Independent legislator Lo Fu-chu (
Lo filed a libel suit against DPP legislators Lee Wen-chung (
At a press conference on Saturday, the two DPP legislators had accused Lo of sending an army of gangsters to Yunlin County to help independent candidate Chang Jung-wei's (
Lo's men entered the county on 20 chartered tour buses, the DPP legislators said.
Lo is the self-proclaimed "spiritual leader" of one of Taiwan's major crime syndicates -- the Tientao Alliance (
The DPP legislators also said independent candidate Chang is involved in Lo's crime syndicate.
Yesterday, Lo called the accusations groundless and warned the two legislators that they could be jailed for their words, citing the fact that independent legislator Liao Hsueh-kuang (
DPP legislator Lee responded yesterday by calling Lo's legal action much more "civilized" than his previous behavior.
Lo has been accused of various reprisals against his political enemies. One of his bodyguards has been convicted for dragging independent legislator Liao out of his bed in the middle of the night and locking him in an abandoned dog kennel in Taipei County.
Chang, who had led in polls before the 921 earthquake, has fallen to third place after being linked to a construction company that built some buildings that collapsed in the earthquake, allegedly because of sub-standard construction.
DPP candidate Lin Chung-li (
The by-election was originally scheduled to be held Oct. 16, but was postponed to Nov. 6 due to the Sept. 21 earthquake. Some analysts have said the result could sway the outcome of the March presidential election.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
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