SOCIETY
Park responds to deer issue
Kenting National Park Headquarters called on the public to refrain from collecting wild specimens from scenic and protected areas, which is prohibited by law, unless they have obtained approval. Under Article 17 of the National Park Act (國家公園法), collecting wild specimens is permitted only after receiving approval from the National Nature Park Headquarters, it said. The statement comes in the wake of a viral video uploaded on Threads, where a couple was holding a naturally shed sika deer antler they picked up at the Kenting park, with the two talking about how they had been searching for it and were taking it home with them. People online questioned the legality of the couple’s actions, but the poster said sika deer was not a protected species and that he had already inquired with the 7th Special Police Corps, who said it was “OK.” The Kenting park authority said that without permission from the park headquarters, such actions are illegal, and the offender would be subject to a NT$3,000 fine.
Photo courtesy of Kenting National Park Headquarters
CRIME
Body found in fishing port
The body of a man was found in a Kaohsiung fishing port early yesterday and has been identified as the skipper of a towboat that capsized on Friday, the Port of Kaohsiung Police Department said. First responders recovered the body from the Cihou Fishing Port (旗后漁港) after receiving a report from a local police station around midnight, the harbor police said, adding that a family member of the 25-year-old towboat captain, surnamed Yang (楊), identified the body. Yang had been missing since the vessel capsized not far from the fishing port, when it was assisting a fishing vessel out of the Port of Kaohsiung, the police said. The search-and-rescue team was unable to locate the skipper following the accident, while the only other crew member on board, a 33-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), managed to swim to shore. No apparent wounds were observed during the initial examination of the body. Police said prosecutors would be notified to conduct an autopsy. What caused the towboat to capsize remains under investigation, the police said.
CULTURE
Novel shortlisted for prize
The translated version of Northwest Rain (西北雨), a novel by Taiwanese author Tung Wei-ge (童偉格), has been shortlisted for the 2024 Josef Jungmann Award, the Czech Literary Translators’ Guild (CLTG) said. The novel is one of 25 selected from nearly 90 entries in 24 languages, with Northwest Rain being the only Chinese-language work on the list, the CLTG said. The Josef Jungmann Award, established in 1991 and named after Czech linguist and translator Josef Jungmann, is regarded as the country’s most prestigious literary translation award, the guild said. It is presented annually for the best translation of a foreign-language work into Czech, with this year’s winner to be announced on Sept. 30, International Translation Day. Northwest Rain employs techniques such as “rewinding, repeating, skipping and delaying to reassemble fragments about death and family history,” the Ministry of Culture said. Tung teaches at the Taipei National University of the Arts, it said, adding that his work often explores themes of death and memory.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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