MILITARY
Warplane incident resolved
An Indigenous Defense Fighter jet that appeared to malfunction in mid-air landed safely at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung yesterday, the air force said. Ground crew spotted the plane’s apparent malfunction and instructed the pilot to land immediately, the air force said in a statement. The incident happened during an aerial rehearsal ahead of an open day at the air base tomorrow, the air force said. The air force said that the incident was caused by a defective exhaust nozzle sleeve. A preliminary investigation indicated that the malfunctioning component allowed flames to shoot from the nozzle walls, it said. The engine remained intact and no foreign object or internal object damage was detected, it added. The jet is to undergo repairs, it said without elaborating.
MILITARY
Chinese craft detected
Thirty-three Chinese warplanes were detected in the nation’s air defense identification zone in the 24 hours to 6am yesterday, including eight that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said. Six J-10 and two J-16 fighters crossed the median line, while a Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and a Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft flew close to the southwestern boundary of the zone before turning back, flight path information released by the ministry showed. In addition, six Chinese military vessels were detected in waters around Taiwan during the same 24-hour period, it said. The ministry deployed aircraft, ships and coastal missile systems in response to the situation, it said.
MILITARY
Live-fire drills unveiled
The air force and navy are to jointly conduct annual live-fire exercises using air-to-air and anti-ship missiles in waters off the southeastern coast for three days from Tuesday next week, a military source said. Dubbed a “precision missile drill,” the testing is a major military exercise organized alternately by the air force and the navy every year to assess combat readiness, the source said. Air force fighters — Mirage-2000 5s, domestically made Indigenous Defense Fighters and F-16Vs — would fire “shoot and forget” AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air MICAs made by European missile maker MBDA, the source said. The navy would launch Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles at four decommissioned vessels, including two Ching Chiang-class patrol vessels, and two rescue and salvage ships, the source said.
ASTRONOMY
Perseids to peak on Sunday
The peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower is to occur on Sunday, with conditions to spot “shooting stars” expected to be the best for the past few years, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said on Wednesday. The meteor shower, famed for long-lasting streaks of light, is expected to provide views of up to 100 meteors per hour, the museum said. Due to a waning crescent moon, which will not rise until 3am on Monday, stargazing should be relatively easy, it said. The best Perseid performance on record was in 1993, when there were up to 300 meteors visible an hour, NASA said. The Perseids, considered one of the most spectacular meteor showers — along with the Quadrantids in January and the Geminids in December — are active from July 17 to Aug. 24 this year, the museum said. Clear skies are forecast in northern and eastern Taiwan over the weekend, while rain is likely elsewhere, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
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