WEATHER
Temperatures set to drop
A continental cold air mass approaching the nation is expected to push nighttime temperatures in the north down to 13°C tomorrow, and to between 10°C and 12°C from Sunday to Tuesday, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said. Increased moisture during this period is also set to bring rainfall and a chance of snow in areas above 3,000m. The cold weather is to ease during the daytime between Tuesday and Wednesday, with isolated rain forecast for the greater Taipei area and eastern Taiwan, former CWB Weather Forecast Center director Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said. On Thursday, the weather across the nation is forecast to be pleasant, with temperatures of up to 20°C in the morning, and highs of 23°C in the north, and 28°C in the central and southern parts of the nation, the bureau said.
PHARMACEUTICALS
Birth-control pills recalled
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday ordered Winston Medical Supply Co to recall some of its birth-control pills after a failed stability test raised questions about their quality. The agency said that the manufacturer of Winstop T/28 FC Tablets, must complete the recall of 3 million pills, distributed in four batches — ST-18A01, ST- 18B01, ST-19A01, and ST-19B01 — by Jan. 14. A stability test conducted by the company had found that a main compound in those contraceptives, which should range from 90 to 110 percent, was under the minimum requirement, the FDA said. The result suggested that the efficacy of the drug could be undermined, it said, adding the company should submit by Jan. 14 its review on the recall and follow-up measures to prevent similar incidents.
TRAVEL
Train services boosted
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said it has added 309 journeys to its schedule from Jan. 27 to Feb. 7 to meet an expected surge in demand over the Lunar New Year holiday. Bookings for the TRA’s Eastern Trunk Line are to open at midnight on Dec. 29, while tickets for Western Trunk Line tickets are to become available at midnight on Dec. 30. A discount of NT$100 and NT$200 are on offer for the Taipei-Yilan and Taipei-Hualien routes respectively, it said. Citizens whose ID numbers start with the letter U or V, and residents whose household registration is in Hualien or Taitung, are to be given priority when registering for the Tzuchiang train tickets, it said, adding that eligibility extends to spouses and immediate family members. Lunar New Year’s Eve falls on Jan. 31.
DIPLOMACY
Driver’s license swap inked
The UK and Taiwan have signed a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of driving licenses between the two countries, the British Office Taipei said in a statement yesterday. Starting on Jan. 1, residents who hold a valid driver’s license in Taiwan or the UK would to be eligible for a license in the other country. The exchanged license is to be valid for six years from the date of issue. British Representative to Taiwan John Dennis and Taiwanese Representative to the UK Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵) signed the memorandum at an online ceremony yesterday, which was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁). The agreement “offers major new flexibilities, particularly to long-term UK residents of Taiwan, and it symbolises the powerful and deepening cooperation between the UK and Taiwan in so many areas,” Dennis was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS