NATURE
Flying fox rescue a first
The recent rescue of a young Formosan flying fox, the first such case in Taiwan, represents a significant milestone in megabat conservation in the country, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said on Wednesday. The agency’s Hualien branch said that a two-week-old male flying fox — considered an endangered species in Taiwan, with a report saying there could be as few as 200 in the country — was reported by an environmental volunteer in downtown Hualien City on Saturday last week. The animal was transferred to a wildlife aid station, it said, adding that initially, the team took the pup back to where it was found so its mother had an opportunity to take it back. However, none of the adult flying foxes approached the pup, it said. The branch then sent the pup to the WildOne Wildlife Conservation Association. Any further arrangements would depend on the pup’s health, it said.
TECHNOLOGY
Tsai praises video games
Video game consoles are more than just entertainment and provide huge business opportunities for Taiwan given their expanding technological applications, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday. Speaking at the 27th GTI Asia Taipei Expo opening, Tsai said consoles have rapidly become an indicator of technological innovation, and owing to their diverse applications, the gaming console industry provides the nation with immense business opportunities. She said the industry’s total output reached NT$30 billion (US$921 million) last year. The GTI Asia Taipei Expo is being held in Hall 1 at the Taipei World Trade Center and runs until Monday.
CRIME
Babysitter indicted
The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday indicted a licensed babysitter for allegedly abusing a seven-month-old in her care. Footage taken in the residence from Feb. 19 to 21 showed 20 instances in which the babysitter, surnamed Yeh (葉), either pressed her feet against the baby’s face for more than 40 seconds, dragged and threw him on the floor or hit his head, prosecutors said. The issue came to light after the infant’s father found him drowsy and limp on Feb. 21. After initially being treated at a clinic, the baby developed a high fever and had seizures. The father took him to the intensive care unit of Mackay Memorial Hospital the next day. Doctors concluded that the baby had experienced severe physical trauma, resulting in intracranial and retinal hemorrhaging, as well as epileptic seizures. There was also evidence of brain atrophy, raising concerns about developmental delays, prosecutors said.
ART
NTNU exhibits Polaroid
An exhibition showcasing artworks created using Polaroid pictures, film and iconic instant cameras from the brand’s back catalog is being held at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), the school’s art museum said on Thursday. The Polaroid Project: At the Intersection of Art and Technology is hailed by the NTNU Art Museum as the largest-ever exhibition of its kind in the nation. The show, featuring more than 300 artworks by 120 international artists, is a collaborative effort between the museum, the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography in the US and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum. The exhibition offers a comprehensive insight into a marketing campaign launched by Polaroid in the mid-20th century, featuring such well-known artists and photographers as Andy Warhol and Andre Kertesz, the museum said.
Also showcased are landmark Polaroid models such as the SX-70, the first folding single-lens reflex camera, and the Polaroid Big Shot camera made famous by Warhol. Visitors will also be able to learn about the company’s history from the chronicle of major events at Polaroid.
‘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
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
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
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