CRIME
Patricide suspect detained
The Greater Kaohsiung police yesterday received a telephone call from a man who wanted to turn himself in after allegedly stabbing his father to death in Fongshan District (鳳山). Police said the 23-year-old suspect, surnamed Tseng (曾), told them he was unhappy with his father’s frequent abuse of his mother. Tseng claimed his father had threatened to kill his mother several days previously, police said. They said the suspect claimed he had stabbed his father four times in the abdomen as he slept. Tseng was taken into custody for further questioning.
SOCIETY
S Korean actress honored
South Korean actress Lee Young-ae will be awarded the Love of Lives Medal by the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation for her generous donation to help a Taiwanese family stranded in Seoul pay off a hospital bill so they could return home, foundation founder Chou Chin-hua (周進華) said. The foundation described Lee in a statement as “a beautiful woman whose heart is even more beautiful” and praised the 43-year-old for extending her hand to people in need. The foundation plans to invite Lee to Taiwan next year to receive the medal. Lee made headlines around the nation when she donated about US$100,000 to a young couple who had racked up millions of New Taiwan dollars in medical bills after the wife slipped and fell during trip to South Korea in February, causing her to go into labor two months early.
CULTURE
Hou films on tour
An international touring retrospective of Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s (侯孝賢) films will be showcased in the Washington area this month and next. The retrospective entitled, “Also Like Life: The Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien” will screen 17 films at the Freer Gallery of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the AFI Silver Theatre in nearby Silver Spring, Maryland, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US said. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Taipei Cultural Center in New York and Bard College, the retrospective opened on Sunday at the Freer. It will run from Nov. 15 to 25 at the AFI Silver Theatre and from Dec. 4 to Dec. 13 at the National Gallery before concluding at the Freer on Dec. 21. Hou, 67, is a prominent figure in Taiwan’s “New Wave” cinema movement, which began during the 1980s. The movement is characterized by realistic and sympathetic portrayals of Taiwanese life, in stark contrast to the kung-fu action movies and melodramas of earlier decades.
DIPLOMACY
Dancers heading to Panama
The Taipei Folk Dance Theatre (台北民族舞團) leaves tomorrow for a tour of Panama, Honduras and El Salvador as part of an effort to increase cultural exchanges between Taiwan and its Central America allies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The troupe will give a total of six one-hour performances from Thursday to Nov. 20. The company, founded by Tsai Li-hua (蔡麗華), is celebrating its 26th anniversary this year. Works on the program by Tsai and other choreographers depict diverse elements of Taiwanese culture, including Hakka culture, Aboriginal weddings, traditional temple festivals and martial arts, the company said. Salvadorean Ambassador to Taiwan Marta Chang de Tsien said the tour would help increase mutual understanding and promote bilateral cultural exchanges. Misael Vallecille, interim charge d’affaires of the Honduras embassy, said he expected the tour to strengthen arts and cultural exchanges.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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