SOCIETY
Starry Taitung tops awards
Taitung County’s star-watching campaign clinched the top honor at this year’s Spark Design Awards, marking the third consecutive year the county has gained international acclaim for the event, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. “Starry Taitung,” which has been organized by the county government since 2018, received the Platinum Award. It was also the sole Platinum winner in the “Experience” category, recognized for enhancing user experience across all stages, from development and design to marketing and service, the awards said. Held annually between May and September, the free, expert-guided event takes participants to the best stargazing spots in various townships, such as in Guanshan (關山), Dawu (大武), Donghe (東河), Beinan (卑南), Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), with some sessions also featuring vibrant starlit bazaars and live music performances, the county government said. “Starry Taitung” has also garnered other international accolades, including the London Design Award in 2022 and the Asia Design Prize last year, the government added.
Photo courtesy of the Taitung County Government
WEATHER
Rime ice seen at Yushan
Rime ice was observed on the northern peak of Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning. The Central Weather Administration’s (CWA) weather monitoring station on the mountain said that there was no snowfall, but minus-1.6°C was logged at about 5am. Meanwhile, the lowest temperature recorded in a low-lying area yesterday morning was in New Taipei City’s Shiding District, at 9.6°C at 5:44am, it said. The CWA said that the strength of the cold air mass is forecast to intensify, bringing temperatures down to 10°C to 11°C in several northern cities and counties, and could even affect areas as far south as Tainan at night. It has also issued cold surge advisories for most of Taiwan, including Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan, warning that temperatures could drop to about 10°C or less this morning. The strong cold air mass coupled with the effect of radioactive cooling are forecast to prevail until early this morning, before weakening and bringing temperatures slightly back up later in the day, the CWA said.
DIPLOMACY
MOFA extends condolences
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday extended its condolences to India over the passing of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at the age of 92. Singh played a pivotal role in deepening bilateral ties between Taiwan and India during his 10-year tenure, the ministry said. He strengthened cooperation between the two nations in areas such as finance, trade, investments and liberal arts education, it said, adding that Singh had made the opening of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Chennai possible. Singh’s efforts and achievements in cementing bilateral relations, and promoting regional prosperity and peace will be remembered, the ministry said. The ministry said it had instructed Taiwan’s mission to India to convey their condolences and sentiment to the Indian government. It also said it would continue to build upon the foundations cemented by Singh and work with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue cultivating a beneficial relationship between Taiwan and India.
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