ENVIRONMENT
Potable water on weekends
The Taipei Water Department said that starting today, drinking water is to be available to the public during weekends at select night markets and commercial quarters in the city. Drinking water fountains have been installed at the following popular sites: the Ximending pedestrian zone, Raohe Night Market, Ningxia Night Market, Shilin Night Market and Yongkang commercial quarters, the water department said. The quality of the water is guaranteed and will be checked regularly, Water Department Deputy Commissioner Chen Man-li (陳曼莉) said. Each fountain is to have a “Taipei Wonderful Water” QR Code so that the public can check the water quality using their mobile phones, she said. Potable water is to be available on weekends, from 5pm to 10pm, she said.
EDUCATION
Team in math competition
With four silver medals, one bronze and one honorable mention, Taiwan was on Wednesday in 18th place among the 104 countries competing in the International Mathematical Olympiad. The Taiwanese team has six students from junior and senior high schools. The top three teams are the US with five gold medals and one silver, China with four golds and two silvers, and South Korea with three golds, one silver and two bronze. The 56th International Mathematical Olympiad was held from July 4 to yesterday in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Taiwan’s best performance in the competition was last year, winning four gold and two bronze medals.
TOURISM
Alishan promotes wedding
The Alishan National Scenic Area is promoting a wedding under a 1,000-year-old sacred tree on Oct. 25, followed by a three-day honeymoon at the national park. The wedding and honeymoon are part of a promotional event called “Alishan-Eternal Love Beneath a Thousand Year Old Sacred Tree,” which was first launched by Alishan tourism authorities in 2007. The wedding this year is being cohosted by the Alishan National Scenic Administration, the Forestry Bureau’s Chiayi Forest District Office, the Chiayi County Government and the Southwest Coast National Scenic Administration. During their three-day honeymoon in Alishan, the couple is expected to embrace nature while learning more about Tsou Aborigines, the organizers said. At least 12 couples are expected to exchange vows under the sacred tree this year, they added.
CULTURE
WWII Web site launched
A Web site on China’s War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) was launched early this month, with content offered in Chinese and English. Visitors to the site can find information that begins with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, and ends in October 1945, when the Nationalist army was preparing to take over Taiwan from Japan. The Web site also features more current information, such as President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) presentation of commemorative medals to 25 World War II veterans in the middle of last month, a military parade on July 4 and an international conference that was held from July 7 to July 9 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Under the heading of “journals,” readers can find abstracts of papers presented at the conference, which was attended by about 200 academics. The Web site — en.70thvictory.com.tw — is being hosted by Academia Historica and maintained by the Central News Agency.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
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