TRANSPORTATION
Elderly must renew licenses
Elderly drivers and motorcycle riders are to be required to renew their licenses every three years starting on July 1, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The regulations are to apply to drivers who become 75 years old on or after July 1, it said. Those already older than 75 would be required to renew their licenses every three years if they have a record of causing accidents, violating traffic regulations or have had their license revoked, the ministry said, adding that a three-year license can be issued once the applicant presents a doctor’s report showing good cognitive ability. The new regulations are being introduced to address the high accident rate among drivers and riders between 75 and 80 years of age, the ministry said.
WILDLIFE
Penghu lifts sea urchin ban
The ban on sea urchin harvesting is to be temporarily lifted in Penghu from June 16 to Aug. 31, the county’s Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau said on Wednesday, but catches must be limited to urchins larger than 8cm in diameter. A ban on the harvesting of sea urchins has been in place in Penghu since last year due to a low population count. Earlier on Wednesday, conservationists from a local marine foundation released 2,000 juvenile sea urchins measuring 3cm to 6cm into nearby waters at South Penghu Marine National Park. With the protection of the park administration, the foundation said it hopes the urchin population will be able to flourish with minimum interference from local fishermen. According to the agency, anyone caught violating the ban would be subject to a fine of up to NT$150,000 and a maximum of three years in prison under the Fisheries Act (漁業法).
WEATHER
Chiayi close to heat record
Chiayi County yesterday recorded a temperature of 36?C at 1:33pm, making it the warmest place in Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau. Under the influence of hot seasonal southerly winds, Chiayi beat the next-highest temperature of the day in Tainan, 35.3?C. Yesterday’s high of 36?C was the third-highest temperature ever recorded in May in the area, the bureau said. The all-time May high for Chiayi was 37.2?C recorded on May 27 last year, followed by 36.4?C recorded on May 28 last year, it added. Central and southern regions are also expected to see some showers this afternoon, but it is not likely to last for long, the bureau said. Rain in the north is expected to let up tomorrow for Mother’s Day, but more rain has been forecast for Monday and Tuesday, including chances for heavy downpours, it said.
GAY RIGHTS
Celebrities pose for show
More than 100 Taiwanese celebrities, including pop stars A-mei (張惠妹) and Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), have joined an international campaign in support of same-sex marriage. A total of 115 entertainers posed individually for photographs holding rainbow placards to show their support for the cause. The photographs are part of a special exhibition to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Wednesday, the organizer, the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, said on Wednesday. Among the celebrities who participated in the project were four winners of Golden Horse Awards, 28 winners of Golden Bell Awards and 60 winners of Golden Melody Awards, the alliance said. The special exhibition, titled “See Through,” opened on Thursday at Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
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