Potential candidates for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) began registering yesterday for year-end city and county chief primaries.
The DPP will adopt a recruitment approach in Keelung City and Hsinchu County, while the party's nomination in Hualien, Taitung, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties will be put off until later.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said if more than one person is vying for the same post, the party will attempt to field a single candidate through negotiations with those involved. Otherwise, the party's candidate will be decided by the primary system.
Regarding the party's ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), Su said the two parties would coordinate if possible, but he added the local situation would have to be taken into account. The DPP has set up a coordination team for the year-end elections.
Lin Te-fu (林德福) registered at the DPP's Ilan headquarters yesterday, saying the Presidential Office will understand his decision to leave as advisor to concentrate on getting the party's nod to run in the year-end election.
Lin said he has been unsure if he should throw his hat into the ring over the last couple of weeks since he has been aware that former Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) announced his resignation from his post earlier this year to return to his hometown in Ilan to run for his old post.
But more than 5,000 Ilan residents recently signed a petition to support Lin, and many of them think that a transition of power to the younger generation would be good for the party's future, Lin said.
On the other hand, Lo Wen-jia (
Former Legislator Tsao Chi-hung (
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers