President Lai Qing-te is in Pingtung County today to inspect flood damage
after Typhoon Gaemi.

Lai joined by Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi (周春米) to tour
several hard-hit townships...

...and apologize to residents for their suffering.

The president said flooding in any county or city is a central government
issue...

...and urged cross-party cooperation to resolve such problems.

He admitted that while southern Taiwan has been improving flood control
systems for the past 20 years...

...rainfall brought by the typhoon exceeded the design standards.

He also promised full support from the central government for 12 water
management projects...

...proposed by the County Magistrate.

Lai noted that Kaohsiung City and Pingtung experienced the most severe damage
from the flooding...

...and said the central government will continue to improve southern Taiwan's
infrastructure.

(BH)

Philippine government personnel have transported food and other supplies to a
fiercely disputed shoal...

...occupied by a Filipino navy contingent without any clashes with China.

The area is closely guarded by Beijing’s forces in the South China Sea.

In the past, such trips have resulted in aggression between the two
countries' ships.

But no confrontations were reported from Saturday's transport.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said today...

...that it was the first Philippine government supply trip to the Second
Thomas Shoal...

...since the Philippines and China reached a deal a week ago to prevent
clashes.

French interior minister congratulated security forces...

...after no major incident was reported during the Olympics opening ceremony.

A massive security operation was deployed to keep the event safe.

The capital’s streets were blocked off, with squadrons of police
patrolling...

...and imposing metal-fence security barriers erected like an iron curtain on
both sides of the River Seine.

Up to 45,000 police and gendarmes as well as 10,000 soldiers have been
deployed for Olympic security.

The long-awaited parade of about 10,000 athletes on the river came as
France’s high-speed rail network was hit...

...with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson
attacks...

...paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe.

Tainan authorities have sealed a breach in the Bazhang River embankment that
had caused severe flooding in the city.

They say as of this morning they've closed the 15-meter gap...

...that opened during the Typhoon Thursday and sent floodwaters surging
through Houbi and Yanshui districts.

Meanwhile, they are pumping water to lower the water level in Yanshui
District.

The typhoon reportedly brought about 400 millimeters of rain to Yanshui in
just 24 hours.

The Water Resources Bureau said the heavy rainfall exceeded the flood control
capacity, leading to the breach.

They added that the city government will request the central government raise
and reinforce the Bazhang River embankment.

(BH)

An alliance of Taiwanese enterprises announced an AI computing center
yesterday...

...with the aim of advancing Taiwan's AI capabilities.

ENLight corporation chairman Joe Lin said the AI Computing Center, or AICC...

...will be "the first in Asia" to use Nvidia's H200 AI chips...

...as well as advanced liquid-cooling systems provided by Supermicro.

AICC's operations will officially start in the fourth quarter of 2024 with 64
servers...

...and will be located in Chief Telecom's smart Internet Data Center in
Taipei.

Lin said eventually there will be a total of 256 servers, with computing
power of 93 petaFLOPS...

...making it 15th most powerful supercomputer in the world.

Lin said purpose of the center is to "help Taiwan to advance its strength
from the hardware field to AI application field...

...realizing the vision of 'AI Taiwan' where state power is defined by
computing power."

A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer
Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower...

...as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century.

The four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony Friday unfurled along the
Seine River.

On-and-off showers didn't seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes.

Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river.

It marked a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated
suspected acts of sabotage...

...targeting France’s high-speed rail network.

Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watched from balconies...

...as Olympic teams paraded in boats along the waterway.

At least eight people have died across Taiwan since Wednesday due to Typhoon
Gaemi

Those include deaths from falling rocks, trees, and walls, as well as
landslides and driving accidents.

Authorities have reported 1 person missing and are still searching for the
man...

...who is believed to have fallen into a culvert in Chiayi County's Fanlu
Township.

The number of people injured during the typhoon was revised upward to 866.

The highest number of injuries, at 259, were reported in Kaohsiung, followed
by 125 in Tainan and 120 in Taichung.

279 emergency camps have been erected to house 1,232 individuals displaced by
the typhoon.

Meanwhile, nine sea vessels sought Taiwan's assistance during the typhoon.

One of those, the Tanzanian-flagged "FU SHUN," sunk off the coast of
Kaohsiung Harbor.

Four crew members rescued from the cargo ship later identified a body pulled
from the water as the vessel's captain.

Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an has been suspended from duty following a corruption
conviction yesterday.

However, KMT lawmaker Yen Kuan-heng, who was found guilty of similar acts the
same day...

...was allowed to continue in his role for the time being.

The Ministry of the Interior released separate statements about the divergent
outcomes of Kao and Yen...

...citing two different laws that govern local government operations and
elected public officials.

Hsinchu Deputy Mayor Chiu Chen-yuan will take over Kao's duties in a
temporary capacity until a final court ruling...

...which if not guilty would see her reinstated, according to the law.

The ministry said Yen, despite also being convicted of corruption...

...is allowed to continue in his role as he was prosecuted under a different
law.

However, if a final court ruling finds Yen guilty, he will be removed from
office.

Both Kao and Yen pledged to appeal the court's decision in their cases.

Tahitian dancers in palm leaf skirts mingled with surfers, locals and
tourists...

...as the opening ceremony for the Games commenced in French Polynesia Friday
morning local time...

...some 15,000 kilometers away from Paris.

Steps from the ocean and near the lush green mountains of Tahiti, the event
was heavily focused on Polynesian culture.

Visitors were welcome with Tahitian singing, dancing and ceremonies.

The surfing competition will take place on the world-famous waves of
Teahupo’o...

...setting the Olympic record for the competition held furthest away from a
host city.

The first day of surfing will run 1AM to 1030AM Sunday Morning Taiwan time.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office says the U.K. will not
intervene...

...with the International Criminal Court’s request for an arrest warrant...

...against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The announcement is reversal of plans announced by former Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak...

...who was ousted earlier this month when Starmer’s Labour Party swept
Conservatives from office in a landslide.

ICC Prosecutor sought warrants for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav
Gallant in May over Israel’s war in Gaza.

It is a symbolic blow that deepened Israel’s isolation over the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the move, while U.S. President
Joe Biden criticized the prosecutor.

It comes as Israel's military has started bombing an area of Khan Younis they
had previously declared a humanitarian zone...

...forcing an estimated 400-thousand people to flee for their lives.

Taiwan badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) and breakdancer Sun Chen (孫振)...

...were at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris Friday to carry the
flag for Team Taiwan...

...which is competing under the name "Chinese Taipei".

They were joined by 37 Taiwanese athletes and coaching staff on a boat that
sailed down the Seine six kilometers...

...marking the first time in Olympic history the event did not take place in
a stadium.

The boat, the 74th to sail into view in the opening ceremony...

...was also carrying the national delegations of Tajikistan, Tanzania and
Tchad.

Sun, also known as B-Boy Quake, said it is a great honor...

...given that this is the first time breaking is being featured as a sport.

He is one of 21 Taiwanese athletes making their Olympic debut in Paris.

The country's first medal could come on Saturday evening Paris time from
judoka Yang Yung-wei (楊勇緯)...

...the team's only top-seeded athlete in Paris, who won a silver medal in
Tokyo in 2021.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (???) will resume her U.S. trip now that Typhoon
Gaemi has left Taiwan.

The city government announced that Lu arrived at Taoyuan International
Airport at 10 last night to continue her trip.

Mayor Lu, a member of the KMT, began her 10-day visit July 22, but upon
landing in the US the next day...

...she decided to return to Taiwan to oversee typhoon response efforts.

Some city councilors from the ruling DPP are criticizing Lu for leaving
before the typhoon.

They accuse her of staging a publicity stunt and wasting money.

Lu is defending her actions, saying that both the typhoon response and the US
visit were official duties...

...and urging everyone to keep focused on typhoon preparedness.

The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society is hosting a special event for Far East
Prisoners of War Day.

The society says the August 10th event takes place at the SPOT THEATRE in
Taipei...

...and features an exhibition of WWII artifacts and a tribute to former
prisoners of war.

Following the tribute, there will also be a screening of the film
"Unbroken"...

...as well as the documentary "The Real Louis Zamperini".

Those interested should contact the society to reserve their free seats by
August 8th.

(NS)

What was Typhoon Gaemi has weakened to a severe tropical storm and is moving
inland toward central China...

...after making landfall Thursday night in coastal Fujian province.

It is still expected to bring heavy rains in the coming days as it moves
northwest to Jiangxi, Hubei and Henan provinces.

The storm felled trees, flooded streets and damaged crops in China...

...but there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

However, more than 290,000 people were relocated because of the storm.

Meanwhile Philippines officials say a steadily climbing death toll has
reached 34 as of yesterday.

That's mostly because of flooding and landslides triggered by days of monsoon
rains that intensified when the typhoon...

...called Carina in the Philippines, passed by the archipelago’s east coast.

Schools and government offices in several inland towns and districts in
Taiwan are closed today...

...in the aftermath of Typhoon Gaemi.

They are located in central and southern Taiwan...

...which has been hit by floods and landslides caused by heavy rain since
Thursday.

10 inland districts in Kaohsiung will close schools and offices due to the
risk of landslides.

