Taiwan deports Chinese couple who disrupted pro-democracy event
Taiwan deported a Chinese couple who illegally entered the island from mainland China and allegedly disrupted a pro-democracy protest in Taipei.
Taiwan’s government said on Thursday that it has revoked the visas of the Chinese couple after they harassed people during a protest held by Hong Kong exiles in Taipei on China’s National Day.
The Hong Kong Outlanders group alleged that the protesters were verbally harassed and pushed around by a group of Chinese people in Taipei’s Ximending district.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles cross-strait affairs, said the couple engaged in “misconduct that violates the principle of reciprocal dignity”.
“The government will take immediate action against mainland Chinese who come to Taiwan for illegal behaviour such as endangering national security and social stability,” the government body said. “They will not be allowed to intrude into Taiwan.”
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) of the island said the pair had violated the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into Taiwan Area.
The Chinese nationals applied for temporary entry permits for visiting family members living in Taiwan. However, the NIA said the family they intended to visit had already returned to China in July and they were aware of it.
The Mainland Affairs Council condemned the couple for “abusing” the system.
The protest was planned for China’s National Day on Tuesday when the Chinese Communist Party marked 75th anniversy of communist China.
Chinese president Xi Jinping reiterated his pledge to achieve “reunification” with Taiwan on the eve of the national day.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own despite never having controlled it and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, even by force if required.
As Beijing intensified its crackdown on pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, Taiwan has become home to a large diaspora from the city since the 2019 unrest and the ensuing crackdown on political dissent.
The videos shared by Hong Kong Outlanders on Facebook showed a man attempting to take down the flag which bore the popular protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”.
The man was filmed saying in Mandarin that he would not allow such a flag to be hoisted on the National Day of China.
“Today is the National Day of China and I would not allow such a flag here,” he said. “Taiwan and Hong Kong are parts of China!”
The police intervened and led him away as things turned heated.
Typhoon Krathon: Two killed, tens of thousands without power in Taiwan
Typhoon Krathon slammed into southwestern Taiwan on Thursday, cutting power to tens of thousands of homes, flooding streets, and killing two people in the east.
The storm, initially a Category 4 typhoon, significantly weakened before making landfall near Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s major port city, causing widespread damage and bringing the entire island to a standstill for two days.
Krathon was labelled a “weird” storm by the local media as it lingered near Taiwan’s coast for a long time, moving unusually slowly and making landfall on the populated western coast of the island, generally considered safe from typhoons.
Schools, offices and shops were shut and flights were cancelled for the second day on Thursday as the typhoon began landfall around noon local time (4am GMT). This was the second time this year a storm shut down Taiwan’s stock exchange for two days.
All domestic flights were cancelled for a second day as well as 242 international ones. The north-south high-speed rail line suspended services between central and southern regions until at least early evening.
On Thursday morning, Kaohsiung residents woke up to emergency alerts to take shelter as the eye of the typhoon entered the region bringing gusts of over 160 kmph. Heavy rainfall, which continued to lash the region since this week, intensified.
At least two people were killed in the island’s east amid the extreme weather caused by the typhoon. One victim fell while trimming a tree and the other died when a vehicle was hit by a rock. Earlier this week, the storm killed two people in the Philippines and left thousands displaced.
No major casualties were reported in Kaohsiung, where the last major storm was Typhoon Thelma almost three decades ago.
“Fortunately people were well prepared this time,” Chou Yi-tang, a government official in Siaogang district, home to Kaohsiung’s airport, told Reuters news agency.
“It’s been a long time since such a big storm made landfall here,” he said.
Ahead of the storm’s landfall, the government distributed thousands of sandbags, water pumps were deployed and around 38,000 troops from the Taiwanese military were put on standby to assist with disaster relief efforts.
Approximately 10,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas, particularly from Kaohsiung and other high-risk regions such as Pingtung and Taitung.
“This is one of the most powerful storms we’ve seen hit the west coast in recent memory. We urge all residents to stay sheltered and be prepared for extensive rainfall,” Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai said on Tuesday.
Despite the preparations, the storm left many areas inundated in knee-deep water. On Thursday, at least 51,000 households remained without power primarily in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, down from over 170,000 earlier.
Some eastern regions received more than 1.6m (5.2ft) of rain, washing cascades of rocks and mud on to roads.
The Southern Taiwan Science Park, site of one of the main factories of chipmaker TSMC, said operations were normal.
Amid the extreme weather, a fire at a hospital in southern Taiwan killed at least nine people in Pingtung county, which has been hit hard by Typhoon Krathon.
Reports said 176 patients were rushed to the front entrance and transferred to ambulances in the pouring rain. They were moved to shelters nearby.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Agency (CWA) said some eastern and southern parts of Taiwan are still set to see more extremely heavy rain, with up to 40cm (1.3ft) falling over the next 24 hours. It issued alerts for more rainfall which was expected to last until Friday morning.
