Mon, Jan 16, 2023 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Agencies
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  HEALTH

  Birds culled at three farms

  About 58,000 birds were culled after animals at three poultry farms in Tainan were confirmed to have the highly pathogenic H5N1 subtype of the influenza A virus, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said on Saturday. The latest infections brought the number of farms hit by bird flu outbreaks this year to 10, the council said. The number of avian influenza cases has been rising worldwide, the agency added. Infection clusters have been reported in South Korea and Japan, where migratory birds stop before transiting to Taiwan, it said. The risk of wild birds infecting poultry is high as Taiwan approaches the peak period for winter bird migration, the council said. Poultry farm owners have been urged to ensure adequate heating for their birds as temperatures are expected to drop during the Lunar New Year holiday, prevent poultry coming into contact with wild birds, and sterilize vehicles, personnel and equipment on farms, it said.

  CULTURE

  French office screens film

  The French Office in Taipei on Friday hosted a special screening of the animated movie The Crossing to mark the start of MyFrenchFilmFestival, an online film festival that runs until Feb. 13. The film tells the dramatic journey of two young siblings who run away from an unspecified country in eastern Europe to find a place they belong. It is one of the 29 movies selected for this year’s edition of the festival. Twenty-eight of the films are to be available in Taiwan with English and Chinese subtitles on seven video-on-demand platforms, including Catchplay, HamiVideo, MUBI and Apple TV. One of the 29 films is not available due to copyright issues, Catchplay said. Viewers in Taiwan can also the visit the festival’s Web site to view the films at a fixed price, or watch short films for free.

  SOCIETY

  Police officer fined

  A New Taipei City police officer has been fined NT$2,000 for failing to yield to pedestrians crossing a street while driving a patrol car, the New Taipei City Police Department’s Haishan Precinct has said. The incident late last month was caught on a motorist’s dashcam and uploaded to the Professional Technology Temple, the nation’s largest online bulletin board system. A member of the public then filed a complaint with the New Taipei City mayor’s office. Following an investigation, the precinct said the incident took place on Lane 193, Hansheng E Road at 7:25am on Dec. 27. The police officer, surnamed Liu (劉), did not stop to let pedestrians cross the road before turning right on Lane 331, Changan Street, it said.

  DIPLOMACY

  SVG donates books

  The Embassy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Thursday donated 11 English-language books, mostly by authors from the Caribbean country, to the National Central Library to promote English language and literature in Taiwan. SVG Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Andrea Bowman said the donation followed a proposal by ambassadors from Taiwan’s English-speaking Caribbean allies to create a platform for the promotion and enhancement of the English language and literature in Taiwan. Two of the donated books were written by SVG Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who made his 11th visit to Taiwan as prime minister in August last year. Other books written by SVG authors include Peggy Carr’s poetry collection Honey and Lime, and young adult historical fiction novel Shape of a Warrior.
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