■ WEATHER
More rain on the way
The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) predicted another week of wet weather for the nation starting yesterday, with heavy rain warnings for residents in most parts of Taiwan from Thursday through Saturday. CWB meteorologists said the wet weather is a result of a cold front that has remained stagnant since moving across the nation over the weekend. They said the front is expected to move between the north and the south over the next week, bringing heavy rain to different parts of the nation. Residents should guard against heavy rain between Friday and Saturday, the forecast said. Temperatures across the nation will drop considerably from the highs of last week to between 21˚C and 30˚C in northern and central regions, 24˚C and 30˚C in the south, 17˚C and 28˚C in Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, the forecast said.
■ TRANSPORTATION
Kaohsiung MRT adds trains
Two late-night trains will be added to the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System’s north-sound Red Line schedule on a trial basis from tomorrow, the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) said yesterday. The two trains will leave simultaneously at 11:35pm from the Xiaogang (小港) Station — the last stop on the southern part of the Red Line — and from the Chiaotou (橋頭) Station in Kaohsiung County — the northernmost stop on the route. The system currently ends its daily operations at 11pm. The trains will stop at every station on the Red Line, the company said, adding that the trains will operate for one month. The late-night trains are expected to satisfy the needs of employees who are on night shift at nearby companies, such as the China Steel Corp (中鋼) and the Nanzih (楠梓) Processing Zone, the KRTC said. The KRTC said it may consider amending its Red Line schedule if the late-night train operation receives positive feedback from Kaohsiung residents.
■ POLITICS
Last Cabinet posts named
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Kao Su-po (高思博) will be appointed Minister of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, sources said last night. Former KMT legislator Wu Ying-yih (吳英毅) will be named minister of the Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission, while minister without portfolio-designate Tsai Hsun-hsiung (蔡勳雄) will also hold the post of governor of Taiwan Province. Secretary-general elect of the Executive Yuan Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川) will also serve concurrently as governor of Fujian Province (Kinmen and Lienchiang counties).
■ RESCUE
Search continues for diver
Coast guard forces continued their search yesterday for a diver who went missing in waters off Ilan County the day before. Huang Hsin-fa (黃信發) was diving with five other divers in waters about 6.5km east of Suao Port when he went missing. After Huang failed to resurface following the one-hour dive, the captain of the dive team tried in vain to locate him underwater. The captain of the Taiping, which the divers took on their expedition, then radioed coast guard forces stationed in Suao for assistance. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched three rescue vessels and a helicopter after receiving the emergency call, but were unable to locate Huang. Yesterday morning, the CGA asked the Ministry of the Interior’s National Airborne Service Corps to assist in the search.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
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