DIPLOMACY
Abe thanks Tsai for support
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday expressed on Twitter his gratitude for the sympathy and support extended by Taiwanese and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in the wake of heavy rain, flooding and landslides that killed at least 151 people in Japan. Abe wrote in Chinese that he is thankful for the sincere condolences and is grateful for the prompt assistance and donations from Taiwanese. The warm support of Taiwan in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami is unforgettable, he said. Abe’s response came after Tsai extended her condolences in Japanese, saying that Taiwan is ready to provide any assistance. The president also expressed the hope that survivors will recover soon and that the areas hit by the disaster will be restored as soon as possible. Taiwan is also afflicted by frequent heavy rains and understands the severity of such disasters, Tsai said. Taiwan has pledged to donate ￥20 million (US$179,920) to Japan for flood relief, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday.
DEVELOPMENT
MOU signed on AI, robotics
The Hsinchu Science Park and the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with India’s Karnataka State to promote bilateral exchanges in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The document was signed by Hsinchu Science Park director-general Wayne Wang (王永壯), CTSP director-general Chen Ming-huang (陳銘煌), and Karnataka Center for e-Governance chief executive officer Shri K. Nagaraja. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Representative to India Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) and Gaurav Gupta, the principal secretary of the Karnataka Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology. Speaking after the ceremony, Wang said he hopes to promote exchanges between academics and entrepreneurs in Taiwan and Karnataka and help Taiwanese firms gain access to the growing Indian market to create new business opportunities in Bengaluru, especially in the field of information technology. Chen said he also hopes to see cooperation in robotics. The MOU enables the two nations to institutionalize an industrial collaboration mechanism and platform, which, in turn, would help enhance ties in the fields of industry, investment and technical cooperation on an equal and mutually beneficial basis, Tien said.
ENVIRONMENT
US official in Taiwan
Jane Nishida, principal deputy assistant administrator at the US Environmental Protection Agency, yesterday arrived in Taiwan to promote bilateral cooperation, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement. Nishida is to meet with government officials and students today to promote the International Environmental Partnership (IEP), a long-time collaboration between the US agency and the Environmental Protection Administration, the statement said. The AIT did not disclose when Nishida would be leaving Taiwan. Through the IEP, the US and Taiwan have addressed issues related to environmental education, electronic waste management, air pollution, mercury monitoring, and remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, the statement said. Nishida has more than 30 years of environmental experience at the federal and state government levels, and with international and non-governmental organizations. She has visited Taiwan several times to promote the IEP, the AIT said.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
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