■Travel
More tourists head to Macau
With the danger of SARS diminishing, the number of Taiwanese visitors to Macau has been increasing since early June, according to statistics released yesterday by the Macao authorities. The statistics show that the daily number of Taiwanese travelers to Macau, excluding those who only made a stopover in Macau en route to China, averaged 55 between June 9 and June 20, an increase of 275 percent over the average for the period between April 30 and June 9, at the height of SARS outbreak Macau authorities said they believe the number of Taiwanese travelers to Macau will increase more quickly in July and August. A total of 1.27 million Taiwan visitors came to Macau last year, averaging 3,480 per day.
■ Typhoons
Forecasters get new gear
Meteorology experts are expected to begin monitoring typhoons this summer with new cutting-edge technology and equipment obtained from the US. Under a typhoon research program financed by the National Science Council, meteorologists are expected to be able to fly aboard a specially designed aircraft near approaching typhoons, where they will shoot an "atmospheric sonde," or "radiosonde" observation gear, into the eye of the typhoon to collect data that will give the scientists vital information about the typhoon, said Wu Chun-chieh (吳俊傑) of National Taiwan University, which is managing the program. The NSC program sent four experts to a hurricane research center under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US at the end of last year for a two-month training session, according to Wu. The program, targeting at understanding the dynamic theory of typhoons, will help improve the accuracy of typhoon and rainfall forecasts and will raise Taiwan's prestige in typhoon research, Wu added.
■ Railways
Electrification project ends
The electrification project for the North-Link Railway between Ilan and Hualien in eastern Taiwan will be completed on Wednesday, an official of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) said yesterday. He said that, after the project is completed, the transportation capacity of the 88km railway will increase by more than 30 percent and the time to travel between Taipei and Hualien by express train will be reduced from three hours to two and a half hours. The electrification project is part of TRA's plan to improve the eastern line. The plan will be completed by the end of next year, he added.
■ Security
Restricted airspace violated
A civilian helicopter flew through restricted airspace near the Presidential Office in the second such incident in four days, officials said yesterday. The Bell helicopter flew through the airspace of the Presidential Office at 4:56pm on Saturday after it took off from Sungshan Airport en route to the southern city of Kaohsiung, television news reports said. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) confirmed the report. "The CAA held two meetings today to investigate the event," a CAA official said, without providing details. A Presidential Office spokesman said: "The Presidential Office took the two events very seriously and asked government agencies to beef up security while looking into the two events." The CAA on Thursday suspended an airport controller after a domestic passenger aircraft flew close to the restricted airspace near the Presidential Office.
Agencies
■Entertainment
TTV selects new anchor
TTV has chosen Berkeley, California native Josi Chow (周季薇) to be its new English-language anchor. The 26-year old Chow will host the Taiwan Outlook English news program weekday mornings from 6am to 6:30am. Chow has a bachelor's degree in economics according to a press release from the station. The release also said that Chow did not study journalism but has been "studying all kinds of English newspapers ... and is working hard to become a professional." According to the press release, Chow said "I'm so nervous and excited."
■ Politics
Hualien race off to start
The KMT will finalize its recommended candidate for the upcoming Hualien County commissioner by-election this week, party officials said yesterday. The issue will be discussed at the Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday, KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) said. Officials from both the KMT and the PFP have said the two parties will field a joint ticket. The KMT is seeking former Cabinet secretary-general Hsieh Shen-shan (謝深山) to run, but a number of other hopefuls are also jockeying for candidacy, including former Hualien County commissioner Wu Kuo-tung (吳國棟) and Liu Chao-eh (劉詔娥), widow of the late commissioner Chang Fu-hsing (張福興). On the PFP's side, Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) has also vowed to run.
■ Environment
Heat wave on the way
Taiwan will have hot weather throughout the week, with temperatures rising as high as 34℃, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.
Staff writer
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he
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