Search efforts to find 3 missing in Hualien earthquake hampered by rockfalls

Search efforts to find 3 missing in Hualien earthquake hampered by rockfalls

2024-04-12

Three people remain unaccounted for after last week’s deadly earthquake in Hualien. Two of them are a Singaporean couple who are thought to be near the 2.2-kilometer mark on the Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park. Search operations continue in the area, though on Friday afternoon rescuers were interrupted by falling rocks. No injuries have been reported. Let’s hear from Hualien County’s Fire Department.

Wen Tsung-hao
Hualien County Fire Department
When we were carrying out search operations before, rocks were only falling on the other side of the river. But today, as we were on the job, rocks started falling from above on our side of the river. So we blew whistles to warn our colleagues and the rescue dogs to shelter-in-place.

And rockfalls also added difficulty in the search for the third missing person at a quarry in Xiulin Township. Some of the rocks damaged an excavator used to clear debris, delaying progress on the search. But rescuers have not given up hope, saying they will keep working to find all the missing people.

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3人仍失聯! 搜救人員挺進砂卡礑步道2.2K險遭落石擊中

2024-04-12

花蓮強震發生至今邁入第10天，仍有3人失聯。搜救人員今天(12日)挺進砂卡礑步道2.2K熱區，尋找失聯的新加坡夫妻，卻在下午遭遇大量落石，人員和搜救犬都差點被擊中，所幸最後安全撤離，但搜救行動也被迫暫停。

[[花蓮縣消防局一大副大隊長溫宗豪]]
“我們之前在搜索的時候，落石都是在對岸，對岸處的落石，我們在執行都還滿安全的，可是今天的落石是從我們的上方處直接落下來，所以我們就立即吹起哨子警示，讓同仁還有搜救犬就地避難”

而中和礦場蕭姓司機的搜救行動，同樣遭遇落石，還有怪手被擊中，導致進入熱區的進度延後，但搜救人員不放棄任何希望，在確保安全的情況下，持續挺進，只盼能盡快尋獲失聯民眾。

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Five more new Cabinet appointments announced

Ahead of president-elect Lai Ching-te’s inauguration on May 20th, premier-designate Cho Jung-tai on Friday announced five new Cabinet appointments. Most notably, the new culture minister will be novelist and screenwriter Li Yuan, better known as Hsiao Yeh, who has links to with the camp of opposition TPP chairman Ko Wen-je. Li once headed Ko’s reelection campaign for Taipei mayor. The appointment may be DPP’s way of tossing Ko’s camp a bone, as his party holds the balance of power in the legislature, but Li insists he doesn’t have any political affiliations.

On Friday, a second round of new Cabinet appointments was announced by premier-designate Cho Jung-tai. One of the highlights was Hsiao Yeh as culture minister. The writer, whose birth name is Li Yuan, once served as the director for Ko Wen-je’s reelection campaign as Taipei mayor.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier-designate
Cultural people find that the public sector actually has a different working environment, but I am very glad that Li Yuan decided to join our action innovation cabinet without hesitation following careful consideration.

Li Yuan (Hsiao Yeh)
Culture minister-designate
I was only asked about this after the beginning of April. I hesitated for a long time, because my family was very worried as they thought I should not be taking on any official duties at this time. I don’t know why people kept asking Ko Wen-je about this. In fact, the reason why they solicited me, they said, was that I had worked in movies and television, and I’ve written more than 100 literary works of my own. I don’t belong to any political party or have any political affiliation.

In addition to recruiting Hsiao Yeh to realize president-elect Lai Ching-te’s vision of a "grand democratic alliance," the second round of new appointments also includes former lawmaker Liu Shih-fang, who will take over the interior ministry, Taiwan’s largest agency. Meanwhile, current Executive Yuan Secretary General Li Meng-yen will be transport minister. The chief prosecutor at the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office Cheng Ming-chien will serve as justice minister, while Cheng Ying-yao, the president of National Sun Yat-sen University, who has twice served as the head of education for the Kaohsiung City government, will be the new education minister.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier-designate
In the future, we’ll have to refer to her as Minister Shih-fang. She has experience in regional governance in Taiwan’s northern central and southern regions, as well as the outlying islands. Minister Shih-fang will be entrusted with the most difficult responsibilities issues relating to corruption, gambling, public security and campus safety.

