WEATHER
Temperature to reach 36°C
Cloudy to sunny skies are forecast for central and southern Taiwan this week with temperatures expected to reach as high as 36°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.
With a warm easterly wind system likely to set in, stable weather conditions are expected to continue in the southern half of the country over the week, with daytime temperatures expected to range between 32°C and 34°C, the CWA said, adding that the mercury in mountainous areas is likely to reach 36°C. As for northern Taiwan, the weather is expected to stabilize from Sunday next week after a weak northeasterly wind system quickly moves past the north, with highs forecast to range from 31°C to 32°C until Tuesday. In the second half of tomorrow, northern Taiwan is expected to see increased cloud cover and sporadic showers are possible, cooling the weather, with daytime temperatures forecast to range between 28°C and 29°C for the remainder of the week, it said.
DEFENSE
Ten PLA aircraft cross line
Ten of 16 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that were identified as operating around Taiwan in the 24-hour period starting at 6am on Friday crossed the the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Of the 10 aircraft that crossed the median line, an unspecified number flew as close as 61 nautical miles (113km) off Taichung, flight paths released by the ministry showed. Two of the 16 PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone between 8:24am and 4:57pm on Friday, flying as close as 48 nautical miles off Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, as shown by the flight paths. Eight PLA Navy vessels were also detected in waters off Taiwan, it said. The ministry said the defence forces monitored the situation and deployed combat air patrol aircraft, vessels and coastal missile defense systems in response.
DIPLOMACY
MOFA urges no Iran travel
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday called on people to avoid unnecessary travel to Israel and Iran, citing reports of a potential direct attack on Israeli territory by Iran in the coming days. The ministry issued the advice after Iran vowed to retaliate following the bombing of its embassy in Damascus, Syria, by Israel on April 1. People engaged in business or travel in Israel and Iran should remain vigilant, the ministry said, adding that it has directed the Taiwanese representative office in Israel to maintain close contact with the local expatriate community. In the event of an emergency when visiting the region, Taiwan nationals are advised to call its Taipei headquarters’ toll free hotline at +886-800-085-095 to seek assistance, it said. They can also call Taiwan’s representative offices in Israel at +972-544-275-204 and in Dubai at +971-50-6453018, as well as the Taiwan Trade Center in Tehran at +98-21-8879-4243.
DIPLOMACY
Taiwanese evacuate Haiti
Three of Taiwan’s technical mission members based in Haiti’s Artibonite region have been evacuated to the neighboring Dominican Republic amid escalating unrest in Artibonite, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. A total of 15 Taiwanese nationals, including the country’s ambassador, embassy staff and Taiwanese businesspeople, are still in Haiti, and the embassy continues to function normally, it said, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate measures.
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three
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