WEATHER
Taipei warns of mudslides
The Taipei Disaster Prevention and Rescue Office yesterday urged people to avoid mountainous areas and areas near bodies of water over the weekend. After heavy rains in the past week, the soil on Yangmingshan (陽明山) is saturated, which could cause mudslides, the office said, adding that two small mudslides had been recorded in Nangang District’s (南港) Jioujhuang (舊庄) area. The office said that Tropical Depression 26 is forecast to cross the Bashi Channel, potentially affecting the weather in Taipei today and tomorrow. The office said Taipei City Government workers are inspecting disaster prevention facilities.
POLITICS
Probe of candidate urged
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday filed a request with the Control Yuan to investigate a personal assets declaration submitted by independent Miaoli County commissioner candidate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦). Chung, who is Miaoli County Council speaker, had his membership in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) revoked after registering independently last month. The request, filed by DPP lawmakers Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) and Shen Fa-hui (沈發惠), says that Chung might have concealed some of his investments and falsified information in contravention of the Act on Property Declaration by Public Servants (公職人員財產申報法). “Chung holds many properties... How much more has he kept in the dark?” Hung said. DPP officials have presented documents that they say show that Chung owns 159 properties.
POLITICS
Plagiarism claims dismissed
Chung Hua University on Thursday dismissed a plagiarism allegation against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Lin Ken-jeng (林耕仁). A review committee concluded that Lin did not plagiarize his 2005 master’s thesis, but found “flaws” in the thesis, the university said in a statement. Lin was last month accused by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers of copying the work of a man surnamed Tai (戴), who submitted his thesis at the university in 2004. The committee crossed-checked the two theses, concluding that the “allegation was not substantiated,” it said. However, it found that some subtitles in Lin’s thesis were identical to those in Tai’s thesis, it said. These were “flaws” that could have been avoided if Lin had had a serious attitude toward his academic work, it added. Lin was also accused of plagiarizing his second master’s thesis from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The university established a committee to review the 2011 thesis early last month and said a result was expected within 120 days.
DIPLOMACY
German delegation to arrive
Members of the German Bundestag’s Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid are to visit Taiwan from tomorrow to Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. The six-member delegation led by German lawmaker Peter Heidt would be the second group of Bundestag members to visit Taiwan this month, it said. They are scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and ministers without portfolio Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) and Huang Chih-ta (黃致達), it said. They would also meet with National Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊) and visit the National Human Rights Museum, it said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
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