A local Chinese-language newspaper yesterday reported that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) said that the KMT will for the first time hold its anniversary celebrations in Kaohsiung.
The paper said the celebrations, which will be held in the square in front of the city government on Nov. 24, are an attempt to drum up support for Huang Jun-ying (黃俊英), the KMT candidate in the upcoming election for Kaohsiung mayor.
According to the report, preparations are already completed. KMT legislator and former mayor of Kaohsiung, Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), will participate in the proceedings. There will also be a "mystery guest."
The article went on to say that support for Huang is slowly on the rise and the gap between him and incumbent Mayor Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) popularity ratings is shrinking. Lien therefore believes Huang stands a good chance of winning the race for the mayorship, the paper said.
It also says that the KMT will use the event to "demonstrate its ability to govern and its strength in financial issues." The party's "ability to rule" will reportedly be embodied at the event by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
The report says most attention will, however, be given to the "mystery guest," who, despite the opposition camp's failure to field a single candidate for the elections, is expected to be none other than PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
The report says the KMT has chosen Soong because he has voiced support for voting for the candidate with the greatest chance of winning. Should he appear on stage, therefore, it would be tantamount to Lien and Soong stumping as a team to get Huang elected as the mayor of Kaohsiung.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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