Those include Kaohsiung's Neiman, Liouguei, Tianliao, Jiasian, Shanlin...

...Namasia, Meinong, Maolin, Taoyuan, and Cishan districts.

School and office closures have been announced for Nantou County's Sinyi
Township...

...Yunlin County's Gukeng Township and Chiayi County's Alishan Townshi.

The three townships are all in mountainous areas where several roads remain
blocked...

...and landslide warnings are still in place.

In Hualien County, the Sioulin Township Office announced school and office
closures in Heping Village...

...and the Tianxiang area.

In Taichung's mountainous Heping District, Pingdeng Village and Lishan
Village...

...announced school and office closures.

The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration will update its website...

...if local authorities announce further closures today.

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Pingtung County at 9:49 last night.

The Central Weather Administration says the epicenter was in Sandimen
Township, at a depth of 17 km.

The quake's intensity was highest in parts of Pingtung County, where it
measured 4 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale.

A "4" is considered moderately strong...

...potentially startling people indoors and causing some unsecured objects to
topple over.

The temblor recorded an intensity of 2 in Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taitung
County...

...as well as Chiayi City and County, and Yulin County.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Paris has kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a
rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony.

Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials said were
coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines and rains in Paris had
dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony's start on Friday evening.

But as global audiences tuned in, the show’s spectacular launch immediately
lifted spirits.

A humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane.

It was followed by fireworks of French blue, white and red.

Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watching from balconies “oohed”
and “aahed” as Olympic teams began parading in boats along the waterway.

Top diplomats from Southeast Asia are gathered in the Laotian capital with
partners that include the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and
Australia.

It's the last of the three-day regional talks that have grappled with
tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea and the escalating
fighting in Myanmar.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Saturday in Vientiane to meet
with the ASEAN foreign ministers.

He is also expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart as both countries
are looking to expand their influence in the region.

Participants in these meetings represent either critical U.S. allies and
partners, or Washington’s two largest rivals: Moscow and Beijing, which have
grown closer over the past two years.

The death toll in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi has risen to 7...with 1 person
missing, and 785 injuries.

The Central Emergency Operation Center reports the fatalities occurred in
Kaohsiung, Hualien, and Chiayi counties.

The center reports the highest injury numbers in Kaohsiung, Taichung, and
Tainan.

Over 3-thousand flooding incidents were recorded, with some areas still
underwater.

9 maritime incidents were recorded, including the Tanzanian-registered
"Fushun", which sank off Kaohsiung, leaving four crew members missing.

Other vessels were stranded or lost power, but their crews are safe.

Central and southern Taiwan continue to face heavy rain and flooding risks.

Coastal regions should expect significant rainfall and large waves through to
Sunday.

The public is advised to avoid unnecessary travel to mountainous and coastal
areas due to ongoing hazardous conditions.

(PB)

Over 4,000 travelers in Penghu today registered at the Penghu Airport to
return to Taiwan.

It comes after Typhoon Gaemi led to the suspension of all flights to and from
Penghu on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving over 10-thousand passengers
stranded.

Original and additional flights totaled 65, with Uni Air adding five more.

The Air Force also stepped in to provide three flights to Taipei and
Kaohsiung.

Penghu Airport reported extreme congestion as flights resumed.

With more than 1,000 people each waiting for Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung
routes, and over 500 each for Chiayi and Tainan, the Civil Aeronautics
Administration coordinated with Uni Air and the Air Force to manage the
backlog.

(PB)

The Ministry of Environment is emphasizing the importance of dengue fever
prevention in the first week following Typhoon Gaemi.

Residents should inspect their surroundings for standing water and eliminate
potential mosquito breeding sites.

Key actions include checking and cleaning items like flower vases, gutters,
and water trays.

Proper disposal of items such as furniture, bathtubs, and aquariums...and
regular maintenance of water containers are crucial.

Alleyways and gutters should also be inspected and treated if necessary.

Additionally, the Ministry advises on proper hygiene practices during
cleanup, especially for the hands and feet.

Officials say cooperation is essential to prevent dengue fever and maintain a
healthy environment.

(PB)

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has met with German MP Roderich Kiesewetter
/ROH-der-isch KEE-zeh-vetter/ in Taipei....emphasizing peace in the Taiwan
Strait for Indo-Pacific security and global supply chain stability.

During the meeting on Monday, Lin urged Germany and allies to counter
China’s threats.

He highlighted Taiwan’s close ties with Germany, boosted by TSMC’s new
factory in Dresden.

Kiesewetter, who is the deputy head of the German Bundestag’s Parliamentary
Oversight Panel and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, voiced his
support for democratic cooperation and Taiwan’s semiconductor investment in
Germany.

He cited the Russia-Ukraine war as a warning against authoritarian regimes,
stressing mutual trust.

Following a luncheon with Vice Foreign Minister Remus Chen on Sunday,
Kiesewetter welcomed more bilateral visits and cooperation to deter China.

Earlier, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim thanked Germany for backing Taiwan in
international organizations and fostering economic bonds with Europe.

Hsiao noted Europe as Taiwan’s top foreign investment source and pledged
ongoing cooperation with Germany.

(PB)

Some Hsinchu City Councellors are calling for Mayor Kao Hong-an to resign,
after her conviction on charges of corruption.

The Taipei District Court today ruled her guilty of embezzling
460-thousand-NT in assistant fees during her time as a lawmaker.

Kao was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison and will be barred from
running for office for 4 years.

The ruling can be appealed.

In the meantime, the Ministry of the Interior will suspend Kao as mayor, and
Deputy Mayor Qiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) is expected to take her place in the
interim.

However, City Council members from the New Power Party say Qiu shouldn’t
lead without an elected mandate.

They pointed out that a recall campaign against Kao is also underway, and
urged Kao to resign to allow citizens to elect a new mayor.

DPP councillers called on Kao to apologize, while KMT councillors and the TPP
released statements implying the conviction may have been politically
motivated.

(BH)

Rail passengers in Hualien are complaining that it now takes six hours to get
to Taipei (by train).

Hualien Train Station saw long lines of people this morning, only able to buy
southbound tickets, as northern rail and road routes are blocked after
Typhoon Gaemi.

Rail passengers said it used to take two hours to get to Taipei, but now they
have to travel to Kaohsiung, then transfer to the high-speed rail, which not
only triples travel time but also costs more than double.

The Hualien Station Master said the fastest option to get to Taipei currently
is flying.

Hualien Airport said it added extra flights between Taipei and Hualien, but
these were quickly booked, and is now evaluating whether to add more.

Taiwan Railways Administration also reports that southbound tickets to
Kaohsiung are nearly all sold out, and is also evaluating whether to add more
train services between Kaohsiung and Hualien.

(IG)

Over 100 people are reportedly trapped in a mountainous region in Taichung
without power.

Local officials say 120 people of the Xin-jia-yang tribe are without
electricity, after Typhoon Gaemi left roads in the area damaged and
impassable in many places.

They say the residents have limited supplies, and some are working to deliver
goods to the tribe on-foot.

The Highway Bureau said earlier that it was aiming to clear the road by 5PM
allowing for single-lane traffic.

(NS)

Reactor 1 at Nuclear Power Plant No. 3, operating for 40 years, will shut
down tomorrow, entering decommissioning.

Taipower will follow procedures to reduce load and shut down...with the
Nuclear Safety Commission monitoring the transition to ensure safety.

Reactor 2’s license expires in May next year, with management enhancements
requested by the NSC.

Necessary maintenance will follow Reactor 1’s shutdown, including fuel
removal and equipment inspections.

The decommissioning permit, pending environmental impact assessment approval,
is estimated for issuance after Reactor 2’s shutdown in May 2025.

(PB)

The CPC says both gasoline and diesel prices are expected to rise next week,
both by over 2 cents.

That will put prices at 31.3 NT per litre for 95-unleaded and 27.3 NT per
litre for super diesel.

CNA writes that uncertainty over the upcoming U-S presidential election has
boosted expectations of increased crude oil supply, leading to a drop in
average retail gasoline prices across the U-S ...

... which caused international oil prices this week to drop.

These changes follow CPC Corporation's price adjustment mechanism,
maintaining stable fuel prices and staying competitive within the Asian
market.

Official price adjustments will be announced on Sunday.

(IG)

The Central Weather Administration said heavy rain will still persist in many
parts of Taiwan, despite lifting sea and land warnings For Typhoon Gaimi this
morning.

The CWA said the storm, now in Mainland China, has weakened in strength, and
poses no further threat to Taiwan's northern waters, as well as its outer
Kinmen and Lienchiang counties

But due to the storm's outer clouds combined with southeasterly winds, wet
weather is expected to persist.

CWA forecasters say sporadic rain could occur anywhere during the day, with
chances of heavy rain in parts of central and southern Taiwan, as well as
Hualien and Taitung.

Yellow Heavy rain advisories are in place for central regions, while
extremelly heavy rain advisories are in place for the south and mountaineous
areas.

(CNA_IG)

Devil"

A top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that signing an
agreement with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine would amount to signing a
"deal with the devil".

