President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged raising the upper age limit for blood donors, “otherwise it discriminates against us [about to turn 65].”
“I pretended to be young and I donated blood,” Ma joked when he donated blood at a blood center yesterday to promote a campaign by the Taiwan Blood Service Foundation.
The campaign appeals to young people with the slogan “Young blood.”
Ma, set to turn 65 on July 13, said he has donated blood regularly since he was 20.
The slogan should be “I donate blood, therefore I am young,” he said, adding that donating blood is healthy.
Taiwan’s blood donation rate fell to 7.5 percent last year from an average of 8 percent in the past, but remains among the world’s highest, Ma said.
National Taiwan University Hospital superintendent Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that, as a result of low fertility, the nation has seen a significant decline in younger blood donors over the past decade, with donations from people aged from 17 to 20 plunging to 180,000 last year from 300,000 in 2005.
People aged from 17 to 65 are allowed to donate blood.
The foundation said that people aged from 65 to 70 could donate blood after they undergo a health check from a physician, but would be limited to 750cc in donations annually, half of the yearly maximum of 1,500cc for younger donors.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the