■ POLITICS
Former lawmaker dies
Former People First Party legislator Lin Hui-kuan (林惠官), 53, passed away early yesterday morning as a result of post-surgery complications. His family issued a written statement saying that Lin was scheduled to be discharged from hospital two weeks after undergoing surgery of his neck in the middle of last month, but he was transferred to the National Taiwan University Hospital’s emergency room after developing complications and suffering from septicemia following the operation. Lin served two terms as a legislator-at-large for the People First Party and was known as a labor rights advocate. He served as chairman of Matsu Liquor Factory Industry Co after he was not nominated by his party for a seat in the present legislative term.
■ CULTURE
US deaf theater to perform
The Taipei Organizing Committee of the 21st Summer Deaflympics, Taiwan’s Seeing and Smiling Theater of the Deaf and the American Institute in Taiwan are sponsoring two performances and one workshop by the US National Theatre of the Deaf’s Little Theatre of the Deaf. The performances and workshop are free of charge and will take place in Taipei from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13. The Little Theatre of the Deaf will perform Tree Wise, which tells the story of a girl who has deaf parents and has made a new friend at school. Through the help of a special tree, the girl learns how to help her friend and her other classmates understand deaf culture. Tree Wise will be performed in easy-to-understand English and using American Sign Language and is suitable for both adults and children, the American Institute in Taiwan said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
Central and southern Taiwan are to see increasingly heavy rainfall from last night through Friday due to the effects of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said Tropical Storm Co-May had weakened into a low-pressure system on Saturday, but that it strengthened again into a tropical depression (TD 11) near the seas around Japan's Ryukyu Islands due to favorable environmental conditions. The tropical depression is expected to persist for two to three days, moving west-northwest by this afternoon and reaching China's Zhejiang through the East China Sea tomorrow,