20120525 3pm

3PM Intro

Good afternoon. It's time for ICRT news at 3. I'm Mike Woodward.

Authorities bust group for cyanide fishing

First, Taiwan news... The Coast Guard Administration has busted a group of fisherman in southern Taiwan for cyanide fishing. The five suspects were sent to the Yunlin District Prosecutors' Office for violating the Fisheries Act and for fraudulently selling their catch. Authorities say during the bust they also confiscated a total of 1,075 kilograms of the highly toxic chemical. A special coast guard task force in Chiayi County caught the suspects dividing their catch in Jiayi County's Dongshi Township and found 232 kg of fish at the location. The raid was launched after the administration's Central Coastal Patrol Office received a tipoff from local residents that people were fishing with cyanide in the waters off Yunlin and Jiayi counties. Coast guard personnel said the group would dump the poison into the ocean during high tide and then scoop up the unconscious fish. The group then sold the fish to a middle man who in turn sold it to unaware consumers and fish vendors. Authorities say it is difficult to determine how many poisoned fish have entered the market. (jm)

Taiwan's manufacturing sector output falls 6.1% in Q1

The output of Taiwan's manufacturing sector declined in the first quarter from the same period last year, amid a stagnant global economy. The Ministry of Economic Affairs said today in the January-March period, output totaled 3.09 trillion NT, down 6.1 percent from 3.29 trillion a year ago and down 3.34 percent from the previous quarter. Domestic trade fell 7.35 percent to 1.53 trillion NT, while exports dropped 4.85 percent to 1.56 trillion. In terms of industry breakdown, the electronic component industry, which comprises most of the output in the category, posted a double-digit decline in the first quarter due to a high base period, product transition, and the gloomy global economy. The electronic component industry dropped 11.23 percent year-on-year to 772.1 billion NT. The chemicals industry also registered a negative annual growth rate of 6.07 percent, due to softness in Taiwan's major markets such as Europe, the United States and China .. as well as sharp fluctuations in global oil prices. (jm)

North Korea

A spokesman for the South Korean Defense Ministry says North Korea appears to be ready to carry out a nuclear test whenever leaders of the reclusive state give the green light, The comment follows an analysis of recent commercial satellite images by the defense publication IHS Janes, which suggested activity was being ramped up at North Korea's nuclear test site. Mining carts and excavation equipment at the tunneling area of the North Korean site can be seen in satellite images taken by Digital Globe and GeoEye in the past month. Earth and debris are being removed from the tunnel in the largest quantities seen so far, according to the Janes assessment.

headlines

in other Asian news headlines... A U.S. Senate panel has expressed its outrage over Pakistan's conviction of a doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden, voting to cut aid to Islamabad by $33 million dollars _ $1 million for every year of the physician's 33-year sentence for high treason. Police have blockaded Papua New Guinea's Parliament to prevent lawmakers from entering after the South Pacific island nation's chief justice was charged with sedition.

heat

in basketball action... Dwyane Wade and LeBron James help the Heat close out the Pacers. Correspondent Tom Akins reports.

weather

Taiwan weather forecast for tonight according to the Central Weather Bureau, fairly clear skies island-wide this evening with lows tonite north, center and south respectively: 23, 23 and 26. At the moment Taipei is rather cloudy and 31, Taichung clear and 31, Gauhsiung clear with haze and 31.

3PM Outro

That's ICRT News at 3. Thank you for listening. I'm Mike Woodward.