WEATHER
Torrential rain forecast
A strong weather front accompanied by increasing southwesterly winds could bring the nation its heaviest precipitation next week since the plum rain season began in May, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Torrential rain with hourly precipitation of over 200mm is likely in western and northeastern Taiwan from Tuesday to Thursday, when the frontal system passes over Taiwan, the bureau said. With the strength of seasonal winds from the southwest also expected to reach a peak at the same time, the bureau said, the unstable weather conditions could cause substantial flooding. However, the rain could help bring down temperatures across the nation to below 30°C, the bureau added.
CRIME
Fraudsters to be deported
Forty-five Taiwanese nationals suspected of taking part in two Philippines-based telephone fraud rings were deported from the country and sent back to Taiwan yesterday after being caught in mid-April. The suspects, who were arrested immediately after arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, will be subject to a criminal investigation. The 45 were among 72 Taiwanese nationals and 6 Chinese suspects who were arrested in Davao on April 18 after Taiwanese and Philippines police raided three of their suspected operating bases. An initial investigation showed that members of the rings, led by two Taiwanese, posed as judicial personnel, local officials or call center employees to coax or intimidate victims into wiring money into the swindlers’ accounts. The remaining 27 Taiwanese nationals are expected to be deported at a later date after raising enough money to cover their travel expenses.
CHARITY
Rummage sale at TAS
The Taipei American School (TAS) Orphanage Club will be hosting its annual end-of-school-year rummage sale today from 10am to 5pm. Club members have collected a huge variety of new and used clothing, shoes, stuffed animals, games, furniture, electronic items and other miscellaneous items. The sale will be held in the school’s forecourt and lobby, come rain or shine. All of the proceeds go to the club’s funds for needy children and orphans in Taiwan and its outlying islands, as well as AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania. TAS is located at 800 Zhongshan N Rd Sec 6 in Tianmu (天母).
ECONOMY
Zongzi prices to be probed
Vice Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said yesterday that the government is looking into prices of zongzi (粽子) — glutinous rice dumplings — and it would publish the results next week ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, when the popular treat is traditionally consumed. Jiang, who is also the head of a Cabinet task force on consumer price stabilization, said that convenience store chains’ catalogues of pre-sold zongzi showed price increases from last year, despite the price of some ingredients being lower. Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Wen-te (陳文德) said prices of round and long-grain glutinous rice are 8.3 percent and 20.87 percent lower than last year respectively, while the price of pork — the main filling — had fallen to NT$69 (US$2.30) per kilogram from NT$72. Council of Agriculture data also showed prices of duck eggs, mushrooms and peanuts, commonly used as filling, are either the same or slightly higher than last year.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
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