Mykhailo Podolyak made the remark to The Associated Press, as pressure mounts
on the country to seek an end to more than two years of fighting.

He said a deal would only buy time for Russian President Vladimir Putin to
strengthen his army and usher in another, potentially more violent chapter in
the war.

It is a view held across Zelenskyy’s camp and reflected broadly among
Ukrainians.

The French national rail company SNCF says high-speed lines have been hit by
several Malicious acts that have heavily disrupted traffic on the day of the
high-risk Olympics opening ceremony.

SNCF announced that lines in the west, north and east of France were affected.

Government officials denounced the incidents hours before the opening
ceremony of the Paris Olympics, which are happening around France, though
there was no immediate sign of a link to the Games.

Many French families are also heading on summer vacation Friday.

National police said authorities are investigating what happened.

French media reported a big fire on a busy western route.

Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hong-an (高虹安) has been found guilty of corruption, and
will be suspended from office.

The Taipei District Court passed down the ruling this morning...

...over charges that Kao embezzled funds meant for her assistants during her
time as a lawmaker.

Kao has been sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison and will be deprived
of her civil rights for 4 years.

The Ministry of the Interior will suspend Kao from her mayoral position under
the Local Government Act.

Vice Mayor Qiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) is expected to act as the interim mayor.

The ruling can be appealed.

Meanwhile, Hsinchu Prosecutors are still investigating seperate corruption
charges concerning Kao's luxury apartment and vehicle...

...with allegations that these were provided by a developer in exchange for
preferential treatment.

(BH)

(Kao's ruling came at the same time as a similar one down in Taichung,
where...)

Legislator Yan Kuan-heng has been found guilty on corruption charges.

The Taichung District Court today ruled on the charges related to fraudulent
assistant expense claims...

...fake real estate transactions, and illegally occupying land.

Though Yan was found not guilty on the land charges, the court found him
guilty on the other charges...

...with a sentence of 7 years and 10 months for corruption and 6 months for
document forgery.

The KMT expressed support for Yen's appeal, emphasizing that the judgment is
not yet final.

The KMT said any disciplinary action against Yen will be deferred until the
final verdict is confirmed.

(BH)

More than 10-thousand tourists are reportedly stranded in Penghu, and trying
to get back to Taiwan’s main island.

Penghu Airport says their facility is packed with crowds inside and out.

They say two airlines are operating 65 flights, and they are also
coordinating with military aircraft to alleviate the situation.

That’s after all flights out of Penghu were suspended Wednesday and Thursday
due Typhoon Gaemi.

The airport's director and county tourism department officials were
personally assisting at the check-in counter.

However, they say each flight is currently offering only 5 to 10 standby
spots.

(BH)

Hundreds of migrants and homeless Parisians climbed aboard buses to be driven
out of the city.

They are latest group of people sleeping on the streets to be moved to the
fringes of Paris ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony.

They're to be set up in temporary lodging until at least the end of the
Games.

While some living on the streets are happy to have a roof over their head
Thursday...

...few knew what laid ahead for them once the world’s eyes were off Paris.

Over at Place de la Republique in central Paris, a popular square for
protests...

...several associations gathered for what they called the “Counter Opening
Ceremony."

They gave speeches denouncing the cost of the Olympics and its impact on
migrants and the homeless.

Land and Sea warnings related to what is now Tropical Storm Gaimi have been
lowered...
But rain advisories remain in effect for several areas.

The heavy rain or extremely heavy rain advisories remain hoisted over
Taichung City Mountain Area, Nantou County Mountain Area, Chiayi County,
Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Pingtung County.

While the heavy rain advisory is up for Miaoli County, Taichung City,
Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Hualien County
Mountain Area, Taitung County, Lanyu and Ludao Islands, Kinmen Area, and
Matsu Area.

The Central Weather Administration says the warnings will stay up until
tonight.

in international news...

Belgian authorities have carried out 14 raids across the country and detained
seven people for questioning over suspected terrorist activities.

There was no immediate indication the raids were linked to the Olympic Games
that open later today in Paris.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office says the detained people “are
suspected of participating in the activities of a terrorist group, of
financing terrorism and preparing a terrorist attack.”

In Paris, Police in the French capital have launched a huge security
operation to secure the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Alaska

A joint U.S.-Canada aerospace command says two Chinese and two Russian
military planes were tracked flying over international waters near Alaska.

NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said American and
Canadian fighter jets were sent up in response.

It also said the activity was not seen as a threat.

While Russia’s military has long been active in the north Pacific, China has
emerged as a new actor in recent years as its growing navy and air force
expands their presence farther from the country’s shores.

Chinese naval ships also have showed up in international waters near Alaska,
most recently in mid-July.

Operations

The Ministry of National Defense has canceled the remainder of this week's
Han Kuang exercise and mobilized troops to assist with typhoon disaster
relief operations.

According to the defense ministry, personnel previously assigned to
participate in the drills are now coordinating with the Central Emergency
Operation Center and local governments to ensure people and their property
remain safe.

Cancellation of the exercise came after several drills were postponed on
between Tuesday and Wednesday due to weather conditions.

The Air Force and Navy were slated to participate in a drill on Penghu on
Wednesday - but the weather resulted in the drill only being carried out by
the Army.

While an emergency landing and refueling drill at Hualien Airbase was
canceled on Tuesday due to the weather.

The defense minister has said that troops will now instead be holding
tabletop war games.

The Water Resources Agency says the island's reservoirs have received over
950-million tonnes of rainwater since Typhoon Gaemei began affecting Taiwan
on Tuesday.

Reservoirs in the center have so far seen the most accumulated rainwater due
to the torrential downpours - at over 370-million tonnes.

According to the Water Resources Agency, Deji Reservoir in Taichung received
some 150 million tonnes and that was followed by the Wushe Reservoir in
Nantou.

Reservoirs in the south have so far received over 335-million tonnes of
rainwater.

Most of that was at the Zengwen and Wushantou reservoirs in Tainan - where
some 300-million tonnes of rainwater was recorded.

The Zengwen Reservoir is now at 77-per cent of its capacity, while the
Wushantou Reservoir is at 94-per cent of its capacity.

In the north, reservoirs received over 260-million tonnes of rainwater since
Typhoon Gaimei began affecting Taiwan on Tuesday.

Taoyuan's Shihmen Reservoir registered the largest inflow of 180-million
tonnes and that was followed by the Feitsui Reservoir in New Taipei.

And finally,

Some Chinese Professional Baseball League games are scheduled to resume this
evening after Wednesday and Thursday's game were canceled due Typhoon Gaemi.

The Rakuten Monkeys meet the C-T-B-C Brothers at the Taoyuan International
Stadium.

While the Fubon Guardians play the T-S-G Hawks at the Taipei Dome.

Both of those games begin at 6:30.

However, the game between the Uni-President Lions and the Wei Chuan Dragons
at the Tainan Municiple Stadium has been called off.

Play in Tainan is currently slated to resume tomorrow - and the Lions should
meet the Dragons then in the day's scheduled game.

Land and sea warnings remain in effect for Gaemi - which has now been
downgraded to a tropical storm.

The land warning only covers Kinmen and Matsu, while the sea warning now
covers the Taiwan Strait and waters north of Taiwan proper.

The Central Weather Administration is expected to lift the land warning later
this morning.

The storm made landfall in China's Fujien Province late yesterday.

It's currently located some 170-kilometers west-northwest of Kinmen and
moving in a north-northwesterly direction at speeds of between 12 and
16-kilometers-an-hour.

It now packing sustained wind speeds of 83-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of
up to 108-kilometers-an-hour.

Schools and office are closed for a third consecutive day in seven cities and
counties in the center and south as torrential rain triggered by what is now
Severe Tropical Storm Gaemi continues to lash the areas.

Schools and offices are closed today in Yunlin, Nantou, Chiayi, Tainan,
Kaohsiung and Pingtung

Kinmen County has also announced suspension of schools and offices today.

While schools and offices are closed in Matsu this morning, but will reopen
this afternoon.

Certain areas of Hsinchu, Yilan, Hualien and Taichung have announced school
and/or office closures.

Gaemi has caused widespread flooding across Taiwan.

Heavy flooding has been reported in several areas of Kaohsiung, including
Renwu, Gushan, Fongshan, Cianjin and Dashe districts.

The Central Weather Administration says as of 5PM Thursday, Kaohsiung's
Maolin District had received 112-centimeters of rainfall.

That was followed by Sandimen in Pingtung, which has recorded 94-centinmeters
of rainfall and Chiayi County's Zhuqi Township, which saw 93--centinmeters of
rainfall.

Flood waters in Yilan County's Yuanshan Township had reached 2-meters -
prompting the deployment of rescue boats to evacuate 13 residents early
Thurday morning.

Both Tai-Power and the Taiwan Water Corporation are reporting outages since
Typhoon Gaemi made landfall and left Taiwan yesterday.

Figures show that 11,000 households were without water and 64,000 had no
electricity as of yesterday evening.

The water corporation says the typhoon left nearly 55 thousand five hundred
households without supplies as the storm battered the island.

The corporation says the heavy rain has also made water supplies more murky
especially in the south - resulting in emergency measures being introduced to
stabilize the water supplies in affected areas.

Meanwhile, Tai-Power say nearly three quarters of a million households
experienced power outages due to the typhoon and supplies had been restored
to most of those households as of yesterday evening.

Many of the households still without power are in Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and
Chiayi.

The Central Emergency Operations Center says five deaths have now being
linked to Typhoon Gaemi since Wednesday.

The latest casualties include the deaths of a 65-year-old in Tainan and a
75-year-old in Yunlin County.

The Central Emergency Operations Center says the 65-year-old in Tainan was
taken to hospital following a fall when he was at home doing repair work.

While the 75-year-old man in Yunlin was driving a scooter when he was hit by
falling tree branches on his way home.

Both men were later pronounced dead at the hospitals where they were being
treated.

The center has also now ruled out the typhoon as a cause in the deaths of two
other individuals, including a ward chief in New Taipei, who was found with
no vital signs in an overturned excavator on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the operations center says the number of people injured during the
typhoon now stands at 531.

Most of those injuries - totalling 174 - have been reported in Kaohsiung.

That's followed by 66 in Tainan and 53 in Hualien.

The Ocean Affairs Council said the typhoon caused six maritime incidents
around Taiwan.

These involved six cargo ships which were operating close to Tainan,
Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

But one vessel, the Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship "Fu Shun," is still missing.

The Fu Shun had nine Burmese crew members in total -- with three confirmed
survivors; the search for the remaining crew members is ongoing.

An initial rescue attempt by the Coast Guard Administration was hampered by
severe weather, including force 10 to 11 winds and poor visibility.

Another Taiwanese vessel found no survivors or any signs of the missing ship.

A total of 58 seamen have been rescued so far...

The Ocean Conservation Administration has begun monitoring for any signs of
pollution caused by the damaged ships

Taoyuan International Airport is back online after disruptions triggered by
Typhoon Gaemi.

The airport's operators say most of the 568 flights scheduled between 1PM and
11PM Thursday had operated on schedule.

But passengers are still being warned about possible delays, and they're
being advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aeronautics Administration says domestic flights will
return to normal today and some carriers will be offering 258 flights across
Taiwan.

The administration says it's been coordinating with UNI Air and Mandarin
Airlines to add 20 flights linking Taiwan proper to Penghu and Kinmen today
in response to surging demand.

And,

The Taiwan Railway Corporation has now resumed services on nearly all of its
lines.

The rail operator had suspended all services on Thursday until the afternoon
- when services resumed with exception of those on certain stretches on its
Eastern and Western Trunk lines.

According to railway corporation, the South Link line remains closed, as do
the Pingxi, Shen'ao, Jiji and Neiwan lines.

The High Speed Rail Corporation has also announced the full resumption of
services today - saying it will be operating on a regular timetable.

Meanwhile, the Maritime and Port Bureau says 165 ferry services on 16 routes
will remain suspended today.

Those services are between Taiwan and Kinmen, Penghu, Orchid Island,
Xiaoliuqiu and Green island.

Typhoon Gaemi has left 3 dead and 380 injured.

The Central Disaster Response Center coordinated with local governments to
provide assistance, including pumps.

Landslides in Kaohsiung's Dashu and Qishan districts caused one death and
multiple injuries.

Nationwide, 8-thousand-300 disaster incidents were reported, with more than
3-thousand-600 involving fallen trees.

Significant flooding occurred in central and southern Taiwan.

Maritime rescues included seven incidents, with several cargo ships grounded
or distressed.

All crews were reported safe.

As of 3 PM, 88-thousand-299 households were without power in Kaohsiung,
Tainan, and Chiayi, with ongoing repair efforts.

Water outages affected 70-thousand-593 households, with 23-thousand-966 still
without water.

Flood warnings remain for nine counties and cities, and the public is advised
to avoid coastal areas due to high waves.

Chiayi's Alishan Township Office announced that offices and schools will be
closed tomorrow, as heavy rains have severely damaged mountain roads in
Chiayi County.

The Nantou County Government also announced this that Ren’ai Township and
Xinyi Township will suspend work and classes tomorrow.

The Central Weather Administration reports the typhoon is now 100-kilometers
southwest of Matsu Island, and it's headed for the coast of China's Fujian
province.

Typhoon Gaemi's storm circle continues to cover Taiwan, expected to leave by
late tonight or early tomorrow.

Forecasters say the land typhoon warning will be lifted by tonight at the
earliest.

President Lai Ching-te announced that the central and local governments'
disaster systems are fully activated as Typhoon Gaemi continues to move west.

The military has ended Han Kuang exercises early to assist in disaster
prevention and rescue.

Lai says central government departments will support local governments to
minimize damage and help affected citizens resume normal life.

Despite the typhoon center leaving Taiwan, strong winds and heavy rain
continue to cause casualties and road and railway disruptions.

President Lai warned of ongoing heavy rain in central and southern mountain
areas and low-lying regions south of Miaoli, urging strict vigilance.

He advised the public to monitor disaster information closely and avoid
dangerous areas until warnings are lifted.

(PB)

As Typhoon Gaemi moves away, the Taipei Metro has resumed its holiday
schedule.

Train intervals on the Wenhu Line are now 5.5 minutes, and on the Bannan and
Tamsui-Xinyi lines, they are 9 minutes.

The Songshan-Xindian Line intervals are 6 to 8 minutes, and the Zhonghe-Xinlu
Line is 9.5 minutes.

The Taipei City Government reported 1,039 disaster incidents, with 669 cases
of fallen trees.

The Public Works Department is working to restore the city by the end of the
day.

(PB)

Meanwhile...

Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan Railway, and Taiwan High Speed Rail
announced the gradual resumption of operations impacted by Typhoon Gaemi.

Taoyuan Airport is processing all 568 scheduled flights and rescheduling
canceled or delayed ones, with peak airline traffic expected between until 11
p.m.

The HSR resumed operations at 2 p.m. after canceling all services before 3
p.m.

While the Taiwan Railway restored normal services on certain Eastern and
Western Trunk line sections at 3 p.m., despite earlier damage to overhead
lines and tracks.

Commuter services between Shulin and Su'ao, and Taitung and Hualien resumed,
with further adjustments based on weather conditions.

Some TRC lines remain closed.

(PB)

Typhoon Gaemi's storm circle continues to cover Taiwan, expected to leave by
late tonight or early tomorrow.

The Central Weather Administration reports that Gaemi’s intensity is
weakening.

Rainfall forecasts have been revised upwards...

...predicting up to 180 centimeters in Nantou and Chiayi counties'
mountains...

...and up to 220 centimeters in Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County's
mountains.

Intense rainfall is expected in central and southern regions...

...particularly south of Chiayi and in mountainous areas of Taichung, Nantou,
and Yunlin.

Overall rainfall will ease from tomorrow, but heavy rain will persist in
central and southern regions.

Forecasters say the land typhoon warning will be lifted by tonight at the
earliest.

Accumulated rainfall in Kaohsiung's Maolin today reached 103 centimeters,
short of Typhoon Morakot’s 2009 record.

(PB)

The Han Kuang military exercises have concluded earlier due to Typhoon Gaemi.

The Ministry of National Defense ordered all armed forces to end live-fire
exercises at 12 PM today...

...and immediately assist local governments with disaster prevention and
relief.

The exercise, initially set for five days from July 22 to 26, had multiple
activities canceled and replaced with tabletop exercises due to the typhoon.

The Ministry's press release emphasized the shift in military efforts to
support disaster relief, aiming to enhance the government's disaster response
capabilities and ensure public safety.

(PB)

Typhoon Gaemi's strong winds and heavy rain have halted garbage collection in
Kaohsiung.

The Environmental Protection Bureau announced that garbage collection is
suspended today and will resume tomorrow from 8 AM to 12 PM, with normal
collection in the afternoon and evening.

The storm caused widespread flooding and fallen branches across the city.

In response, the bureau deployed additional personnel to clear blocked drains
and side ditches to expedite water drainage.

The bureau will take advantage of any breaks in the weather this afternoon to
deploy extra personnel, aiming to restore the main roads by tomorrow morning.

(PB)

A lawyer says activist publisher Jimmy Lai will testify in his defense at his
Hong Kong national security trial.

He was charged under a Beijing-imposed law that has all but wiped out public
dissent.

The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper is charged with
colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring
with others to put out seditious publications.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

His lawyer said Lai would testify after the judges ruled earlier today he
should present his defense.

The case has been adjourned to Nov. 20.

Meanwhile...

The island has suffered nearly 7-thousand-500 disaster-related incidents as
Typhoon Gaemi moves further way from Taiwan.

Over 4-thousand-200 of these have been resolved, and authorities are
addressing 3-thousand cases at the moment, with an additional 716 pending.

The disaster management team continues to work diligently to ensure public
safety and restore normalcy.

(PB)

Typhoon Gaemi continues to shift away from Taiwan.

The Central Weather Administration says Gaemi is now 130 kilometers south of
Matsu island, and is heading northwest.

By tomorrow morning, Taiwan should be completely out of the storm circle.

But there are still land warnings across most of the island.

