Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) presided over the opening yesterday of the 2007 Taipei International Book Exhibition at the Taipei World Trade Center.
In his address, Su encouraged people to read good books to absorb other people's wisdom, saying that by spending half a day reading, one may be able to obtain knowledge that the writer has spent a lifetime acquiring.
RUSSIAN THEME
PHOTO: CNA
The theme of this year's fair is Russian literature, culture, philosophy and lifestyle.
Among the more interesting items on display at the Russian pavilion are several "mini book" copies of Russian writer Anton Chekhov's (1860-1904) classic short story A Chameleon.
Meanwhile, to promote reading across Taiwan, the exhibition's organizer -- the Taipei Book Fair Foundation -- has also launched various activities in cooperation with local libraries and bookstores.
ILAN COUNTY OUTREACH
The foundation said that this year was the first time it had worked with the Ilan County Government's education bureau to promote reading for schoolchildren in remote areas of the county.
Government Information Office Minister Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦); Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Chiu Kun-liang (邱坤良); Sergey Filatov, president of Russia's Foundation of Social-Economic Intelligent Programs; and Sergey Gubarv, director of the Moscow-Taipei Economic and Cultural Coordination Commission, were among the guests of honor at yesterday's ceremony.
Officials said a total of 711 domestic and foreign businesses from 40 countries are taking part in the exhibition.
The exhibition will run through Sunday.
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
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or