Seeing that there are only 38 days left before inauguration day, there are many rumors flying in the media as several appointments still have not been announced.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier-designate
If I haven’t mentioned anything officially, and if a name crops up, it would be extremely awkward, especially if I consult a particular person for the job, while another person’s name appears in the media. When we first meet face-to-face, it will be very embarrassing, the person will wonder if they are a backup or if I have any more backups in store.

No one knows when the new Cabinet will be finalized, Cho can only say that it will be done before May 20.

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2024-04-12

US, Japan, and Philippine Leaders Meet to Counter China’s Maritime Aggressions

U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Junior in a White House summit Thursday, sending a clear message to Beijing to stop behaving aggressively against its neighbors in the South China Sea. Leaders focused on dealing with Chinese so-called grey zone tactics of intimidation that fall dangerously close to triggering a mutual defense treaty between Washington and Manila. VOA’s Patsy Widakuswara has the story.

Ramped up aggression in the South China Sea, with Chinese Coast Guard vessels deploying water cannons and performing other dangerous maneuvers on Philippine boats.

It was a focus of the trilateral summit Thursday between President Joe Biden and leaders of two U.S. allies in Asia - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Joe Biden
US president
Any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty.

China’s so-called gray zone tactics of intimidation, including ramming into ships fall dangerously close to triggering the mutual defense treaty between Washington and Manila. Marcos did not publicly mention China but couched his words in diplomatic terms often used to target Beijing.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Philippine president
Facing the complex challenges of our time requires concerted efforts on everyone’s part, a dedication to a common purpose and an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order.

Kishida is concerned with similar Chinese tactics around disputed islands in the East China Sea, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.

Fumio Kishida
Japan prime minister
In the midst of compound crises faced by the global community, multilayered cooperation between allies and like-minded countries is essential if we are to maintain and bolster a free and open international order based on the rule of law.

Last week, the Philippines, the U.S., Japan and Australia held joint naval and air operations in the South China Sea to deter Beijing, prompting criticism by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

Mao Ning
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson
China is resolutely opposed to the Cold War mentality and bloc politics, and to words and deeds that make and exacerbate contradictions and undermine other countries’ strategic security and interests.

Biden, Marcos and Kishida announced new maritime defense deterrence measures, alongside infrastructure investments in the Philippines and collaboration on global humanitarian assistance efforts.

Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington.

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2024-04-12

Maiden EVA Air Kaohsiung-Hong Kong flight takes off

For the first time in nine years, more flight options are coming to Kaohsiung International Airport. On Friday, EVA Air inaugurated a new direct flight route to Hong Kong, in hopes of attracting more visitors to Taiwan. And just in time for the summer break, T’way and VietJet Air will be launching flights to South Korea and Vietnam from the southern port city.

For the first time in nine years, EVA Air has launched a new flight route from Kaohsiung. Its destination: Hong Kong. On Friday, the maiden flight took off packed with passengers, some of whom were simply there for the experience.

Mr. Lin
Passenger
I’m actually going to Taipei. I’ll be transferring flights in Hong Kong. I just wanted to go on the first flight, it’s an interesting experience.

Mr. Tsai
Passenger
After all, if more airlines have flights, ticket prices could become cheaper. So the more airlines, the better.

With the pandemic a thing of the past, several airlines have launched flights to new destinations from Kaohsiung. From June 21, T’way Air will be operating direct flights to Seoul. And Starting June 14, VietJet Air will start flying to Phu Quoc.

Sun Chia-ming
EVA Air
We hope to attract more tourists from Hong Kong with this arrangement, which includes the flight routes to and from Taoyuan International Airport. They can enter Taiwan via Kaohsiung and leave from Taoyuan, or arrive from Taoyuan and return from Kaohsiung. This could all help boost Taiwan tourism.

Fu Yao-nan
Kaohsiung International Airport
The number of flights is back to 70% of pre-pandemic levels. We have also been receiving a lot of messages with proposals to increase flight numbers and flight routes. So we should all take advantage of these opportunities.

Kaohsiung International Airport expects traveler numbers to grow with the new destinations on offer. Officials say they are optimistic about the resumption of all flight routes that were canceled during the pandemic, adding that they will make efforts toward that while maintaining flight safety.