Torrential and heavy rain warnings are in effect in most areas, especially
the west and south...

...and will remain through this evening.

Widespread flooding has been reported, including in Taichung, Changhua,
Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan.

There is also significant flooding in multiple districts of Kaohsiung,
including Gushan and Sanmin.

Residents in Kaohsiung report water levels reaching calf height and many
vehicles stalling...

...while Kaohsiung officials say trash collection will be suspended today.

National officials are reporting 2 deaths and 279 injuries from the typhoon
so far.

Meanwhile, the Wan-an air raid drills scheduled for Southern Taiwan today
have been cancelled.

That's as the remainder of this week's Han Kuang exercises are cancelled as
well...

...with the Ministry of National Defense saying troops will now focus on
typhoon disaser relief operations.

All of Taiwan's domestic flights and a number of international flights have
been cancelled...

...while train service is set to resume by 3 o'clock.

Around 90-thousand homes across the country remained without electricity as
of noon today...

...after Typhoon Gaemi caused power disruptions in 640-thousand households.

Taipower reports Kaohsiung, Yunlin, and Nantou are the most affected areas.

In Kaohsiung, over 26-thousand households are still without power, and
flooding is hindering repair efforts.

(PB)

As the island is closed for a second day due to Typhoon Gaemi...

...major department stores across the country are planning to open their
doors at 2PM today.

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi’s 15 branches...

...along with several Far Eastern SOGO locations in Taipei, Zhongli, Hsinchu,
and Kaohsiung...

...will open later this afternoon.

Far Eastern Department Stores announced varied opening times...

...with branches in Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung also opening at 2
PM, while others started at noon.

Breeze Center locations, Taipei 101, and Qsquare stores will open at 2 PM as
well.

Updates on business hours can be found on their respective websites and
social media platforms.

(PB)

Typhoon Gaemi has left 22 people dead in the Philippines, mostly from
flooding and landslides.

Police say at least three more people are missing.

The Philippine coast guard reported an oil tanker sank in Bataan province
early today...

...and rescuers saved 15 of 16 crew members.

Officials said coast guard personnel could not immediately reach the area to
contain a possible oil spill...

...because of the rough sea conditions.

Gaemi, called Carina in the Philippines, did not make landfall there but
intensified its seasonal rains.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered authorities to speed up
efforts...

...to deliver food and other aid to isolated rural villages.

After passing through Taiwan, the typhoon is now heading for China's Fujian
province...

...where Chinese media say ferry routes were suspended yesterday and all
train service will be halted today.

Typhoon Gaemi continues to move away, and by this evening is expected to not
longer influence Taiwan proper.

The Central Weather Administration says Gaemi is now 140 kilometers south of
Matsu island, headed for China's Fujian province.

But there are still land warnings across most of the island.

Torrential and heavy rain warnings are in effect in most areas, especially
the west and south, and will remain through this evening.

Widespread flooding has been reported, including in Taichung, Nantou, Yunlin,
Tainan, and Kaohsiung.

Hourly rainfall has exceeded 100 millimeters in parts of Kaohsiung, Pingtung,
Chiayi and Yilan.

In Changhua County, 400 people have been evacuated as a precaution after an
embankment burst in Dacheng township.

In Chiayi, 37 people have been rescued from the flooding.

Officials are reporting 2 deaths and 279 injuries from the typhoon so far.

Meanwhile, the Wan-an air raid drills scheduled for Southern Taiwan today
have been cancelled.

That's as the remainder of this week's Han Kuang exercises are cancelled as
well, with the Ministry of National Defense saying troops will now focus on
typhoon disaser relief operations.

(BH)

Troops stationed on Penghu have held an anti-landing drill on what was the
finally day of the shortened Han Kuang exercise.

The drill featured Stinger and Javelin missile defense systems as well as 155
and 105-millimeter howitzers.

The artillery and missile units were supported by M 60-A3 main battle tanks
and CM-21 armored vehicles.

The dill, carried out by personnel from the Army Penghu Defense Command, took
place on Shanshui Beach in Magong.

The Air Force and Navy were slated to participate in the drill, but that
element was canceled due to Typhoon Gaemi.

Similar live-fire exercises were also held on the Matsu on Wednesday.

However, live-fire exercises were canceled in Kinmen as large numbers of
merchant vessels were heading to Liaoluo Port to anchor and shelter from the
typhoon.

The Ministry of National Defense has canceled the remainder of this week's
exercises - saying troops will now be focusing on typhoon disaster
preparation and relief operations.

According to the minister, troops will instead be holding tabletop war games.

The Mainland Affairs Council says yesterday's talks between officials from
Taiwan and China to discuss the February 14 Kinmen speedboat incident were
postponed due Typhoon Gaemi.

The talks were due to take place at the Golden Lake Hotel in Kinmen.

According to the council, the meeting was postponed as cross-strait ferry
services from China to Kinmen were suspended ..

.. and that preventing family members of the two Chinese nationals killed in
the incident and a delegation of Chinese officials from traveling to the
outlying island.

The Mainland Affairs Council says the talks will now take place next Monday.

The two Chinese nationals died a the speedboat they were in attempted to
evade a Coast Guard Administration patrol boat after entering prohibited
waters off the coast off the outlying island.

There had been reports that an agreement to return the bodies of the two
Chinese men would be signed at the meeting.

Lawmakers have held talks with Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and
other officials in Prague.

The lawmakers are all members of a legislative delegation currently visiting
Europe.

The delegation is being led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang.

According to a statement released by Chiang's office in Taipei, the deputy
legislative speaker highlighted the European Union's "Global Gateway"
initiative during the meeting ...

.... and proposed that Taiwan and the Czech Republic could serve as
"gateways" to their respective regions, promoting greater cooperation and
connecting more democratic allies.

Chiang underscored the Czech Republic's recent role in "opening European
doors for Taiwan" and discussed the importance of concrete bilateral
cooperation.

And he also thanked Vystrcil for showing support for Taiwan by visiting the
island in 2020.

Chiang and member of the legisaltive delegation are slated to return to
Taiwan on August 1 following visits to Spain and Italy.

And finally,

This evening's Chinese Professional Baseball League game between C-T-B-C
Brothers and the T-S-G Hawks at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung has
been canceled due to the weather.

But games are scheduled to resume tomorrow evening.

Typhoon Gaemi made landfall near Yilan County's Nan'ao Township at around
midnight before leaving Taiwan near Taoyuan's Xin-Wu District at 4:20 this
morning.

A land warning remains in effect for Taiwan proper as well for Penghu, Kinmen
and Matsu.

School and offices are also closed islandwide today.

Typhoon Gaemi is now located some 30-kilometers north-northwest of Hsinchu
and is moving in a west-northwesterly direction at speeds of between 12 and
16 -kilometers-an-hour.

The storm still has a radius of 250-kilometers.

However, it did weaken slightly after crossing Taiwan - and is now packing
sustained wind speeds of 162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to
198-kilometers-an-hour.

-

The Ministry of National Defense has announced that today's planned Wanan air
raid drill in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung has been cancelled as a result
of the typhoon.

-

Taiwan-based airlines have announced cancellations and schedule changes for
today.

China Airlines has canceled 28 regional flights between East Asian
destinations and Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International
Airport ..

.. while the carrier says passengers can expect delays of several flights to
and from Taoyuan, Taipei Songshan and Kaohsiung.

China Airlines subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines has canceled two flights to
Xiaman in China.

EVA Airways has announced cancellations of 45 flights scheduled to depart
Taoyuan International Airport before 12:40 or arrive at the airport before
3:30 this afternoon.

Eight flights operated Starlux Airlines have had their departure times put
back. but the carrier says it will be adding three round-trip flights today -
two to Japan and one to Bangkok.

Travelers are being advised to check with their airlines before heading to
the airport.

-

The Civil Aeronautics Administration has announced that all of today's
scheduled 264 domestic flights have been canceled.

-

Train and metro services are also being impacted today.

The Taiwan Railway Corporation and the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation
have both canceled all services before 3PM.

The Taoyuan Metro has once again canceled all direct services running from
Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport.

However, non-airport express trains will still run at 15 minute intervals
depending on weather conditions.

And all airport check-in and baggage services are suspended at the A1 Taipei
Station and the A3 New Taipei Industrial Park Station.

-

The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation says trains running underground remain
unaffected by the typhoon.

Trains on the Wenhu Line, the Tamsui-Xinyi Line, the Songshan-Xindian Line,
the Bannan Line and the Zhonghe-Xinlu Line are running at 15-minute
intervals.

But services on elevated sections of track could be suspended depending on
the weather conditions.

And in Kaohsiung the city's M-R-T red and orange lines are operating with
trains running at 10-minute intervals - but services could be delayed or
suspended depending on the weather conditions.

Services on Kaohsiung's Light Rail Transit system were suspended Wednesday
evening due to strong winds and will remain suspended today if windy
conditions persist.

Meanwhile,

The Central Emergency Operations Center and local authorities say at least
three people died and 227 others were injured on Wednesday as Typhoon Gaemi
approached Taiwan.

A 64-year-old woman died after being hit by a falling tree while riding a
scooter in Kaohsiung's Fengshan District.

