DIPLOMACY
Graham sends warning
If the US fails to back Ukraine enough in the war against Russia, that would send a signal to China that it could take Taiwan, US Senator Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday. Graham, a Republican, said after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that US President Joe Biden should send more weapons to Ukraine in addition to the more than US$35 billion of weaponry and military hardware already provided. “There can be no backing off of helping Ukraine because if we fail here, there goes Taiwan,” Graham told reporters. “If you’re running for president, as a Republican or Democrat, I don’t know how you can make the argument that we’re stronger against China if we pull the plug on Ukraine — that makes zero sense. What I want the Chinese to see is that invading a neighbor is not as easy as it looks.” “The best way to protect Taiwan and world order is for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to lose,” he added.
SOCIETY
Children swept out to sea
A 12-year-old boy has been found dead and a female junior-high school student remains missing after the two were swept out to sea in separate incidents along the east coast yesterday, local authorities said. Emergency services in Hualien County at about noon received a report of a child at sea. Coast guard personnel rescued the boy, surnamed Chou (周), but failed to locate a second boy, surnamed Lee (李), who was also missing. Lee, Chou and a third boy had been playing on the shore when Chou was swept into the sea by a strong wave, police said. Lee jumped in the water to rescue him, while the other boy ran home to call for help. Lee was later found unresponsive with a head injury. Meanwhile, authorities continued to search for a female student, surnamed Liu (柳), who went missing after being swept into the sea while walking along the shore in Yilan County.
DIPLOMACY
NZ lawmakers to visit
Two New Zealand lawmakers are to visit Taiwan from today through Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday. They are to meet with senior officials to discuss issues of mutual concern, it said. Brooke Van Velden, deputy head of ACT New Zealand, and James McDowall, ACT spokesperson for Immigration, Defense, Tourism, Internal Affairs, Economic Development, Civil Defense, and Research, Science, and Innovation, are members of the New Zealand All-Party Parliamentary Group, which was formed in March to promote exchanges with Taiwanese lawmakers. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement.
SOCIETY
Body of river tracer found
The remains of a river tracing group member swept away by a surging waterfall in Pingtung County last weekend were recovered on Saturday, rescuers said. The remains of the man surnamed Hsiao (蕭) were spotted on Friday, but search-and-rescue personnel were unable to retrieve the body until the next day due to poor weather conditions, the county’s Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services said. The incident occurred at the Flying Dragon Waterfall in Wutai Township (霧台) on May 20, when five of the 10-people group were swept away by surging waters triggered by heavy rainfall. The remaining members of the group were stranded on a cliff and rescued by a helicopter the following morning.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
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