ENVIRONMENT
EPA reports bad air quality
Poor air quality was yesterday recorded in many areas of Taiwan, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said. The index in northern and central Taiwan, as well as in Tainan, and Yunlin and Chiayi counties in the south, was “red” as of 10am, indicating unhealthy levels of pollution, the administration said. In Kaohsiung and Pingtung County further south, the index was “orange,” signaling unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, it said. The poor air quality was caused mainly by domestic factors that created high concentrations of PM2.5 — particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less — and ozone molecules, it said. In its forecast, the EPA said the air is likely to be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in northern Taiwan today, and “unhealthy” in central and southern parts of the country.
POLITICS
Cabinet reshuffle denied
Top officials yesterday again rebuffed rumors of a Cabinet reshuffle, saying that the issue is distracting from COVID-19 response measures. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said that the Cabinet’s pandemic and economic successes are thanks to the cooperation of all ministers. He also reiterated that his Cabinet “does not have a blacklist,” following a report on Wednesday that Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) had fallen out of favor and would be forced out after the Lunar New Year holiday. On Friday, Su also dismissed a report claiming that Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) would be promoted to vice premier and replaced by Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安).
HEALTH
Vitamin B tablets recalled
About 900,000 Japan-made vitamin B complex supplements are being recalled because they were found to have lost their potency over time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday. The recall is for the VITRIC Tablets brand dietary supplement produced by Kobayashi Kako Co. Taipei-based Shiang Chuan Brother Trading Co, which represents the brand in Taiwan, has until March 2 to complete the recall of batch numbers T8DS01, T8DS02, T8DS3 and T8DS04, FDA official Hung Kuo-teng (洪國登) said. A recent stability test of the over-the-counter supplements found that they can degrade over time, he said.
CRIME
Wpd in fake damage furor
Wpd Taiwan Energy on Tuesday last week responded to reports that prosecutors have detained Yunlin County fishers for allegedly filing fake net damage claims with the firm. Wpd has been part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ project to build wind farms in waters near the county. In its statement, Wpd said that it was engaged in a dispute over claims that the project caused damage to fishing nets and engendered economic losses, but added that the issue was resolved following an arbitration process that established a compensation scheme. After hearing rumors that some fishers made false claims about net damage to receive compensation, Wpd informed the authorities “to avoid failure to protect actual stakeholders,” the company said. By September last year, payouts have been made to 69 fishers for net damage, including three who did not request compensation, it said. Separately, the Yunlin County Association of Coastal and Off-Shore Fishing Vessels, which is assisting the fisher’s legal defense, said that the prosecutors had been misled by people spreading slander and their actions were disproportionate.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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