SAFETY
Go Ocean app use advised
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is urging beachgoers to check real-time ocean conditions using the Go Ocean mobile app, following a series of drowning incidents as summer draws more people to the coast. The advisory comes after a high-school student drowned off Fangliao Township (枋寮) in Pingtung County on Sunday, one of several fatal or near-fatal incidents linked to dangerous sea conditions in recent weeks, the CGA said yesterday. Developed by the National Academy of Marine Research, the app provides color-coded warnings and integrates data from multiple sources to display wave height, wind speed and current strength. An English-language version of the app is also available. In the event of an emergency, the public is advised to call 118 for assistance, the CGA added.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration
SOCIETY
Angler killed by lightning
A man believed to be a migrant worker died yesterday after being struck by lightning while fishing in Taichung. The man, estimated to be about 30 years old, had not yet been identified, as no ID card was found on him, the Taichung Fire Bureau said. The bureau received a report at 4:51pm about a male angler struck by lightning near a bridge in Houli District (后里), prompting emergency personnel to rush to the scene. The man showed no vital signs upon their arrival and was transported to a hospital, where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
TRANSPORT
Taipei halts road project
A plan announced in March by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) to remove a traffic circle at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road, as well as an adjacent bus underpass in the city’s Gongguan (公館) area, has been paused following calls from city councilors for greater public consultation. Taipei City Department of Transportation Commissioner Hsieh Ming-hong (謝銘鴻) agreed to postpone the construction, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday next week, after the Taipei City Council’s Transportation Committee passed a motion to hold a public hearing on June 30. The traffic circle sits at the intersection with the highest number of traffic incidents and injuries in Taipei for seven consecutive years, averaging one incident every four days, Hsieh said.
CRIME
Prosecutor scam busted
A Malaysian man has been arrested in Taichung for allegedly collecting cash and bank cards from a 79-year-old woman who was duped in a fake prosecutor scam, police said on Sunday. The Taichung Police Department’s Second Precinct said officers from Liren Police Station spotted the man handing a paper bag and a red envelope to the woman on Shenyang N Road in Beitun District (北屯) on Wednesday last week — a textbook handoff in a cash scam — and called for backup. The woman later told investigators that she had received a phone call from someone claiming to be a “district prosecutor,” who accused her of involvement in a money laundering case and threatened court detention unless she handed over a “security deposit” along with her bank cards for “account monitoring.” She ultimately gave the man NT$3,900 in cash and two bank cards containing a combined total of NT$720,592. Police arrested the man after confirming he was involved in the scam and seized the NT$3,900, two mobile phones, two bank cards, a forged promissory note from the “Taipei District Court” and a sealed envelope.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
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