ENVIRONMENT
Nanhua Reservoir at 50%
The storage capacity of the Nanhua Reservoir (南化水庫), is enough to supply water to Greater Tainan until the end of the year, Taiwan Water Corp said yesterday. The reservoir currently has 49.02 million tonnes of water, which is 50 percent of its storage capacity, the company said, adding that the storage level had increased by 5 million tonnes compared with the same period of last year. The increase was mainly the result of water being diverted into the reservoir from rivers in the Chishan (旗山) area of Greater Kaohsiung rather than from rainfall, the company said, adding that water rationing that was due to take effect on May 26 in Tainan had been canceled. However, the Tsengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) and Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫), which provide agricultural irrigation water, are still suffering from shortages, the company said. As a result, irrigation for the second crop of rice paddies in the south would be postponed until June 21, because it would require at least 400 million tonnes of water, while the two reservoirs had taken in less than 100 million tonnes as of Tuesday. The Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) and Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) in the north are at 90 percent of their capacities, the company said.
ZOOS
Rhino iguanas Taipei-bound
As part of a cooperation program for animal conservation and reproduction between the Singapore Zoo and Taipei City Zoo, three rhino iguanas will be sent to Taipei. The arrival date of the lizards, which are designated as first-class endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), was not announced. Taipei Zoo Director Jason Yeh (葉傑生) said his zoo would also get three Burmese mountain tortoises. Taipei has already sent 10 tortoises to Singapore in return, including four elongated tortoises, four red-footed tortoises and two yellow-footed tortoises. These tortoises, classified as second-class rare species under CITES, arrived in Singapore on May 27, Yeh said.
CENTENNIAL
Mickey Mouse event set
The Republic of China (ROC) centennial will be honored at Disneyland on July 3, event organizers say. The celebration is being organized by an ROC expatriate group in the US. The chief organizer, Rick Chiu (邱啟宜), said the event would include a cowboy-themed banquet, a parade and a fireworks display. Famous Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would also be on hand to pose for photographs with visitors. Chiu said he hoped Taiwanese visitors would bring non-Taiwanese friends to the California park to celebrate the 100th birthday of the ROC.
FISHERIES
Taiwanese captain freed
A Taiwanese captain who was detained by Japanese authorities for illegally fishing within Japan’s exclusive economic zone on Monday was released on Tuesday after paying a fine. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries officials arrested Chou Huang Ko-sheng (周黃可勝), 46, and six crewmembers after finding the longline boat Hai Hung No. 119 inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone without permission and fishing illegally. The boat was detained about 343km southeast of the coast of Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture. Chou Huang, who acknowledged that he was fishing illegally, paid the fine of nearly ￥4 million (US$49,880). He and his crew were returned to their boat and allowed to sail to international waters.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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