SOCIETY
Starry Taitung tops awards
Taitung County’s star-watching campaign clinched the top honor at this year’s Spark Design Awards, marking the third consecutive year the county has gained international acclaim for the event, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. “Starry Taitung,” which has been organized by the county government since 2018, received the Platinum Award. It was also the sole Platinum winner in the “Experience” category, recognized for enhancing user experience across all stages, from development and design to marketing and service, the awards said. Held annually between May and September, the free, expert-guided event takes participants to the best stargazing spots in various townships, such as in Guanshan (關山), Dawu (大武), Donghe (東河), Beinan (卑南), Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島), with some sessions also featuring vibrant starlit bazaars and live music performances, the county government said. “Starry Taitung” has also garnered other international accolades, including the London Design Award in 2022 and the Asia Design Prize last year, the government added.
Photo courtesy of the Taitung County Government
WEATHER
Rime ice seen at Yushan
Rime ice was observed on the northern peak of Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning. The Central Weather Administration’s (CWA) weather monitoring station on the mountain said that there was no snowfall, but minus-1.6°C was logged at about 5am. Meanwhile, the lowest temperature recorded in a low-lying area yesterday morning was in New Taipei City’s Shiding District, at 9.6°C at 5:44am, it said. The CWA said that the strength of the cold air mass is forecast to intensify, bringing temperatures down to 10°C to 11°C in several northern cities and counties, and could even affect areas as far south as Tainan at night. It has also issued cold surge advisories for most of Taiwan, including Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan, warning that temperatures could drop to about 10°C or less this morning. The strong cold air mass coupled with the effect of radioactive cooling are forecast to prevail until early this morning, before weakening and bringing temperatures slightly back up later in the day, the CWA said.
DIPLOMACY
MOFA extends condolences
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday extended its condolences to India over the passing of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at the age of 92. Singh played a pivotal role in deepening bilateral ties between Taiwan and India during his 10-year tenure, the ministry said. He strengthened cooperation between the two nations in areas such as finance, trade, investments and liberal arts education, it said, adding that Singh had made the opening of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Chennai possible. Singh’s efforts and achievements in cementing bilateral relations, and promoting regional prosperity and peace will be remembered, the ministry said. The ministry said it had instructed Taiwan’s mission to India to convey their condolences and sentiment to the Indian government. It also said it would continue to build upon the foundations cemented by Singh and work with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue cultivating a beneficial relationship between Taiwan and India.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
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