WEATHER
Typhoon to bring rain
Tropical Storm Bebinca is forecast to become a typhoon today and bring wet and windy weather across Taiwan in the coming days as it charts a northwesterly course in seas north of the country. Northern areas can expect brief showers today, while other regions would likely experience conditions similar to yesterday, with localized afternoon thunderstorms in mountainous areas in Miaoli County and areas south of the county, Central Weather Administration forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) said. Yunlin County, areas south of the county and Nantou County might experience localized heavy rain, Chang said. As Bebinca approaches Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan is to experience further rain. On Sunday, northern areas would likely see brief showers, while afternoon thunderstorms are forecast in central and southern parts of the country. The storm is expected to be closest to Taiwan on Sunday and Monday, bringing further wet and stormy weather as it approaches China.
POLITICS
Journalist to fill Cabinet post
Journalist Michelle Lee (李慧芝) is to assume office as Cabinet spokesperson today, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) announced yesterday. Lee is to take over the post from acting spokesperson Julia Hsieh (謝子涵), the deputy spokesperson who temporarily replaced former spokesman Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱), after Chen was promoted to minister of transportation and communications at the end of last month. Lee, 44, has been employed in the media sector for 15 years. She worked as a reporter, news anchor and TV producer after graduating from Goldsmiths, University of London and National Chengchi University.
EVENTS
A-Mei to perform at Dome
Pop singer A-mei (張惠妹) yesterday announced she is to hold concerts at the Taipei Dome on Dec. 21, 22, 28, 29 and a special New Year’s Eve performance on Dec. 31, where she will ring in the new year with her fans. “Only a spectacular artist dares to close out the year,” Isaac Chen (陳鎮川), A-mei’s manager, wrote on Facebook. “With a venue this massive, the production would be nothing short of breathtaking.” A-mei’s world tour began in April 2022 at the Taipei Arena, where she set a personal record by selling out 12 shows. The tour continued in March last year at Kaohsiung Arena, where all 10 shows sold out. She also performed in the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Singapore and China.
SPORTS
Lai to support Paralympians
President William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday pledged to provide more government resources to support Taiwanese athletes with disabilities so they can “shine on the international stage.” Lai said the resources poured into Paralympic athletes were at the “same standard” offered to the Olympics team, such as the provision of accommodation and meal services, a training facility and physical therapy. Support for disabled athletes and their coaches “would only get better,” Lai said, adding that the government hopes to provide “a broader space” for individuals to pursue their sporting dreams so they can “shine on the international stage.” The president lauded the athletes for their “bravery” and praised them for setting a good example for young Taiwanese. Thirteen Taiwanese took part in the Paralympics this year, competing in seven sports categories and bringing home three silver and two bronze medals, the best performance for the national team since 2004.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
RISING TOURISM: A survey showed that tourist visits increased by 35 percent last year, while newly created attractions contributed almost half of the growth Changhua County’s Lukang Old Street (鹿港老街) and its surrounding historical area clinched first place among Taiwan’s most successful tourist attractions last year, while no location in eastern Taiwan achieved a spot in the top 20 list, the Tourism Administration said. The listing was created by the Tourism Administration’s Forward-looking Tourism Policy Research office. Last year, the Lukang Old Street and its surrounding area had 17.3 million visitors, more than the 16 million visitors for the Wenhua Road Night Market (文化路夜市) in Chiayi City and 14.5 million visitors at Tainan’s Anping (安平) historical area, it said. The Taipei 101 skyscraper and its environs —
Taiwan on Friday said a New Zealand hamburger restaurant has apologized for a racist remark to a Taiwanese customer after reports that it had first apologized to China sparked outrage in Taiwan. An image posted on Threads by a Taiwanese who ate at Fergburger in Queenstown showed that their receipt dated Sunday last week included the words “Ching Chang,” a racial slur. The Chinese Consulate-General in Christchurch in a statement on Thursday said it had received and accepted an apology from the restaurant over the incident. The comment triggered an online furor among Taiwanese who saw it as an insult to the
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