■ POLITICS
Former lawmaker dies
Former People First Party legislator Lin Hui-kuan (林惠官), 53, passed away early yesterday morning as a result of post-surgery complications. His family issued a written statement saying that Lin was scheduled to be discharged from hospital two weeks after undergoing surgery of his neck in the middle of last month, but he was transferred to the National Taiwan University Hospital’s emergency room after developing complications and suffering from septicemia following the operation. Lin served two terms as a legislator-at-large for the People First Party and was known as a labor rights advocate. He served as chairman of Matsu Liquor Factory Industry Co after he was not nominated by his party for a seat in the present legislative term.
■ CULTURE
US deaf theater to perform
The Taipei Organizing Committee of the 21st Summer Deaflympics, Taiwan’s Seeing and Smiling Theater of the Deaf and the American Institute in Taiwan are sponsoring two performances and one workshop by the US National Theatre of the Deaf’s Little Theatre of the Deaf. The performances and workshop are free of charge and will take place in Taipei from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13. The Little Theatre of the Deaf will perform Tree Wise, which tells the story of a girl who has deaf parents and has made a new friend at school. Through the help of a special tree, the girl learns how to help her friend and her other classmates understand deaf culture. Tree Wise will be performed in easy-to-understand English and using American Sign Language and is suitable for both adults and children, the American Institute in Taiwan said.
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
TAKE BREAKS: A woman developed cystitis by refusing to get up to use the bathroom while playing mahjong for fear of disturbing her winning streak, a doctor said People should stand up and move around often while traveling or playing mahjong during the Lunar New Year holiday, as prolonged sitting can lead to cystitis or hemorrhoids, doctors said. Yuan’s General Hospital urologist Lee Tsung-hsi (李宗熹) said that he treated a 63-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙) who had been sitting motionless and holding off going to the bathroom, increasing her risk of bladder infection. Chao would drink beverages and not urinate for several hours while playing mahjong with friends and family, especially when she was on a winning streak, afraid that using the bathroom would ruin her luck, he said. She had
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