■ DIPLOMACY
Philippines’ move rebuffed
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated Taiwan’s historical claim to islands and reefs in the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands. The ministry’s statement on Wednesday night came after both houses of the Philippine legislature passed bills to annex some isles and reefs of the Spratlys and Macclesfield Bank Islands as part of the Philippines’ territory. The ministry said Taiwan’s sovereignty claim was beyond doubt and challenge, stressing that all four groups of islands in the South China Sea — the Nansha, Jhongsha, Dongsha (Pratas) and Sisha (Paracel) — and their surrounding waters were Taiwan’s territories from a historical, geographical, factual and international law perspective. The ministry said the government would not recognize any move by another country that occupies or claims sovereignty over any of the four island groups. It called on the Philippines to negotiate with Taiwan on the sovereignty dispute to peacefully resolve the conflicting claims.
■ AGRICULTURE
Cold snap costs NT$67m
The cold weather before and during the Lunar New Year holiday caused more than NT$67.83 million (US$2.01 million) in agricultural sector losses, including more than NT$51.11 million in crop damage and NT$16.72 million in aquaculture damage, Council of Agriculture statistics showed yesterday. Twenty percent of the crops on a total of 509 hectares of farmland were lost, mainly bell fruit, tea, tangerines, bananas, pineapples, musk melons, rice and betel nuts, in Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, Nantou and Pingtung counties. Aquaculture operations in five counties and cities were affected, including fish and shrimp farms in Yunlin and Chiayi counties, as well as milkfish farms in Tainan and Kaohsiung counties.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
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