WEATHER
Tropical depression looms
A tropical depression that formed over the Philippines early yesterday is likely to develop into a storm as it moves toward Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau said. As of 10am yesterday, the depression was about 930km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), moving northwest at 15kph, forecasters said. The depression could affect Taiwan as it continues to strengthen, the bureau said. Though it is not likely to affect the nation in the next few days, the bureau said, boats in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines should be on the alert.
AGRICULTURE
Soulik costs NT$1 billion
Agricultural losses in the wake of Typhoon Soulik, which battered Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, were estimated at NT$1.15 billion (US$39 million) yesterday, according to the Council of Agriculture. The figure comprised an aggregate of approximately NT$1.03 billion in agricultural produce, NT$10.81 million in the livestock, forestry, and fishery sectors, and NT$104.25 million worth of damage to facilities. Among the most severely devastated crops were pears, persimmons, bananas, rice and bamboo. The majority of fishery losses were from Yilan County, where the typhoon made landfall. Nantou County suffered the heaviest losses overall, totalling NT$229.86 million, while losses in Miaoli County, Greater Taichung and Yilan County were estimated at NT$216.56 million, NT$208.09 million, and NT$170.72 million, respectively. The council said that farmers who suffered losses in these regions are eligible for subsidies, adding that farmers from New Taipei City (新北市), Nantou, Taoyuan and Hsinchu counties are eligible to apply for low-interest loans.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
A crowd of over 200 people gathered outside the Taipei District Court as two sisters indicted for abusing a 1-year-old boy to death attended a preliminary hearing in the case yesterday afternoon. The crowd held up signs and chanted slogans calling for aggravated penalties in child abuse cases and asking for no bail and “capital punishment.” They also held white flowers in memory of the boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), who was allegedly tortured to death by the sisters in December 2023. The boy died four months after being placed in full-time foster care with the
A Taiwanese woman on Sunday was injured by a small piece of masonry that fell from the dome of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican during a visit to the church. The tourist, identified as Hsu Yun-chen (許芸禎), was struck on the forehead while she and her tour group were near Michelangelo’s sculpture Pieta. Hsu was rushed to a hospital, the group’s guide to the church, Fu Jing, said yesterday. Hsu was found not to have serious injuries and was able to continue her tour as scheduled, Fu added. Mathew Lee (李世明), Taiwan’s recently retired ambassador to the Holy See, said he met
The Shanlan Express (山嵐號), or “Mountain Mist Express,” is scheduled to launch on April 19 as part of the centennial celebration of the inauguration of the Taitung Line. The tourism express train was renovated from the Taiwan Railway Corp’s EMU500 commuter trains. It has four carriages and a seating capacity of 60 passengers. Lion Travel is arranging railway tours for the express service. Several news outlets were invited to experience the pilot tour on the new express train service, which is to operate between Hualien Railway Station and Chihshang (池上) Railway Station in Taitung County. It would also be the first tourism service
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