Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to Taiwan Jasmine Huggins yesterday sent 138 bags of handmade snacks to Taipei Veterans General Hospital personnel, thanking them for assisting the Caribbean nation in guarding public health and to mark 38 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The connection between the hospital and Saint Kitts and Nevis, one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies, stems from a collaborative project on the treatment of chronic kidney diseases, which was supported by the International Cooperation and Development Fund.
Hospital superintendent Wayne Sheu (許惠恒) said that the two sides are seeking to deepen their cooperation through a follow-up project on the prevention and control of metabolic disorders, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
Photo: CNA
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital designed online courses for Saint Kitts and Nevis medical personnel, he added.
“It is better to give than to receive,” Huggins said, as she presented the snacks and masks featuring the country’s national emblem to management personnel at the hospital in Taipei’s Tianmu (天母) area.
Calling the workers “unsung heroes and heroines at the hospital,” Huggins said that she hoped the gifts would bring a smile to their faces.
Taiwan was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis after it became independent on Sept. 19, 1983, she said.
“Educational opportunities in Taiwan continue to beckon our young people, many of whom have returned to the Federation [of Saint Kitts and Nevis] with advanced training and skill sets,” she said.
Two Saint Kitts and Nevis nationals, Jamella Fraser and Davina Cranstoun, helped make the snacks at an ABV Bar & Kitchen branch.
To mark Saint Kitts and Nevis’ national day, which was on Sunday last week, its embassy is hosting a series of activities, including at Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei today where the ambassador is to throw the first pitch at a Wei Chuan Dragons baseball game.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group