25/08/2025

MONDAY | AUG 25, 2025

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Taiwan nuclear plant re-opening vote fails

Vietnam plans mass evacuation as typhoon nears HANOI: Vietnam plans to evacuate more than half a million people and has ordered boats to stay ashore, while the southern Chinese city of Sanya closed businesses and public transport yesterday as the two countries braced for Typhoon Kajiki. The storm could make landfall along China’s southern island province of Hainan or skirt the southern coastline before heading toward Vietnam. Authorities in Vietnam plan to evacuate more than 586,000 people from the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Danang, where the typhoon is forecast to make landfall early today. Seven coastal provinces banned boats from leaving shore yesterday, Tien Phong newspaper reported. Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines cancelled at least 22 flights to and from central cities yesterday and today. Vietjet Aviation said it was cancelling or delaying flights. Sanya closed tourist attractions, shuttered businesses and suspended public transport. China’s weather agency forecast heavy rainfall and strong winds in Hainan and nearby Guangdong province and Guangxi region, with areas in Hainan set to receive as much as 400mm of precipitation. Sanya issued a red typhoon alert yesterday – the highest in China’s colour-coded warning system – and raised its emergency response to the most severe level, according to local government posts on WeChat. City officials convened a meeting on Saturday, urging preparation for “worst-case scenarios” and stressing the need for heightened vigilance to ensure no fatalities and minimal injuries, the government said. All classes and construction are suspended, and shopping centres, restaurants and supermarkets are closed from Sunday. Vessels have been ordered to cease operating in Sanya’s waters. – Reuters

In a separate vote on Saturday, electors rejected the recall of seven KMT lawmakers. A larger recall vote, to try and oust 24 lawmakers from the party, also failed last month. Civic groups who had run the recall campaigns, with the backing of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), accused the lawmakers of being too close to China and intentionally trying to snarl government spending and legislation, charges the legislators strongly denied. Lai said Premier Cho Jung-tai had asked many times to resign after the failure of the recall votes last month, but he had asked Cho to stay on. There will be a Cabinet reshuffle to make the team more efficient and governance more effective, Lai said. The two opposition parties together form a majority in parliament, though the DPP controls the presidency and hence the government in Taiwan’s system. – Reuters

Around 4.3 million people voted in favour of the plant’s re-opening in the referendum, a clear majority over the 1.5 million who voted against, figures from the Central Election Commission showed. But the motion needed the backing of one quarter of all registered electors, around 5 million people, to get through under electoral law, meaning the plant on Taiwan’s southern tip will not re-open. Taiwan’s government says there are major safety concerns around generating nuclear power in earthquake-prone Taiwan and handling nuclear waste. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told reporters on Saturday evening that while the referendum had failed, he understood “society’s expectations for diverse energy options”. “If in the future, the technology becomes safer, nuclear waste is reduced, and societal acceptance increases, we will not rule out advanced nuclear energy,” he said.

o Govt raises safety fears

TAIPEI: A referendum to push for the re-opening of Taiwan’s last nuclear plant failed on Saturday to reach the legal threshold to be valid, though the president said the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improve. The plebiscite, backed by the opposition, asked whether the Maanshan power plant should be re-opened if it was “confirmed” there were no safety issues. The plant was closed in May as the government shifts to renewables and liquefied natural gas. The small Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) proposed the referendum earlier this year, and with the backing of the much larger Kuomintang (KMT) passed the legislation for the vote, saying Taiwan needs reliable power supplies and not to be so reliant on imports.

Viral dance draws tourists to boat race PEKANBARU: Armed with colourful oars, rowers pack into long boats in western Indonesia, paddling furiously in front of race crowds swelled by the viral success of a young boy famous for his dancing at the front of the traditional vessels. The annual Pacu Jalur race in Sumatra culminated yesterday, with officials estimating as many as 100,000 more spectators this year because of 11-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dikha’s dance moves on the fast-moving boats.

“I came to watch Pacu Jalur because I wanted to film and show the festival to the world,” said Australian tourist Duncan McNaught. “I think the guys who row are crazy. They’re awesome. I’m just looking forward to it.” A 20-second clip of Rayyan dancing on the boat has racked up millions of views on social media. Sports stars including Formula One’s Alex Albon and MotoGP’s Marc Marquez imitated his moves in their own videos, swirling their hands then swinging their arms back and forth. The viral dance craze has drawn visitors from across the country and world to the Kuantan river in Riau Province. Yuyun Kurnia, 38, travelled from Medan, a 17 hour drive away, to watch Pacu Jalur after learning about it online. “After it went viral on social media, I want to see Pacu Jalur live,” she said. Last year, the race drew 1.4 million visitors and more than US$2.5 million (RM10.57 million) to the local economy, according to the Tourism Ministry. This year, 1.5 million spectators are expected, with a significant influx of foreigners, said Riau tourism agency head Roni Rakhmat. Pacu Jalur dates back to the 17th century, according to a local government website, when residents transported goods and people using traditional wooden long boats called “jalur”. The boat evolved to be used for races, now held every August. Residents said they were happy the young boy’s celebrity had drawn more eyes to the race. “I think it’s super cool that a kid his age managed to create a personal branding through Pacu Jalur . “Through his dances, he has introduced Pacu Jalur to the entire world,” said 18-year-old Naysila Ayunita Sari. The boat dancer’s precarious role on the front tip of the boat is meant to encourage the oarsmen. More than 220 teams, mostly representing local villages or districts, took part in this year’s races. They competed for combined prizes of around 900 million rupiah (RM232,549), Roni said. – AFP

Rayyan dancing on the bow of a longboat in Teluk Kuantan city. – AFPPIC

Bird call contest boosts conservation efforts HONG KONG: The chirping of birds echoed through a packed lecture hall here, though there wasn’t a feather in sight. “I’m just happy to see people who have a genuine interest in birds and wildlife. That’s a great start,” he said of the event aimed at raising ecological awareness.

Residents, some pressing the sides of their throats or contorting their bodies, imitated the rhythmic calls of the koel, brown fish owl and Asian barred owlet. One donned elaborate headgear to mimic the yellow-crested cockatoo – a bird that is among the world’s most endangered species. About a tenth of the 1,200 to 2,000 left call the financial hub’s concrete canyons home. Bob Chan, who took top prize at the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society’s first-ever birdcall contest on Saturday, chose the tiny Eurasian Tree Sparrow, another longtime urban dweller. “I saw other contestants giving their all ... and imitating very well,” he said admiringly of his nearly 100 fellow participants, each judged on their rhythm and tone. One judge, ecologist and ornithologist Paul Leader, said he was thrilled the competition had gotten people like Chan thinking about the birds they share the city with. “If people don’t care about birds, how are you going to get them to protect them and conserve them?” he said.

Despite its relatively small size, more than 580 types of birds, about a third of China’s total species, have been recorded in Hong Kong. That diversity is attributed to Hong Kong’s status as a vital stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway for migratory birds, thanks to the city’s varied habitats – from wetlands and forests to shrublands and coastal areas. In recent years, a mega-development plan in Hong Kong’s north has raised concerns among environmentalists about the reduction of the wetlands. The government has said fears over the project’s environmental impact are overblown. But Tom Li, assistant research manager of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, said the wetlands were a“critical issue”for birds in the city. “Whether habitats like wetlands can be preserved over the next 10 to 20 years without being squeezed by large-scale urbanisation development” will be key to maintaining biodiversity, he said. – AFP

Chan emerged winner of the inaugural contest. – AFPPIC