Habibullah was among 15 bodies returned from Iran, an Afghan border source said on condition of anonymity. A further three migrants who died were recovered on the Afghan side of the frontier, an army official said. They are drawn to Iran due to greater job opportunities and a common language, but legal routes are limited. Afghan Deputy Minister for Labor and Social Affairs Abdul Manan Omari on Sunday said that it was “necessary to do more” to facilitate work permits for migrants. The Taliban government has taken “serious steps to fight the smugglers,” Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said.

Vessel traffic monitoring center for offshore wind farms inauguratedStaff writer, with CNAThe Offshore Wind Farms Channel Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Center was inaugurated on Saturday at the Port of Taichung to strengthen maritime traffic safety around offshore wind farms, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said. Premier Cho Jung-tai, center, and other officials attend the inauguration of the Offshore Wind Farms Channel Vessel Traffic Service Center at the Port of Taichung on Saturday. He also underscored the need for continued improvements in vessel traffic monitoring. About 30,000 vessels pass through offshore wind farm areas in Changhua each year, making safety a top priority, he said. Taiwan's installed offshore wind power capacity reached 3.5 gigawatts by the end of last year, he added.

Cold air mass to drive temperatures downStaff writer, with CNAA strong continental cold air mass is to move southward from tonight night into tomorrow, bringing overnight temperatures in low-lying areas across Taiwan down to about 10°C to 14°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In Taichung, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung, temperatures could drop below 10°C early tomorrow morning due to radiative cooling, the agency said. Taiwan is to remain under the combined influence of the cold air mass and radiative cooling through Thursday, Cheng said. While the cold air is expected to weaken slightly on Friday and Saturday, radiative cooling would continue to keep temperatures low. Daytime highs in northern Taiwan could return to about 20°C, although parts of western Taiwan may see day-night temperature differences of 10°C to 13°C.

Air quality to deteriorate nationwide from tomorrowBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNAA strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. A strong continental cold air mass would bring the pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, worsening PM2.5 concentrations in the north to between 40 and 60mg/m³, it added. Air quality is to improve in central and northern Taiwan from Thursday, although downwind areas in the south would still see the effects of accumulated pollutants, it said. As air quality is significantly influenced by meteorological conditions, the ministry advised keeping up to date on the latest forecasts and taking necessary precautions.

Ministry encourages flushing toilet paper, seated toiletsBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Environment today unveiled a new toilet-themed art installation as part of efforts to promote seated toilets and encourage people to flush toilet paper. The display features transparent toilet bowls to promote flushing toilet paper, as well as seated toilets over squat toilets for better hygiene and accessibility. The rollout would begin with government agencies, although no date has been set to entirely replace squat toilets, he added. Neighboring countries such as Japan and Singapore have also set goals to reduce the number of squat toilets, he added. Meanwhile, the ministry said it has conducted testing with 26 different brands of toilet paper, showing that they are completely flushable.

More people using AI, mostly for transport, language and research: NCCBy Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNAThe proportion of people using artificial intelligence (AI) rose to 56.3 percent last year, primarily for transportation in daily life and research and analysis at work, a survey by the National Communications Commission (NCC) showed. The second most common use was language assistance, with 64 percent of users using it for voice input and control, translation and text-to-speech. The third was security and monitoring, with 45 percent of users using AI for smart security systems and biometric authentication. In terms of work, 41 percent of users reported using AI to look up, process and analyze data, the survey showed. More than 30 percent of people reported not using AI at work, the NCC added.

Plaque to be placed at Taipei Main for stabbing heroBy Tung Kuan-yi and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerA commemorative plaque is to be placed in Taipei Main Station for Yu Chia-chang (余家昶), the man killed defending against a knife-wielding attacker during last month’s mass stabbing, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said this morning. Nearly 590 messages were posted on a temporary memorial wall at the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan Station. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp has designed and created a plaque to commemorate Yu, which is expected to be placed at Taipei Main Station Exit M8 on floor B1, Chiang said. A person views messages and flowers left in memory of the victims of a stabbing attack in Taipei last month at MRT Zhongshan Station. Photo: Tung Kuan-yi, Taipei TimesThe company is still in discussions with Yu’s family regarding details, including its installment date, and would continue to respect their wishes, he added.

