WEATHER
Quake an aftershock: CWA
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has walked back its previous statement that the magnitude 6.3 earthquake which struck off eastern Taiwan on Friday was an independent event, saying it was actually a major aftershock of the massive earthquake which shook Hualien in April. The CWA’s preliminary observation had indicated that the epicenter of Friday’s temblor was 34.2km southeast of Hualien County Hall, with a depth of 9.7km. However, the agency amended its report on Friday afternoon, revising the location further west to 23.78°N, 121.71°E, and the depth to 19.36km, after conducting further analysis. The new epicenter is 4.22km from the location of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that rattled Hualien County on April 3, while the original epicenter reported on Friday morning was 15.63km from that of the Hualien quake.
ARTS
Old Fox selected for Oscars
The Ministry of Culture on Wednesday said Old Fox has been chosen as Taiwan’s submission for best international feature at the Academy Awards next year. The movie stood out from 14 Taiwanese films for being a “fable of the social classes amid social change and drastic economic impact of late 1980s Taiwan. It gives a profound analysis of humanity with its motif, narration, layout and subtle depictions of daily life,” the ministry said in a news release. Directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan (蕭雅全), the film’s narrative is from the perspective of a young boy living with his poor father as he navigates the struggles between the worldliness and kindness of humanity, the news release said. Inspired by his own childhood, Hsiao reproduced the period’s zeitgeist and reflected on his experience during that time, it added. Hsiao won the Best Director award for the movie at the Golden Horse Awards last year. It also bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for Akio Chen (陳慕義), Best Original Film Score and Best Makeup and Costume Design awards. The film has also won accolades at several international film festivals, the ministry said.
SPORTS
Drone soccer arrives
The Puli Junior High School’s annual summer camp this year introduced children the to sport of drone soccer, a technological sport that has become popular. The sport has not only entertained and taught the children how to pilot drones, but also familiarized them with drone regulations, school authorities said. The sport is beginning to take off in Taiwan, and teams from the nation have already placed fourth in a drone soccer competition held in South Korea this year, and first and second place in the junior high school category at the Unmanned Aviation Systems Application Carnival Tournament this year, they said. The sport requires precise navigation of drones in a three-dimensional space, participating students said, adding that the players also need to acclimate themselves to putting a “spin” on their drones as defensive or aggressive tactics. Overall, it is a sport that demands a high degree of cooperation, the students said, adding that it was rare for students to learn about an international sport currently in vogue. Drone soccer features two teams, each composed of at least three players who control a drone with protective anti-collision cages to defend the team’s designated goal, the Pilot Institute said. Each game consists of three sets, each lasting three minutes, with the designated “striker” of each team seeking to navigate their drone into the opposing team’s goal zone, the institute added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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