace Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘), vice economic affairs minister who served as convener of the ministry's water resources screening committee and water resources coordination committee before being demoted on Wednesday over the Taoyuan water-supply problem.
After Typhoon Matsa battered Taiwan earlier this month, bringing strong winds and torrential rains, water supply in Taoyuan was disrupted because of the high turbidity in the Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) -- the county's main water source. The water supply in the northern part of the county was not fully restored until Aug. 13.
Cho said the premier has talked with nearly 10 former officials, hydraulic-power academics and experts on how to solve the persistent water problems in Taoyuan County, although he has yet to inquire about their intention to serve as vice economic affairs minister.
Cho also said that during a regular weekly meeting with President Chen Shui-bian (
The premier had recently pointed out that none of the three sitting vice economic affairs ministers are water experts, and that their "jobs might have to be adjusted."
US climber Alex Honnold is to attempt to scale Taipei 101 without a rope and harness in a live Netflix special on Jan. 24, the streaming platform announced on Wednesday. Accounting for the time difference, the two-hour broadcast of Honnold’s climb, called Skyscraper Live, is to air on Jan. 23 in the US, Netflix said in a statement. Honnold, 40, was the first person ever to free solo climb the 900m El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park — a feat that was recorded and later made into the 2018 documentary film Free Solo. Netflix previewed Skyscraper Live in October, after videos
Starting on Jan. 1, YouBike riders must have insurance to use the service, and a six-month trial of NT$5 coupons under certain conditions would be implemented to balance bike shortages, a joint statement from transportation departments across Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan announced yesterday. The rental bike system operator said that coupons would be offered to riders to rent bikes from full stations, for riders who take out an electric-assisted bike from a full station, and for riders who return a bike to an empty station. All riders with YouBike accounts are automatically eligible for the program, and each membership account
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
RSS