WEATHER
Temperatures to drop
Temperatures in cities and counties north of Taoyuan and in Yilan County are expected to edge lower today due to renewed northeasterly winds, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. From today until early tomorrow, temperatures in those areas could be 3°C to 5°C lower than yesterday, the CWA said. Temperatures in other cities and counties and in the outlying islands would drop by 1°C to 2°C from yesterday, with temperature highs in the northern and northeastern parts of Taiwan hitting about 28°C, it said. It would be accompanied by rain today, especially in Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Yilan. Those locations could see intermittent showers, while Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Hualien and Taitung could see sporadic rain. Thundershowers could also be expected this afternoon in southern Taiwan and mountainous locations in central Taiwan, it said.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Aid given to Thailand
The government on Thursday donated US$100,000 to Thailand to help it cope with the devastating floods that battered the northern cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in recent months. The donation was handed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) to Secretary-General of the Thai Red Cross Society Tej Bunnag at the humanitarian organization’s Bangkok headquarters. Thailand is an important partner of Taiwan in the region, and the Taiwanese public and government empathize with those affected by the floods, Chang said. It is hoped that those affected by the floods can return to their normal lives as soon as possible, he said. Tej expressed his sincere gratitude to Taiwan for the donation. Due to many days of heavy rainfall that hit northern Thailand in August and last month, the flooding in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai has been described by several Thai news outlets as the worst in 30 years. The Taiwanese community in Thailand also helped raise 4.8 million baht (US$144,624) for the Thai Red Cross Society in a campaign organized from Sept. 15 to 22.
CULTURE
Malaysia fines performers
Malaysian immigration authorities on Thursday said that six performers — four Taiwanese and two Singaporeans — arrested for performing without government permission on Thursday last week would be fined for breaching border rules. The immigration department decided to fine the six as they entered Malaysia as tourists, but worked as artists at a cultural event in the city of Butterworth in Penang, Penang State Executive Councilor for Tourism & Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai (黃漢偉) said yesterday. Before foreigners travel to Malaysia for filming and performances, they have to obtain permission from PUSPAL, a government agency that coordinates applications for these activities, Wong said. Immigration authorities in Penang said it received a tip-off about the six ahead of their performance in an opera at a place of worship in Butterworth and found that they had entered as tourists, as Taiwanese and Singaporeans enjoy a 30-day visa-free visit to Malaysia. Since the six traveled to Malaysia to perform, the visa-free treatment does not apply to them, and their failure to obtain PUSPAL permission contravenes the nation’s 1963 immigration regulations, a local employment services company said. While no information has been released regarding the fine and its amount, violators would face a prison term of no longer than six months and a fine of up to 1,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$232.2) under the 1963 regulations, it said.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
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