TRAFFIC
Emu on the loose
A pet emu was captured while walking along a public thoroughfare without its owner on Yuguang Island (魚光島) off Tainan early on Saturday. It was confirmed that this was the second time the bird escaped from its enclosure in Anping District (安平) over the past two years. The emu was eventually captured by personnel dispatched by the Tainan City Agricultural Bureau after it received reports of the incident from the owner and members of the public, bureau officials said yesterday. The bird was handed to a company contracted by the bureau to care for it after the owner asked for assistance, expressing concern that the bird has escaped twice in two years. Yuguang Borough Warden Lin Ning-feng (林寧峰) said that the owner no longer wants to look after the bird and asked the bureau to find someone willing to house it. Emus are endemic to Australia and are the second-largest land bird after ostriches. With its three-toed legs, the flightless emu can reach a top running speed of 50kph.
Photo courtesy of Takao Nozaki
ARTS
Ko to star on stage
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) confirmed he is to feature in the musical Dump the Garbage as himself in performances alongside actress Tammy Lai (賴佩霞). Lai was the running mate of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) in January’s presidential election. TPP spokeswoman Wu Yi-hsuan (吳怡萱) on Friday said that Ko accepted the role in the musical after the stage director and Lai invited him to join, adding that party members supported his participation in the production, which centers on the topic of urban renewal. Ko’s condition was that his character must be a relatively accurate reflection of his personality, Wu said. Dump the Garbage has seven performances lined up, with four in Taipei scheduled for next month, one in Kaohsiung in June and two in Taichung in September.
MILITARY
Sergeant declared dead
A sergeant, surnamed Chiang (江), of the Marine Corps 66 Brigade, was declared dead on Friday despite his girlfriend calling the ambulance after finding him unconscious in his car. The Marine Corps Command expressed its regrets in a statement saying Chiang died from “committing self-harm” on his day off. It would provide surviving family members with assistance, it said, adding that an investigation is being launched. The statement added that the command would continue efforts to raise awareness of stress, encourage a positive attitude, and encourage people to cherish their lives. In other news, the Military Police Command has denied claims that its service personnel, especially on shift at the Presidential Office, were overworked. The denial was in response to medical reports that an armed military guard at the Presidential Office, surnamed Ku (古), committed suicide while at his post earlier this month because of overwork, working for two hours and resting for two hours before reporting for duty again. The command said it is investigating measures to reduce workloads and ensure respect of individual rights.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
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