■ POLITICS
KMT upgrades Web site
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday launched the latest version of its official Web site, while seeking to attract younger supporters by setting up a Web department. The party changed the design of its official Web site, www.kmt.org.tw, enhanced its search engine function and urged visitors to share their opinions by participating in online polls. KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) told a press conference that the party would host many online activities to increase its interaction with the younger generation.
■ IMMIGRATION
Rules revised for spouses
The Ministry of the Interior yesterday passed revisions to Regulations Governing Visiting, Residence and Permanent Residence of Aliens (外國人停留居留及永久居留辦法) to allow the Tibetan spouses of Taiwanese nationals and children holding an Identity Certificate — a travel document issued by the Indian government to Tibetans living in exile in India — to apply for residency. Under the current law, only foreign spouses holding valid passports may apply for residency. The revision will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval before taking effect.
■ DIPLOMACY
Speaker announces trip
Upon his return from the US yesterday after attending US President Barack Obama’s inauguration, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) announced he will depart for Europe next month, when he will deliver a speech to the European Parliament. The speech will focus on Taiwan’s democratic achievements and contributions to cross-strait peace, he added. Wang said the European trip would also take him to Belgium, Italy and to the Holy See.
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
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