SOCIETY
Canada D’eh set for June 27
The 2009 annual Canada D’eh Beach Party will be held on Saturday, June 27, at Shalun (沙崙) Beach near Tamsui (淡水) from noon to midnight, rain or shine. This year, along with fireworks, games, drinks and food, Grammy nominee Colby O’Donis will be among the musicians providing live entertainment. Tickets range from NT$450 for a single adult to NT$950 for family pack of two adults and two children and are on sale now. More information is available at www.canadiansociety.org.tw. Meanwhile, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and the Taichung City Government are inviting everyone to take part in a series of events from June 30 to July 5 in Taichung in celebration of Canada Day. The week-long series will feature an environmental film festival at the National Museum of Art, a street festival and a Canada Food Promotion. Details are available on the trade office’s Web site (www.canada.org.tw) or by calling (02) 2544-3000.
SOCIETY
Buddy Bear arrives from Germany
Taiwan received its own Buddy Bear from Germany last Saturday via the German Institute. With help from students at Fengshan and Fengshin high schools in Kaoshiung and the German School in Taipei, the bear was painted and given its own unique look on Saturday. The life-sized fiberglass sculpture will make an appearance on June 27 at the Taipei Film Festival, as the festival’s theme this year is Berlin, the institute said. The bear will go on tour next month and in September to coincide with the World Games in Kaoshiung and the Deaflympics in Taipei, it said. The institute is holding a competition to name the bear. Suggestions can be sent to the institute before Oct. 3. Nearly 1,300 Buddy Bears have been sent from Germany all over the world. More information on the bear-naming contect is available on the institute’s Web site at www.taipei.diplo.de.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate