WEATHER
Temperatures to rise
Temperatures across the nation could rise significantly over this week, starting today with daytime highs of 20°C to 26°C nationwide, the Central Weather Bureau said. From tomorrow to Wednesday, the mercury is expected to climb even higher, with daytime temperatures set to hover between 22°C and 27°C nationwide, the bureau said yesterday. Meanwhile, sporadic showers can be expected in northern and northeastern areas today and the chances of rain are likely to increase until mid-week, as clouds heavy with moisture move in from the south, the bureau said. It said that a newly formed tropical storm in the Pacific is unlikely to affect the nation significantly. Tropical Storm Sonamu, the first storm of this year’s Pacific typhoon season, was centered 1,800km south-southwest of Taiwan’s southernmost tip as of 8am yesterday, bureau forecasters said.
SOCIETY
Book fair to be held on ship
The Germany-registered passenger ship Logos Hope is scheduled to hold a book fair at Keelung Port from tomorrow until Jan. 20, the organizers said yesterday. More than 5,000 books on science, sport, cuisine, art, philosophy and language will be on display the German charity Good Books for All (GBA) Ships said. There will also be a “life experience” section that will allow visitors to, for example, feel what it is like to be an AIDS patient, the organizers said. Logos Hope is the latest addition to GBA Ships and is twice the size of MV Doulos, a similar type of floating bookstore that has visited the nation several times. The ship is carrying about 400 volunteer crew members from 56 countries, working in positions such as engineers, accountants and chefs.They will engage in cultural exchanges with visitors, the organizers said.
TRANSPORT
Spanish firm wins rail bid
A company from Spain has won the opening bid to build a light rail system in Greater Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung City Government Secretary-General Wu Hung-mo (吳宏謀) said Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles won the bid with a project cost estimate of about NT$5.68 billion (US$195.86 million), lower than the NT$5.8 billion base price set by the government. The Spanish firm will construct the project jointly with the Taipei-based Evergreen Construction Corp, Wu said. The 8.7km light rail transport system is a major project that is expected to help promote economic development in the area near Kaohsiung Port, according to the city government. The transport system will connect many important facilities in the city.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Representative appointed
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tung Kuo-yu (董國猷) has been appointed Taiwan’s representative to the EU and Belgium, the Presidential Office announced on Friday. Tung, 60, will take up the post that was made vacant when his predecessor, David Lin (林永樂), was appointed foreign minister late last year. Once he formally assumes office, Tung is expected to push for a working holiday agreement with Belgium and an economic cooperation agreement with the EU. Well-versed in European and North American affairs, Tung has been posted in Houston and New York before taking over as deputy representative to the US in April 2008. Joseph Shih (石定), current deputy head of the ministry’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, will succeed Tung as vice foreign minister.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
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