ANIMAL TRADE
Thousands of species banned
An import ban on more than 8,000 species of live animals is to take effect on Wednesday next week, the Forestry Bureau said. Animals such as raccoons and the crested myna are to be banned from entering Taiwan without authorization from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the bureau said. The banned import list includes one mammal, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, totaling 8,478 species, it said, adding that they are being banned because they pose a threat to Taiwan’s endemic species or its agricultural produce. People caught importing any of the animals without authorization would face a fine of NT$200,000 to NT$1 million (US$6,744 to US$33,721) under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法), and could also be charged with smuggling and breaching the Foreign Trade Act (貿易法), the bureau said.
WEATHER
Rainy week forecast
A stationary front that arrived yesterday is expected to linger near Taiwan until Saturday and bring rain to most of the island, Daniel Wu (吳德榮), a former Weather Forecast Center director who is now an adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University, said yesterday. The front would initially be relatively weak, but would bring isolated showers to areas across Taiwan today, he said. A southwesterly wind system would build up from tomorrow to Saturday, causing the stationary front to intensify and ushering in the plum rain season, he said. People should be alert for lightning, strong winds and torrential rain, Wu said. On Sunday and Monday next week, the front would move toward the East China Sea, but due to southwesterly winds, central and southern Taiwan could still experience rain, while hot weather is forecast in the north and east, he said.
SOCIETY
PTS appoints new chair
Communications academic Hu Yuan-hui (胡元輝) was chosen to serve as chairman of the Public Television Service (PTS) on Friday. Hu received 15 of 19 votes from PTS directors, who are nominated by the Executive Yuan. His only competitor was Lin Kuan-yu (林寬裕), an adjunct assistant professor who teaches a Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability Executive Master of Business Administration course at National Taiwan Normal University. Lin received two votes. Hu said he hopes to draw on experiences at his previous jobs at commercial TV stations such as TVBS Media Inc, Formosa Television Co and Taiwan Television Enterprise to guide the development of PTS. Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀) resigned on April 22 to take responsibility for the airing of several erroneous news tickers last month on Chinese Television System, where she doubled as chairwoman.
CULTURE
Comic contest wants entries
The Golden Comic Awards (GCA) is accepting submissions for its annual competition, including newly published works by foreign artists, the Ministry of Culture said. The 13th GCA competition offers a total purse of NT$2.45 million to NT$2.75 million, which includes a cash prize of NT$10,000 for each shortlisted entry, as part of an effort to encourage greater participation. Another addition this year is a NT$150,000 prize for the Special Contribution Award, which did not previously have a cash reward, said the ministry, which organizes the annual competition. Also for the first time, foreign artists would be eligible to submit original comics recently published in Taiwan, it added. Submissions are open until June 15, the ministry said.
Taiwan does not exclude the possibility of having formal diplomatic relations with countries that also have formal ties with China, regardless of Beijing’s stance, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said on Sunday. There was speculation in 2012 that Honduras was attempting to have simultaneous diplomatic relations with Taiwan and China, an idea that then-minister of foreign affairs David Lin (林永樂) rejected. Honduras severed formal ties with Taiwan on Sunday morning after establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing. President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration has taken a more practical approach to relations with like-minded countries since assuming government in 2016. Previous administrations took the
Seven senior faculty members, including the principal, of a high school in Taichung were temporarily suspended from their jobs on Friday, pending an investigation by the Taichung Education Bureau into alleged bullying and abuse that led to the suicide of a student last month. The city’s education officials were too slow to suspend those involved, the student’s father told a news conference on Wednesday, at which Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) and members of the Humanistic Education Foundation were also present. The boy had been a good student and a high achiever during elementary and junior-high, and had
ORIGIN UNKNOWN: The Leofoo Village Theme Park and Taipei Zoo have accounted for their baboons, as authorities continue a 12-day capture attempt Authorities in Taoyuan are searching for a non-native baboon, possibly of the chacma species, that has been spotted several times in the city’s Pingjhen District (平鎮) over the past 12 days, and was most recently seen in coastal Sinwu District (新屋). The baboon was first spotted near a local factory on March 10 in central Taoyuan, Jhensing Borough Warden Huang Chih-chieh (黃志杰) said. Huang said he requested the Leofoo Village Theme Park’s help after a second sighting on Saturday. In other sightings, the baboon raided fruit and vegetable gardens on private property, and has evaded one capture attempt via a tranquilizer dart. Media reported
Taiwan would have established formal relations with Argentina long ago if not for China’s interference, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui told US-based Spanish-language online news outlet Infobae in an interview published on Tuesday. Beijing has left behind a string of unfulfilled promises in Latin America, including pledges to build the Grand Nicaragua Canal and airports, docks, ports and industrial zones in El Salvador, he said. Meanwhile, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and other countries enjoy pragmatic and improving relations with Taiwan based on cooperation on the economy, culture, technology and science, he said. While Taiwan is “happy to live and let live,”
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