WEATHER
Cooler weather coming
Hot and mostly sunny weather is forecast across the nation until tomorrow, when an approaching weather system is to bring cooler temperatures and rain to northern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. It forecast daytime highs of 28°C to 33°C today, with much lower temperatures at night. An incoming cold air mass tomorrow would break the warm spell, bringing cooler, cloudy weather to much of Taiwan and rain to the north. Temperatures over the weekend are to remain on the cool side, with highs below 20°C and chances of rain in the north, and highs in the low 20s°C in other regions, the CWA’s seven-day forecast showed. Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said that the cold front is expected to weaken in the early part of next week. As a result, temperatures would gradually rebound from Monday to Wednesday next week, although conditions in northern Taiwan would remain cool and wet, Wu said. Based on current forecasting models, the weather is expected to be stable, clear and warm over the Children’s Day and Tomb Sweeping Day holidays on Thursday and Friday next week, he said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment said that northern Taiwan continued to be affected by smog yesterday, with the air quality index (AQI) rising above 150 in some areas, indicating unhealthy conditions for all groups.The ministry said that prevailing southwesterly winds were funneling pollutants into the north.
CRIME
Hualien officials out on bail
Hualien County Civil Affairs Department Director Ming Liang-chen (明良臻) and six other officials were yesterday released on bail over allegations that the county government illegally sent representatives to people’s homes to verify their?? identity on a recall petition. Ming, department deputy director Wu Chun-yi (吳俊毅) and five other county officials, who were brought in for questioning on Tuesday evening, are accused of contravening the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) and Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) by verifying recall petitioners’ household information in person. Ming was released on bail of NT$500,000 (US$15,107) and prohibited from communicating with other suspects and witnesses in the case. Wu, who is also the secretary-general of the Hualien County Election Commission, and the Hualien City Household Registration Office director, surnamed Chung (鍾), were freed on bail of NT$300,000 and NT$200,000 respectively. Four other officials were released on bail of NT$20,000 to NT$30,000. A Hualien resident reported that an official claiming to be from the household registration office went to their home to verify their signature on a petition to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). Prosecutors yesterday also searched the county’s Civil Affairs Department and household registration office, bringing back 12 suspects and witnesses.
TRADE
Drone MOU signed
Taiwanese and Japanese drone makers have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supply chain, with the collaboration primarily focused on disaster relief efforts. The Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Japan Drone Consortium (JDC), which have more than 200 and 293 member companies respectively signed the pact in Taipei on Tuesday, witnessed by Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝), the alliance said in a statement. Coretronic Corp chairwoman Wu Hsiu-hui (吳秀惠) said the alliance has arranged a series of site visits for the Japanese delegation to showcase Taiwan’s end-to-end research and manufacturing capabilities. They also discussed integrating the Taiwan-Japan supply chain to strengthen bilateral ties, she said. JDC president Kenzo Nonami said the Japanese government has allocated a budget of over ￥100 billion (US$666.2 million) for drone development, describing the MOU as a significant turning point for Taiwan-Japan cooperation in the industry. Nonami said Taiwan’s manufacturing expertise and comprehensive supply chains for electronics and communications technology make it an ideal partner. He expressed hope that Taiwan will establish a presence in Japan, fostering complementary strengths in system integration and key technologies. As both Taiwan and Japan are prone to earthquakes, Nonami said he looks forward to the two sides supporting each other with drone technology in times of natural disasters. The partnership will also focus on autonomous flight testing, the statement said. Citing an international report, Kuo said the global drone market would reach US$50 billion by 2030. He expressed confidence that Taiwan and Japan would capitalize on this opportunity and set an example for industry cooperation through their partnership.
Taiwanese were praised for their composure after a video filmed by Taiwanese tourists capturing the moment a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Aomori Prefecture went viral on social media. The video shows a hotel room shaking violently amid Monday’s quake, with objects falling to the ground. Two Taiwanese began filming with their mobile phones, while two others held the sides of a TV to prevent it from falling. When the shaking stopped, the pair calmly took down the TV and laid it flat on a tatami mat, the video shows. The video also captured the group talking about the safety of their companions bathing
US climber Alex Honnold is to attempt to scale Taipei 101 without a rope and harness in a live Netflix special on Jan. 24, the streaming platform announced on Wednesday. Accounting for the time difference, the two-hour broadcast of Honnold’s climb, called Skyscraper Live, is to air on Jan. 23 in the US, Netflix said in a statement. Honnold, 40, was the first person ever to free solo climb the 900m El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park — a feat that was recorded and later made into the 2018 documentary film Free Solo. Netflix previewed Skyscraper Live in October, after videos
Starting on Jan. 1, YouBike riders must have insurance to use the service, and a six-month trial of NT$5 coupons under certain conditions would be implemented to balance bike shortages, a joint statement from transportation departments across Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan announced yesterday. The rental bike system operator said that coupons would be offered to riders to rent bikes from full stations, for riders who take out an electric-assisted bike from a full station, and for riders who return a bike to an empty station. All riders with YouBike accounts are automatically eligible for the program, and each membership account
A classified Pentagon-produced, multiyear assessment — the Overmatch brief — highlighted unreported Chinese capabilities to destroy US military assets and identified US supply chain choke points, painting a disturbing picture of waning US military might, a New York Times editorial published on Monday said. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s comments in November last year that “we lose every time” in Pentagon-conducted war games pitting the US against China further highlighted the uncertainty about the US’ capability to intervene in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. “It shows the Pentagon’s overreliance on expensive, vulnerable weapons as adversaries field cheap, technologically
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