The government has helped 20 Taiwanese leave Israel and three leave Iran amid the conflict in the region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today.
The ministry is in close contact with Taiwanese nationals in the region, Lin said, adding that there are 270 Taiwanese in Israel and nine in Iran.
Twenty Taiwanese left Israel by land for Jordan in three batches starting on Sunday, while three Taiwanese left Iran by land and arrived in Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
Photo: CNA
One of the Taiwanese who left Iran, Kang Cheng-hsuan (康承暄), said that she traveled from Isfahan, a southern city in Iran, to Tehran on Sunday.
Kang said she saw thousands of people trying to get bus tickets to leave the capital amid the sound of explosions and people screaming.
She crossed the border into Turkey on Monday night and took a bus to Istanbul, which was stopped at two military checkpoints along the way, Kang said, adding that she would fly to Thailand from Turkey today and hopefully return to Taiwan in the next few days.
The ministry again urged people not to travel to the region.
Asked if Taiwanese in Iran have sought help from China, Lin said that the ministry is in contact with citizens overseas.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv is operating in accordance with the Israeli government’s instruction, Lin said.
Staffers are working from home according to operating procedures, he said, adding that they would work in the office if necessary.
The government is paying close attention to oil and commodity prices, which could fluctuate as the situation intensifies, he said.
President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) have held meetings about the conflict, Lin said.
High-ranking national security officials have made plans to cope with the situation, he said, adding that they would be announced soon.
In a routine security briefing earlier this week, Lai instructed the national security team and the administration to fully prepare and remain alert to the situation in terms of safety, international relations, and potential political and economic risks, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.
Lai also directed the Executive Yuan to ensure a stable supply of daily goods and monitor the prices of raw materials, energy and consumer goods, Kuo said.
The government is fully aware of the changes in the geopolitical situation and is in close contact with allies to safeguard the nation’s interests and ensure people’s safety, she added.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS