SPACE
No collision risk from asteroid
A potentially hazardous asteroid nearly the size of Taipei 101 is to zoom past Earth on Friday, but there is no collision risk, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The asteroid, known as 2008 OS7, is to make its closest approach to Earth at 10:40pm on Friday, passing at a distance of 0.019 astronomical units (about 2.85 million kilometers), at a speed of 18.2 kilometers per second, the museum said. Astronomers estimate the asteroid to be about 210m to 480m in diameter, making it nearly the height of the Taipei 101 skyscraper, it said, adding that it would not enter Earth’s atmosphere. Based on information provided by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, five asteroids are to travel close to Earth in the coming days, including 2008 OS7, which has been classified as potentially hazardous because it has a diameter of more than 150m, it said. The next significant approach by a potentially hazardous asteroid would on April 14, 2029, it said.
SOCIETY
Keelung plans Ferris wheel
Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) yesterday unveiled his plan to build a Ferris wheel in the city’s downtown area in a bid to promote tourism. It is to be located in a plaza between Keelung Harbor and Taiwan Railways’ Keelung Station. and is expected to have a diameter of 40m to 60m, Hsieh said. While the cost of the Ferris wheel was not immediately clear, he said that additional funds would be allocated to the project, which would replace the temporary amusement facilities the city government is planning to construct later this year in the same area. The city government is also to develop a business operating model for the Ferris wheel service and aims to allocate time slots for residents to visit, he said.
SOCIETY
Fisher dies at sea
An Indonesian fisher on Monday died after falling into the sea while aboard a ship operating in waters off Penghu County, the Coast Guard Administration’s Fleet Branch Penghu Offshore Flotilla said. The flotilla said it dispatched a patrol boat on Monday night after receiving a request for assistance in the search for a person who had fallen overboard from the Penghu-based Da Jin Man No. 16, which was 60 nautical miles (111.12km) southwest of Cimei Island (七美島). The fishing ship subsequently found the 22-year-old fisher nearby, it said, adding that authorities are examining the body. The ship had one Taiwanese and six Indonesian crew members on board.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
Starting next month, people who signed up for the TPass 2.0 program can receive a 15 percent rebate for trips on mid to long-distance freeway buses or on buses headed to the east coast twice every month, the Highway Bureau said. Bureau Director-General Lin Fu-shan (林福山) said the government started TPass 2.0 to offer rebates to frequent riders of public transportation, or people who use city buses, highway buses, trains or MRTs at least 11 times per month. As of Nov. 12, 265,000 people have registered for TPass 2.0, and about 16.56 million trips between February and September qualified for
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
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