SOCIETY
Missing boat found
Communications have been re-established with a boat and all of its crew members were safe, the operator of the vessel said yesterday after it was reported missing in waters east of Guam. The Donggang-registered Sheng Long Yu No. 61 fishing boat was operating in international waters on Thursday when its tracking device went offline, the Fisheries Agency said. The operator on Friday confirmed that the vessel was missing. The ship departed from Yanpu Fishing Port (鹽埔漁港) in Pingtung County on July 11 with a Taiwanese captain and 10 Indonesian crew members on board, the agency said. The operator said it received a call at about 2pm yesterday from the captain, surnamed Tien (田), who explained that a lightning strike had damaged the communications equipment. With the engine still functioning, the crew initially planned to sail back to Taiwan, but encountered a Japanese fishing vessel and borrowed its satellite phone to report their safety, the operator said.
Photo: CNA
SOCIETY
Presidential tours to restart
Monthly tours of the Presidential Office Building would resume on Sept. 20 after a seven-month pause due to budget cuts, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The tours were suspended on Feb. 15 after the central government in January reduced the office’s annual operating budget by 13 percent and froze NT$214.12 million (US$6.99 million), or 70 percent. The Legislative Yuan approved the release of the frozen funds on May 21. The first event would coincide with the National Day for Cultural Heritage and feature two special programs — a movie screening and a seminar on Taiwanese manga — in addition to nine permanent exhibitions on the first floor. Reservations would be available online from 10am on Saturday to noon on Sept. 18. Tours are also scheduled for Oct. 18, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6.
SOCIETY
Funeral firm faces sanction
A funeral service company in Hsinchu City is facing punishment by the city government after mistakenly cremating a body ahead of schedule on Thursday, sparking a confrontation between the family of the deceased and company representatives, local authorities said. Police said they were called to the Hsinchu City Funeral Parlor Crematorium following an altercation that turned physical, injuring two people. Although neither side filed a formal complaint, police said that three people face penalties according to Article 87 of the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) — inflicting violence, fighting or gathering people for the purpose of fighting — which stipulates a fine of up to NT$18,000. The incident occurred after the company cremated a body on Thursday morning when it was scheduled for the afternoon. The firm reportedly failed to verify the body’s identity, which a witness said prevented family members from performing a final farewell. The company apologized and said it had reached a compensation agreement with the family. It pledged to review its procedures to avoid similar mistakes. The Hsinchu City Department of Civil Affairs said the dispute was mediated by its Mortuary Services Office, adding that both parties agreed to allow the family to conduct prayer and worship rituals on Thursday and to hold a memorial service at a later date, with compensation still to be finalized. The department said that it would investigate the company to determine who is responsible for the mistake and issue appropriate punishments.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
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