Cold forecast for north
Slightly cooler weather is forecast for northern Taiwan, and the north and east are likely to receive rain this week, as the nation’s weather is influenced by northeasterly winds, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Temperatures are expected to drop to as low as 15°C to 17°C in northern and northeastern Taiwan today as the wind system strengthens, the bureau said. Temperatures in the affected areas would rise again starting on Tuesday as the winds weaken, but drop again starting on Friday as the winds regain strength, it said. Northern and eastern areas can expect occasional showers over the weekend, as well as between Tuesday and Friday, the bureau said. Other parts of Taiwan would have cloudy to sunny skies throughout next week, it said.
MEDIA
Three TV channels fined
Three TV news channels were on Wednesday each fined NT$200,000 for showing sensitive content involving child abuse without content warnings. The National Communications Commission also issued warnings to two other stations over their coverage of the death of a four-year-old girl. The five stations repeatedly broadcast images related to the child’s abuse by her mother’s partner, which led to her death. In addition to the images, the excessive coverage of the case contravened the Television Programs Classification Handling Regulations (電視節目分級處理辦法), the commission said. The agency fined SET News, Formosa News and TVBS NT$200,000 each, while Era News and Next TV News received warnings. Other news stations also covered the case, but altered the footage or did not repeat it excessively, the commission said, urging TV stations to improve their coverage of sensitive and violent incidents.
SOCIETY
Fishers get donations
A coalition of Taiwanese and foreign government agencies, as well as nonprofit groups, on Friday donated new clothing to migrant fishers in New Taipei City and organized a feast for them.Father Hendrikus Arianto Ukat — an Indonesian priest at Taipei’s Saint Christopher’s Church who is a member of Stella Maris, the largest ship-visiting network in the world — said the “unique” event was organized by Catholic churches, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, the Fisheries Agency and the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office in Taipei. Migrant fishers face tough conditions as they work long shifts without overtime pay, and while on duty, cannot rest in a comfortable place. Workforce Development Agency Cross-Border Workforce Management Division deputy head Paul Su (蘇裕國) said the lack of overtime pay is one of the main issues migrant fishers face. Fishers who face undue conditions should report them the 1955 government hotline, Su said.
POLITICS
Chu vows cross-strait peace
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) vowed to continue the party’s efforts in pursuing peaceful ties across the Taiwan Strait in a prerecorded speech to the Straits Forum in Xiamen, China, yesterday. Chu said that based on years of exchanges across the Strait, he would abide by the KMT’s regulations and platform to push for peaceful cross-strait development. Chu urged the leaders on both sides to keep people’s well-being in mind as they conduct exchanges. He also proposed that both sides work together on climate change, including reducing carbon emissions, and strive for economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
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