Taiwan raises travel alerts for certain Middle Eastern countriesStaff writer, with CNAThe government has raised its travel warnings for several Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing regional conflict, following airstrikes by the US and Israel on Iran over the weekend. Photo: EPAUnder the ministry's four-tier travel alert system, advisories are classified as gray, yellow, orange and red, in ascending order of risk. The ministry had already raised the travel alert for Israel and Iran to the highest level after Israel and the US launched airstrikes on Iran on Saturday. As of today, no official requests had been made by Taiwanese nationals in the Middle East seeking government assistance for evacuation, the ministry said. The ministry said it has made contact with about 3,000 Taiwanese nationals in the Middle East, and they are all safe.

Highs of 32°C before weather front drives temperatures downStaff writer, with CNAThe mercury is likely to hit 32°C in parts of Taiwan today, but would drop later in the day with the arrival of a weather front, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In southern Taiwan, daytime highs are to range between 31°C and 32°C, while other parts of the country would see temperatures of 26°C to 30°C, the CWA said. Photo: Taipei TimesBy nighttime, the mercury is expected to drop to 19°C to 22°C across Taiwan with the arrival of the weather front, the CWA said. According to independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮), wet and cooler weather conditions would prevail across Taiwan into tomorrow. Temperatures are expected to rise again on Wednesday and Thursday, before a seasonal northeasterly system arrives on Friday, Wu said.

Documentary on Taiwanese sculptor premieres in USStaff writer, with CNAA documentary titled Daughter of Nectar (甘露水), which features a Taiwanese sculptor, was screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York on Saturday, marking its US debut. Directed by Huang Pang-chuan (黃邦銓) and Chunni Lin (林君昵), the film takes its name from a 1921 sculpture by Taiwanese artist Huang Tu-shui (黃土水), the Taipei Cultural Center in New York said yesterday. Curator Lin Mun-lee introduces Huang Tu-shui’s sculpture Daughter of Nectar at the Museum of National Taipei University of Education on Dec. 16, 2021. Photo: CNAIn its introduction to the film, MoMA said that Huang became a postwar pariah because of his early 20th-century studies in Japan — Taiwan's former colonizer — and that his work was subsequently pushed into near obscurity. The museum also described the film as "deeply rhythmic in construction" and "intimate and grand."

Iran prepare for Women’s Asian Cup in Australia as bombs drop on homelandAFP, GOLD COAST, AustraliaSoccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. Iranian women’s national soccer coach Marziyeh Jafari, left, and captain Zahra Ghanbari attend a news conference in Gold Coast, Australia, yesterday. “I believe this tournament is great with great teams, but we really want to qualify for the World Cup,” the 33-year-old said. The top six finishers would qualify for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Taiwan’s education not so popularOn Feb. 7, the New York Times ran a column by Nicholas Kristof (“What if the valedictorians were America’s cool kids?”) that blindly and lavishly praised education in Taiwan and in Asia more broadly. We are used to this kind of Orientalist admiration for what is, at the end of the day, paradoxically very Anglo-centered. They could have praised Europeans for valuing education, too, but one rarely sees an American praising Europe, right? It immediately made me think of something I have observed. If Taiwanese education looks so wonderful through the eyes of the archetypal expat, gazing from an ivory tower, howBy Julien Oeuillet 曾樂昂

Researchers praise new prostate cancer treatmentThe GuardianA new drug for advanced prostate cancer has shown promise in early trials experts have said, with the medication shrinking tumors in some patients. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in many countries, including the US and UK. Signage for Zero Prostate Cancer and Novartis AG hangs on the facade of the New York Stock Exchange building on June 20 last year. Photo: BloombergHowever, experts say it has not yet had the same impact on prostate cancer. However, it was important studies were carried out with people of different ethnicities, as there were disparities in prostate cancer outcomes, she said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, fires a sniper rifle as his daughter, Ju-ae, second left, looks on at an undisclosed location in North Korea in a photo released on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae, fires a sniper rifle at an undisclosed location in a photo released on Saturday. South Korea’s spy agency last month said that Pyongyang appears to have started the process of designating Ju-ae as leader Kim Jong-un’s successor. KCNA also said that Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong would head the North Korean Workers’ Party’s general affairs department — a role analysts describe as akin to a party secretary-general. The Kim family has ruled North Korea with an iron grip for decades, and a cult of personality surrounding their “Paektu bloodline” dominates daily life in the isolated country.

