WEATHER
Typhoon headed north
Super Typhoon Maria could hit Taiwan directly and the chances of sea and land warnings being issued are high due to a constantly strengthening Pacific anticyclone, a Central Weather Bureau forecaster said yesterday. The storm is forecast to hit the north either on Tuesday evening or Wednesday, and sea and land warnings would probably be issued tomorrow evening, Yen Tseng-hsi (顏增璽) said. As of 2pm yesterday, the typhoon was 2,140km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwestward toward the island at 12kph. It was strengthening and carrying maximum sustained winds of 184kph with gusts of up to 227 kph, the bureau said.
DIPLOMACY
Envoy to Switzerland named
The Presidential Office on Friday announced that it has appointed a new representative to Switzerland. It said on its Web site that it nominated David Huang (黃偉峰), an associate research fellow at Academia Sinica. Huang was vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council from October 2004 to September 2005 and deputy representative to the US from June 2007 to July 2008. Departing Representative to Switzerland Gu Ruey-sheng (谷瑞生) is to take charge of a commission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office said. It on Thursday approved Representative to South Korea Joseph Shih’s (石定) request to retire from his post. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Tang Diann-wen (唐殿文) is expected to take over Shih’s post, diplomatic sources said.
ACTIVITIES
Yilan summer festival opens
The annual International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival yesterday opened in Yilan County’s Wujie Township (五結). The event features a variety of water games and do-it-yourself activities for families and children. One of the highlights this year is the Flying Fish Pirate Ship, a 50m long, 9m tall structure with a 50m waterslide, Yilan Cultural Affairs Commissioner Lee Chih-yung (李志勇) said. Another attraction is the Water Volcano, where children get to climb obstacles and slide down into a swimming pool, Lee said. Besides water-related fun, there are also more subtle games, such as indoor mazes and interactive exhibitions for people of all ages, the cultural affairs bureau said. The festival, which is held at the Dongshan River Water Park, is to feature music and dance performances by artists from 22 countries and runs through Aug. 19.
CRIME
Sedative seized in Keelung
Keelung Customs officers in March seized a large haul of the controlled substance Erimin in New Taipei City, the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau said on Friday. A cargo truck carrying 651kg of the sedative in a container destined for Malaysia was intercepted by customs officers at the Port of Taipei on March 15, the bureau said. A search revealed 2.4 million Erimin tablets packaged into 48 paper bags that were hidden between 512 similar bags containing plastic pellets, investigators said. The drug haul, with an estimated street value of NT$480 million (US$15.74 million), was the biggest cache of Erimin seized in Taiwan this year, they said. Investigators on March 29 arrested a couple in the case, and seized packaging materials and sealing machines in New Taipei City. Erimin is a brand name for nimetazepam, a hypnotic sedative that was prescribed for the treatment of severe insomnia, but was discontinued by the sole manufacturer in 2015. Taiwan classifies Erimin as a Class 3 narcotic.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
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