TRANSPORTATION
Elderly must renew licenses
Elderly drivers and motorcycle riders are to be required to renew their licenses every three years starting on July 1, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The regulations are to apply to drivers who become 75 years old on or after July 1, it said. Those already older than 75 would be required to renew their licenses every three years if they have a record of causing accidents, violating traffic regulations or have had their license revoked, the ministry said, adding that a three-year license can be issued once the applicant presents a doctor’s report showing good cognitive ability. The new regulations are being introduced to address the high accident rate among drivers and riders between 75 and 80 years of age, the ministry said.
WILDLIFE
Penghu lifts sea urchin ban
The ban on sea urchin harvesting is to be temporarily lifted in Penghu from June 16 to Aug. 31, the county’s Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau said on Wednesday, but catches must be limited to urchins larger than 8cm in diameter. A ban on the harvesting of sea urchins has been in place in Penghu since last year due to a low population count. Earlier on Wednesday, conservationists from a local marine foundation released 2,000 juvenile sea urchins measuring 3cm to 6cm into nearby waters at South Penghu Marine National Park. With the protection of the park administration, the foundation said it hopes the urchin population will be able to flourish with minimum interference from local fishermen. According to the agency, anyone caught violating the ban would be subject to a fine of up to NT$150,000 and a maximum of three years in prison under the Fisheries Act (漁業法).
WEATHER
Chiayi close to heat record
Chiayi County yesterday recorded a temperature of 36?C at 1:33pm, making it the warmest place in Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau. Under the influence of hot seasonal southerly winds, Chiayi beat the next-highest temperature of the day in Tainan, 35.3?C. Yesterday’s high of 36?C was the third-highest temperature ever recorded in May in the area, the bureau said. The all-time May high for Chiayi was 37.2?C recorded on May 27 last year, followed by 36.4?C recorded on May 28 last year, it added. Central and southern regions are also expected to see some showers this afternoon, but it is not likely to last for long, the bureau said. Rain in the north is expected to let up tomorrow for Mother’s Day, but more rain has been forecast for Monday and Tuesday, including chances for heavy downpours, it said.
GAY RIGHTS
Celebrities pose for show
More than 100 Taiwanese celebrities, including pop stars A-mei (張惠妹) and Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), have joined an international campaign in support of same-sex marriage. A total of 115 entertainers posed individually for photographs holding rainbow placards to show their support for the cause. The photographs are part of a special exhibition to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Wednesday, the organizer, the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, said on Wednesday. Among the celebrities who participated in the project were four winners of Golden Horse Awards, 28 winners of Golden Bell Awards and 60 winners of Golden Melody Awards, the alliance said. The special exhibition, titled “See Through,” opened on Thursday at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei.
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
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
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
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