WEATHER
Two weather fronts coming
Two weather fronts are set to bring precipitation to the nation from today, but the rain would do little to relieve a drought in central and southern Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said on Sunday. The first front would pass through Taiwan between today and tomorrow, CWB forecaster Lin Ting- yi (林定宜) said. Northeasterly seasonal winds would increase, driving down temperature highs from 28oC to 22oC, and lows to 19oC, he said, adding that sporadic showers are set to hit the north and northeast, as well as mountainous areas in central and southern Taiwan. A second front is to arrive between Saturday night and Sunday, Lin said. While the second front is likely to destabilize the weather in the north and northeast, its actual effect could only be gauged as it gets closer to the nation next week, he said.
HEALTH
Mpox vaccine filled
As of yesterday morning, the 30,000 slots for the second round of mpox vaccination had all been booked, so the online registration platform has been temporarily closed, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said. The next batch of about 60,000 shots is expected to arrive in the middle of next month, and registration is expected to begin either late next month or in early June, he said. The first round of mpox vaccination registration began on March 21 and the 3,000 slots were filled within 10 minutes, while the second round of registration started in the afternoon of April 10 and the 30,000 slots were filled by 10:39am yesterday. As of yesterday, Taiwan had 40 mpox cases — 31 local and nine imported.
MILITARY
Military reshuffle announced
Navy Commander Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) is to take over as chief of the general staff, the top commanding post in the military, on Monday next week, the Ministry of National Defense announced last week. Mei is to replace Chen Pao-yu (陳寶餘), who reached the retirement age for servicemen, 64, last year. However, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) extended his service last year, making Chen the first chief of the general staff to prolong his duty. Vice Chief of General Staff Tang Hua (唐華) is to be the new navy commander, the ministry said. Vice Minister of National Defense in charge of armaments Wang Hsin- lung (王信龍) is to serve as one of the military strategy advisers at the Presidential Office. His position is to be filled by army Commander Hsu Yen-pu (徐衍璞), while army Vice Commander Chung Shu- ming (鍾樹明) is to be promoted to take over Hsu’s post. All assignments are to take effect on Monday next week, it said.
HEALTH
Two noodle brands banned
Two types of instant noodles made by Southeast Asian brands have been found to contain a cancer-inducing substance, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday as it released the results of its inspection of instant noodles in the city. The department said it found a batch of “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles” from Malaysia and a batch of “Indomie: Special Chicken Flavour” noodles from Indonesia contained ethylene oxide, a chemical compound associated with lymphoma and leukemia. Ethylene oxide was detected in the noodles and flavor packet of the Malaysian product, and in the flavor packet of the Indonesian product. The unspecified retailer from which the samples were collected have been told to pull the two products from their shelves, and the products’ importers could be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,958 and US$6.5 million), it said.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck about 33km off the coast of Hualien City was the "main shock" in a series of quakes in the area, with aftershocks expected over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake shaking most of Taiwan at 6:53pm yesterday, six other earthquakes stronger than a magnitude of 4, starting with a magnitude 5.5 quake at 6:09pm, occurred in the area. CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) confirmed that the quakes were all part of the same series and that the magnitude 5.5 temblor was
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