Mon, May 24, 2021 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  WEATHER

  Temperatures top 39°C

  The nation yesterday experienced a spike in temperatures, with Nantou recording a peak temperature of 39.6°C at 12:50pm and Tainan’s Beiliao (北寮) a temperature of 39.2°C, the Central Weather Bureau said. Forecasters said that two weather fronts are expected to pass through Taiwan this week, bringing moisture that could result in occasional showers or thunderstorms, but not enough rain to alleviate the continuing water shortage. A front stationed to the north of Taiwan is forecast to approach today, bringing intermittent showers or thunderstorms to most of the nation through Wednesday, they said. Another front is expected to bring unstable weather at the beginning of next week, although the timing and amount of rainfall remain unclear, they said.

  WILDLIFE

  Zoo marks Turtle Day

  To mark World Turtle Day yesterday, Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung shared tips to help to preserve the Chinese box turtle, which in 2018 was placed on the endangered species list. The turtle plays a key role in the ecosystem, as it disseminates seeds, and helps clear the forest floor of fallen leaves, fruit and large animal carcasses, the zoo said, urging the public to refrain from buying wild turtles or products made from them, such as traditional medicines. It also said that people should not capture the turtles, unless they are injured and require treatment. Not littering is also important, especially masks, as small animals can easily become entangled in them, it said.

  FOREST FIRE

  Rangers build fire line

  Forest rangers continued their efforts to tackle a fire on Maluanshan (馬崙山) in Taichung, which started on Wednesday last week, the Dongshih Forest District Office said yesterday. More than 60 forest rangers were dispatched yesterday to continue building a fire line and carry water to put out the fire, which has damaged about 4.8 hectares, the office said. A fire line of 500m has been established, but bushes, grass and layers of dry ground foliage continue to fuel the fire and have enabled it to spread rapidly, the office said. The National Airborne Service Corps has been requested to drop 10 tonnes of water on the blaze, it added. The office said it suspects the fire was caused by hikers who did not properly extinguish campfires.

  FISHERIES

  Court upholds life sentence

  The Supreme Court on Wednesday last week upheld a life sentence for a Filipino fisherman convicted of killing eight people and injuring two onboard a Taiwanese fishing vessel in 2019. The ruling is final. The defendant, Aurelio Arafiles Fronda, is to be deported if he is granted parole. Fronda was convicted of homicide, attempted murder and abandonment of a body by the Pingtung District Court in September last year. He appealed the decision to the High Court, which rejected his appeal in January. The Supreme Court ruled that Fronda got into in a heated argument with several crew members on Feb. 20, 2019, when the Taiwanese longliner the Wen Peng (穩鵬號) was operating in the Indian Ocean. He killed two Filipino crew members and threw one of the bodies overboard, it said. He then chased the other crew members, forcing them to jump into the sea. Among them, six were never found and are presumed dead, while the others were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel, it said. Fronda was arrested on March 2, 2019, on the fishing boat by coast guard personnel, who sailed to the ship’s location after hearing its distress call.
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