Costco to raise membership fees for first time in decadeStaff writer, with CNACostco Taiwan today said it would raise its membership fees for the first time in 10 years, with the changes taking effect on April 1. The annual cost of Gold Star membership in Taiwan is to increase from NT$1,350 to NT$1,500, Business membership from NT$1,150 to NT$1,500, and Business Add-on membership from NT$900 to NT$1,500, the company said. Photo: Wu Hsin-tien, Taipei TimesExecutive membership fees would remain unchanged, and exclusive services and rebates of up to NT$30,000 — the highest in Asia and the second-highest globally — would be maintained, Costco said. Each Business Add-on membership would continue to include one free household card, allowing entry for one cardholder and two accompanying persons, the US big-box retailer said. Costco Taiwan said it last adjusted its membership fees in 2016 and has since invested in logistics improvements and professional service centers, such as hearing and optical centers, as well as gas stations.

Taiwan ‘prepared’ for Venezuela-style attack: MNDBy Chen Yu-fu and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNATaiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien, center, speaks to reporters before a meeting at the legislature in Taipei today. At the legislative committee meeting on this year’s unreviewed defense budget, Hsu told lawmakers that Venezuela’s weapons, obtained from China and Russia, proved to be far inferior to US weapons. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) said that the opposition's continued blocking of a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.829 billion) special defense budget bill would impact national security. Each day that the defense budget is delayed consumes precious preparation time, it added.

Women still spending over three hours daily on unpaid care: MOHWBy Lin Chih-yi and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese women spent more than three hours per day on average providing unpaid care in 2024, only slightly less than five years before, with married and partnered women doing more housework than others, Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) data showed. However, traditional division of labor within families remains, with women providing more care for family members and doing more housework, it added. This is only nine minutes less than the average time women spent providing daily unpaid care in 2019, the ministry said. Married and partnered women spend 2.6 times more time on unpaid care than their spouses or partners, primarily on childcare and housework. With generational change, women would continue to spend less time providing unpaid care, Social and Family Affairs Administration Acting Director Chou Tao-chun (周道君) said.

Flights and shipping affected by Chinese drillsTrips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes andBy Shelley Shan

Myanmar’s junta opened voting in the phased month-long election a week ago, with its leaders pledging the poll would bring on democracy. Relatives of prisoners hold placards with the names of inmates as they wait outside Insein prison in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday. It was not immediately clear whether those released include the thousands of political detainees imprisoned for opposing military rule. The prisoner releases, common on holidays and other significant occasions in Myanmar, began yesterday and are expected to take several days to complete. At Yangon’s Insein Prison, which is notorious for housing political detainees, relatives of prisoners gathered at the gates early in the morning.

UK, France launch airstrikes on ‘IS’ facility in SyriaAP, DAMASCUSBritish and French warplanes carried out an airstrike in central Syria on an underground facility where members of the Islamic State (IS) group are suspected to have stored weapons and explosives, the British Ministry of Defence said yesterday. The UK and France are part of the US-led coalition that has been fighting IS militants for more than a decade. Photo: EPA / SGT LEE GODDARD HANDOUTThe ministry said the British military used Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets supported by a Voyager refueling tanker and were joined by French aircraft in the joint strike. Despite its defeat in Syria in 2019, IS sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq where the extremists once declared their caliphate. UN experts say IS still commands between 5,000 and 7,000 members across its former stronghold in Syria and Iraq.

Watch out for undercover Chinese ships, researcher says‘GRAY ZONE’: The real threat China’s navy poses is not coming from its civilian fleet, but from undercover ships that can launch fiber-optic drones, a researcher saidBy Fang Wei-li and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerChinese vessels flying another nation’s flag could be deployed in “gray zone” operations around Taiwan, a civil preparedness advocate said on Friday. Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard AdministrationThis class of vessels was heavily featured in the Chinese military’s drills around Taiwan proper, it said. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chen Chia-sheng (陳嘉生) last month said the PLA could use field modifications to transform civilian vessels into disposable missile platforms. The real threat is the potential use of false-flagged ships in covert operations, which has been showcased by the ongoing Chinese military exercise, he said. Citing government reports, Ho said the coast guard so far discovered eight Chinese state-owned ships operating in the waters surrounding Taiwan, including seven that requested permission to dock.

Photo courtesy of the foundationThe poll showed that 16.3 percent of the students frequently eat fast food and fried food, 53 percent consume snacks and desserts and 16.2 percent drink bubble tea. Further analysis confirmed that children who are classified as obese tended to consume bubble tea, fast food or fried foods often. Regarding the daily three meals, the poll showed 11 percent of students eat breakfast fewer than three days a week. About 31.8 percent of students ate a more balanced dinner, the poll showed. Among students who eat energy gels, the poll showed 5.1 percent consume some more than once a day, and 28.1 percent eat some once a day.