World-famous movie star Brad Pitt said in a recent interview that he might have prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. He has never been officially diagnosed with this neurological disorder, though. It is not the first time he has mentioned the condition.The inability to remember people’s faces made him so embarrassed that Pitt even wanted to isolate himself. He has suffered for years and wants to meet others who can relate.According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and

Hong Kong author Ni Kuang, who authored hundreds of novels and story collections and over 300 film scripts, had suffered from poor health and died recently at the age of 87. Born in Shanghai in 1935, Ni was known throughout the Chinese-speaking world for his Wisely series of adventure-science fiction novels, many of which involve aliens or other supernatural beings.In the media,Ni was often mentioned together with wuxia writer Jin Yong, lyricist James Wong, and columnist Chua Lam as one of Hong

India is set to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, with more than 1.4 billion residents this year, according to a United Nations report. The Indian government’s census, which is conducted once a decade, put the country’s population at more than 1.2 billion in 2011. The 2021 census has been deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a huge population and a major economy, India’s need for resources in the years ahead will become increasingly pressing. The world’s populati

Taiwanese chamber pop duo Collage won Best New Artist award at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards for their debut album MEmento·MORI, which was released in December 2021. The group, founded in 2019 by vocalist Natsuko Lariyod and guitarist Ông Ka-koân, is famous for their use of synthesizers and lyrics in several different languages, including Taiwanese Hoklo, Amis, English, and Japanese. During their acceptance speech, Collage’s guitarist Ông Ka-koân said, “If our music can make people think of thei

The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24. The 5-4 vote reversed the constitutional right to abortion. It took away the right of millions of women in the US to make decisions over their bodies. Wade on June 24. The 5-4 vote reversed the constitutional right to abortion. It took away the right of millions of women in the US to make decisions over their bodies. The controversial decision means abortion rights roll back nearly fifty years in half of US states. It paves the way for indi

Liya Chu, a Taiwanese-American girl, won first place in the eighth season of the US MasterChef Junior. Chu was ten years old when she participated in the competition. She has kept the secret to herself for three years because the show was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chu’s parents come from Taiwan and have run two restaurants in New York. She has been helping out in restaurants after school since she was five and learning cooking skills working side-by-side with her parents in the kitch

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant, one of Hong Kong’s most famous landmarks, capsized in the South China Sea. The large boat, which spent nearly half a century in Hong Kong’s waters, was towed from the city last week after closing down during the pandemic. The boat hit inclement weather, which caused strong sea waves, and sank to the bottom of the sea. The boat is famous for its lavish banquet halls and neon lights, playing host to “numerous international dignitaries and celebrities,” including Quee

Tai Tzu-ying, Taiwanese badminton player and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, received a PhD from the Graduate Institute of Sports Training of The University of Taipei, becoming badminton scholar “Dr. Tai” at the age of 27. Although Tai often has to travel overseas to compete, she was able to complete her doctoral program on schedule. In her graduation speech, Tai said that increasing knowledge helps her career in sports. Athletics are very demanding, but she never gave up her studies. Tai’s advis

BTS, the Korean boy band, announced recently that the members will take a break from their current arrangement in order to pursue solo projects and explore their individual music careers. The entertainment company associated with the group said BTS will “remain active in various different formats.” The members believed that K-Pop and the entire idol concept did not allow them to mature and that some time to focus on their solo careers would strengthen their future collaborations. The group’s wor

Starting in the autumn of 2024, the EU will require all smartphones to use a USB-C port for charging for all devices sold in the bloc. Apple, whose iPhone is the only main brand smartphone without this type of connection, could be substantially impacted. The rule change, according to the EU, aims to reduce hassle for consumers as well as electronic waste, as consumers can use the same chargers for all devices. The rules will apply to most portable electronic devices, including mobile phones, tab

The 30th Taipei International Book Exhibition wrapped up on June 7. 364 domestic and foreign publishers from 31 countries exhibited at the book fair this year. The six-day event attracted a turnout of 250,000 book-lovers, which is 60% of the turnout at the first physical event since 2019, but still a better-than-expected record amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Taipei Book Fair Foundation held the event with the Ministry of Culture. It organized sixty-one talks and four seminars, both in-person

On May 30, a 36-year-old man disguised as an elderly woman tried to smash the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world, at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Luckily, the Mona Lisa remained unharmed behind its bulletproof glass, which was smeared with cake.According to a Twitter user who witnessed the scene, the suspect jumped out of a wheelchair and lunged at the protective glass. He attempted to vandalize the masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci in a purported climate-related protest. Vid

A retrospective exhibition by acclaimed Japanese architect Tadao Ando recently opened in Taipei. After touring Paris, Milan, and Shanghai, the exhibition selected Taiwan as its final stop, with over 300 drawings, photographs, and models that look at the architect’s signature buildings. The exhibition was called Endeavors because Ando wants people to be passionate about their dreams and never give up on them. An architect for more than half a century, Ando values the relationship between archit

” Your Vote Matters” 看見路上滿滿的候選人看板、旗海飄搖，在家接到拜票或民調電話，偶爾在街上看到選舉車掃街，或是候選人跟路邊打招呼，你就知道這代表什麼－選舉要到了！ 蓬勃的民主制度，有賴的就是有公信力的選舉。台灣有幸身為民主國家，每位年滿20歲的公民都有投票的權利與義務，選出能為社會、國家服務的公僕，為民喉舌，或是創造更好的未來，都有賴選舉投票這個小小但重要動作。不到半年，台灣也即將展開縣市長與議員的選舉，就我們來學選舉投票必知單字，讓你也能用英文跟國際有人談台灣引以為傲的民主制度。 選舉好多種，要怎麼說？ 先學選舉吧！選舉的英文是election，是從elect（選舉的動詞）變化而來。「舉行選舉」可以用call an

More than 3,000 workers at 70 UK companies started working a four-day week with full pay in the world’s biggest trial of the new work schedule. The trial will last six months and is based on the 100:80:100 model–100% of pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain 100% productivity.The organizer of the trial believes that more and more companies are recognizing the importance of quality of life, and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the way to give them a competi