TRAVEL
Passport drops in ranking
Taiwan’s passport was ranked the 72nd-most powerful globally, down three spots from last year, according to an annual index published by US consulting firm Nomad Capitalist. The index ranks 199 countries based on five factors: visa-free travel, which carries a 50 percent weighting; taxation (20 percent weighing); and perception, dual citizenship and personal freedom (10 percent weighing each). Taiwan’s passport scored 83 points on the index, which was topped by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport with 110.5 points. “This is largely due to recent changes allowing foreigners to apply for dual citizenship, which, combined with the travel freedoms afforded by a UAE passport, plus the country’s business-friendly environment and enviable tax system,” the firm said. Luxembourg and Switzerland were tied for second, followed by Ireland and Portugal in a tie. South Korea ranked 21st, Singapore 30th, Japan 38th and China 128th.
Photo: CNA
CULTURE
Opera singer dies at 72
Taiwanese opera singer Chen Mei-yun (陳美雲) passed away on Saturday night after a fall, the Chen Meiyun Opera Troupe (陳美雲歌劇團) said yesterday. She was 72 years old. Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) on Facebook thanked Chen for dedicating her life to Taiwanese opera, saying the energy and passion she brought to the stage were touching. Chen specialized in playing xiaosheng (小生, young male leads). She established her own troupe in 1979 to promote the traditional art form, and has won several awards and performed at the Presidential Office Building.
CULTURE
Events to celebrate troupe
The Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute on Saturday launched a series of special screenings to honor the Taiwanese contemporary dance troupe Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The screenings are to run through April 2 at the institute’s headquarters, featuring motion picture versions of the five works premiered by the dance troupe from 1994 to 2020. Five Asian movies have also been selected to correspond to Cloud Gate’s five works during the four-week program, including Indian Bengali-language drama The World of Apu by director Satyajit Ray, Poetry by South Korea’s Lee Chang-dong and Your Face by Taiwan’s Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮), which won Best Documentary at the Golden Horse Awards. The troupe is to tour Taiwan as part of the celebrations starting next month, performing its 1978 work Legacy curated by its founder, Lin Hwai-min (林懷民).
CRIME
Suspected IEDs found
Police on Feb. 25 detained a motorcyclist for allegedly possessing narcotics and “possible” improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on his vehicle, the Taipei City Police Department said yesterday. The 31-year-old suspect, surnamed Yang (楊), was found with two bags of amphetamine, five objects believed to be IEDs and 150 steel balls used in the manufacture of such devices, police said, adding that officers found the objects after pulling Yang over because he looked suspicious. Yang, who was unable to explain why he had the illegal items in his possession, told police he made them out of curiosity. Prosecutors might press charges based on the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) and the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), police said. If the objects are confirmed to be IEDs, Yang could face at least seven years in jail and a fine of up to NT$30 million (US$979,528).
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
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