■ 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.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could