Although the storm was expected to dissipate, the system is forecast to slowly work its way up Taiwan’s flat western plain and reach the capital Taipei, which could experience residual effects.
The slow movement of storms is becoming a troubling trend in recent years as it leads to longer periods of rainfall and more destruction. Scientists have earlier linked this kind of pattern to the climate crisis.
Rising global temperatures are heating ocean surfaces, providing more energy to the atmosphere and supercharging storms. These intensified storms carry more moisture and, combined with weakened atmospheric steering currents like jet streams, they are moving more slowly.
This stalling effect leads to extended periods of heavy rainfall and destructive winds, as seen with Krathon again.
Delhi police seize 560kg of cocaine in city’s largest drug bust
Delhi police have seized more than 560kg of cocaine worth more than 65 billion rupees (£643m) on the international market. It is the national capital’s largest drug bust and it is believed to have links to an international narcotics cartel.
The massive haul of Colombian cocaine was intended to be supplied at four major upcoming concerts and music festivals in Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa between this month and next March, police said.
The Delhi Police Special Cell arrested four people in connection with the bust following an investigation spanning three months.
Along with the cocaine, police also recovered 40kg of marijuana during the raids.
Special Cell police commissioner RP Upadhayay stated that the raids were continuing on Wednesday.
The police seized a total of 562kg of Colombian cocaine, as reported by The Times of India. The cartel had been smuggling cocaine into India from Latin and Central American nations such as Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia.
“The cocaine came from Southern American countries via the Middle East, while the marijuana came from Thailand. They were then transported from various states to Delhi. A thorough investigation into the routes is underway,” a police officer said.
The investigation into the drug ring began in August after the Special Cell received intelligence input from central agencies. They were informed that a “huge consignment of cocaine was to be distributed in Delhi by an international drug cartel with ties to the Middle East,” an officer said.
A team was formed to work on the case and identify the gang members. In October, they zeroed in on Delhi businessman Tushar Goyal, who the police accused of storing the consignment in a warehouse in Mahipalpur near Delhi international airport.
The police said they found the consignment in the warehouse during a raid. They arrested Mr Goyal, 41, on suspicion of being the primary receiver and distributor of the cartel in India.
Police said the other accused are Auranzeb Siddiqui, 23, who worked as Mr Goyal’s driver; Himanshu Kumar, 27, who oversaw distribution in Delhi and neighbouring areas; and Bharat Jain, 48, who distributed the drugs in Mumbai.
The police said the marijuana was high-grade hydroponic cannabis that came from Thailand. They are still working to identify the origin of the cocaine.
Thailand rejects criticism over Moo Deng’s ‘lifetime of confinement’
Thailand has hit back at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) after it claimed that a baby pigmy hippopotamus, who has become famous because of her playful nature, would be subjected to a “lifetime” of “confinement”.
Moo Deng, which translates to bouncy pork in Thai, was born in confinement at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi in July. She became the internet’s latest obsession after the zoo posted videos and photos online of her splashing about in the water and playfully biting the keeper.
Moo Deng‘s popularity has drawn visitors from near and far, with some hopping on an 18-hour flight from the US to see the internet celebrity in person. The pit where Moo Deng lives with her mother, Jona, has been packed since, prompting zoo officials to limit viewing time to five minutes per visitor and launch a 24-hour live stream.
Businesses quickly capitalised on her popularity, using her image to sell makeup, souvenirs and footwear. The zoo has earned 19.2m baht (£445,712) between 1 and 25 September from selling tickets, according to reports.
Peta criticised the zoo for allegedly depriving Moo Deng of her natural right to freedom. “There’s nothing cute about a baby being born in captivity,” said the group’s senior vice president Jason Baker.
“Hippos belong in the wild, but Moo Deng will never live outside a cage. She faces a lifetime of confinement …,” he added.
The pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, is an endangered species, with only 2,000-2,500 adults left, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers are decreasing due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction.
“Animals do not exist for our entertainment. Breeding them for public display perpetuates their suffering,” Mr Baker said, calling for prioritising conservation efforts that protect animals in nature.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi rejected the allegations, saying the facility cares for over 2,000 animals, including Moo Deng, and ensures their welfare and quality of life. The zoo has limited visitor numbers to 30 to 50 people per round to avoid overcrowding, he told local reporters.
The Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) similarly hit back at Peta for using “outdated” and “inaccurate information”.
Sathit Pratchaya-ariyakun, Secretary of the TSPCA, said Peta’s assessment of Moo Deng was based on “incomplete” information. He pointed to a previous Peta boycott campaign in 2020 which exposed the usage of pigtailed macaques by farms to pick coconuts.
He said Thailand’s coconut industry suffered greatly after British retailers removed coconut products from their shelves.
Mr Sathit said some of Peta’s information was valid but stressed certain details came from only one side of the story, according to the Thaiger newspaper. He reassured Moo Deng was well taken care of at par with international standards.
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo previously faced backlash in 2021 for its elephant swimming shows. It featured performances where elephants swam, danced, and performed tricks while visitors watched through a glass enclosure. The zoo defended the shows, despite social media outrage calling it an example of animal cruelty.
Some social media users criticised Peta’s comments, accusing the US-based group of making Thailand “look bad”.
“So, does that mean animals in zoos all over the world should be released,” asked a Facebook user.
Others sided with Peta for “bothering” Moo Deng constantly to get content for social media.
Peta responded to the backlash, saying they “speak up for all animals”.
“We have been campaigning in Thailand and around Asia for decades, doing undercover investigations and speaking up for those in cages.”
Everything we know abut US bomb explosion at Japan’s airport
Nearly 90 flights were canceled in Japan after an unexploded American bomb from the Second World War exploded unexpectedly on the taxiway of a regional airport.
The Miyazaki Airport in southwest Japan shut its runway on Wednesday after a dud shell exploded shortly before 8am (local time), forming a 23ft-wide and 3.2ft-deep crater in the middle of the taxiway.
No one suffered injuries and there were no aircraft nearby during the explosion, the land and transport ministry said.
A bomb disposal team from the Ground Self-Defence Force found the explosion was caused by an American bomb that had been buried beneath the land surface, probably during a wartime raid.
The team said the explosive weighed 250kg and authorities were investigating how it exploded.
Following the explosion, asphalt fragments were scattered over a radius of 200m, including the runway, the authorities said. A video recorded by a nearby aviation school showed the blast spewing pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain.
The runway shutdown led to the grounding of 87 flights but there was no danger of further explosions, said top government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi.
The affected flights were operated by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways among others, connecting Miyazaki with cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.
The local firefighters, who were the first responders, said they received a report that an explosion was heard. The fire department “received a call from the airport at 7.59am (local time) that there was an incident involving smoke”, its spokesman said.
Shortly after, the police instructed airport personnel to evacuate the area.
At least four flights used the taxiway on Wednesday morning before the blast, NHK World reported. A Japan Airlines flight with 93 people on board had passed the site just a few minutes before the explosive detonated.
The flight cancellations affected nearly 3,4000 people, prompting some passengers to extend their stay.
“I had switched to another flight but that too has been canceled, so I talked with my company and decided to extend my stay,” Shun Akahori, 28, told Kyodo News. He was traveling back to Osaka after finishing business in the prefecture.
The runway reopened on Thursday morning with the departure of a Japan Airlines flight to Fukoka around 7.40am (local time).
The Miyazaki airport, located at the southeast end of Kyushu island, was a base for the Imperial Japanese Navy until the end of WWII. Hundreds of young “kamikaze” pilots used the air base to set off on their final missions.
Multiple unexploded bombs dropped by the US military have previously been found at Miyazaki airport, the transport ministry official said.
More than 79 years since the end of the war, unexploded bombs from the intense airstrikes are still found across Japan today.
Other unexploded bombs dropped by the US were reportedly found at a nearby construction site in 2009 and 2011.
A total of 2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tonnes were disposed of during fiscal year 2023, the Self-Defense Forces have said, according to Reuters.
Tigers, lions and a panther die of suspected bird flu in Vietnam zoos
Forty-seven tigers, three lions, and a panther died in two zoos in southern Vietnam from suspected H5N1bird flu virus between August and September, the state media reported.
The deaths have been reported at the My Quynh Safari Park in Duc Hoa District, Long An Province and the Vuon Xoai Tourist Park in Biên Hoà City, Dong Nai, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on Wednesday.
My Quynh Safari Park said at least 27 tigers and tree lions have died during the period while Vuon Xoai zoo reported 20 tiger deaths.
The animals exhibited symptoms of illness and fatigue prior to their deaths. The tests conducted by the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis returned positive for the “H5N1 type A virus” among the animals, VNA reported.
At the safari park in Long An Province, at least three animal caregivers were identified as having close contact with the infected animals while some 30 employees at Dong Nai were in close contact with the animals, reported Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
However, none of the staff members have reported respiratory symptoms, VNA said.
The H5N1 is a type of influenza A virus that is commonly known as avian influenza or “bird flu” and has been detected in birds and some mammals.
The World Health Organisation has said a variant of the virus has caused “unprecedented numbers of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe” since 2020. It says while the cases of transmission in humans are rare but can cause severe disease with a high mortality rate.
In March 2024, Vietnam reported its first human case of the virus to WHO. The 21-year-old patient, a student who had gone for wild bird trapping, died from contracting the virus.
