■ Politics
Wang visits Washington
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will put forward its own version of an arms-procurement package late next month that should help lead to full discussion and quick screening by lawmakers on a related bill in the legislature, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said in Washington on Monday. Wang made the remarks upon arrival at Dulles Airport. While in Washington, Wang will meet with officials of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, Senate Taiwan Caucus co-chairmen George Allen and Tim Johnson as well as Senate Democratic Party whip Richard Durbin. He will then travel to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to attend Friday's inauguration of president-elect Manuel Zelaya on behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
■ Politics
DPP appoints more officials
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced the appointment of more new party officials. Former DPP legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) will take over as director of the department of culture and information and act as one of the DPP's spokesmen. Hsu Chia-tien (許嘉恬), former secretary to the DPP's new chairman Yu Shy-kun when Yu was premier, will be the director of the department of women's development. Chang Yu-feng (張毓芬), a member of the public survey center, will take charge of the center and Lo Cheng-fang (羅正方), director of the Satellite Informatics Research Center at National Cheng Kung University and a member of the Taiwan Thinktank, will become a deputy executive of the DPP's policy development committee.
■ Politics
Tsai plugs referendum
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) yesterday formally announced his intention to enter the year-end Taipei mayoral election and proposed to include a referendum as part of the party's primary mechanism for mayoral elections. Tsai said that he would team up with another mayoral hopeful, KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), to file a motion in the party's Central Standing Committee meeting today to modify the party's primary system for mayoral elections. He proposed that candidates be chosen through a local referendum, with a 40 percent weighting, a vote among party members, which would be given a 30 percent weighting, and opinion polls, which would account for a 30 percent weighting. Tsai made the remarks yesterday morning during a Lunar New Year greeting event at the legislative compound.
■ Environment
Group upset at about-face
Conservationists yesterday protested a government decision to partially lift a ban on free plastic bags, saying the move was a setback for environmental protection efforts. The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said on Monday that from March 1, restaurants will be allowed to distribute plastic bags to customers free of charge. "This is a big step backward in domestic environmental education," said Chou Chun-ti (周春娣), head of an environmental group whose membership consists of mothers. EPA officials found that over the past year, restaurants -- which consume at least half of the nation's plastic bags -- had ignored the ban since the agency had too few staff to enforce the policy. "The EPA should come up with solutions to solve the problems rather than dropping it when it is half-way done," Chou said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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