Agriculture
Tea growers profits soar
Tea growers have seen profits nearly double since last year as the result of a government-sponsored program that promotes the growth of high-quality leaves, a Council of Agriculture official said. Since late last year, the council has provided consulting and advanced techniques for applying fertilizer or medicine, helping high-end tea growers obtain certification including ISO 22000 and HACCP, said Tsai Hsien-tsung (蔡憲宗), director of the Tea Research and Extention Station’s Wenshan Branch. Taiwanese tea has become more competitive against foreign teas, Tsai said, noting that Starbucks Beijing and European tea merchants have placed orders. Tea growers in areas such as Taipei County’s Pinglin (坪林) and Sansia (三峽) townships, Taoyuan County and Hsinchu County have seen profits rise, he said.
Tourism
Event promotes local snacks
Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) will host a prize draw and tasting event today to kickoff activities to promote selected snacks overseas. According to the GIO, in a recent contest to promote Taiwanese cuisine, the public selected stinky tofu, oyster omelet, braised meat rice and bubble tea as most representative of the nation’s tastes and flavors. A total of 8,117 people voted online to select the four most representative snacks among four groupings — stinky tofu vs pork blood cake, oyster omelet vs Taiwan meat ball, mini steam bun vs braised meat rice and bubble tea vs mango shredded ice.
Environment
LED system set for launch
An intelligent-control system for LED lighting will be launched today in Taipei County as part of an effort to promote green energy. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said it had invested NT$18 million (US$586,800) to install more than 500 intelligent LED street lamps in three major parking lots in Sanchong City (三重), with the aim of cutting electricity consumption by at least 70 percent. The total electricity saving would be equivalent to almost nine times the electricity generated annually by the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫), the ministry predicted. “The intelligent system will adjust the intensity of the lights by detecting the level of usage, such as the presence of pedestrians or vehicles, and thus reduce electricity consumption,” the officials said. Ordinary LED street lamps already save around 50 percent to 60 percent of electricity, and those connected to the intelligent system would save 20 percent more, the officials said.
Industry
Toys found to be toxic
Nearly 21 percent of locally sold toys tested in a recent survey contained an excessive level of plasticizers and 15 percent lacked the proper labeling, according to the Bureau of Standards, Metrology, and Inspection. Of 52 items tested, including bathtub toys and inflatables, 11 contained a level of phthalate ester that exceeded the national standard of 0.1 percent of a toy’s weight, Deputy Director-General Huang Lai-ho (黃來和) said. The amount of plasticizer in the 11 products found to be substandard ranged from 0.14 percent to 38.79 percent, according to the bureau’s test results. The bureau said it ordered the manufacturers of the defective items to recall them within a set timeframe or face fines ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million. Plasticizers are additives used in plastic products to increase their flexibility or plasticity.
Taiwan must first strengthen its own national defense to deter a potential invasion by China as cross-strait tensions continue to rise, multiple European lawmakers said on Friday. In a media interview in Taipei marking the conclusion of an eight-member European parliamentary delegation’s six-day visit to Taiwan, the lawmakers urged Taipei to remain vigilant and increase defense spending. “All those who claim they want to protect you actually want to conquer you,” Ukrainian lawmaker Serhii Soboliev said when asked what lessons Taiwan could draw from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Soboliev described the Kremlin as a “new fascist Nazi regime” that justified
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
‘T-DOME’: IBCS would increase Taiwan’s defense capabilities, enabling air defense units to use data from any sensor system and cut reaction time, a defense official said A defense official yesterday said that a purported new arms sale the US is assembling for Taiwan likely includes Integrated Battle Command Systems (IBCS). The anonymous official’s comments came hours after the Financial Times (FT) reported that Washington is preparing a US$20 billion arms sale encompassing “Patriot missiles and other weapons,” citing eight sources. The Taiwanese official said the IBCS is an advanced command and control system that would play a key role in President William Lai’s (賴清德) flagship defense program, the “T-Dome,” an integrated air defense network to counter ballistic missiles and other threats. The IBCS would increase Taiwan’s
NOMINAL NEWLYWEDS: A man’s family and his wife — his long-term caregiver — are engaged in a legal dogfight over the propriety and validity of the recent union A centenarian’s marriage to his caregiver unbeknownst to his children has prompted legal action, as the caregiver accuses the man’s children of violating her personal liberty and damaging her reputation, while the children have sought a legal option to have the marriage annulled. According to sources, the 102-year-old man surnamed Wang (王) lives in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山) and previously worked as a land registration agent. Wang reportedly owns multiple properties and parcels of land worth several hundred million New Taiwan dollars and has ten children. His caregiver, a 69-year-old surnamed Lai (賴), has been caring for him since about 1999,
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