DIPLOMACY
Czech center to open in Taipei
The Czech Republic on Monday said it would open a new center this week to boost cultural and diplomatic ties in Taipei, a move likely to anger China. Although the EU and NATO member officially maintains a “one China” policy, its officials have sought to foster close ties with Taiwan. “The Czech Centre in Taiwan will launch its activity on Friday” with an exhibition of Czech photographs, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Czech news agency CTK quoted Czech Centres Director-General Jitka Panek Jurkova as saying that Czechs “want to be seen and heard in Taipei.” “The Czech Centre in Taipei is designed to deepen the understanding among the Taiwanese public of traditional and especially contemporary Czech culture,” she added. The foreign ministry has 28 Czech Centres promoting the Czech Republic in 25 countries across the world, but not in China.
SOCIETY
Poisoning deaths rise to 6
A woman passed away yesterday, bringing the number of people who have died in an apparent case of food poisoning in Taipei to six, health officials said. The people became ill after in late March eating at a Taipei branch of Polam Kopitiam, a Malaysian restaurant chain where a deadly bongkrek acid poisoning outbreak occurred. The 46-year-old woman had a liver transplant in mid-April and was moved to a regular hospital ward on Wednesday last week, the Taipei Department of Health said. However, she was transferred to an intensive care unit after her condition worsened on Monday evening. She was unable to recover and passed away yesterday afternoon, the department said.
SPORTS
Rakuten player fired over DUI
The Rakuten Monkeys baseball team yesterday terminated the contract of outfielder Chiu Tan (邱丹) after he was caught the previous day after crashing his car while driving under the influence (DUI). The Monkeys, one of six teams in Taiwan’s CPBL, said 23-year-old Chiu had breached the terms of his contract and was fired with immediate effect. According to the National Highway Police Bureau, Chiu was determined to have been drunk driving using a breath alcohol test after he crashed his vehicle into a guardrail early on Monday morning on a northbound section of Freeway No. 1 near Tainan’s Madou District (麻豆). No one was injured in the apparent single-vehicle collision, the bureau said, indicating that the case had been handed over to the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office. Chiu apologized in a statement. “As a professional baseball player, a husband and father, I’m sorry I let everyone down,” he said, adding that he regretted that his actions had harmed the Monkeys’ reputation.
SPORTS
Taiwanese win gold in Hanoi
Taiwan won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the ninth Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championship, which concluded on Monday in Hanoi, Vietnam. The three-day competition featured more than 300 athletes from 14 countries and territories competing in 18 events, including aerobic dance. Taiwanese Wang Fei-chu (王飛掬), 14, won gold in the girls’ singles, while Chueh Tzu-cheng (闕子承), 12, won bronze in boys’ singles. Together, they won silver in mixed doubles on Sunday. The two excelled in a sport that requires balance between difficult movements while achieving aesthetics through rigorous training, coach Chang Chun-chi (張淳智) said. “Dedication and hard work are essential to achieving top results in this competition,” he said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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