■DIPLOMACY
Former premier to visit US
Former premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) will lead a delegation of lawmakers and business leaders to Washington on Feb. 4 to attend the National Prayer Breakfast and a forum sponsored by a US think tank. On Feb. 5, Liu will participate in a forum jointly sponsored by The Heritage Foundation and the Taiwanese Association of America. He will discuss with US academics topics related to the future of Taiwan-US ties after the recent controversy over US beef imports to Taiwan. The former premier will also give a speech at the forum.
■CRIME
Police track diamond thief
Police said yesterday they were working with their counterparts in Japan to trace a man they believe has stolen valuable diamond rings in both countries. The man took millions of dollars worth of jewelry from a De Beers shop at Taipei 101, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said. He did so by pretending to be a customer shopping for a ring for his sister, the bureau said. He was accompanied by a local woman, who said she was approached by the man who claimed to be a foreign tourist and needed someone to try the ring on for him, the bureau said.
■FILM
‘Cape No. 7’ to go musical
The director of the nation’s most successful recent blockbuster — Cape No. 7 (海角七號) — is working on a musical version of the movie, sources said. Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖) is planning to adapt the movie about two love stories between two Taiwanese-Japanese couples into a musical, but the time frame has not been finalized, said Lian Yi-chou (連乙州), a producer with Taiwan’s Dafeng Theater Company. Cape No. 7, is the second-best-selling film in Taiwanese history.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS