TRANSPORTATION
Cow collision stops train
Rail travel in part of eastern Taiwan was temporarily suspended after a train hit a herd of cattle that wandered onto the tracks, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said yesterday. A northbound train to Hualien departed Taitung at 9am. About 10 minues later, as the train approached Luye Station (鹿野), the engineer saw several cows on the tracks and pulled the emergency brake. However, the train was unable to stop in time, hitting six and killing them. The front carriage was badly damaged and was unable to continue the journey. The 12 passengers on the train were not hurt, but arrangements were made to transfer them to another train at Luye Station, resulting in a delay of 88 minutes to their trip. It was not the first time that a TRA train has hit livestock in Taitung County, but it was the most animals killed in a single incident.
WEATHER
Holiday to see cold weather
The Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend that starts on Saturday will see temperatures drop by 9?C due to a continental cold air mass, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Due to the weakening of a cold air mass that arrived last weekend, temperatures climbed yesterday, reaching 22 to 23?C in north and eastern Taiwan, and 23?C to 27?C in central and southern areas, the bureau said. A cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Friday, pushing temperatures down across the nation at night, it said. Daytime temperatures the following day are forecast to reach a high of 16?C in the north and about 20?C to 22?C in other areas, the bureau said. Nighttime temperatures are forecast to dip to a low of about 13?C in the north, and 16?C to 18?C in other areas.
INTERNET
‘NYT’ amends poll
The New York Times (NYT) Web site recently corrected a drop-down menu of nations to include Taiwan after a reader’s complaint. According to a reader in Taiwan, a recent travel article on the Web site was followed by a reader’s poll. One question in the survey had a drop-down menu listing more than 100 nations, but not Taiwan. The reader contacted the writer, who in turn wrote his editors, saying: “I’ve been getting some rather angry comments about the reader poll that runs at the bottom of online articles on your Web site. There is no Taiwan or Hong Kong in the drop-down menu, forcing international readers in both Taiwan and Hong Kong to click ‘China.’ Besides creating unnecessary irritation [to put it mildly] among international readers, it seems we would want to know who is in Taiwan and Hong Kong as they are distinct markets.” The issue was fixed three days later and Taiwan and Hong Kong are now listed on the menu.
DIPLOMACY
China complains to Japan
Beijing yesterday said it has complained to Tokyo after a Japanese minister visited Taipei on Saturday over the weekend, saying that this could hurt relations between the two nations. Japanese Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Jiro Akama visited Taipei on Saturday to attend a tourism promotion event in his official capacity, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Communications said. Japanese media said Akama was the highest-level government official to visit Taiwan since Tokyo broke diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1972. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) said the visit ran contrary to Japan’s promise to have only non-governmental and local-level exchanges with Taiwan.
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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