In June, India also confirmed the first human case of avian influenza H9N2 in five years. It was the second case of a human infected with bird flu that India has notified WHO about. The first was in 2019.
The Independent has contacted My Quynh Safari Park and the Vuon Xoai Tourist Park for comments.
Singapore jails ex-minister in rare corruption case
A court in Singapore sentenced a former transport minister to 12 months in prison on charges of receiving more than £228,600 worth of gifts in a rare criminal case involving a cabinet member.
Subramaniam Iswaran, who has been a cabinet member for 13 years, pleaded guilty last week to one count of obstructing justice and four counts of improperly receiving gifts from people with whom he conducted official business.
Iswaran, 62, is the first political officeholder in nearly four decades to be subjected to a corruption investigation in a case that shocked the country known for its clean governance. Singapore is one of the top five least corrupt governments, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2022.
The sentence handed down by presiding judge Vincent Hoong was more severe than the six to seven months sought by the prosecution. Mr Hoong said the sentence was “manifestly inadequate” given the gravity of Iswaran’s offences and their impact on public trust.
“Trust and confidence in public institutions were the bedrock of effective governance, which could all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant had fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability,” he said.
Iswaran was initially charged with 35 counts, but prosecutors proceeded with only five, while reducing two counts of corruption to receiving illegal gifts. Prosecutors said they will apply for the remaining 30 charges to be taken into consideration for sentencing.
He was arrested in July last year and was accused of taking kickbacks from businessmen including Malaysian property tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran, credited for his key role in bringing the Formula One night race to Singapore, was an adviser to the sport’s steering committee, while Mr Ong owns the rights to the race.
Iswaran received gifts worth over £43,290 from Mr Ong, which included tickets to Grand Prix, wine and whisky and a luxury Brompton bike. Mr Ong, 78, is yet to be charged with any wrongdoing. However, The Straits Times reported the property tycoon is expected to be charged on Friday, according to court records.
“If public servants could accept substantial gifts in such a situation, over the long term, public confidence in the impartiality and integrity of government would be severely undermined,” deputy attorney-general Tai Wei Shyong was quoted by BBC as saying.
The attorney-general’s chambers said it would decide whether to charge Mr Ong and Mr Lum after the case against Iswaran has been resolved.
Iswaran had previously denied the allegations when he resigned from his cabinet position. In a letter to the then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, Iswaran wrote: “I reject the charges and am innocent.”
In January this year, Singapore’s then prime minister said about the Iswaran corruption case: “I am determined to uphold the integrity of the party and the government, and our reputation for honesty and incorruptibility. Singaporeans expect no less.”
The last cabinet minister charged was Wee Toon Boon, who was found guilty in 1975 and jailed for accepting gifts in exchange for helping a businessperson. Another cabinet minister was investigated for graft in 1986, but died before charges were filed.
Study finds origin of Australia’s 100,000 year-old ‘warrior pillars’
The strange limestone formations standing in the middle of Western Australia’s Pinnacles Desert were formed 100,000 years ago, according to a new study that sheds more light on climate change in the continent.
Australia’s Aboriginal Yued people believe the spikes represents the hands of warriors swallowed by the sandy place “Kwong-kan” stretching 1000km across.
Now, researchers from Curtin University have found that the limestone pillars measuring about 5m high and 2m wide were formed 100,000 years ago during what was the wettest period in the area’s past half-million years.
“We found this period was locally the wettest in the past half-million years, distinct from other regions in Australia and far removed from Western Australia’s current Mediterranean climate,” study co-author Matej Lipar said.
Scientists found that an abundance of water during this time caused the limestone to dissolve, forming the distinctive iron-rich pillars.
Researchers say such landscapes are found globally along shorelines, including in the Mediterranean, Middle East, southern and southeastern coastal Africa, as well as the Indian subcontinent, Caribbean, Bermuda, and some Pacific islands.
They say the terrain can serve as sensitive indicators of environmental change but only now a method to study the changes of these formations in depth has been developed.
“Studying them within an accurate timeline helps us understand how Earth’s geological systems respond to climate shifts,” Dr Lipar explained.
The iron-rich nodules in the limestone formations act as geological clocks as they trap helium from the decay of small amounts of radioactive uranium and thorium in the soil.
“Measuring this helium provides a precise record of when the nodules formed,” Martin Danišík, another author of the study, said.
“The innovative dating techniques developed in this study reveal the nodules date back about one hundred thousand years, highlighting an exceptionally wet climate period,” Dr Danisik said.
Scientists hope the new method will allow accurate dating of the climate shifts in such landscapes and help provide a more refined timeline of past environmental changes.
“This research not only advances scientific knowledge but also offers practical insights into climate history and environmental change, relevant to anyone concerned about our planet’s present and future,” Milo Barham, another of the study’s authors said.