ASTRONOMY
Venus eclipse visible today
Astronomy buffs have a chance to see the moon eclipse Venus today, albeit in less-than-stellar viewing conditions, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon, known as a lunar occultation, should be visible in Taiwan from noon to 1:03pm, and can also be observed in Hong Kong and parts of Southeast Asia, the museum said. The last time a lunar occultation of Venus could be seen in Taiwan was in 2003, and the next time will not be until 2036. Because the eclipse will occur during the day, it cannot be seen with the naked eye, although people with star tracking equatorial mounts can train their telescopes on Venus before dawn and track the planet until the occultation occurs, the museum said. Weather permitting, a narrated livestream of the event is to be broadcast on YouTube beginning at 11:40am.
WEATHER
Falling rocks injure driver
A scooter rider was taken to hospital with a broken arm after being hit by falling rocks in New Taipei City’s Wugu District (五股) on Wednesday, as areas across the nation were soaked under heavy rainfall. The man in his 50s lost his balance and broke his right arm after being hit by rocks that fell on Laiyi Road, the city’s fire department said. A weather station in the city’s Bali District (八里) recorded Wednesday’s rainfall at 184mm as of 8:50pm, while nine other locations in New Taipei City and Taoyuan recorded 157.5mm to 178mm of rain. In Alishan Township (阿里山), falling rocks damaged two cars in separate incidents on Wednesday, county police said, adding that the occupants of the vehicles were uninjured.
DIPLOMACY
Delegation tightens EU ties
A delegation led by Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺) met with European Commission officials to discuss bilateral economic ties during its trip to Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday. The Taiwanese and European sides exchanged views on trade and investment, and discussed ways to boost economic ties, the ministry said. The visit to Brussels is part of a trip that includes a stop in Lithuania from Wednesday to today. The 24-member delegation also attended roundtable talks with about 20 representatives from European businesses, think tanks and industry associations.
DEMOCRACY SUMMIT
Lawmakers speak for Taiwan
Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) on Wednesday said he would attend the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on June 9 and 10, where he is to discuss “standing up to China’s authoritarian bullying” with foreign parliamentarians. Lim said on social media that he would take part in discussions with German, Indian and Ugandan lawmakers during the summit, organized by the Alliance of Democracies. He hopes to ensure that Taiwan’s voice is heard, and to learn from other countries’ experiences, he said. Other lawmakers attending include Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝衣鳳), New Power Party Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠). The summit, now in its fifth year, is scheduled to host discussions on the relationship between technology and democracy, along with ways to defend Ukraine, counter authoritarian power and build an alliance of democracies, the organizers said.
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.
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
Taiwan next year plans to launch its first nationwide census on elderly people living independently to identify the estimated 700,000 seniors to strengthen community-based healthcare and long-term care services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on the sidelines of a healthcare seminar that the nation’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate have made the issue of elderly people living alone increasingly pressing. The survey, to be jointly conducted by the MOHW and the Ministry of the Interior, aims to establish baseline data and better allocate care resources, he
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