Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew yesterday said he has a deep appreciation for Taiwan’s “remarkable achievements” in multiple areas, adding that it serves as a model for his country.
Drew, who is in Taiwan for his third visit since taking office in 2022, is scheduled to meet with President William Lai (賴清德) and witness the forging of sister city relationships between Basseterre and two Taiwanese cities — Taipei and Tainan — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The previous visits “left me with a deep appreciation for Taiwan’s remarkable achievements in technology, innovation, science, and education, and this visit is no different,” he told reporters upon arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where he was welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“Each engagement provides us, as a young and ambitious nation, with an opportunity to learn, grow, and explore new ways to advance our own development,” Drew said.
“As we continue this longstanding friendship, Saint Kitts and Nevis remains steadfast in its support for Taiwan, especially in ensuring that your invaluable contributions to global peace, development, and innovation receive the recognition and inclusion they deserve in the international community,” he added.
The visiting delegation from Saint Kitts and Nevis includes Drew’s wife, Diani Prince-Drew, Kittian Minister of Foreign Affairs Denzil Douglas, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Naeemah Hazelle and Ambassador Leon Natta-Nelson.
Their five-day stay includes a formal meeting with Lin and Lai.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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