WEATHER
Temperature to reach 36°C
Cloudy to sunny skies are forecast for central and southern Taiwan this week with temperatures expected to reach as high as 36°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.
With a warm easterly wind system likely to set in, stable weather conditions are expected to continue in the southern half of the country over the week, with daytime temperatures expected to range between 32°C and 34°C, the CWA said, adding that the mercury in mountainous areas is likely to reach 36°C. As for northern Taiwan, the weather is expected to stabilize from Sunday next week after a weak northeasterly wind system quickly moves past the north, with highs forecast to range from 31°C to 32°C until Tuesday. In the second half of tomorrow, northern Taiwan is expected to see increased cloud cover and sporadic showers are possible, cooling the weather, with daytime temperatures forecast to range between 28°C and 29°C for the remainder of the week, it said.
DEFENSE
Ten PLA aircraft cross line
Ten of 16 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft that were identified as operating around Taiwan in the 24-hour period starting at 6am on Friday crossed the the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Of the 10 aircraft that crossed the median line, an unspecified number flew as close as 61 nautical miles (113km) off Taichung, flight paths released by the ministry showed. Two of the 16 PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern air defense identification zone between 8:24am and 4:57pm on Friday, flying as close as 48 nautical miles off Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, as shown by the flight paths. Eight PLA Navy vessels were also detected in waters off Taiwan, it said. The ministry said the defence forces monitored the situation and deployed combat air patrol aircraft, vessels and coastal missile defense systems in response.
DIPLOMACY
MOFA urges no Iran travel
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday called on people to avoid unnecessary travel to Israel and Iran, citing reports of a potential direct attack on Israeli territory by Iran in the coming days. The ministry issued the advice after Iran vowed to retaliate following the bombing of its embassy in Damascus, Syria, by Israel on April 1. People engaged in business or travel in Israel and Iran should remain vigilant, the ministry said, adding that it has directed the Taiwanese representative office in Israel to maintain close contact with the local expatriate community. In the event of an emergency when visiting the region, Taiwan nationals are advised to call its Taipei headquarters’ toll free hotline at +886-800-085-095 to seek assistance, it said. They can also call Taiwan’s representative offices in Israel at +972-544-275-204 and in Dubai at +971-50-6453018, as well as the Taiwan Trade Center in Tehran at +98-21-8879-4243.
DIPLOMACY
Taiwanese evacuate Haiti
Three of Taiwan’s technical mission members based in Haiti’s Artibonite region have been evacuated to the neighboring Dominican Republic amid escalating unrest in Artibonite, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. A total of 15 Taiwanese nationals, including the country’s ambassador, embassy staff and Taiwanese businesspeople, are still in Haiti, and the embassy continues to function normally, it said, adding that it would continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate measures.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
RSS