HOUSING
Hundreds to be demolished
The New Taipei City Government plans to start tearing down 205 illegal rooftop dwellings on Friday in the wake of a fatal fire last month, Public Works Department chief Chu Ti-chih (朱愓之) said. The fire on Nov. 22 killed nine people in a four-story building in Jhonghe District (中和), which had an illegally constructed fifth floor that was partitioned into 13 rooms. The city has been tearing down illegally constructed additions to buildings even before the fire occurred, Illegal Construction Demolition Corps deputy head Chen Chia-hsing (陳嘉興) said. To stop unscrupulous landlords from building illegal structures and partitioning them to make a profit from renting them out, the city had launched a special investigation in 2015, which has so far uncovered 930 structures, of which 725 have been torn down, he said. The demolition corps would start dismantling illegal dwellings even if there are people living in them, Chen said.
ENTERTAINMENT
Actor wins Singapore award
Taiwanese actor Tsai Chen-nan (蔡振南) won the best actor in a leading role award at the 22nd Asian Television Awards in Singapore on Friday last week. Tsai took home the award for his portrayal in the mini-series She’s Family (媽媽不見了) of an old male chauvinist who has diabetes and urinary incontinence, and cannot take care of himself. Tsai’s character must rely on his daughter to take care of him after his wife, played by Yang Kui-mei (楊貴媚), walks out on the family. Yang won the best supporting actress award for her role in the mini-series. In total, Taiwanese collected five awards, including best cinematography for Far and Away (外鄉女), best original screenplay for Life Plan A and B (荼蘼), and best terrestrial channel of the year for Formosa Television.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
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