■POLITICS
DPP-Wu talks continue
Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday the party and its former secretary-general Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) have not reached a conclusion in ongoing talks to have him return to the party as secretary-general. After considering Wu’s seniority in the party and his rich experience in handling party affairs and organizing election campaigns, Tsai yesterday said she would like to ask for Wu’s help in the local government election at the end of the year. Tsai said she would make a formal announcement as soon as an agreement is reached.
■POLITICS
Ma mum on anniversary
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had no “plan” to speak on Saturday, the fourth anniversary of the enactment of China’s “Anti-Secession” Law. The Presidential Office would make its position known on that day, adding it would do so under the principle that “the sovereignty of the Republic of China is protected” and “Taiwan’s dignity is maintained,” Wang said. Wang made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about speculation that Ma would keep a low profile on this year’s anniversary. The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) reported yesterday that Ma, who was vocal on the piece of legislation during his term as Taipei mayor and during his election campaign, would keep quiet on Saturday and have the Presidential Office issue a press release instead.
■POLITICS
NSB head ‘quits’ over health
The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed speculation that the recent resignation of National Security Bureau (NSB) director-general Tsai Chao-ming (蔡朝明) resulted from a power struggle within the government’s intelligence branch. Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had approved Tsai’s resignation for health reasons and that Ma accepted the resignation with reluctance. To express his gratitude for Tsai’s contributions, Wang said Ma decided to confer Tsai a medal in the near future. Wang dismissed the theory that political infighting was behind Tsai’s resignation, saying that it was groundless and pure speculation. Wang said since Tsai had been hospitalized several times, their understanding was that Tsai tendered his resignation for health reasons. Wang said Tsai had offered to resign on several occasions, but Ma had refused to let him go. Regarding Tsai’s successor, Wang said Ma had not reached a decision.
■TRAVEL
Shoe check in effect
Flight passengers heading to the US from Taiwan are now required to take off their shoes and coats for safety inspections, effective at 9:30pm yesterday. Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said the Transportation Security Administration of the US Department of Homeland Security issued an emergency amendment on Monday requiring all passengers leaving for the US to start following the same safety inspection practice within 72 hours of the amendment being announced. In the past, the practice was only enforced when passengers were about to leave the US, not before they entered the US. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport early to avoid delays, the CAA said. Electronic devices must be taken out of baggage for inspections as well.
■ENVIRONMENT
Twelve factories fined
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) last week used helicopters to capture photographic proof of air and water pollution by 12 factories in the Greater Taipei area, the agency told a press conference yesterday. From the air, EPA inspectors were able to shoot images of several factories along the Tahan River (大漢溪), the Taliaokeng River (塔寮坑溪) and in Wugu Township (五股), emitting air pollutants and dumping wastewater and solid wastes into the river. The violators received fines of NT$100,000 to NT$149,200, the EPA said.
■WEATHER
Cold front coming
A continental cold air mass is expected to move into the country, bringing showers to most parts of the island and sending temperatures down, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. The bureau predicted that temperatures in northern, northeastern and central Taiwan could drop to as low as 11°C on Saturday and Sunday, with the daytime highs varying between 16°C and 21°C. Southern and southeastern Taiwan would see slightly warmer weather on those two days, with lows of 14°C to 15°C and highs of 20°C to 25°C.
■GOVERNMENT
No decision on postal bank
Chunghwa Post chairman Wu Min-yu (吳民佑) said the government had not reached a decision on Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Sean Chen’s (陳冲) proposal to turn the post office’s savings department into an independent postal bank. If the government does decide to set up a postal bank, it would only handle low-risk bank business, Wu said. He added that should Taiwan follow the examples of Japan and Germany, Chunghwa Post would remain the largest shareholder of the postal bank.
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
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
Taiwan’s population last year shrank further and births continued to decline to a yearly low, the Ministry of the Interior announced today. The ministry published the 2024 population demographics statistics, highlighting record lows in births and bringing attention to Taiwan’s aging population. The nation’s population last year stood at 23,400,220, a decrease of 20,222 individuals compared to 2023. Last year, there were 134,856 births, representing a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 people, a slight decline from 2023’s 135,571 births and 5.81 crude birth rate. This decrease of 715 births resulted in a new record low per the ministry’s data. Since 2016, which saw
SECURITY: To protect the nation’s Internet cables, the navy should use buoys marking waters within 50m of them as a restricted zone, a former navy squadron commander said A Chinese cargo ship repeatedly intruded into Taiwan’s contiguous and sovereign waters for three months before allegedly damaging an undersea Internet cable off Kaohsiung, a Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) investigation revealed. Using publicly available information, the Liberty Times was able to reconstruct the Shunxing-39’s movements near Taiwan since Double Ten National Day last year. Taiwanese officials did not respond to the freighter’s intrusions until Friday last week, when the ship, registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, turned off its automatic identification system shortly before damage was inflicted to a key cable linking Taiwan to the rest of
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