The parapet wall of a building collapsed in Hualien City - leaving a
45-year-old woman dead and her son severely injured after it landed in a car
parked nearby.

While the driver of a mechanical excavator was killed after verturned on a
slippery road in New Taipei's Sanxia District.

And,

Tai-Power says it received reports of of 363,000 households across Taiwan
losing power on Wednesday due to Typhoon Gaemi.

The state-generator says 325,000 households have now had their power restored
- while 38,000 households are still waiting for their electicity supplies to
be restarted.

Tai-Power says a majority of the power outage were reportred in Hualien,
Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

Outages have also been reported in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Hsinchu,
Chiayi, Tainan and Pingtung.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen returned from the United States due to Typhoon
Gaemi - and cutting short a planned ten-day trip.

Lu had flown out of Taiwan on Monday night Taiwan time and spent some six
hours in Seattle before returning.

After she landed at Taoyuan International Airport, Lu told reporters she made
an immediate decision to cancel her trip and fly back to Taiwan after hearing
that Taichung was likely to be affected by the typhoon.

Lu also defended the city government's decision to order the closure of
offices and schools on Wednesday.

She said that decision was made during an emergency meeting she presided over
while en route back to Taiwan and she firmly believes that closing businesses
and schools was a preventative measure to minimize the storm's impact.

Although Lu has returned to Taiwan, the Taichung City Government delegation
is continuing its 10-day trip to the United States.

The group is now led by her deputy mayor Huang Kuo-rong.

Economics Minister Guo Zhi-hui is playing down the significance of recent
comments by Donald Trump - who told Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan took
all of America's chip business and should pay America to defend it.

Guo said Trump's remarks "are no cause for alarm" - as he believes they are
"not anti-Taiwan" and as a businessman, Trump is expected to "weighs things
in terms of cost."

Guo says Trump sees the U-S as the world's police by providing a service to
other countries that cannot bear the cost all by themselves and that Trump
was likely misled when accusing Taiwan of taking America's chip business.

The economics minister says he believes both remarks are due to insufficient
lobbying in Washington D.C. by Taiwan's government and Taiwanese companies.

Guo supporting that belief by saying that Taiwan's government and the
country's firms have less than ten people lobbying in the U-S capital.

And,

The R-O-C Taiwan passport has been ranked 33rd in this year's Henley Passport
Index - which compares 199 countries and regions.

Taiwan is level with Peru at 33 in the rankings - which is a slight
improvement from 35th place in 2023.

According to the passport index, the R-O-C Taiwan passport's 2024 ranking
enables holders to enter 141 destinations visa-free.

Taiwan has climbed from 55th to 33rd place since the London-based company
began releasing annual rankings 19 years ago.

During this time, Taiwan's ranking dropped to its lowest point of 69th place
in 2010, and reached its highest position of 24th in 2014.

However, Taiwan's place in the rankings has stayed relatively steady since
2015, at around the 30th place.

Singapore rose from second to first place in this year's rankings, with
visa-free access to 195 destinations.

Singapore is followed by France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain, which are
all tied in second place with visa-free access to 192 destinations each.

With 'Severe' Typhoon Gaemi on the horizon, wind speeds are picking up...

According to TVBS news, Hualien and Yilan are currently experiencing the
highest wind speeds islandwide.

The Central Weather Administration last reported Geimi's postion at 6:30 PM
as being 30 kilometres west of Hualien, moving northwest at speeds of around
19 kilometres and hour, with previous wind speed estimates between 190 and
234 kilometres per hour.

We can expect the next update regarding the storm's position and wind speeds
at 8:30 PM from the C-W-A.

Yilan County, Penghu County and Taitung County have announced suspension of
work and classes for tomorrow, joining Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County,
Kaohsiung City, Tainan City, Pingtung County and Hualien County, together
with Central Taiwan and Kinmen County.

As for other regions, we can expect an official announcement around about now
-- I hear DJ Joseph is keeping you updated too, and he's bet 10 thousand NT
that Taipei will be joining that list.

Meanwhile, services on the Taipei MRT Brown Line are still suspended.

Other Taipei MRT lines are still operational, but last minute scheduling
adjustments could be made.

Passengers can stay up to date on service information with the Taipei MRT GO
App.

Meanwhile in the south of Taiwan, the Kaohsiung Light Rail Transit System
also temporarily suspended services from 5 PM due to strengthening winds.

Kaohsiung's city buses also suspended service at 7 PM.

Earlier Wednesday, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) announced all its
train services around Taiwan are suspended until 12 AM tomorrow.

The storm also caused the cancellation of all 264 domestic flights scheduled
for tomorrow.

'Severe' Typhoon Gaemi is still on it's way...

But the Central Weather Administration isn't providing any updated
information on the storm's position or wind speeds until 8:30 PM.

Earlier today, the CWA said Gaemi was likely to make landfall between Yi-lan
and Hua-lian, and could happen as early as 9 PM or 10 PM.

People in those areas should stay vigilant for violent winds and torrential
rain.

If you're driving, watch out for falling trees and/or debris on roads.

Meanwhile, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Kaohsiung City, Pingtung County and
Hualien County have all announced a suspension of work and classes tomorrow
(the 25th), joining Central Taiwan and Kinmen County.

As for other regions, we can expect an official announcement within the hour.

Meanwhile, TaiPower said it's scrambling to resore power to over 3 thousand
500 households in Tainan.

Earlier data indicated over 100 thousand households nationwide experienced
power cuts today, due to the effects of the storm.

Meanwhile, Taipei MRT reminds passengers that services on the Brown Line are
still suspended.

Other Taipei MRT lines are running, though scheduling adjustments may take
effect, depending on weather conditions.

Buses in Kaohsiung City are suspending services, effective now.

Meanwhile, thousands of travellers are stranded in Penghu, as all flights
between Penghu and Taiwan, as well as flights to Qimei, are cancelled.

Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) said there's no need to
worry about Donald Trump's comments regarding Taiwan taking away his
country's chip business.

The former U-S President and Republican nominee told Bloomberg that Taiwan
took 100 percent of the chip business from the United States, and that Taiwan
should pay the U-S to defend it.

Kuo explained that Trump, as a businessman, views U-S defense support through
a cost-benefit lens, and his statements likely reflect this perspective.

Kuo suggested that Trump's belief about Taiwan monopolizing the chip industry
might stem from insufficient lobbying by Taiwan in Washington, D-C.

He noted that Taiwan's government and companies, including major firms like
TSMC and Foxconn, have fewer than ten lobbyists in the U-S capital.

Kuo said even if Trump wins the presidential election and pursues
protectionist policies to boost American manufacturing, Taiwan's strategy of
localizing production in the U-S, such as TSMC's new fabs in Arizona, could
mitigate these impacts and contribute to the U-S's GDP.

(CNA_IG)

A legislative delegation led by Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang met with Czech
Senate President Milos Vystrcil and other officials in Prague this week.

According to a statement released by Chiang's office, Chiang highlighted the
European Union's "Global Gateway" initiative and proposed that Taiwan and the
Czech Republic could serve as "gateways" to their respective regions,
promoting greater cooperation and connecting more democratic allies.

Chiang also underscored the Czech Republic's recent role in "opening European
doors for Taiwan" and discussed the importance of concrete bilateral
cooperation, while thanking Vystrcil for making a show of support by visiting
Taiwan in 2020.

Chiang noted the significant progress made in Taiwan-Czech relations,
including direct flights, trade, and cultural exchanges.

(CNA_IG)

Strong Typhoon Gaemi is still sweeping closer and closer to Taiwan...

The storm's epicentre is now located 30 kilometres east of Hualien, moving
northwest at speeds of around 19 kilometres and hour.

Its radius of gale-force winds now stands at 270 kilometres, packing wind
speeds of between 190 and 234 kilometres per hour...

That's pretty fast but still doesn't beat Taiwan High Speed Rail's top speed.

The Central Weather Administration says Gaemi is likely to make landfall
between Yi-lan and Hua-lian before midnight tonight, and could happen as
early as 9 (PM) or 10 PM.

People in those areas should stay vigilant for violent winds and torrential
rain.

Authorities in Central Taiwan have already announced a suspension of work and
school for tomorrow, the 25th.

This includes Miaoli County, Taichung City, Changhua County, Yunlin County,
Nantou County, Chiayi County and Chiayi City.

Kinmen County has also announced a suspension of work and school for tomorrow.

So if you live in these places, you're in luck -- no work or school tomorrow.

As for other regions, we can expect an official announcment later in the
evening about whether work and school tomorrow is cancelled.

The CWA has issued thunderstorm and strong wind warnings for Yilan and
Hualian, saying people there should watch out for lightning strikes, gale
force winds, heavy downpours and flash floods.

The Defense Ministry says two Navy Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles
have been fully prepared and stationed at the Su'ao Town Office to prepare
for disaster prevention and relief efforts.

Taipei MRT announced that the Wen-hu Brown line temporarily suspended
operations at 4:15 PM, due to strong winds from the typhoon.

While all other Taipei MRT lines appear to be operating, transport officials
warn train frequencies may be adjusted.