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Hospital fined NT$500,000 after surgeon operates on wrong patient

Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital has been slapped with a fine of half a million New Taiwan dollars after it was found that a surgery had been performed on the wrong patient earlier this month. The medical personnel involved, including the surgeon, had skipped the SOP and failed to confirm the patient’s identity before the operation. It was also later found that the surgeon involved had asked the patient to sign a surgery consent form after the matter. Needless to say, the surgeon in question has been fired.

The patient had been transferred from a care center to Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital, where he was confused for another patient in his ward. In the operating theater, neither the nurses, the anesthesiologist nor the surgeon confirmed the patient’s identity as required.

Chang Ko
Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital
Usually, you have to wait until the nurses in the operating room call the ward staff. If the procedures aren’t followed, that could throw the whole process into disarray. The patient affected didn’t have any relatives with him, and didn’t have resources to hire a caregiver. He’s a stroke patient, so he also couldn’t speak.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and Premier Chen Chien-jen have condemned the incident.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
This was a very basic mistake on the part of Min-Sheng hospital. It’s very unprofessional. It shows that there were oversights on the management front.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
Min-Sheng Hospital performed an operation on the wrong patient. This is unforgivable. It is unimaginable that the standard operating procedures were not followed. We will continue to improve medical staff training. In medical settings every single step of the established standard procedures has to be followed.

It was also found that the surgeon had asked the patient to sign the operation consent form after surgery had already been performed.

Pan Chao-ying
Kaohsiung Department of Health
We found that the surgeon had not only operated on the wrong patient, but also falsified the patient’s medical records. After a review, the surgeon received another major demerit, for a total of two, and was dismissed.

All consultations for the surgeon involved in the incident have been canceled. The city’s health department has issued the hospital a fine of NT$500,000, taken disciplinary action against management and removed the superintendent from his post.

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‘This Is Not an Embassy’ to introduce Taiwan’s complex situation to the world

The 2024 Taiwan International Festival of Arts is back in action, featuring a total of 14 performances from Taiwan and abroad.One play, titled "This Is Not an Embassy," aims to introduce Taiwan’s complex political situation to the world. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has more.

A former diplomat, Taiwanese digital activist,and musician tell stories of Taiwan’s political and diplomatic history.

The 2024 Taiwan International Festival of Arts is back in action. This stage production, titled "This Is Not an Embassy," is a joint production between Taiwan’s National Theater and Concert Hall and Germany’s Rimini Protokoll, and Switzerland’s Theatre Vidy-Lausanne. Teams worked together for two years to produce the work. They interviewed diplomats, soldiers, and secret agents to learn about Taiwan.

Stefan Kaegi
Director
This is a project that tries to portray how Taiwan has a complex situation in the world. Being a country not recognized as a country and I find that the Taiwanese have found so good and creative solutions of how you manage to put themselves on the map through creative forms like NGOs, civil society, from people-to-people, and culture actually can do this as well. So, we made a project that set up embassies in countries where you don’t have a real embassy for the duration of a performance. This has created a lot of human bindings.

Liu Yi-ruu
NTCH artistic director
Should we be called Taiwan or the Republic of China? What should the national flag look like? This has different meanings and notions for people of different eras. We are introducing the complex political situation of Taiwan to people in the world. But at the same time, we are showing the greatness of Taiwan. Everyone can have their own beliefs.

The show will be performed in Taiwan from April 12 to 14. It will also be performed in Switzerland, South Korea, Germany, France, Australia Spain, and other countries. Each production will be tailored to the country in which it is performed.

Caroline Barneaud
Theatre Vidy-Lausanne
Director of artistic projects
Each time we will perform in a new city, we will open a new embassy of Taiwan for the duration of the show. For all these openings of new embassies, we will adapt the show to the local situation. Each time, we have to reflect on the local stories and the local connections to Taiwanese history to Taiwan situation, and also to China.

During the festival, there will be a total of 14 performances. The performing groups and artists hail from Taiwan, the U.S., Japan, Germany, India, Switzerland, Spain, Ukraine, South Korea and Australia, among other countries. The 2024 Taiwan International Festival of Arts will run till May 11.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-04-12