Sat, Aug 10, 2024 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  ASTRONOMY

  Perseids to be live streamed

  The Taipei Astronomical Museum is to launch a social media livestream of this year’s Perseid meteor shower during the streak’s peak on Monday next week, it said yesterday. The meteor shower on that day would appear in the night sky shortly after the moon sets at about 11pm assuming ideal weather conditions, the observatory said in a YouTube post, adding that the phenomenon would reach a zenith hourly rate of 100. That means stargazers in Taiwan could spot between 60 and 80 meteors per hour, it said. The observatory would watch the streak from a mountaintop in a live stream with commentary by an expert, it said. The shooting stars that make up the Perseid meteor shower are known for their speed and brilliance, averaging about 95 meteors per hour, more numerous than any other phenomenon of its kind, the observatory said.

  

  Photo courtesy of the Taipei Astronomical Museum

  DIPLOMACY

  Cross-strait peace urged

  Canada and Australia in a joint statement issued on Thursday stated the importance of maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, while expressing concern over “China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.” “We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and our opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. We call for the peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue without the threat or use of force or coercion,” said the “Joint Statement on Strengthening the Canada-Australia Defence Relationship” issued following a meeting between Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles. The statement said that China’s claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with international law, adding: “We also emphasize the importance of all states’ abilities to exercise rights and freedoms, including freedom of navigation and overflight, in a manner that is consistent with international law.”

  DEFENSE

  Ships combat-ready: navy

  The navy said that it is “confident” it can maintain its warships’ combat-readiness, following a report issued by the National Audit Office last week that said half of the nation’s warships have not completed routine maintenance as scheduled. In its Central Government Budget Audit Report, the office warned that 14 out of the 26 main battleships of the navy, or 53.85 percent, were not following routine maintenance schedules. Those warships had delayed their maintenance cycles by one to 10 months, affecting the vessels’ armament and equipment stability, and potentially impacting military deployment capabilities, said the report, citing data compiled as of July last year. In response, Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Shih Wu-chiao (施武樵) said that naval warships have made some “adjustments” in their missions due to “cross-strait relations and operations on the sea by Chinese forces” since 2022. “We are confident that a certain level and robustness in the status of our warships will be maintained,” he said, implying that increased operations by China’s military in waters near Taiwan had not significantly impacted the navy’s ability to ensure combat readiness.
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