Passengers are advised to take note and keep up to date with travel
advisories.

Meanwhile, TaiPower is also working to restore power to thousands of
households nationwide.

The Food and Drug Administration announced its planning to allow all imports
of Japanese food and agricultural products from areas affected by the 2011
Fukushima nuclear disaster.

It's planning to allow mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild
animals, and foraged vegetables from Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki, and
Tochigi prefectures to be imported into Taiwan once again.

Taiwan lifted the ban on food imports from these five prefectures in 2022,
except for those aforementioned products.

The F-D-A says all food imports from the five prefectures will undergo
batch-by-batch inspections, with radiation and origin certificates also
required.

Lin said over 235 thousand batches of Japanese food imports have been
inspected for radiation at the border since 2011, but only trace amounts were
detected, and fall both within Taiwan and Japan's food safety standards.

The FDA says a 60-day review period is in place and public feedback on the
amendments is welcome.

(CNA_IG)

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen cut short her ten-day trip to the United States
and returned to Taiwan early Wednesday due to the approaching Typhoon Gaemi.

Lu explained that she made the decision to return because Taichung is likely
to be affected by the storm.

Taichung, among 21 cities and counties, ordered the closure of offices and
schools on Wednesday, a decision made by Lu during an emergency meeting while
en route back to Taiwan.

Even though Mayor Lu returned, her deputy Huang Kuo-jung (黃國榮) is still
leading the Taichung City Government delegation in the U-S to strengthen ties
with sister and friendship cities, visit high-tech companies, and meet
overseas compatriots.

Meanwhile, a scheduled meeting between Taiwan and China in Kinmen County to
discuss the Kinmen speedboat incident was postponed due to the typhoon, as
cross-strait ferry services were suspended.

A new meeting date will be arranged later.

(CNA_IG)

Amid a suspension of work and classes in Taichung today, city residents
flocked to department stores to spend their time.

Crowds reportedly poured inside Taichung Top City and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi as
soon as doors opened, while other department stores, like Chungyo, said the
influx of people was comparable to regular days.

Popular department stores citywide quickly announced they would open their
doors today, after Taichung officials announced the suspension of work and
classes late last night, albiet with reduced opening times.

(IG)

Strong Typhoon Gaemi is moving closer to us and winds and rain have markedly
picked up in many places in Taiwan.

The storm is now located 70 kilometers south southeast of Yi-lan and moving
in a northwesterly direction at a speed of 15 kilometers an hour.

Its radius of gale-force winds now stands at 250 kilometers, packing winds of
between 191 and 234 kilometers per hour.

The Central Weather Administration says Gaemi is likely to make landfall in
between Yi-lan and Hua-lian before midnight tonight, and people in those
areas should stay vigilant for violent winds and torrential rain.

In fact, the accumulated rainfall up on Yi-lan's Tai-ping-shan has reached
beyond 550 millimeters so far today, and more would come.

The CWA has issued thunderstorm and strong wind warnings for Yilan and
Hualian, saying people there should watch out for lightning strikes, very
strong gusty winds, heavy downpours and flash floods.

The Defense Ministry says two Navy Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles
have been fully prepared and stationed at the Su'ao Town Office to prepare
for disaster prevention and relief efforts.

Meanwhile Taipei MRT announced that the Wen-hu Brown line temporarily
suspended operations at 4:15 PM, due to strong winds from the typhoon.

According to Taipei MRT, the Brown Line must suspend service when wind speeds
reach a certain threshold, as the line is mostly elevated.

All other Taipei MRT lines will continue to operate normally for the time
being.

However, train frequencies on these lines may be adjusted based on passenger
demand, and operations on elevated and underground sections will be evaluated
based on wind speeds.

Passengers are advised to take note and keep up to date with travel
advisories.

Bangladesh is crawling back to normalcy after more than a week of chaos over
student protests involving a quota system in government jobs.

Most of the country remained without internet on Wednesday but thousands of
cars were on the streets of the capital after authorities relaxed a curfew
for seven hours.

Offices and banks opened for a few hours Wednesday while authorities restored
broadband internet in some areas in Dhaka and the second-largest city of
Chattogram.

Media reports say at least 197 people were killed since the protests turned
violent on July 16. Authorities have not given any confirmed toll.

Typhoon Gaemi has yet to make landfall in Taiwan but its winds and rain have
already toppled trees, damaged buildings and knocked out power to tens of
thousands of households.

According to the Central Emergency Operation Center, the storm has also
caused one death and 58 injuries.

Evacuations are also ongoing in the high-risk mountainous areas, including
New Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingdong, and Taoyuan's Fuxing Township.

Gaemi is now a "strong typhoon," packing sustained wind speeds of
191-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 234-kilometers-an-hour.

It's currently located some 80-kilometers southeast of Yilan and moving in a
northwesterly direction at a relatively slow speed of 15 kilometers-an-hour.

Because the typhoon is going slow, the CWA says its path may spin and veer a
bit southward when it gets closer to Taiwan.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall in the Yilan-Hualien area around 9
to 10 PM tonight

The CWA's purple extremely heavy rain alert remains in effect for the
mountainous areas from Yilan down to Pingdong,
saying that the accumulated rainfall on Taipingshan has reached 500
millimeters so far today.

Meanwhile forecasters have issued a typhoon strong wind warning, saying as
the typhoon approaches, sustained winds of level 12 or gusts of level 14 or
higher are anticipated.

They say people should immediately seek shelter in sturdy buildings and stay
away from elevated roads, bridges, overpasses, scaffolding, windows, trees,
cars, or other objects that could be blown away, as well as reduce speed if
driving.

In a related news...

TaiPower statistics indicate over 23 thousand are without power, as Typhoon
Gaemi draws closer to Taiwan.

TaiPower reported over 130 thousand households nationwide today lost power as
a result of the typhoon, but power has been restored to over 82 percent of
them, as of 3:30 PM.

According to CNA News Agency, Yilan County and Tainan City were the worst hit
areas in terms of numbers.

TaiPower said it will continue efforts to restore power, but this will depend
on weather conditions.

(IG)

index

Henley & Partners, a UK-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm,
has ranked Taiwan as 33rd on its passport index for 2024.

It ranks passports based on the number of destinations their holders can
access without a prior visa.

So at 33rd place, Taiwan passport-holders can access 141 destinations
visa-free.

Singapore topped the list for the second consecutive year, its passport
granting visa-free access to 195 destinations...

...while passports from Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are tied in
second position, allowing visa-free travel to 192 destinations.



Hong Kong ranks 18th at 170 destinations, but Mainland China, on the other
hand, ranks 59th, with just 85 destinations.

For the past 19 years, the Henley Passport Index has tracked the global
freedom of movement across 227 countries and regions.



(IG)

Ukraine’s foreign minister says he is seeking “common ground” in talks
with his Chinese counterpart on ending his country’s war with Russia.

Video released by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry the minister arriving at the
meeting venue in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and exchanging
remarks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The Russian war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has strained relations
between the two countries.

Wang noted the growth in trade between the two countries and said that their
relations have continued to develop normally “despite complex and
ever-changing international and regional situations.”

The Central Weather Administration has upgraded Typhoon Gaemi to the status
of a "strong typhoon."

The storm is now packing sustained wind speeds of 184-kilometers-an-hour,
with gusts of up to 227-kilometers-an-hour.

Gaemi is currently located some 150-kilometers southeast of Yilan and moving
in a west-northwesterly direction at a relatively slow speed from 13 to
18-kilometers-an-hour.

Because the typhoon is slowing down, the CWA says its path may oscillate or
spin and veer south when it gets closer to Taiwan's landmass.

Forecasters say people in Yilan and Hualian in particular need to watch out
for violent winds and torrential rain.

The typhoon is still expected to make landfall in the Yilan-Hualien area
sometime later tonight.

The CWA has also issued the purple extremely heavy rain alert for the
mountainous areas from Yilan down to Pingdong, saying that accumulated
rainfall on Yilan's Tai-ping-shan has reached beyond 330 millimeters so far
today.

Meanwhile The low-lying coastal areas along Taiwan's west part should remain
vigilant for seawater backflow and flooding as this is the time for annual
high tides.

The Tao-yuan MRT is offering regular train service at 15-minute intervals
today without express trains.

The company announces that with the cancellation of work and school, it has
adjusted the operations of the trains and other services.

All the stores at the Taoyuan Metro stations are closed today, and the
check-in and baggage check services at A1 Taipei Main Station and A3 New
Taipei Industrial Park Station will be suspended for the entire day.

Meanwhile Taipei Metro says its Wen-hu line, Tamsui-Xinyi line,
Songshan-Xindian line, Ban-nan line and Zhongho-Xinlu lin are running at
intervals of 15 minutes today as well.

Taipei Metro says the network will adjust intervals or suspend operations on
ground-level and elevated sections based on passenger volume and wind speed.

All the parking lots along the lines, on the other hand, will stay open.

(JL)

Most department stores in Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu are closed today while
many KTVs remain open and are doing brisk business.

The only Far Eastern Department Stores that are operational today include the
ones in Taichung, Tainan, Jiayi and Kaohsiung.