On social media, he samples real ales and other local delights, with his signature Peruvian bear in tow. “48 times the Japanese ambassador made us proud to be British,” one typical headline said. Many contrast his social media appearances with the awkward or even nagging online presence of the UK’s own politicians. “Social media is free, so small countries like us still have a chance,” Lezhava said. “One wonders whether he is the ambassador of Japan to France or the ambassador of France to France,” one person said.

Reflecting on KMT loyalty in the policeBy Chen Hsueh-chiang 陳學獎While digging through old boxes for spring cleaning this year, I came across a long-expired Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) membership card. Throughout high school, I had refused to bend to the will of my military training instructor by joining the KMT. When we crossed paths on such occasions, I learned that his relegation to Ruiefang, a relatively remote district, was due to loyalty concerns. Among the names were Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) activists and politicians such as Chen Wan-chen (陳婉真), George Chang (張燦鍙) and Lee Ying-yuan (李應元). One chief of police once invited the precinct chiefs for a meal and openly declared his support for a KMT candidate.

China working to freeze out support for DPPBy Lin Tse-yuan, Chen Yu-fu, and Jason Pan / Staff reportersBeijing’s intimidation of Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and her family aims to dissuade Taiwanese businesspeople from supporting the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in upcoming elections, DPP lawmakers said yesterday. The report said Liu, whom it described as a supporter of Taiwanese independence, allowed relatives to profit from business in China while discouraging cross-strait relations. Beijing is ramping up pressure against the DPP as the crucial “nine-in-one” elections approach at the end of the year, DPP Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said yesterday. “Beijing is engaged in threats and oppression against Taiwanese businesspeople in China... “Since campaigning for the nine-in-one elections has begun, Beijing is working to prevent the business community from donating to DPP candidates and pushing for more support for the ‘blue’ political camp,” the official said.

Canadian senators eyeing trade deal with Taiwan‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark CarneyBy Jake Chung

Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. According to the ministry, the approximately 3,000 Taiwanese nationals currently in the Middle East with whom it has established contact are safe. Taiwan maintains cordial and substantive ties with Israel, while Iran has cultivated close relations with the People’s Republic of China, the official said. With public sentiment in Iran toward China increasingly negative, being identified locally as “Chinese” could expose Taiwanese to heightened risk, the official said.

Woman indicted for allegedly selling fake academic certificates on ShopeeBy Hsu Kuo-chen, Cheng Ching-yi and Sam Garcia / Staff reporters, with staff writerAn online seller has been indicted for allegedly forging academic certificates, the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office said, adding that more than 60 percent of the buyers were military personnel. A woman in Taichung, surnamed Chu (朱), allegedly sold fake academic certificates online through Shopee for NT$5,000 each from July 2024 to May last year, which she said looked “realistic,” the prosecutors said. Photo: Taipei TimesOf Chu’s nine buyers, six were military personnel who bought college or high school diplomas, they added. Police said the military personnel likely bought the fake certificates to meet requirements for promotions, bonuses or specialized departments. Investigators warned that buyers of forged academic certificates could include members of fraud rings impersonating prosecutors or police.

Nearly blind refugee found dead after his release in USAP, BUFFALO, New YorkIn the moments after US Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a Buffalo, New York, doughnut shop, surveillance video recorded Nurul Amin Shah Alam stepping gingerly through the empty parking lot in his county-issued jail booties. Shah Alam was found dead on Tuesday last week outside the arena where the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres play. In the videos, police approach Shah Alam in a snowy backyard as he holds what appear to be two curtain rods. Shah Alam, dressed in a hoodie, walks toward the officers, occasionally holding out his hand. Shah Alam was initially charged with felony assault, burglary and criminal mischief charges.

While typhoons used to be the main natural disaster faced by tea plants from 1999 to 2019, droughts have become more common after 2011, it said. With this data, the station developed a smart drip irrigation system that incorporated Internet of Things sensors and AI, Su said. The system can also generate customized irrigation advice based on tea plants’ varietal characteristics, terrain conditions, cultivation approaches and micro-weather data, he added. Production further rose by 2.2-fold during the dry periods in autumn and winter, compared with tea fields without a smart irrigation system, it showed. The system also saved about 13 percent and 24 percent of irrigation water in wet and dry seasons respectively last year, the research showed.