The Cabinet on Thursday outlined a rail development plan aimed at cutting travel time between Kaohsiung and Taitung to about 90 minutes, with a proposed high-speed rail extension through central Kaohsiung to Pingtung forming a key part of the project.

In the recording, the pilot tells the tower that cabin crew had reported a child was not seated and that the aircraft could not land under those conditions. The pilot then requested to circle once before attempting to land again. The tower canceled the approach and instructed the aircraft to turn right for another loop. The flight landed safely at 11:52 a.m. The audio later circulated on Threads, where many users praised the pilot for following safety procedures. Others criticized the child’s parents, though some commenters said people should avoid making assumptions without knowing the full situation on board.

Construction crews have begun removing underground foundation piles left from the former Zihciang Overpass in Fongshan District, as work continues on the Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line. The city said crews will use casing equipment to cut and pull out the old piles, a method intended to reduce noise, vibration, and dust.

As of early July, the second phase of the Gangshan-Lujhu extension (岡山路竹延伸線) was 28.53% complete, 2.94 percentage points ahead of schedule. The Yellow Line was 12.71% complete, 1.64 percentage points ahead of schedule, while the Siaogang-Linyuan Line (小港林園線) was 15.43% complete, 1.9 percentage points ahead of schedule.

The rebuilt Jiuru Bridge (九如橋) is expected to open to traffic July 31, with final construction work now underway, the Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau said.

The Cijin Ferry Terminal has reopened after a renovation aimed at improving passenger flow, public facilities, and the nighttime appearance of one of Kaohsiung’s busiest tourist gateways.

Rather than simply adding another theme park or constructing another iconic skyscraper, the plan seeks to comprehensively transform Singapore’s southern coastline over the next two decades, evolving Sentosa from a leisure island into a world-class island destination that integrates tourism, recreation, ecology, culture, and everyday living.

Light rail ridership exceeded 7.21 million trips during the first half of 2026, rising from 6.66 million during the same period last year, according to Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. The total was also higher than the 6.58 million passenger trips recorded during the first six months of 2024.

The bridge had been expected to open by the end of June. The bureau said rain from the outer bands of Typhoon Mekkhala (米克拉) delayed some important work at the site. Officials said the bridge is now expected to be fully open to traffic by mid-July if work proceeds smoothly, adding that safety and construction quality would take priority.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications Freeway Bureau (交通部高速公路局) on Wednesday issued a second tender for the C705S Siaogang section (小港路段), with a budget of more than NT$17.9 billion. The section is considered important because it is near the port end of the planned freeway, which is intended to improve freight movement and reduce congestion on National Freeway No. 1 and major roads in Greater Kaohsiung.