ENTERTAINMENT
TWICE coming in November
South Korean pop group TWICE is to perform in Kaohsiung on Nov. 22 as part of their 11-city THIS IS FOR world tour, the group announced on Sunday. It would be TWICE’s first performance in Taiwan after debuting 10 years ago, with local fans especially excited to see the group’s Taiwanese member, Chou Tzuyu (周子瑜). Chou is from Tainan, and became the first Taiwan-born and raised member of a South Korean girl group. The announcement drew excited comments such as: “Finally! We’ve been waiting for TWICE,” and “Tzuyu finally comes back for a concert in Kaohsiung!” Along with Blackpink’s concert on Oct. 18 and 19, Kaohsiung is to host two big-name girl group performances this year. The upcoming performances would also make Blackpink the first girl group to perform twice at the Kaohsiung National Stadium. It would be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert.
Photo: screen grab from TWICE’s X account
TRAVEL
Tigerair adds three routes
Tigerair Taiwan is to launch three new international routes — two to South Korea’s Jeju Island and one to Japan’s Ishigaki Island, as summer vacation nears. The Kaohsiung-Jeju route is to begin on June 30, followed by Taichung-Jeju on July 1 and Taoyuan-Ishigaki on July 17, the Taiwan-based low-cost carrier said in a statement yesterday. With the additions, Tigerair Taiwan would become the first domestic carrier to offer direct flights to Jeju from northern, central and southern Taiwan. The Ishigaki route would also bring the number of Japanese destinations served by the airline to 23, the statement said. The Kaohsiung-Jeju and Taoyuan-Ishigaki routes are new, while the Taichung-Jeju route would be a revival of an old route, the airline said. Tigerair plans to operate four weekly flights on the Kaohsiung-Jeju route, and two per week each on the other two routes, with adjustments being made depending on demand. A two-day promo — tomorrow and on Thursday — offers a base fare of NT$500 for the Jeju route and NT$1,599 for the Taoyuan-Ishigaki route, the airline said.
SOCIETY
Vietnamese’s body found
The body of a 32-year-old Vietnamese migrant worker who reportedly fell into the Houlong River (後龍溪) in Miaoli County on Sunday was found after emergency services resumed their search of the area yesterday, local authorities said. The man, surnamed Nguyen, was discovered at about 12:20pm, trapped between concrete blocks at a check dam near the border of Miaoli City and Gongguan Township (公館), the Miaoli County Fire Bureau said. The bureau was notified at about 6pm on Sunday that Nguyen had fallen into the river while barbecuing near the riverbank with four other Vietnamese, said Cheng Sheng-feng (鄭勝峰), head of the bureau’s first disaster relief unit. Nguyen slipped on a concrete block near the check dam and fell into the river, his companions said. The bureau immediately dispatched more than 10 firefighters and volunteer rescuers to the scene, along with a drone camera, Cheng said. However, the search was called off at night due to poor visibility and the strong current. Nguyen’s body was found near the spot where he fell, the bureau said, adding that he might have been pulled under by a whirlpool and trapped on the riverbed. Local prosecutors and police are taking over the case to investigate the cause of death, the bureau added.
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. 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
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a