CULTURE
Festival offers taste of Africa
A three-day festival featuring African films, music and culture opened in Taipei yesterday in observance of Africa Day, which is celebrated annually on May 25 to mark the 1963 founding of the now disbanded Organization of African Unity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which organized the event, said movies from 12 African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Gambia, will be screened during the festival. A series of free outdoor activities will also be held over the weekend at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, including a fair featuring booths run by the Africa Taiwan Economic Forum to showcase African culture, the ministry said. Visitors to the festival will have a chance to try African braiding, body painting and drumming, the ministry said. The ministry has been holding annual avents to raise public awareness of Africa and its diverse cultures.
TRAVEL
CAL to fly direct to Hawaii
China Airlines (CAL) said yesterday it will start direct flights from Taiwan to Hawaii on June 2, becoming the first Taiwanese airline to offer a non-stop service on the route. The move comes amid growing interest in travel to the US following Taiwan’s admission to the US Visa-Waiver Program in November last year, CAL said. From June 2, the airline will offer two direct Taipei-Honolulu flights weekly, in addition to its seven round-trip flights a week between Taiwan and Hawaii via Tokyo. The direct flights, using CAL’s Airbus A330s, will provide tourists and business travelers more options, the carrier said. The direct flights will be two hours quicker than those that go through Tokyo, CAL said, adding that it hopes to also attract Southeast Asian passengers who may wish to stop over in Taiwan en route to or from Hawaii.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
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