POLITICS
CEC appointments approved
The legislature yesterday approved the appointment of five new commissioners to the Central Election Commission (CEC), paving the way for the commission to go ahead with preparations for the Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections. Three of the five commissioners, Kuo Yu-ying (郭昱瑩), Duan Chung-min (段重民) and Chai Sung-lin (柴松林), are incumbents whose two-year terms had expired, while Lin Tsyr-ling (林慈玲) and Chen Wen-sheng (陳文生) are new appointments. Lin is currently deputy minister of the interior and Chen is a university professor. The new appointments bring the the number of commissioners to 11, in accordance with the law. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators left the legislative floor before the vote. However, prior to departure, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said most of the five appointees were “on the Chinese Nationalist Party’s [KMT] side” and the DPP would not bother to oppose the appointments.
MEDIA
Fake bloggers to be fined
The government plans to fine bloggers who make false claims or exaggerate the effectiveness of products on behalf of companies as the number of consumer disputes soars, authorities said yesterday. The legislature on Monday started revising a law to make it possible to fine bloggers and other reviewers up to 10 times the payment they receive for engaging in false advertising, the Fair Trade Commission said. Media said some bloggers are paid up to NT$70,000 per review, which are often disguised as simple journal entries, while in fact they talk up products and services to lure customers. One recent dispute involved a blogger who received an average of 140,000 hits a day and fabricated photographs to exaggerate the effect of beauty products, reports said.
SOCIETY
Go’s Hsieh wins Honinbo
Taiwanese go prodigy Hsieh Yi-min (謝依旻) captured the title at the 30th Women’s Honinbo tournament on Monday to become the first female go player to win the event five years in a row and be awarded an Honorary Honinbo. Hsieh said in January that she would try to win 10 consecutive titles at the Honinbo. In Monday’s final, Hsieh defended her title with a 3-1 victory over challenger Mukai Chiaki, whom she also defeated in the Honinbo finals last year. Hsieh, who lives in Japan, has been the Honinbo champion since 2007. Her victory this year made her the first female go player to receive an Honorary Honinbo title, which is given to players for winning five consecutive tournaments.
SOCIETY
Teens walk for orphans
Twenty-two high-school students from three continents joined local students in Changhua County on Monday to walk 100km to raise funds for orphans in Africa. The students from Japan, the US, Canada, Kenya and Swaziland joined 75 Taiwanese to complete the walk, organized by the International High School Youth Leadership Conference at Changhua High School. The trek includes trips to local temples to ask for donations from the public. Changhua County Commissioner Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) pledged to donate NT$10,000 if the students reach their goal. Janine Maxwell, the founder of Heart for Africa — a nonprofit organization that brings sustainable technologies to rural African villages — is one of those joining the project and she described the good will of the students as priceless.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
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