EARTHQUAKE
Quake centered in Yilan
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake yesterday struck Yilan County at 2:11am and was felt in northern, northeastern and central Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau said. The quake’s epicenter was in Jiaosi Township (礁溪), about 8.5km northwest of the Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.2km. An intensity reading of 3 was recorded in Yilan County and in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義). An intensity of 2 was recorded in Yilan City and in the county’s Luodong (羅東) and Nanao (南澳) townships, as well as in some parts of New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hualien County and Taichung, the bureau said.
WEATHER
Cold front approaching
Warm weather is forecast to last until Wednesday, when the mercury is expected to fall to below 20oC across Taiwan as an approaching cold front blankets the nation, the weather bureau said yesterday. Daytime highs in Taipei are forecast to drop from 24oC to about 12oC to 13oC from Thursday to Sunday, the bureau said. Increased moisture and precipitation is expected on Thursday, when temperatures are to drop. Nighttime temperatures in central and southern regions are forecast to dip to 15oC to 19oC, from daytime highs of 25oC to 28oC. The bureau also forecast dense fog in western parts of Taiwan proper and on the outlaying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The bureau said drivers should exercise caution on freeways.
DIPLOMACY
Vatican envoy hails ties
Shared convictions about human rights, the rule of law, democratic values and world peace provide a solid and enduring basis for the diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China (ROC), charge d’affaires ad interim of the Holy See Monsignor Paul Russell said at a Mass at the Taipei Immaculate Conception Cathedral to mark the third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. Russell said that the diplomatic relationship that started in 1942 is based on shared convictions about the dignity of the human person, promotion of human rights and respect for the rule of law among nations and within nations; respect for basic democratic principles and the promotion of democratic values, including freedom of thought and expression; a common commitment to the promotion of world peace and a reduction of tensions among peoples and nations, especially in this area of the world; and the desire to have friendly relationships with all peoples and nations.
SOCIETY
Female status on the rise
The socioeconomic status of females in Taiwan has been increasing as their levels of education increase, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said in a report released on Saturday. The percentage of tertiary-educated women has exceeded that of men since 2012. It said that last year, 45 percent of women aged 15 and older had a college education or higher, compared with 39.3 percent for men. Women’s overall labor force participation rate continued to rise, reaching 50.7 percent, which reflects women’s growing desire to maintain economic independence, the agency said. However, the labor force participation rates of women between the ages of 30 and 64 remained significantly lower than those of men, with the gaps ranging from 14.5 percentage points to 30.4 percentage points, it said. The average monthly salary of women hired in the industrial and services sectors was NT$43,709 last year, equal to 83 percent of that received by men, but up 2.9 percent from 2014, the agency said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese