FOOD SAFETY
Wine vinegar import stopped
A batch of wine vinegar imported from France has been halted at customs after being found to contain excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. The 450kg batch was imported by the hypermarket chain Carrefour Taiwan, and was found to have 0.107 grams per kilogram (g/kg) of sulfur dioxide, exceeding the 0.03g/kg limit. It was returned or destroyed at the border according to regulations, the FDA said. The substance is used as an antioxidant, bleach and preservative, and to halt fermentation to prevent red wine from becoming too dark, it said. The importer would be subject to 20 to 50 percent inspection at the border, rather than the standard 2 to 10 percent, the FDA said. Meanwhile, a batch of barley grass powder from China, imported by TCI Co was stopped at the border for containing residue of the banned pesticide fluroxypyr-meptyl, it said. A batch of fresh kumquats imported from Japan by Tong Ho Fruit Co was also intercepted for containing the banned pesticide flubendiamide, it added.
Photo courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration
GOVERNMENT
Taipei adds tableware fee
Businesses operating at Taipei City Government agencies, schools and city venues run by outside contractors would be required to charge for disposable tableware, including cutlery and containers, starting from July 22. A fee of at least NT$1 is to be imposed for each disposable container, plate or cutlery in the about 280 designated venues to reduce waste, the city government said on Monday. The measure is expected to cut the use of disposable tableware items by 27 million pieces per year.
RELIGION
Lai wishes pope recovery
President William Lai (賴清德) has expressed the nation’s concern for Pope Francis’ health and offered his wishes for the pope’s swift recovery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Francis has remained in critical condition since the weekend, having developed pneumonia in both lungs and other complications, after he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital more than a week ago. Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said Lai has expressed the concerns of the government and Taiwanese over the pope’s health through the country’s embassy in the Vatican and is praying for his swift recovery. Ambassador Mathew Lee (李世明) took part in a recitation of the Rosary for Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square led by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin beginning on Monday night, Hsiao said.
DIPLOMACY
European delegates arrive
The first group of lawmakers from the European Parliament this year has arrived in Taiwan for five-day trip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Led by Renew Europe vice president Ivars Ijabs of Latvia, the delegation also includes European Parliament members Hannes Heide of Austria, Arkadiusz Mularczyk of Poland and Vladimir Prebilic of Slovenia, the ministry said in a news release. Aside from meeting with senior government officials, the members are also to meet with lawmakers and local non-governmental organizations to exchange views on Taiwan-EU relations, geopolitics and technological innovation, it said. The ministry said it welcomed the group’s visit and thanked the European Parliament for supporting Taiwan, including passing resolutions that voiced concerns over China’s escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait. It also expressed support for further deepening the Taiwan-EU partnership.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
The military yesterday said it has located the flight data recorder, or black box, of an F-16V jet that disappeared off eastern Taiwan earlier this month, and it would soon deploy a salvage team to try to retrieve it. Air Force Command Headquarters said that while it had pinned down the location of the black box, it was still searching for the aircraft’s sole pilot, air force Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅). Without providing details, the air force said it had located the black box days after detecting some intermittent signals and would now engage a team of professionals to retrieve it. The air
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