WEATHER
Temperature to reach 36°C
Cloudy to sunny skies are forecast for central and southern Taiwan this week with temperatures expected to reach as high as 36°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.
With a warm easterly wind system likely to set in, stable weather conditions are expected to continue in the southern half of the country over the week, with daytime temperatures expected to range between 32°C and 34°C, the CWA said, adding that the mercury in mountainous areas is likely to reach 36°C. As for northern Taiwan, the weather is expected to stabilize from Sunday next week after a weak northeasterly wind system quickly moves past the north, with highs forecast to range from 31°C to 32°C until Tuesday. In the second half of tomorrow, northern Taiwan is expected to see increased cloud cover and sporadic showers are possible, cooling the weather, with daytime temperatures forecast to range between 28°C and 29°C for the remainder of the week, it said.
DEFENSE
Ten PLA aircraft cross line
Ten of 16 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that were identified as operating around Taiwan in the 24-hour period starting at 6am on Friday crossed the the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Of the 10 aircraft that crossed the median line, an unspecified number flew as close as 61 nautical miles (113km) off Taichung, flight paths released by the ministry showed. Two of the 16 PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone between 8:24am and 4:57pm on Friday, flying as close as 48 nautical miles off Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, as shown by the flight paths. Eight PLA Navy vessels were also detected in waters off Taiwan, it said. The ministry said the defence forces monitored the situation and deployed combat air patrol aircraft, vessels and coastal missile defense systems in response.
DIPLOMACY
MOFA urges no Iran travel
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday called on people to avoid unnecessary travel to Israel and Iran, citing reports of a potential direct attack on Israeli territory by Iran in the coming days. The ministry issued the advice after Iran vowed to retaliate following the bombing of its embassy in Damascus, Syria, by Israel on April 1. People engaged in business or travel in Israel and Iran should remain vigilant, the ministry said, adding that it has directed the Taiwanese representative office in Israel to maintain close contact with the local expatriate community. In the event of an emergency when visiting the region, Taiwan nationals are advised to call its Taipei headquarters’ toll free hotline at +886-800-085-095 to seek assistance, it said. They can also call Taiwan’s representative offices in Israel at +972-544-275-204 and in Dubai at +971-50-6453018, as well as the Taiwan Trade Center in Tehran at +98-21-8879-4243.
DIPLOMACY
Taiwanese evacuate Haiti
Three of Taiwan’s technical mission members based in Haiti’s Artibonite region have been evacuated to the neighboring Dominican Republic amid escalating unrest in Artibonite, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. A total of 15 Taiwanese nationals, including the country’s ambassador, embassy staff and Taiwanese businesspeople, are still in Haiti, and the embassy continues to function normally, it said, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate measures.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
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