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.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
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