■ ELECTIONS
Live TV talks announced
The Central Election Commission announced on Friday that four live TV presentations, in which the presidential and vice presidential candidates will present their platforms, will be broadcast at the end of this month. Commission officials said the first of three presentations by presidential candidates Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would be held on Feb. 29. The second will be on March 7. The third -- reserved for the two vice-presidential candidates, Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) of the DPP and Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) of the KMT -- will also be held on March 7, while the fourth will be held on March 14, once again featuring Ma and Hsieh.
■ DEFENSE
'US waiting' to sell F-16s
Washington will only consider selling F-16 aircraft to Taiwan after a new president has been elected to avoid giving more teeth to the Democratic Progressive Party administration that is "hostile toward China," a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said. The US will reconsider the long-awaited US$400 million purchase proposal for the 66 aircraft only after the March 22 presidential election and possibly after the May 20 inauguration of the new president, said Su Chi (蘇起), deputy campaign manager for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). "The US is waiting until after the elections are over," Su said on Friday. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) also confirmed the delay, saying the US would suggest a price for the F-16s only after a new presidential administration took office. US officials in Taipei declined to comment on the process.
■ HEALTH
CPC issues H5N1 warning
The Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) cautioned travelers planning to visit Britain, Saudi Arabia, Poland, South Korea and Benin to pay attention to bird flu outbreaks in these countries. Travelers should avoid contact with birds or poultry and avoid eating undercooked poultry while in these countries, commission officials said. Citing a recent warning by Taiwan's representative office in the UK, the officials said that three wild swans recently found dead on Chesil Beach in Dorset, southern England, had tested positive for H5N1. In South Korea, an outbreak of the less virulent H7N3 strain was reported in December, they said, adding that bird flu outbreaks have recently been reported in Saudi Arabia, Poland and Benin. These five countries are not listed by Taiwan as non-infected areas of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus, and Taiwan has not imported live poultry or poultry meat from there.
■ ARTS
Local movie scoops award
A Taiwanese film titled What on Earth Have I Done Wrong? (情非得已之生存之道) beat almost 80 other Asian movies to receive the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award at the 37th Rotterdam International Film Festival, movie industry sources said yesterday. Director Doze Niu (鈕承澤), who also wrote the screenplay and took the lead role in the film, accepted the award in person at the ceremony on Friday, the sources said. Extending his appreciation to those involved in the production, Niu was quoted as saying that he was sharing the award with all his friends in the Taiwanese film industry. "Their enthusiasm for the film really helped open a window for Taiwan's film industry," Niu said.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS