■ENVIRONMENT
Kaohsiung's air gets worse
Air pollution got worse in Kaohsiung last month, with the smoke stacks of factories in the neighboring counties and cities of Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan blamed for fouling the air, city officials said yesterday. Quoting an Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) report on air quality in the Kaohsiung and Pingtung area, officials from the city's Department of Environmental Protection indicated that the frequency of poor air quality in Kaohsiung City stood at 12.5 percent last month, meaning that there were four or five days when air quality in the city was significantly below standard. That percentage surpassed the single-month average of the first 10 months by 2.5 times, the officials said, noting they believe the deteriorating air quality was caused by emissions of waste gas from petrochemical factories in Yunlin County's Mailiao Township (麥寮). In the presence of sunshine certain waste gases change into harmful ozone, which the wind blows away from the area where it is produced, said department Director Hsiao Yu-cheng (蕭裕正).
■ EDUCATION
Study in US grows
The number of Taiwanese students enrolled at US colleges and universities grew by 4.4 percent last year, making the country the fifth largest source of foreign students in the US, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said yesterday. The AIT issued a statement saying that a new annual report published by the Institute of International Education with support from the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs indicated that the number of Taiwan students increased to 29,094 last year, overtaking Canada with 28,280 students.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
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