■ TRANSPORT
Passenger sues over pets
A passenger has filed an administrative lawsuit against the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) because it allows people to bring pets on trains. The administration has been ordered to present an official response within 10 days, TRA Deputy Director-General Chang Ying-huei (張應輝) said yesterday. Chang said this was the first lawsuit to be brought against the TRA because of one of its policies. Court documents show the passenger claims that the implementation of the policy infringes on his rights as a passenger, Chang said. The TRA has been allowing passengers to board trains with their pets since July 1 in response to a request from the legislature. Before its implementation, the administration had said it would evaluate the policy for three months. The administration has conducted two surveys among passengers, in both of which passengers opposing the policy outnumbered those supporting it.
■CULTURE
Bands head to Tainan County
The 15th Asia-Pacific Band Music Festival opens in Tainan County on Saturday, with bands from 27 countries and 152 local groups scheduled to perform during the week-long event. Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) said the festival would be the biggest to date, with more than 10,000 band members expected to attend. Su said the festival presented a great opportunity for local band enthusiasts to learn from some of the world’s best performers. The opening day of the festival will feature a band music parade in the neighborhood of the Nan-Ying Green Heart Esplanade Park, the organizers said. The festival is being organized by the Tainan County Government and the Taiwan Band Association. More information is available on the Tainan County Government Cultural Affairs Bureau’s Web site at www.tnc.gov.tw/apbda.
■POLITICS
Poll shows support for bears
A government survey yesterday showed that 56 percent of respondents are in favor of bringing pandas from China to Taiwan, and that almost 31 percent consider the end of the year to be the best time for the animals’ arrival. The survey, conducted by the Cabinet’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, sampled 977 people aged 20 or older. A hundred people refused to answer questions in the survey. The results showed that 60 percent of respondents said pandas would help boost the nation’s tourism industry, while 47 percent said the pandas would facilitate cross-strait reconciliation. Sixty-two percent of those interviewed said that hosting the pandas would increase public knowledge of animal protection, and 54 percent said local zoos would be capable of taking care of the animals.
■SOCIETY
Jolin to host fundraiser
Singer Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) will host a fundraising event for worldwide famine relief in Taipei on Aug. 16, a local charity organization said. The campaign, sponsored by World Vision Taiwan, will be held at National Taiwan University. Tsai also acts as a spokeswoman for the campaign. World Vision, an international Christian relief and development organization, hopes to raise NT$150 million (US$4.9 million) at the fundraiser to promote its cause. Some of the proceeds will be allocated to assist children of HIV/AIDS sufferers, children and families affected by war, disadvantaged Taiwanese families and typhoon victims, the organizers said. More information is available on the charity’s Web site, www.worldvision.org.tw.
■ DIPLOMACY
No confirmation on envoys
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it will consult the governments of Singapore and Japan regarding the appointment of new representatives as a matter of protocol and would make a formal announcement, probably by the end of this month. “Given the fact that nations such as the United States, Japan and Singapore are ‘indicator countries,’ it is a diplomatic norm for us to notify and consult with these countries before deploying representatives,” ministry spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said yesterday. He would not confirm reports that former National Security Bureau director Shi Hwei-yow (許惠祐) has been chosen as the new representative to Singapore and former National Security Council adviser Yang Jung-ming (楊永明) would be sent to Japan. He said the foreign minister would evaluate the other diplomatic vacancies, such as posts in Europe, based on the interest and competence of the candidates.
■TRANSPORT
Gondola to get timed tickets
The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) announced yesterday that it will introduce a timed ticket system on weekends for the Maokong Gondola next month to reduce the long lines of people waiting to ride the cable cars. TRTC vice president Zhao Hsiung-fei (趙雄飛) said starting on Aug. 2 people would be able to go to two locations to draw tickets giving them the time slots for their rides: one will be at the entrance to the Taipei Zoo MRT station while the other would be the ticket window of the gondola’s Taipei Zoo stop. The TRTC would also install two monitors at the gondola’s Taipei Zoo Station to provide information about time slots, he said. The cable car system has carried more than 5.2 million passengers since it opened on July 4 last year.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
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