■ EVENTS
BaLiwakes remembered
The Council for Cultural Affairs and the National Center for Traditional Arts will host two concerts on Saturday in commemoration of Puyuma tribe musician BaLiwakes, better known by his Chinese name Lu Shen-pao (陸森寶). BaLiwakes was born in 1910 and was trained in Western music. However, he insisted on writing his lyrics in the Puyuma language, council vice-chairman Wu Chin-fa (吳錦發) said during a press conference at the council to promote the concerts and to launch a biography of BaLiwakes. "He not only passed on his music, but also many poetic words and sentences in the Puyuma language" long lost in modern speech, Wu said. The concerts will be held from 6pm to 9:30pm on Saturday at the Tien Education Center Chapel in Sindian (新店) and the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung.
■ EVENTS
Hakka photo exhibit opens
The Council of Hakka Affairs launched the "Hakka Impression 2007" photo exhibition at the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall yesterday. The changing lifestyle of Hakka over the past century and comparative points of view between two generations of photographers are the themes of the exhibition, council minister Lee Yung-teh (李永得) said at a press conference opening the exhibition. To showcase generational differences, the exhibition includes works by senior Hakka photographers as well as by those from the younger generation. In addition, six non-Hakka photographers were also invited to participate in the exhibition to provide an "outsider's" point of view, a council press release said. The event runs until Nov. 27.
■ DIPLOMACY
Ma to visit Japan
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will visit Japan from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22 to present his policies on economic development, staff from his election campaign said yesterday. Ma, who is expected to meet representatives from Japan's business and political sectors, will be accompanied by KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), who maintains extensive ties with Japanese political and economic communities, Ma aides said. Last year, Ma visited Japan in his capacity as KMT chairman, the aides said, adding that this time, as a presidential hopeful, Ma would elaborate on his plans to transform Taiwan into a hub for financial services, trade and transportation in the Asia-Pacific region with stable cross-Taiwan Strait relations.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
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