Free entry for kids at 14 forest recreation areas from April 3 to 6Staff writer, with CNAChildren aged 12 or under would be able to enter 14 national forest recreation areas free of charge during the four-day holiday for Tomb Sweeping Day and Children's Day from Friday next week to April 6, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said today. Each forest recreation area offers unique natural scenery, with Lalashan, Dasyueshan, Alishan and Aowanda particularly suited to children interested in nature, where they can see towering trees and explore forest trails, the agency said. Visitors appreciate the Basianshan National Forest Recreation Area in an undated photograph. Dongyanshan and Chihnan are suggested for children interested in history, as the sites feature preserved forestry facilities and exhibition spaces that offer insights into Taiwan's forestry development in an engaging way, it said. Meanwhile, Fuyuan is a popular destination for those interested in insects and ecology, as the site is well-known for butterfly watching, it added.

Magnitude 4.7 quake strikes off southeastern TaiwanStaff writer, with CNAA magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck off the coast of southeastern Taiwan at 12:23pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the quake was located at sea, about 65.7km northeast of Taitung County Hall, at a depth of 39.8km, the agency said. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Taitung, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. The location of a magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of southeastern Taiwan at 12:23pm today is pictured. Photo courtesy of the Central Weather AdministrationThe quake also measured an intensity of 3 in Hualien County in the east and 2 in Nantou and Changhua counties in central Taiwan, the CWA said.

Reports of Taiwanese missing, detained in China hit 313By Chen Yu-fu and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerReports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China has reached 313 since Jan. 1, 2024, data provided by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) showed. Last month, 17 Taiwanese were reported missing or detained in China, with half of them still unaccounted for, an informed official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A camera is seen near a Chinese national flag outside the Beijing No. Li was arrested and detained by Chinese national security authorities while visiting relatives in China in March 2023. The Chinese National People’s Congress described Li’s sentencing as a “punishment for Taiwanese independence die-hards,” an informed official said.

Ko Wen-je sentenced to 17 years in prisonBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAFormer Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has been sentenced to 17 years in jail and deprived of his civil rights for six years. The ruling can be appealed. Ko, who also founded and chaired the Taiwan People’s Party, was accused of receiving bribes from Core Pacific Group (威京集團) chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) in exchange for granting an illegal increase in the project’s floor-area ratio. Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je appears at the Taipei District Court today. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesHe was released in September last year on bail of NT$70 million (US$2.2 million), after being held incommunicado for a yearProsecutors sought a 28-and-a-half-year sentence for Ko.

Lawmakers fail to agree on most defense budget provisionsBy Huang Ching-hsuan and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNAThe Legislative Yuan today failed to reach a consensus on most articles of the three versions of the special defense budget bill proposed by the Executive Yuan, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and Finance Committee yesterday began article-by-article deliberations on three versions of the defense budget bill. They were the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.21 billion) version, the KMT’s NT$380 billion version and the TPP’s NT$400 billion version. The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and Finance Committee convene today. “We will continue to make efforts,” Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said in response.

Mayor focused on making New Taipei more cosmopolitan after Australia visitStaff writer, with CNANew Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) early today returned to Taiwan after a 10-day visit to Australia, saying that the main purpose of the trip was to find ways to make his city more cosmopolitan. Speaking to reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Hou said that he met with Australian government officials and lawmakers, and also visited a mental health center for young people to learn about support and prevention strategies that he hopes to use as a reference in New Taipei City. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi walks through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport today. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei TimesThe New Taipei City Government has not yet announced the site for its planned 50,000-seat multi-purpose dome stadium for sports, concerts and cultural events, and would do so at a later date, he said. While in Australia, Hou's delegation held discussions with authorities on ideas for libraries and other municipal projects, as well as dementia patient care, with the goal of making New Taipei City a more advanced and cosmopolitan city, he said.

Trump plans May visit to China after Iran war delayReuters, WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump is in May to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during his first visit to China in eight years, a closely watched trip postponed due to the Iran war. Initially slated to travel next week, Trump would now visit Beijing on May 14 and 15, he wrote on Truth Social yesterday. US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an undated photograph. "I look very much forward to spending time with President Xi in what will be, I am sure, a Monumental Event." "President Xi understood that it's very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now," she said.

Defense minister says next US arms sale on trackBy Ben Blanchard / Reuters, TAIPEIMinister of National Defense Wellington Koo today said that the next arms sale package from the US is on track after the government received a letter of guarantee from Washington, even as the leaders from the US and China ‌prepare to meet in May. A major US arms package for Taiwan worth about US$14 billion that includes advanced interceptor missiles is ready for US President Donald Trump's approval and could be signed after his trip to China, Reuters reported this month, citing sources briefed on the discussion. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo is pictured before attending a committee meeting at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei today. The package is still undergoing an internal US review and Taiwan has not received any notification about delays, Koo said. China has repeatedly demanded Washington end arms sales to Taipei, the last of which in December last year was worth US$11 billion — the largest ever for Taiwan.

