ENVIRONMENT
Nanhua Reservoir at 50%
The storage capacity of the Nanhua Reservoir (南化水庫), is enough to supply water to Greater Tainan until the end of the year, Taiwan Water Corp said yesterday. The reservoir currently has 49.02 million tonnes of water, which is 50 percent of its storage capacity, the company said, adding that the storage level had increased by 5 million tonnes compared with the same period of last year. The increase was mainly the result of water being diverted into the reservoir from rivers in the Chishan (旗山) area of Greater Kaohsiung rather than from rainfall, the company said, adding that water rationing that was due to take effect on May 26 in Tainan had been canceled. However, the Tsengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) and Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫), which provide agricultural irrigation water, are still suffering from shortages, the company said. As a result, irrigation for the second crop of rice paddies in the south would be postponed until June 21, because it would require at least 400 million tonnes of water, while the two reservoirs had taken in less than 100 million tonnes as of Tuesday. The Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) and Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) in the north are at 90 percent of their capacities, the company said.
ZOOS
Rhino iguanas Taipei-bound
As part of a cooperation program for animal conservation and reproduction between the Singapore Zoo and Taipei City Zoo, three rhino iguanas will be sent to Taipei. The arrival date of the lizards, which are designated as first-class endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), was not announced. Taipei Zoo Director Jason Yeh (葉傑生) said his zoo would also get three Burmese mountain tortoises. Taipei has already sent 10 tortoises to Singapore in return, including four elongated tortoises, four red-footed tortoises and two yellow-footed tortoises. These tortoises, classified as second-class rare species under CITES, arrived in Singapore on May 27, Yeh said.
CENTENNIAL
Mickey Mouse event set
The Republic of China (ROC) centennial will be honored at Disneyland on July 3, event organizers say. The celebration is being organized by an ROC expatriate group in the US. The chief organizer, Rick Chiu (邱啟宜), said the event would include a cowboy-themed banquet, a parade and a fireworks display. Famous Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would also be on hand to pose for photographs with visitors. Chiu said he hoped Taiwanese visitors would bring non-Taiwanese friends to the California park to celebrate the 100th birthday of the ROC.
FISHERIES
Taiwanese captain freed
A Taiwanese captain who was detained by Japanese authorities for illegally fishing within Japan’s exclusive economic zone on Monday was released on Tuesday after paying a fine. Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries officials arrested Chou Huang Ko-sheng (周黃可勝), 46, and six crewmembers after finding the longline boat Hai Hung No. 119 inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone without permission and fishing illegally. The boat was detained about 343km southeast of the coast of Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture. Chou Huang, who acknowledged that he was fishing illegally, paid the fine of nearly ￥4 million (US$49,880). He and his crew were returned to their boat and allowed to sail to international waters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is unlikely to attempt an invasion of Taiwan during US president-elect Donald Trump’s time in office, Taiwanese and foreign academics said on Friday. Trump is set to begin his second term early next year. Xi’s ambition to establish China as a “true world power” has intensified over the years, but he would not initiate an invasion of Taiwan “in the near future,” as his top priority is to maintain the regime and his power, not unification, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University distinguished visiting professor and contemporary Chinese politics expert Akio Takahara said. Takahara made the comment at a
Upon its completion next year, the new Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) in New Taipei City is to be an important landmark in Taiwan, alongside Taipei 101, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said today. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in December next year and open to the public in the first half of 2026, connecting New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts. It is an asymmetric single-tower suspension bridge, nearly 70 stories tall, designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. The bridge aims to alleviate traffic in Tamsui and on the Guandu Bridge (關渡大橋), in addition to increasing the
EXERCISES: A 2022 article by a Chinese intelligence expert identified at least six People’s Liberation Army assault boats hidden inside the Hong Kong-flagged ship A Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship that had been docked at Taichung Port and which previously took part in Chinese military exercises departed from the port on Saturday, the Taiwan International Ports Corp’s Taichung branch said yesterday. The statement came in response to a post on the social media platform X by Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton that said the ship, the SCSC Fortune, had been docked at the port since Tuesday and questioned whether Taiwan has any rules regarding foreign civilian vessels that have participated in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises. Horton referenced a 2022 article by Chinese intelligence expert Rod Lee that
PROBLEMATIC: Popular hotpot restaurant chains were among the list of restaurants that failed the inspection and have been ordered to remove bad ingredients The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of hotpot ingredients in hotpot restaurants resulted in a 16.7 percent failure rate. Eight vegetables had excessive pesticide residue and two other items had aflatoxin and excessive preservatives. As the weather is getting colder, more people eat at hotpot restaurants so a random inspection of ingredients was conducted in October to ensure food safety, the department said. Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) said 60 different ingredients were tested: 15 high-risk vegetables, 15 processed food items, 10 soy-based food items, five meat items, five lamb items, five seafood items and five peanut powder
RSS