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).
China has reserved offshore airspace in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. These alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (Notams), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert is
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
China has reserved offshore airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts that are usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. The alerts, known as notice to air missions (NOTAMs), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert
RSS