The nine outlets of ShingKong Mitsu-koshi Department stores in Taipei city
have suspended business today, while all others are open.

Breeze Center, which operates stores in Taipei and Keelung, says they're
suspended for today, and the two branches at the NTU Hospital and the
Tri-Service General Hospital will follow the hospitals' schedules.

All Sogo Deparment Stores are shut down today.

(JL)

Trash from at least one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean
presidential compound, raising worries about the security of key South Korean
facilities from North Korean provocations.

The presidential security service says the rubbish contained no dangerous
material and no one was hurt.

North Korea’s latest balloon launches today came days after South Korea
boosted its frontline broadcasts of K-pop songs and propaganda messages.

North Korea has said its balloons are a response to South Korean activists'
propaganda.

South Korea says past balloons were directed by wind and had timers that
likely popped the bags of trash midair.

But experts say it likely doesn't have the ability to drop trash at specific
targets.

The Central Weather Administration says the outer rim of Typhoon Gaemi is now
affecting the north, east of center of Taiwan.

According to the administration's forecast center, the eye of the storm is
currently expected to make landfall in the Yilan-Hualien area sometime late
this evening.

The storm is currently located some 180-kilometers southeast of Yilan and is
moving in west-northwesterly direction at speeds of between 9 and
14-kilometers-an-hour.

The storm continues to be packing sustained wind speeds of
162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

The forecast center says as the storm is currently moving relatively slowly
it's not ruling out the possibilty that it could further slow down when nears
Taiwan.

The center also says Typhoon Gaemi could veer in a more northerly, or
southerly direction when it makes landfall.

The highest amount of accumulated rainfall overnight was recorded in Yilan's
Taiping Mountain area - where 27-centimeters was recorded from midnight
through 8AM.

That was followed by Taichung's Shen-Ma-Zhen Grassland - where 22-centimeters
of rainfall was recorded over the same period.

In international news,

South Korea says North Korea has again flown balloons likely carrying trash
toward South Korea.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the balloons are flying
north of Seoul after crossing the border.

This morning's balloon activities by North Korea are the 10th of their kind
since late May.

North Korea has argued its balloon campaigns were a response to South Korean
activists scattering political leaflets across the border via their own
balloons.

South Korea has recently resumed its anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts
across the rivals' heavily armed borer in response to North Korea's balloon
campaigns.

Israel has renewed its military operations in the the southern Gaza city of
Khan Younis.

The Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation order for eastern parts of
Khan Younis on Monday.

And the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says since then more
than 150,000 people have fled the city.

Khan Younis has been the focus of a new Israeli military offensive which it
says is aimed at combating "efforts by Hamas to reassemble its forces there."

Israel has also reduced the size of the designated al-Mawasi humanitarian
zone, which it claimed was being used by Hamas fighters to carry out
"terrorist activity and rocket fire."

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is blaming her political opponents
for the deadly unrest in the country.

Hasina is also defending her decision to impose a curfew - saying she was
"forced" to take such action for public safety.

Security forces have been accused of excessive force against student's
protesters.

More than 150 people have been killed in the past week and police have
arrested over 1,000 people, including several senior opposition leaders.

Hasina's comments came a day after Bangladesh's top court scrapped most of
the quotas on government jobs, meeting a key demand of protesters.

And finally,

British blues musician John Mayall has died at his home in California.

He was 90.

Mayall's influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric
Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars.

He's credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style
rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the
late 1960s.

Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, but he
was still performing into his late 80s.

Schools and offices are closed islandwide today with the exception of those
on Kinmen - as Typhoon Gaemi is set to make landfall later today somewhere
between Yilan and Hualien.

The storm is continuing to gain in strength as it nears Taiwan.

-

The Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Gaemi is currently located
some 250-kilometers southeast of Yilan and is moving in northwesterly
direction at speeds of 11 and 16-kilometers-an-hour.

The storm now has a radius of 250-kilometers and is continuing to gain in
strength.

It's now packing sustained wind speeds of 162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts
of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

-

A land warning now covers all of Taiwan proper as well as Penghu.

-

Heavy rain has been reported overnight across much of the island.

Torrential rain or extremely torrential rain advisories are in effect for
mountainous areas of Taichung, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Pingtung
and Yilan.

Extremely heavy rain or torrential rain advisories have been issued for
mountainous areas of New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Taitung - as
well as for most parts of Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Yilan.

Heavy rain or extremely heavy rain advisory in effect for Keelung, New
Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung
and mountainous areas of Taipei and Hualien.

While heavy rain advisories have been issued for Taipei, Hsinchu City,
Changhua and Hualien.

All of the rain advisories will remain in effect through tonight.

The accumulated rainfall in mountainous areas of Hualien could hit a meter,
while rainfall of between 25 and-40-centimeters is being forecast for low
lying areas.

-

All domestic flights and ferry services to Penghu and Matsu Islands have been
cancelled today.

The Taoyuan International Airport Corporation says both departures and
arrivals are being affected - with 74 scheduled flights for today having
already been canceled.

The airport is also warning that only a limited numbers of flights will be
permitted to take off and land from noon today until midnight Friday.

Travelers are being advised to check with their airlines before heading to
the airport.

-

The Taiwan Railways Corporation has suspended all scheduled services this
morning - and says some services could resume this afternoon depending on the
weather conditions.

The High Speed Rail Corporation says it is currently operating normally, but
adjustments to the timetable will be made depending on the impact of the
typhoon - and announcements will be made in advance of any cancellations.

-

The Taoyuan Metro has cancelled some services and but says non-airport
express trains will still run at 15 minute intervals depending on the weather
conditions.

However, all airport check-in and baggage services are suspended at the A1
Taipei Station and the A3 New Taipei Industrial Park Station.

-

And the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation says its services are currently
running at a reduced schedule - with trains on the Wenhu Line, the
Tamsu-Xinyi Line, the Songshan-Xindian Line, the Bannan Line and the
Zhonghe-Xinlu Line are running at 15-minute intervals.

But the transit corporation is warning that trains running on elevated
sections of track could be suspended depending on the weather conditions.

-

Although typhoon will make landfall in eastern Taiwan today - the weather
administration says showers and heavy or torrential rain are forecast to
continue pretty much islandwide over the coming couple of days.

Meanwhile,

The Wanan air raid drill scheduled to take place in eastern Taiwan this
afternoon has been canceled due to Typhoon Gaemi.

The air raid drill was original set to take place in Hualien and Taitung
counties, as well as in the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

However, the defense ministry says it will not be taking place to allow local
residents to focus on preparing for the typhoon - which is expected to bring
heavy rain and strong winds to the eastern part of the island.

Tomorrow's Wanan air raid drill in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung is slated
to take place between 1:30 and 2PM as scheduled

President Lai Ching-te has carried out his first inspection of the annual Han
Kuang exercises in his capacity as commander-in-chief.

Lai arrived Hualien Air Base on a presidential aircraft -- he was accompanied
by Defense Minister Wellington Koo and other senior military officials while
at the base - where he first met with a group of medics simulating treating
patients in a field hospital.

Lai then handed red envelopes containing money to participating troops before
leaving without making any public statements.

Lai's arrival at the base came after personnel from the Hualien Air
Base-based 5th Tactical Mixed Wing ran a round of drills simulating turning
the base's taxiway into an emergency runway within 30-minutes.

However, the Air Force was forced to cancel a round of fighter jet emergency
landing and refueling drills on the runway due to heavy rain.

Defense ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang says adjustments due to bad weather as
Typhoon Gaemi is nearing Taiwan have been made the ongoing live-fire
component of the Han Kuang exercise for safety reasons.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it believes the situation in Haiti is
stabilizing after the arrival of Kenyan police officers last month.

Taiwan has also indicated it can donate more supplies to help the country....

The head of the ministry's Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Department
Zheng Li-cheng says Taiwan previously donated bulletproof vests to Haitian
national police in 2023 to help them combat rampant gang violence.

And Zheng says the Haitian government has asked Taiwan to provide more help
in this area.

Zheng sai the two governments are still discussing exactly what Haiti needs
and how Taiwan can best help.

While the situation in Haiti is stabilizing, the foreign ministry officials
said the government is still assessing whether it's time to send back two
Taiwanese technical mission members evacuated from the country in March.

The government has said in recent weeks that Taiwan's ambassador to Haiti, Gu
Wen-jian, has established friendly interactions with key Haitian officials
for the the transitional government, and bilateral diplomatic relations
remain strong.

And,

The Food and Drug Administration says two types of condiments and a seasoning
powder imported from the United States have been seized after tests showed
they contained a banned cancer-causing chemical.

The F-D-A says the three separate shipments of Old El Paso taco sauce, Sauer
Brands' barbecue sauce and rib seasoning from Pizza Blends were intercepted
after sample testing was conducted in late May and June.

Those tests detected the presence of between 0.1 and 2.6-milligrams per
kilogram of ethylene oxide.

Ethylene oxide has been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World
Health Organization's International Agency for Research.

The F-D-A says 404 batches of various imported American condiments and
seasoning were inspected between January 15 and July 15 this year, and of
them 10 failed to meet safety standards.

Those failures were all due to the presence of ethylene oxide.