President Chen Shui-bian
Chen and Lee went to National Taiwan University Hospital, where Yu's mother, Huang Shou-chu
Cabinet spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) said yesterday that the hospital informed the premier that the condition of his mother, who was suffering from lung cancer, had begun to deteriorate at 3:40pm on Friday.
"The premier canceled everything on his schedule and rushed to the hospital," Chuang said.
Huang died at 7:30pm. According to the hospital, the cancer had spread to her liver and she suffered complications including pneumonia and pleural effusion, which led to the failure of her heart and lungs. She was 78.
The president visited Huang at the hospital two weeks ago after the premier had offered to resign over the government's about-face on reform of farmers' and fishermen's associations.
Yu expressed his gratitude to the president and Vice President Annette Lu
Yu's father died when he was 14 years old. Yu, as the oldest child, dropped out of school to help his mother earn enough money for the family.
The premier once recalled that he often studied on the back of a cow. He was 38 when he finally graduated from university.
Yu said that when he was campaigning as a provincial councilor candidate in 1981, his mother questioned whether he would remember his humble background if he were elected.
"Those who have the fortune to be provincial councilors all have their stars in heaven. What about you?" Huang asked him.
After becoming premier, Yu once said that without his mother's support, it would have been impossible for him to survive his years as a youth.
Yu said his interest in public affairs was largely nurtured by his mother.
"As a child, my mother often asked me to help with household chores and sent me to our neighbors' houses. As a result, I had a lot of opportunities to get involved in neighborhood affairs," Yu said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their