CULTURE
Hugh Lee to receive citation
The Executive Yuan has approved a proposal to present theater director and actor Hugh Lee (李國修) with a presidential citation. Lee, founder of the Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班), died in Greater Taichung on July 2 at the age of 57 after a three-year battle with cancer. Born in Taipei in 1955, Lee set up Ping-Fong in 1986 and was the group’s main actor, director and writer until 2011. His works, such as Can Three Make It (三人行不行), are known for satirizing contemporary political and social events and for using a few actors to play many different characters. He was the first recipient of the National Award for Arts in the drama category when the award was established in 1997.
POLITICS
‘Dreamers’ brings censure
The Control Yuan yesterday censured the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Culture over their lack of decision-making accountability in connection with the musical Dreamers (夢想家). The NT$215 million (then US$7.1 million) musical was performed just twice as part of celebrations for the Republic of China’s (ROC) centennial in 2011. Control Yuan members Ma Hsiu-ju (馬秀如) and Chou Yang-shan (周陽山) said then-Council for Cultural Affairs minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) made all the decisions regarding the musical. Although Sheng’s role as chief executive of the ROC Centenary Foundation helped cut through red tape and expedite the decision-making, it meant a government agency was following the orders of a civilian organization, which was inappropriate, the reprimand said. A lack of foresight and budget control, along with sharp changes to the scheduling, had caused a major budget overrun, it added.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
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