FENGLIN, Taiwan (AP) — The Taiwanese town of Fenglin has grown a reputation as a place where life moves slowly and people can catch their breath.

Rather than push against this rhythm, the town of around 10,000 has chosen to embrace it and make it part of its identity. Enter the snails.

Fenglin has been putting on snail races as a way to celebrate its focus on a slower, sustainable lifestyle that values healthcare, longevity and community connections while bringing in more tourists in the wake of a strong earthquake in 2024 that dampened travel in surrounding areas.

"The earthquake two years ago had a relatively big impact on tourism because people are worried an earthquake may happen again," said Hsu Lu, a 32-year-old resident. "Many people have left Hualien because of earthquakes," Hsu said, referring to the surrounding county and the site of frequent quakes.

Snails are one way to bring tourists back, even if slowly.

Fenglin has associated itself with snails since 2014, when it joined the Cittaslow international network of small cities focused on quality of life and locally sourced foods. Cittaslow's symbol is a snail carrying an assortment of buildings on its back.

The designation of a slow city seemed to fit Fenglin, whose population has shrunk threefold over the past few decades. Today, it is also an example of Taiwan's "super-aged" society, with more than 20% of its residents older than 65.

To help reinvigorate local tourism after the April 2024 earthquake, which killed 19 people and injured more than 1,100, Fenglin residents decided to host a snail race the following month, said organizer Cheng Jen-shou.

"We thought that our event could attract people, and that would be a small help," he said.

This year, the town held the third edition of the race over the May Day holiday.

Several dozen enthusiastic residents and tourists attended the event, which featured six snail races spaced out over two days. The winners from each race competed in the final, but not before posing in front of their audiences while slowly being pulled on a piece of plywood across a green carpet as their fans cheered them on.

Li Cheng-wen, a 70-year-old retiree from Fenglin, brought several snails to the race. He caught them in his vegetable garden snacking on his leafy greens, and instead of killing them as some farmers do, he decided to raise them as pets, he said.

A seven-year-old novice monk named Trin Apiwanthsanong from Wat Nikhom Pang 16 in Nakhon Ratchasima has registered for the sixth annual Patimokkha Excellence Program (2569 Buddhist Era). If he passes the examination, he would set a new national record as the youngest novice to master the Patimokkha—the 227 monastic precepts—surpassing the previous record holder who was nine years old when he passed in 2568.

The examination consists of two rounds: an online test conducted on Buddhist holy days, followed by a practical examination with senior monks. Successful candidates receive certificates and educational scholarships of 30,000 baht each. Registration is open until May 31, 2569, with eleven novices currently enrolled aged 7-17 years old.

Young Trin, originally from Ang Thong Province, entered monastic life in early 2568 after requesting ordination. His guardian, Abbot Mahachid Wachirnyano, revealed that despite initial doubts about the child's age, Trin demonstrated exceptional mental sharpness and memory retention. Over the past five to six months, he has been able to memorize and recite the lengthy Patimokkha text—spanning over 30 pages—with remarkable accuracy. His teachers were impressed enough to encourage him to register for the competition.

A devastated man married for 10 years discovered his wife was secretly communicating with another man, but the bigger shock came when DNA tests revealed that only one of his three children is actually his biological child.

Mr. Zong from Shandong Province, China, shared his painful story on a television program after noticing his wife frequently sending photos of their youngest child to a stranger. Suspicious, he decided to get DNA tests done, and the results were devastating—out of three children, only one is truly his biological child.

Mr. Zong explained that he and his wife met at a wedding 10 years ago, where he was a friend of the groom and she was a friend of the bride. They began dating seriously shortly after.

In 2014, his wife announced she was pregnant, and they married that July. After their wedding, their family life seemed perfect: their eldest son was born in 2015, their daughter in 2017, and their youngest son in 2022.

Everything appeared normal until one day he accidentally discovered his wife's chat history and found her communicating intimately with a stranger. She was regularly sending photos of their 4-year-old youngest son to this man. What was even more suspicious were chat messages mentioning "taking him back" and "paying for tuition."

Overwhelmed by doubt, Mr. Zong immediately took his children for DNA testing. His wife showed suspicious behavior during this time, attempting to make phone calls to interfere, but the results confirmed the harsh truth: his 11-year-old eldest son and 4-year-old youngest son are not his biological children. Only his 9-year-old daughter is his biological child.

Following the revelation, Mr. Zong's wife has left the home. He has confirmed he will pursue legal action to recover all child support payments he made over the years.

On May 5, 2025, at Government House, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Jurungrueangkij gave an interview regarding the transfer of Rachan Silparaiya, director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department and Agricultural Aviation, to a position as royal inspector. He reaffirmed that the transfer was conducted with proper consultation with the permanent secretary and all procedures were followed correctly, hoping to close this matter and move forward with the ministry's primary mission.

When asked whether Rachan's resignation letter has been submitted to the minister, Suriya stated he has not seen it yet and is uncertain whether it will be sent to the permanent secretary.

Asked about public skepticism, given allegations that budget details were requested for private business purposes, Suriya reiterated that his grandson had contacted Rachan since July 2024, before he became minister. "When I took office, my grandson tried to call Rachan directly. I was unaware of the situation until the transfer occurred. My grandson's direct contact with Rachan involved no exercise of authority on my part, nor did my grandson ever consult with me. Therefore, the transfer is completely unrelated to my grandson's matter. This is clear. The motivation is simply to pressure the Agriculture Ministry to respond to farmers and advance the ministry's agenda," Suriya stated.

When asked about Rachan's claim that someone requested the 2570 budget details, Suriya noted that without the transfer, this issue would not have emerged. However, he confirmed that upon taking office, he was advised by the Budget Bureau to review the ministry's budget proposal to the cabinet for any modifications, which ultimately were not necessary. He added that if the public remains suspicious, a fact-finding committee can be established without any problem, and he is willing to cooperate.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin has ordered the Department of Climate Change and Environment to accelerate negotiations with Germany to access IKI Large Grant 2026 funding for managing Thailand's climate crisis. On May 5th, he directed Dr. Pirun Saiyasitthipanich, the department's director-general, and other officials to negotiate a funding framework with the German government, positioning Thailand as a strategic partner to reduce greenhouse gases and enhance climate resilience. An initial video conference meeting was held on April 29th with Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, resulting in a preliminary agreement to request 30 million euros (approximately 1.14 billion baht). The funding is divided into two components: 10 million euros (approximately 380 million baht) for policy coordination and operational mechanism development with relevant agencies, and 20 million euros (approximately 760 million baht) in grant support for greenhouse gas reduction and co-benefits related to Thailand's natural resources and environment. The department is currently in advanced discussions to finalize the funding framework with German counterparts in June 2026 during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, where officials will meet under the UNFCCC subsidiary bodies for implementation and scientific and technological advice.

At 9:15 AM on May 5, 2025, at Government House, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Watcharapol Khaokhram announced the summons of Fisheries Department Director-General Tithiporn Luaprasert to clarify issues surrounding the Thailand fishAI application, which has reportedly encountered discrepancies and faced scrutiny over inflated procurement budgets. Khaokhram stated that he initially wants to review the project documentation before making any determinations, as he lacks full familiarity with the details and needs to understand the project's background. When asked whether an investigation committee would be formed, Khaokhram replied that he first needs to examine the specifics before deciding on such measures. Regarding concerns that the application development budget may be excessive relative to its performance, Khaokhram noted he has received numerous public complaints and recommendations, prompting today's meeting with the Fisheries Director. He indicated that once he understands the details, further clarification will be provided.