Independent Legislator Li Ao (
Li, one of three pan-blue camp affiliated candidates for the year-end election, said during a press conference that his candidature would not influence the unity of pan-blue camp because he was the most senior in the camp.
Li said he was targeting former premier and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh (
PHOTO: CNA
Li said his rivals should "know when to back out of the election," adding that he would act as a mayor who fights against "bad central government" instead of a mayor who "maintains bridges and roads" because a mayor should "plan municipal administration from a multilateral perspective."
Li said he would not be holding campaigning events or putting up posters or banners but would try to win support by appearing on talk shows and holding public debates with rival candidates instead.
In the face of another pan-blue candidate entering the race, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that since Li has a lot of influence on the public, his decision to run in the election posed "a big threat" to Hau.
"This [the election] will be a tough battle for Hau," Ma said. "So we will work harder."
Hau said yesterday that he believes that pan-blue supporters would concentrate their votes on one candidate in an effort to counter the DPP candidate.
He said he was confident that he would win the support of the pan-blue electorate and win the election.
In addition to Li, People First Party Chairman James Soong (
When asked for comments during a campaign event yesterday, Hsieh said: "[Having more than one pan-blue candidate] shows that they [PFP chairman Soong and Li] think Hau is not a suitable candidate."
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
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