WEATHER
Low temperatures forecast
As northeast seasonal winds weakened yesterday, temperatures could dip to as low as 15?C next week in northern Taiwan, weather forecaster Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said. The weather was likely to improve from yesterday with less chance of rain. Today and tomorrow there remains a chance of showers in northeastern and eastern Taiwan, while the weather is predicted to be fair in other places. Daytime temperatures could reach 27?C in northern Taiwan and about 30?C in central and southern areas, although it is likely to be more than 10?C colder in the morning and evening. A new wave of northeast seasonal winds due to arrive on Tuesday are likely to be felt until Saturday, Wu said. The season’s first cold front is likely to see temperatures drop to between 16?C and 17?C in northern Taiwan from Tuesday.
AVIATION
UAV users told ‘stay clear’
The Civil Aeronautics Administration has reminded unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) users to stay clear of airports, saying that 15 people have been fined for operating UAVs near airports in the past three years. The administration said that in 2001 it set off-limit areas for flying objects that could endanger aircraft safety, such as kites, lanterns, firecrackers, remote-control aircraft and UAVs. The ban is backed by the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法), it said. According to administration statistics, there have been 15 cases involving flying UAVs around airports since 2014, and among them, nine cases were near Taipei (Songshan) Airport at such locations as the Grand Hotel and Taipei 101. According to the act, people who are found releasing objects that could endanger flight safety will be fined between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$9,397 and US$46,988).
DIPLOMACY
Taiwan congratulates king
Taiwan on Friday congratulated Maha Vajiralongkorn on formally becoming the new king of Thailand, after late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on Oct. 13 at the age of 88. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered congratulations to the king, who ascended to the throne on Thursday after accepting an invitation from the Thai parliament to succeed his father. SAying Taiwan and Thailand have conducted close cooperation in trade, tourism, culture and education, the ministry added it “hopes to improve bilateral friendship and continue to promote bilateral exchanges based on the existing foundation.”
HEALTHCARE
CDC alert issued for China
Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued its second-highest travel advisory in its three-tier system on Friday for the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China after the region reported a case of H5N6 avian flu. The CDC said a 30-year-old farmer from Liuzhou was admitted to hospital on Nov. 18 after coming in contact with sick poultry, and she is now in a serious condition. The Guangxi government believes it is an isolated case and that the risk of the flu spreading is low, according to the CDC. The CDC’s three-tier system is “watch,” “alert” and “warning,” in order of severity. On the novel influenza A virus infections, the CDC has issued an “alert” travel advisory for Zhejiang, Guangdong, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Fujian, Shandong, Hubei, Hebei, Liaoning, Henan, Yunnan, as well as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Other Chinese cities and provinces were listed at “watch.”
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The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
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Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
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