WEATHER
Quake an aftershock: CWA
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has walked back its previous statement that the magnitude 6.3 earthquake which struck off eastern Taiwan on Friday was an independent event, saying it was actually a major aftershock of the massive earthquake which shook Hualien in April. The CWA’s preliminary observation had indicated that the epicenter of Friday’s temblor was 34.2km southeast of Hualien County Hall, with a depth of 9.7km. However, the agency amended its report on Friday afternoon, revising the location further west to 23.78°N, 121.71°E, and the depth to 19.36km, after conducting further analysis. The new epicenter is 4.22km from the location of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that rattled Hualien County on April 3, while the original epicenter reported on Friday morning was 15.63km from that of the Hualien quake.
ARTS
Old Fox selected for Oscars
The Ministry of Culture on Wednesday said Old Fox has been chosen as Taiwan’s submission for best international feature at the Academy Awards next year. The movie stood out from 14 Taiwanese films for being a “fable of the social classes amid social change and drastic economic impact of late 1980s Taiwan. It gives a profound analysis of humanity with its motif, narration, layout and subtle depictions of daily life,” the ministry said in a news release. Directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan (蕭雅全), the film’s narrative is from the perspective of a young boy living with his poor father as he navigates the struggles between the worldliness and kindness of humanity, the news release said. Inspired by his own childhood, Hsiao reproduced the period’s zeitgeist and reflected on his experience during that time, it added. Hsiao won the Best Director award for the movie at the Golden Horse Awards last year. It also bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for Akio Chen (陳慕義), Best Original Film Score and Best Makeup and Costume Design awards. The film has also won accolades at several international film festivals, the ministry said.
SPORTS
Drone soccer arrives
The Puli Junior High School’s annual summer camp this year introduced children the to sport of drone soccer, a technological sport that has become popular. The sport has not only entertained and taught the children how to pilot drones, but also familiarized them with drone regulations, school authorities said. The sport is beginning to take off in Taiwan, and teams from the nation have already placed fourth in a drone soccer competition held in South Korea this year, and first and second place in the junior high school category at the Unmanned Aviation Systems Application Carnival Tournament this year, they said. The sport requires precise navigation of drones in a three-dimensional space, participating students said, adding that the players also need to acclimate themselves to putting a “spin” on their drones as defensive or aggressive tactics. Overall, it is a sport that demands a high degree of cooperation, the students said, adding that it was rare for students to learn about an international sport currently in vogue. Drone soccer features two teams, each composed of at least three players who control a drone with protective anti-collision cages to defend the team’s designated goal, the Pilot Institute said. Each game consists of three sets, each lasting three minutes, with the designated “striker” of each team seeking to navigate their drone into the opposing team’s goal zone, the institute added.
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
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
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,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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