TRAVEL
Warning issued for Trinidad
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning yesterday advising people to avoid traveling to Trinidad and Tobago, where tensions were rising after the government of the Caribbean nation declared a curfew in the wake of a surge in violent crime. A 15-day period of emergency rule was imposed on Aug. 21 in a bid to halt the surge in violent crime linked to the drug trade, the ministry said, adding the emergency rule was mainly to allow authorities to conduct search and seizure operations and make arrests. The ministry issued an “orange” warning, which is the second-highest on its four-color tourism advisory system. Orange means to avoid going to the destination and to be on high alert if there.
DIPLOMACY
Documentaries posted
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York has launched a Web site that provides 22 documentaries about Taiwan to help people better understand the country. The Web site, created by the office in cooperation with video Web site DramaFever, features documentaries on topics ranging from Taiwanese delicacies, culture, music, customs and festivals to the business scene, healthcare and learning Chinese. The documentaries, produced by the Government Information Office, aim to provide in-depth knowledge of Taiwan through the Internet and draw more visitors to the country for pleasure, business or to study. Each documentary is about 30 minutes long and can be viewed on DramaFever’s Web site at www.dramafever.com/taiwan. They include: Food from the Heavens — Taiwan’s Rice Culture, The Green Green Grass — the Story of Taiwan’s Fight Against SARS; Visions of Taiwan’s Mountains; Embrace Life — the Story of Taiwan Medicine and Tradition Meets Modernity — Energy for Taiwan Music.
CULTURE
‘Crosstalk’ icon honored
Renowned actor Wu Jau--nan (吳兆南) cried on Tuesday upon hearing that he was selected as one of the nation’s “Significant Traditional Arts Preservers” by the Council of Cultural Affairs. The honor is presented to those considered “human national treasures” for their dedication to the preservation of traditional arts. Wu was honored for his contributions and devotion to “crosstalk” (相聲) for 60 years. Crosstalk is a traditional Chinese comedic performance that usually takes the form of a dialogue between performers. Wu was overjoyed after hearing that he received the honor but also saddened to tears that his wife, who died two years ago, could not share his happiness. He said he would try to stay healthy and take every opportunity to be “used” to promote the art form.
CRIME
Customs brokers questioned
Prosecutors yesterday questioned five customs brokers who are suspected of bribing officials to help importers smuggle goods, after raids on their offices and homes. The Taipei District Public Prosecutors’ Office began its probe into the case last year after receiving tip-offs that customs officials were taking bribes from brokers to cover up the smuggling of banned goods, or to allow importers to pay lower tariffs by undervaluing their imports. Investigators have detained 10 officials from the Directorate General of Customs and the Keelung Customs Office they believe were involved in the scandal. The prosecutors launched the first round of raids and questioning in July, and detained several importers and customs officials, including Deputy Director-General of Customs Lu Tsai-yih (呂財益).
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
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