Fri, May 18, 2012 page2

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff Writer, with CNA
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  WEATHER

  Heavy rain forecast

  A stationary front brought heavy rain to the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) in Pingtung County early yesterday, resulting in flooding to a depth of 20cm in Heng-chun Township (恆春) within three hours, which blocked the northbound lane of Highway 26. The Central Weather Bureau issued torrential rain warnings for northeastern and western Taiwan, as well as parts of the south, adding that other areas are also likely to see showers or thunderstorms. The bureau said the front would continue to affect the nation’s weather through Tuesday. It said people should be alert to the danger of landslides, falling rocks and swollen rivers, as well as possible flooding in low-lying areas.

  SOCIETY

  Airport security tightened

  Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is to be equipped with electric fences to step up security following a series of perimeter intrusions. Airport authorities said that about 15km of electric fencing would be erected around the airport’s apron in stages, starting in November, to keep unauthorized people out of restricted areas. The announcement comes after three Thai workers were caught fishing on May 5 near a drain inside a restricted zone in the southern wing of the airport. The trio were detained by airport police for questioning and fined NT$5,000 each for violating the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法). The investigators said the three were originally fishing in a stream outside the airport’s apron, but later crawled onto the airport grounds, where they felt the fishing would be better.

  EDUCATION

  Exhibition opens at NTU

  An exhibition of rare specimens and artifacts held by National Taiwan University (NTU) and the University of Tokyo opened yesterday in Taipei to promote education and research, organizers said. The exhibition, titled “Extravagance: Out of Scale, Out of Norm, Out of Rule,” features about 50 specimens and replicas of rare insects, animals, plants and minerals. Items on display include a long-tailed Onagadori cock with a 4.7m-long tail, an egg and leg bone of what was once the world’s heaviest bird — the Aepyornis — the world’s heaviest insect, the world’s largest moth, precious coral specimens and a rare green sea turtle. Replicas of the world’s largest blue diamond and the world’s largest gold and platinum nuggets are also on display. The exhibition will run until Sept. 23 at the National Taiwan University Library.

  POLITICS

  DPP members sue police

  Members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) filed lawsuits against the Taipei police yesterday for physical assault, a day after clashes between party protesters and police on Ketegalan Boulevard. The suits were filed with the Taipei District Court by DPP Greater Tainan Councilor Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) and DPP Taipei City Councilor Tung Chung-yen (童仲彥) against Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) and Fang Yang-ning (方仰寧), head of the Zhongzheng First Police Precinct covering claims of physical assault, sexual harassment and offenses against personal liberty. Tung and Wang said although Wednesday’s gathering to petition the president was legal, the police had forcefully dispersed it. Fang said the police had asked the protesters on several occasions to apply for permission to assembly, but the group had not complied. Some protesters rammed into police, who were trying to maintain order, injuring several officers in the process, he said.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Bologna advance to face AC Milan in Coppa final

  • 2

    Bukele proposes prisoner swap with Maduro

  • 3

    Wild’s top line too much for Vegas Golden Knights

  • 4

    HK, Macau residency rules tightened

  • 5

    Eric Chu, 2 others to be questioned for leading illegal assembly last week