■SOCIETY
Centenarian numbers grow
The number of centenarians in the country has reached 1,223 as life expectancy in Taiwan continues to increase, a report released yesterday by the Ministry of the Interior showed. The data came from the annual census of centenarians conducted ahead of the Oct. 26 Double Ninth Festival that honors seniors. All citizens born before Dec. 31, 1909 were counted. The census found that 1,135 (92.8 percent) of the centenarians were between 100 and 104 years of age, while 84 were between 105 and 109 and four were 110 or older. The average age was 101.48. Women far outnumbered men: 853 to 370. The oldest centenarian is a 116-year-old woman in Kaohsiung City. A 113-year-old Hualien County man is the second-oldest.
■POLITICS
DPP threatens to sue
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokeswoman Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said yesterday the party would file a lawsuit if Taitung County Commissioner Kuang Li-chen (鄺麗貞) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or her former husband, Wu Chun-li (吳俊立), runs in the Taitung legislative by-election. The by-election was called after KMT Legislator Justin Huang (黃健庭) resigned on Thursday to dedicate himself to running in the Taitung County commissioner election. There have been rumors for a while that Huang would step down to leave the seat open for either Kuang or Wu to run in exchange for their supporting his commissioner bid. Kuang had initially insisted on seeking reelection, but just a few days ago threw her support behind Huang. “It would prove that there was a deal between Huang, Wu and Kuang if Wu or Kuang registers to run in the by-election,” Hsiao said. “The DPP will sue it if that happens.”
■SOCIETY
Decision on Centrum soon
Consumers will soon get a clear answer on whether Centrum vitamins are a food or medicine, Vice Premier Eric Chu (朱立倫) said. The Department of Health considers Centrum a medicine because of its high vitamin content. “I will ask the Department of Health to make a decision by the end of this year,” said Chu, who is also chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) has complained that one bottle of Centrum in April costs about three times more in Taiwan than it would in the US.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
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