Sunny to cloudy skies to give way to rain tonightStaff writer, with CNAMostly sunny to cloudy skies are today expected in Taiwan, but sporadic rain and thunderstorms are forecast for northern areas of the country this evening, as a weather front approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Daytime temperatures today are expected to reach about 26°C in the north and exceed 30°C in central and southern Taiwan. Rain is expected to spread to central and eastern Taiwan, as well as the Hengchun Peninsula, with possible afternoon showers in mountainous regions, it said. Skies would be mostly sunny to cloudy across much of the nation over the weekend, though afternoon showers are likely in mountainous areas, the CWA added. Isolated rain is on Saturday forecast for northern and eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, moving to the east and south on Sunday, it said.

The ongoing war in Iran has raised concerns about the supply and price of petrochemical raw materials and downstream products, including plastics. Lawmakers have said that while CPC Corp, Taiwan, has not experienced any supply shortages, prices for everyday plastic products have already risen, making it harder on consumers. Although raw material prices have risen, the ministry is working to ensure stable supply, Industrial Development Association Director-General Chiou Chyou-huey (邱求慧) said. “Major petrochemical plants have suspended exports to prioritize domestic supply,” Chiou said. There may be illegal stockpiling, in which case the ministry would thoroughly investigate and issue penalties, he added.

Oilers’ McDavid tops 400 NHL goals‘NOT COME EASY’: Jack Roslovic had no comment when asked about Connor McDavid’s claim that he is not a natural at scoring goals, despite two in the gameAP, SALT LAKE CITY, UtahConnor McDavid kept a straight face while making a curious revelation to a group of reporters after surpassing 400 career goals. “I set a goal at the beginning of the year: trying to shoot more pucks.”The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid controls the puck during their NHL game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Tuesday. Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen, left, stops a shot by Tim Washe of the Anaheim Ducks during their NHL game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Tuesday. McDavid became the fifth player in Oilers history to reach 400 goals when he took a feed from Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, and beat Karel Vejmelka with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the second period. The Boston Bruins’ Lukas Reichel skates during their NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden in Boston on Tuesday.

HK bookshop owner arrested over Jimmy Lai book: reportsAFP and AP, HONG KONGA rights group yesterday warned that Hong Kong was becoming “increasingly dystopian” after a bookstore owner and his staff were reportedly arrested on suspicion of selling seditious publications, including a biography of jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英). Officers searched the bookshop and seized materials, including The Toublemaker, a biography of Lai, who was last month sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security crimes. A notice that reads “taking a day off due to an unexpected situation; sorry for any inconvenience” is displayed outside independent bookstore Book Punch in Hong Kong yesterday. A government statement said the companies were dissolved and became “prohibited organizations,” warning that anyone associating with them would contravene the 2024 national security law. They were also found guilty of conspiring with others to publish seditious materials under a separate sedition law.

Thunderstorms forecast in northern Taiwan this weekStaff Writer, with CNAThunderstorms are expected to affect northern Taiwan starting Thursday evening, while eastern Taiwan is also likely to see rain showers, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tonight, an approaching front will bring rain and thunderstorms to coastal areas in Keelung City and other areas in northern Taiwan, Liu said. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesFor tomorrow, the front will pass Taiwan as the northeasterly monsoon strengthens, bringing thunderstorms to northern Taiwan and expanding the rainfall area to central Taiwan, eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula, Liu said. On Saturday, the northeasterly monsoon will weaken, with rain showers expected in coastal areas of northern Taiwan, Yilan County and Hualien County, as well as mountainous areas in Greater Taipei, Liu said. Scattered rain showers are also expected in Greater Taipei, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula, while afternoon thunderstorms may occur in mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan, Liu added.

The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun District is pictured in this file photo. The KMT pushed for several referendums on nuclear power, but only after nuclear power plants were safely closed. If the KMT’s noises about how much it loves nuclear power are ignored, it is obvious from its actions (or lack thereof) that it does not want nuclear power. The KMT positions nuclear power as an endless distraction simply by keeping the mere existence of functioning nuclear power plants in front of the public via referendums and public criticism of the DPP. RE100 is a renewable energy certification program that sets up rules for firms to follow in sourcing and expanding their renewable energy use.

NBA likely to change rules to address tankingAPThere were some big games to be played yesterday in the NBA, with the Atlanta Hawks to play the Detroit Pistons in a matchup pitting a Hawks team who are rolling against a Pistons team trying to lock up the Eastern Conference’s No. The Sacramento Kings’ Daeqwon Plowden, second right, drives between Ryan Kalkbrenner, left, Sion James, second left, and Xavier Tillman of the Charlotte Hornets during their NBA game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday. The NBA has tweaked the draft process a few times and it seems like bigger changes are on the way. There have been three 16-game losing streaks in the NBA this season. The Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray, left, controls the ball as Jordan Goodwin of the Phoenix Suns defends during their NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday.