■ PUBLISHING
Taiwan opts out of book fair
Taiwan decided yesterday not to take part in the Seoul International Book Fair 2008 a Taipei-based exhibitor said. Taiwan had registered with organizers of the Seoul International Book Fair 2008 to participate under the name “Taiwan” in the event scheduled for Wednesday to May 18 in the South Korean capital, said Lin Tsai-chueh (林載爵), chairman of the Taipei Book Fair Foundation. However, event organizers recently notified the foundation that Taiwan would have to participate under the name “Chinese Taipei,” Lin said. Since in the past the country has participated in many international book fairs under the name “Taiwan,” the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, which won an open bid to sponsor Taiwan’s participation in Seoul, decided to boycott the event, Lin said.
■MILITARY
‘Sky Dragon’ lives again
The Air Force announced yesterday that its “Sky Dragon” exercise has been resumed, 20 years after it was merged as part of the annual Han Kuang military exercise. “Those involved in the exercise have to stand by for irregular and continuous orders from their commander so we can assess how well pilots are able to react and stop the enemy from the off,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Major General Liu Chen-wu (劉震武). Liu made his remarks while briefing the legislature’s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee yesterday morning. He said that the latest Sky Dragon exercise was carried out in November. It was a three-day exercise without any pre-warning for the pilots. All the nation’s major jetfighters participated in a simulation of joint warfare between different aircraft. Liu also said that the Air Force has purchased simulators for its Mirage-2000-5s, F-16A Falcons and IDFs so pilots would be able to practice round-the-clock while enabling the Air Force to save on gas and maintenance expenses. “A simulator is the safest way to train our pilots,” Liu said. “We don’t have to worry about accidents or mishaps.”
■EVENTS
Northeast coast hosts race
More than 1,000 cyclists will compete in a 58-km race along a scenic route on the country’s northeast coast tomorrow. The race, organized by the National Cycling Club. The cyclists will set off at 8am from the Northeast and Ilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration and ride along a highway passing the Fulong beach resort, Longmen campsite, Yenliao beach, the old gold mining town of Jinguashi (金瓜石) and the mountain village of Jiufen (九份) in Taipei County before finishing the race at its starting point. Organizers said the event is part of efforts to increase public awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Chen Mei-kang (陳梅岡), director of the Northeast and Ilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration, expressed hope that the event would showcase the beautiful scenery of Taiwan’s northeast coast.
■CULTURE
Opera troupe bound for US
A Taiwanese folk opera troupe based in Sinjhuang (新莊), Taipei County, has been invited to perform at the 15th annual Asian American Heritage Festival in California tomorrow. The troupe will present a traditional Chinese folklore play about the love story between a cowherd and a girl weaver to entertain the 2,000 people expected at the festival, which will take place at the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church. Also invited to perform at the festival are the 46-member Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and a 35-member women’s fire prevention promotion team from Changhua County.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Chunghwa Telecom yesterday confirmed that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by a Chinese ship, the Shunxin-39, a freighter registered in Cameroon. Chunghwa Telecom said the cable had its own backup equipment, and the incident would not affect telecommunications within Taiwan. The CGA said it dispatched a ship under its first fleet after receiving word of the incident and located the Shunxin-39 7 nautical miles (13km) north of Yehliu (野柳) at about 4:40pm on Friday. The CGA demanded that the Shunxin-39 return to seas closer to Keelung Harbor for investigation over the
An apartment building in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) collapsed last night after a nearby construction project earlier in the day allegedly caused it to tilt. Shortly after work began at 9am on an ongoing excavation of a construction site on Liuzhang Street (六張街), two neighboring apartment buildings tilted and cracked, leading to exterior tiles peeling off, city officials said. The fire department then dispatched personnel to help evacuate 22 residents from nine households. After the incident, the city government first filled the building at No. 190, which appeared to be more badly affected, with water to stabilize the
EARTHQUAKE: Taipei and New Taipei City accused a construction company of ignoring the Circular MRT’s original design, causing sections to shift by up to 92cm The Taipei and New Taipei City governments yesterday said they would seek NT$1.93 billion (US$58.6 million) in compensation from the company responsible for building the Circular MRT Line, following damage sustained during an earthquake in April last year that had shuttered a section for months. BES Engineering Corp, a listed company under Core Pacific Group, was accused of ignoring the original design when constructing the MRT line, resulting in negative shear strength resistance and causing sections of the rail line between Jhonghe (中和) and Banciao (板橋) districts to shift by up to 92cm during the April 3 earthquake. The pot bearings on
DEEPER REVIEW: After receiving 19 hospital reports of suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health applied for an epidemiological investigation A buffet restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) is to be fined NT$3 million (US$91,233) after it remained opened despite an order to suspend operations following reports that 32 people had been treated for suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. The health department said it on Tuesday received reports from hospitals of people who had suspected food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, after they ate at an INPARADISE (饗饗) branch in Breeze Xinyi on Sunday and Monday. As more than six people who ate at the restaurant sought medical treatment, the department ordered the
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