ELECTIONS
By-election announced
A by-election will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, next year to fill a post in the second electoral district in Greater Taichung left vacant by former Non-Partisan Solidarity Union legislator Yen Ching-piao (顏清標), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. Yen’s status as a lawmaker was revoked last month after a guilty verdict on a corruption charge was finalized by the Supreme Court. The commission said that those interested in running may register as candidates from Dec. 17 through Dec. 21. The commission said it would examine candidates’ qualifications before Jan. 3 and determine the order in which the names of eligible candidates appear on the ballot at a draw before Jan. 8. The list of candidates is to be published on Jan. 15. Ballots will be counted immediately after the polling stations close at 4pm on Jan. 26 and the winner will be officially announced before Feb. 1, it added.
AID
State donates to CARE
The government donated 100,000 euros (US$129,320) to a Paris-based non-profit organization on Thursday in support of an education program for underprivileged children in Central America. The program, promoted by CARE France, is aimed at eliminating child labor and encouraging normal schooling for children in 14 cities in Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. It is set to run for 30 months starting on Nov. 22 next year, with the EU contributing 80 percent of the 1.25 million euros needed for the cause. CARE France vice president Daniel Thierry described the donation as an important step by Taiwan to participate in international humanitarian efforts. Taiwan’s representative to France, Michel Lu (呂慶龍), said this latest cooperation with CARE France has created a very good model for Taiwan to contribute to multilateral efforts.
CRIME
Ex-KMT lawmaker indicted
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Wang Chih-hsiung (王志雄) was indicted by Taipei prosecutors yesterday on suspicion of involvement in an embezzlement scandal. Prosecutors said Wang established Convenient Life Group and formed five sub-companies, and invited the public to invest in the companies, but he allegedly embezzled NT$30 million (US$1 million) from the group between 1997 and 2000. Wang Chih-hsiung, the son of former Chung Hsing Bank president Wang Yu-yun (王玉雲), was a vice chairman of the Chung Hsing Bank. He fled to China in 2007 amid several investigations into allegations of illegal loans made by the bank and embezzlement. He was repatriated last month by the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau agents after being arrested by Chinese authorities in Shanghai.
SOCIETY
Taipei tops quality survey
Taipei ranked first among the nation’s 22 cities and counties in terms of quality of life, according to a survey by Kainan University published yesterday. The survey by the Taoyuan County school said Taipei placed first in six of 11 indices — housing, income, jobs, community, education, environment, governance, health, life satisfaction, safety and work-life balance. Hsinchu City was ranked second, followed by Hsinchu County, Taichung City and New Taipei City (新北市). The survey, the first such assessment made by the university, was based on the “Your Better Life Index” conducted by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
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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