WEATHER
First cold front arrives
An incoming cold front pushed temperatures in parts of northern Taiwan down into the low single digits early yesterday, and it is expected to bring crisp, sunny weather to much of the nation over the weekend, forecasters said. According to Central Weather Administration (CWA) data, the temperature hit a low of 3.6°C in Yilan County’s mountainous Datong Township (大同) and 8.0°C in Beitou (北投) in northwest Taipei overnight. In low-lying areas, Gongguan Township (公館) in Miaoli County recorded the lowest overnight temperature of any non-mountainous area at 12.7°C, while Shiding Township (石碇) in New Taipei City reported a low of 13.7°C. The arrival of the dry, cold air mass is expected to bring a spell of crisp, sunny weather to much of the country through Sunday morning, independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said. During that period, daytime temperatures would climb to about 23°C in the north, and 27°C to 28°C in central and southern areas, but would drop quickly overnight, Wu said. The weather system would likely qualify as the winter’s first “continental cold air mass,” Wu said. The CWA’s seven-day forecast showed temperatures dropping to 11°C to 13°C as far south as Chiayi County tomorrow. As the cold front lifts on Sunday through the early part of next week, the weather would gradually turn rainy in the east, while the western half of the nation would continue to experience clear weather and large day-night temperature gaps, Wu said.
DIPLOMACY
Chiang bullish on forum
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said that the city government is confident about holding the Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum this year. The forum is scheduled to be held on Dec. 17 and the Taipei City Government is reportedly planning to receive a delegation from Shanghai between Dec. 16 and Dec. 18. It has not yet been confirmed whether Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng (龔正) or a vice mayor would be among the delegation. Attending the 50-year anniversary celebration of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corp yesterday, Chiang was asked to comment on the issue. He told reporters that communication is ongoing and the two cities have reached the later stages of arranging this year’s forum. Taipei and Shanghai already have a foundation of mutual exchanges and the cooperation would be beneficial for both cities and both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Chiang said. “We believe that we absolutely must host the forum, and have every confidence that we will be able to do so,” he said. Chiang said an official announcement would be made once the arrangements are finalized.
CRIME
Norwegian man indicted
A Norwegian national has been indicted for possession of marijuana while transiting in Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Tuesday. At a news conference, Chen Po-chuan (陳博全), head of the Second Investigation Team of the bureau’s Criminal Investigation Brigade, said the man in his 30s was arrested in September after using a seven-hour layover to visit Taipei. The Norwegian was arrested at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport early in the morning after visiting a night club in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), Chen said. The arrest was made after aviation police investigators and Taipei Customs officers found 25.5kg of marijuana in the man’s check-in luggage during safety checks at the airport, Chen said. The Category II drug had a market value of more than NT$10 million (US$307,371), Chen added.
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
Theaters and institutions in Taiwan have received 28 threatening e-mails, including bomb threats, since a documentary critical of China began being screened across the nation last month, the National Security Bureau said yesterday. The actions are part of China’s attempts to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, it said. State Organs (國有器官) documents allegations that Chinese government officials engage in organ harvesting and other illegal activities. From last month to Friday last week, 28 incidents have been reported of theaters or institutions receiving threats, including bomb and shooting threats, if they did not stop showing the documentary, the bureau said. Although the threats were not carried out,
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
‘GRAY ZONE’ TACTICS: China continues to build up its military capacity while regularly deploying jets and warships around Taiwan, with the latest balloon spotted on Sunday The US is drawing up contingency plans for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in case of a Taiwan emergency, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. They would be incorporated in a first joint operation plan to be formulated in December, Kyodo reported late on Sunday, citing sources familiar with Japan-US relations. A US Marine Corps regiment that possesses High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — a light multiple rocket launcher — would be deployed along the Nansei Island chain stretching from Kyushu to Yonaguni near Taiwan, Kyodo said. According to US military guidelines for dispatching marines in small formations to several locations,
RSS