CHARITY
Khieng T-shirt to help kids
Internationally renowned fashion designer Khieng Puong, now living and working in Taiwan, has designed a T-shirt for a charity drive for Aboriginal children, the non-profit Canlove Social Service Association, which organized the drive, said yesterday. Khieng, owner of the Taipei-based haute couture company Khieng Atelier, has designed a T-shirt especially for the charity that is seeking to provide better social services in Aboriginal communities, it said, adding that the proceeds from the sale of the T-shirt, 1,000 of which will be produced, would go toward programs for Aboriginal children. Khieng, who was born in Cambodia and married Wang Jui-jung (王瑞容), the daughter of late tycoon Wang Yung-ching (王永慶), said the T-shirt design integrates fashion elements and the unique totemic images of Taiwan’s Aborigines. The T-shirts will be sold online on the association’s Web site and on Yam Taiwan.
DIPLOMACY
Aid arrives in Thailand
The first batch of relief supplies donated by Taiwan to help flood victims in Thailand has arrived in the country, an official said yesterday. The supplies, which weigh 5,000kg, include surgical masks, food, sanitizers and first-aid kits. Thailand has been hit by its worst flooding in 50 years, said James Tien (田中光), director-general of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The flooding in the world’s top exporter of rice broke out in late July and it has affected half of the nation’s population. On Oct. 18, the government donated US$100,000 to the Thai government. As the flooding in the country continued to worsen, Taiwan offered another US$100,000.
ENVIRONMENT
‘Green’ forums to be held
The German Institute in Taipei and a local environmental non-governmental organization are set to co-host forums on environmental issues throughout Taiwan starting from Monday, in an effort to promote a sustainable low-carbon environment, organizers said yesterday. The first forum is to be held in Yilan, followed by Greater Taichung and New Taipei City (新北市), before concluding in Greater Tainan, said Eugene Chien (簡又新), president of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy. Attending the forums will be two German experts — Christian Maass, former state secretary for environment and urban planning in Hamburg, will share his experiences about making his city this year’s European Green Capital, while Rudiger Schweer, director of the Ministry of the Environment in Hessen, will focus on business structure and opportunity.
CULTURE
Eight to receive awards
Eight people, including a crosstalk performer and two Aborigine nose-flute players, will receive the human national treasure award this year, according to the Council of Cultural Affairs. Lai Pie-hsia (賴碧霞), who is also known as the “Queen of Hakka folk songs,” has been awarded for her achievements in preserving Hakka mountain music. Wu Chao-nan (吳兆南), 80, a renowned crosstalk performer, and Paiwan nose-flute players Hsu Kun-chung (許坤仲) and Hsieh Shui-neng (謝水能) are among those honored. The others are master tinsmith Chen Wan-neng (陳萬能), Buddhist sculptor Shih Chih-hui (施至輝), traditional wood sculptor Shih Chen-yang (施鎮洋) and traditional glove puppet artist Huang Chun-hsiung (黃俊雄). This year’s award ceremony is scheduled to be held tomorrow at the Taichung Cultural Creative Industrial Park.
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
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
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by