POLITICS
Group to observe elections
A civic group comprised of members from Asian democracies is scheduled to visit next week to observe Saturday’s legislative and presidential elections, the Taipei-based Civil Congress Watch (CCW) said yesterday. A delegation from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), an organization that has members from countries including Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, will arrive in Taipei shortly before the elections, said the CCW, which joined the network this year. During their visit, the four or five delegates are scheduled to visit several places, such as the Central Election Commission (CEC), candidates’ campaign headquarters and the offices of think tanks. According to the ANFREL’s last report, the political education of Taiwan’s electorate was found to be insufficient, CCW board member Ku Chung-hwa (顧忠華) said. Ku said he had not seen much improvement with regard to educating the electorate over the past four years and urged the CEC to make more effort.
DIPLOMACY
Sao Tome offers landing visa
Sao Tome and Principe has become the 126th country or region to grant visa-free entry or landing visas to Republic of China passport holders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced yesterday. Starting yesterday, Taiwanese nationals entering the island nation are entitled to visa-on-arrival privileges for a stay of up to 30 days, the ministry said in a statement. Individuals holding diplomatic or official passports will be granted visa-free stays of up to 90 days, it added. The agreement is expected to most benefit Taiwanese traveling in Europe who may be interested in making a side trip to Sao Tome and Principe, located just off the coast of Gabon, the statement said. Taiwan gained visa-free access to 35 nations or regions in Europe on Jan. 11 last year.
FOOD
Hotpot sales take off
The recent cold spell helped boost hotpot restaurant sales by about 20 percent this week, according to members of the food industry. The King Duck restaurant chain, which operates 71 stores nationwide, has seen its business grow significantly since the New Year, according to Tien Tzu-ting (田紫婷), assistant vice president of the company. Wang Yi-shan (王益珊), the head of 12 Sabu, a hotpot restaurant chain run by Wowprime Corp, said that although its stores were normally packed with crowds, the recent cold front had helped business even more as sales grew by 3 to 5 percent during off peak hours between 9pm and 11pm this week. In addition, packages of frozen hotpot ingredients were also selling well, according to Long Fong Foods Co marketing manager Wang Yung-chiang (王永強), who said sales over the recent cold spell were up by 250 percent.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
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