DIPLOMACY
French senators arrive
A group of French lawmakers led by French Senate Taiwan Friendship Group chairman Rachid Temal have arrived for a six-day trip, during which they are to meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday. The delegation is to attend two banquets hosted by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) respectively, the ministry said in a statement. The group — which includes French senators Jean-Michel Arnaud, Francois Bonneau, Bernard Buis, Yannick Jadot and Mireille Jouve — is to visit the economics, defense and environmental ministries, it added. The delegates are also to visit representatives of the nation’s three major parties, as well as electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co and Sun Moon Lake.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
TRANSPORTATION
Four injured in fire on HSR
Four people were injured on Saturday night when a power bank on a high-speed rail (HSR) train caught fire. At about 9pm, while the train was passing through Yunlin County, a passenger’s power bank caught fire, the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said. The conductor quickly evacuated passengers from the car and notified the railway police, it said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way, it said, adding that if the fire was the result of the passenger’s improper use or handling of the power bank, they would be held legally and financially responsible. The Railway Police Bureau’s Kaohsiung branch said the case would be probed for potential public endangerment.
MILITARY
Museum to open in 2027
The National Military Museum in Taipei is scheduled to open in 2027 and would showcase a range of retired weapons systems, the state-run Military News Agency reported on Saturday. The museum, which is more than two-thirds complete, would feature an M5A1 tank, an F-5 jet, an MIM-23 HAWK missile and an OH-13 helicopter, the museum’s preparatory office said. The seven-story building is to have a 30m-high lobby and a corridor flanked by installations inspired by color guards and marching bands, to create an “awe-inspiring atmosphere” that reflects the discipline of the nation’s armed forces, the office said. The permanent exhibition would span the second through sixth floors, covering themes such as the development of militaries worldwide, World War II, historical battles between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan’s efforts toward defense autonomy and the international situation, it added.
WEATHER
Hot weather forecast: CWA
Hot and sunny weather is forecast across the nation over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency urged people engaging in outdoor activities to take precautions against sun exposure, especially at about midday, and to stay hydrated. Sporadic afternoon showers might occur across the nation, while mountainous regions might experience localized heavy rains, the CWA forecast. From Wednesday to Friday, a tropical disturbance is predicted to pass through the Philippines’ Luzon Island and enter the South China Sea, bringing slightly more moisture and increasing the chances of sporadic afternoon rains or thundershowers in the east, mountainous areas and Pingtung County’s Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島), independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
Taiwanese celebrities Hank Chen (陳漢典) and Lulu Huang (黃路梓茵) announced yesterday that they are planning to marry. Huang announced and posted photos of their engagement to her social media pages yesterday morning, joking that the pair were not just doing marketing for a new show, but “really getting married.” “We’ve decided to spend all of our future happy and hilarious moments together,” she wrote. The announcement, which was later confirmed by the talent agency they share, appeared to come as a surprise even to those around them, with veteran TV host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) saying he was “totally taken aback” by the news. Huang,
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