The annual Wanan air defense exercise is scheduled to be held across the nation from July 24 to July 27, with civilians required to shelter in place while the drills are being conducted in their area, the Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday.
Air raid sirens are to sound at 1:30pm to signal the start of the 30-minute drills on July 24 in northern Taiwan, July 25 in southern Taiwan, July 26 in eastern Taiwan and outlying counties, and July 27 in central Taiwan, the ministry said.
Under the ministry’s zoning system for the drills, northern Taiwan includes Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu county and city, and Yilan County, while southern Taiwan covers Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County.
Photo: CNA
The eastern and outlying areas include Hualien, Taitung, Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties, while central Taiwan comprises Taichung, Chiayi city and county, and Miaoli, Changhua, Nantou and Yunlin counties.
City and county governments are to designate a township, city or district where even stricter evacuation protocols would be implemented, the ministry said.
In those areas, drivers would be asked to stop their vehicles and seek shelter with passengers while following police instructions, it said.
Following the half-hour air raid drills, local governments would stage another 30 minutes of drills to test shelter operations, and check if utilities are working and ensure there are enough supplies, the ministry said.
The air defense exercise this year aims to raise public awareness of emergency warnings to reduce the possibility of casualties and damage if attacks occur, it added.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS