HEALTH
CECC reports 23,718 cases
The nation yesterday recorded 23,718 local COVID-19 cases and 32 deaths from the disease, the Central Epidemic Command Center said. Two of the newly reported deaths were men in their 40s, one of whom was unvaccinated and had a chronic liver condition, it said. The other man, who had no history of chronic illness and had received three COVID-19 vaccine shots, tested positive on July 24 and was found dead in his house three days later, it said. The man died of pneumonia and respiratory failure, it said, adding that the case was under investigation. Among 36 new severe COVID-19 cases reported yesterday were two one-year-old boys, who were diagnosed with encephalitis and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children respectively, but have since recovered and been discharged from hospital, the CECC said.
YOUTH AFFAIRS
Join working holidays: MOFA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday encouraged young Taiwanese to join the working holiday programs in 12 European countries with which Taiwan has signed agreements, with about 2,300 slots still available this year. The programs were signed to encourage young Taiwanese to participate in international exchanges, Department of European Affairs Director-General Remus Chen (陳立國) said. The 12 are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and the UK. Each year, a total of 3,315 slots are opened for young Taiwanese to go on working holidays in these 12 countries, he said, adding that each person can only participate in the program once in a lifetime. Those who are interested in applying for the programs can go to the ministry’s Working Holiday Program Web site at www.youthtaiwan.net/WorkingHoliday or contact the target country’s office in Taiwan for more information, he said.
WAGES
Gender pay gap narrows
Taiwanese men earned about 1.5 times more than Taiwanese women in 2020, the smallest gender income gap since 2009, the Ministry of Finance said. Based on the 2021 Yearbook of Gender Statistics published by the ministry on Monday, Taiwanese men earned an average income of NT$650,000 in 2020, compared with NT$420,000 on average for Taiwanese women. That translates into the men’s income being 1.547 times higher than that for women. It is the first time the gender wage gap has fallen to about 1.5, as Taiwanese men earned 1.6 to 1.7 times more income than women in 2006, when the ministry started to record the statistics, the yearbook showed. In 2019, the wage difference was 1.55.
CULTURE
Summer Jazz event starts
An exhibition at the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH) in Taipei commemorating the 20th anniversary of its Summer Jazz event and the history of jazz in Taiwan opened on Monday. The monthlong free exhibition in the Concert Hall’s ground floor and basement was curated by musician Shawna Yang (楊曉恩), the NTCH said in a statement. In addition to photos tracing the history of jazz music and its impact on the local music industry, the exhibition features documentary films and 50 jazz records, it said. Meanwhile, two free Big Jazz Jam Sessions are to take place on Saturday afternoon, it said. A series of six concerts are also to be held at the Experimental Theater from Wednesday to Sunday next week, followed by a concert at the Concert Hall on Aug. 19 of music by US jazz musician Miles Davis.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
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
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
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