HEALTHCARE
Pilgrims sickened
At least 70 worshipers out of thousands participating in a pilgrimage of the sea goddess Matsu in Pingtung County were taken to hospitals on Saturday, possibly due to food poisoning, local health authorities said. The county’s Public Health Bureau said it received a report at 4:42pm that many pilgrims taking part in the event, lasting from Friday through yesterday in southern Taiwan, had fallen ill. As of 8:30pm, 29 people remained hospitalized at Fooyin University Hospital and Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital, while the rest were discharged after being treated, the bureau said. It added that it has started on-site investigations to see if there have been contraventions of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法). A Matsu devotee surnamed Chen (陳) said he started vomiting and had diarrhea after eating food at a local temple in the afternoon. He said he later went to a hospital and learned that many others had developed similar symptoms.
HEALTHCARE
FDA warns on eyedrops
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised the public not to buy eye drops or artificial tears from unknown sources in other countries or online. FDA Deputy Director-General Cheng Hwei-fang (陳惠芳) said the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in February warned “consumers and healthcare practitioners not to purchase and to immediately stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears due to potential bacterial contamination,” during the manufacturing and packing process in India. Using contaminated artificial tears increases the risk of eye infections that could result in blindness or death, the USFDA said. The USFDA issued recalls between late October and the middle of last month for 28 types of artificial tears and eye drops by seven brands — CVS Health, Leader, Rugby, Rite Aid, Target, Velocity Pharma LLC and Walmart — none of which have been authorized for import, sale or use in Taiwan, Chen said. He urged the public not to buy the products in other countries or online. The US authorities are planning to recall all unexpired products from the brands made from last month until September 2025, he said.
ENTERTAINMENT
Big Kaohsiung show planned
The Kaohsiung City Government has announced that its annual New Year’s Eve celebration is to feature a fireworks show lasting four minutes, one of the city’s biggest-ever displays. The New Year’s Eve party is to take place at Dream Mall starting from 6:30pm on Dec. 31, with the stepped-up firework display beginning after the New Year countdown, it said, adding that the show is to last 60 seconds longer than last year and more than 7,000 fireworks are to be set off. This would also be the first time the city combines its Christmas and New Year celebrations in an attempt to create a joyful end-of-the-year atmosphere, it said. Christmas decorations, including a 20m-tall Christmas tree and a more than 5m-tall reindeer, are to be put up in the city’s Central Park. An event is also to be held there on Dec. 22 and 23, featuring more than 250 stalls and performances, it said. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said Kaohsiung is set to have an eventful December, with the “Open Your Dream” balloon parade being held on Saturday, and the “Open Run” road running race and the performance of the “Orange Devils” — Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School’s marching band — scheduled for Sunday.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
RSS