Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) concluded a trip to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, on Saturday by pledging a donation to support local rhinoceros conservation efforts.
Lin returned to Taiwan after a five-day visit to the African kingdom that began on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released yesterday.
The visit, primarily made to celebrate King Mswati III’s 57th birthday, with Lin serving as President William Lai’s (賴清德) special envoy, ended with Lin pledging a US$55,000 donation to Big Game Parks, an Eswatini-based nonprofit trust that manages four wildlife parks in the landlocked country, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via CNA
The money would help conserve rhino habitats in the African kingdom, the ministry added.
Lin also named a newborn rhinoceros “Formosa” during his visit, in one of the parks managed by Big Game Parks, to symbolize the friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, the ministry said.
“Formosa” is a former Western name for Taiwan, given by Portuguese explorers who called the island “Ilha Formosa,” meaning “beautiful island,” when they first sighted it in the 16th century.
The pledged donation was witnessed by Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs Pholile Shakantu and Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane, the ministry added.
Taiwan established formal diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Eswatini on Sept. 6, 1968, when Eswatini gained independence from the UK.
Eswatini — formerly known as Swaziland — is Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
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
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
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would