President William Lai (賴清德) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) were sworn into office on Monday morning as the fifth popularly elected leaders of Taiwan.
Outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also attended the inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei, where Lai received the great seal of the nation from Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to symbolize his assumption of office.
Lai’s first official duty was to sign a document officially appointing Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) as premier, Pan Men-an (潘孟安) as secretary-general of the Presidential Office and Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) as secretary-general of the National Security Council.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei News Photographer Association via AFP
He then presided over the swearing-in ceremonies of senior officials before he and Hsiao received foreign guests in attendance.
A total of 51 groups of 508 foreign dignitaries are attending the inauguration ceremony and related activities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The ceremony was followed by music and cultural performances outside of the Presidential Office before Lai was set to deliver his inaugural speech at 11am.
Photo: An Rong Xu, Bloomberg
Photo: CNA
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old