Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) held a final rally last night calling on residents of Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) to vote “no” in today’s recall.
Rock band Sorry Youth (拍謝少年), rapper Dwagie (大支) and ballad singer Michael Shih (施文彬) performed outside Longshan Temple (龍山寺) at the rally hosted by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘).
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) told the crowd that Lim is highly rated by civic groups for his legislative performance.
Photo: CNA
“He works hard in the legislature and for local constituents, but this outstanding legislator is facing a political vendetta by the opposition in this absurd recall,” Lai said. “So let’s vote to keep him here, so we can end this culture of vengeful recalls.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also called on voters to support Lim, after campaigning earlier in the evening for Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), the DPP’s candidate for a legislative by-election in Taichung.
In the morning, Lim toured the district’s neighborhoods with independent Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Jie (黃捷), before joining DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) in the afternoon.
Lim said that groups affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were disseminating misinformation about him online.
“We really hope the opposition can stop the false accusations and rumor-mongering against me. They are stirring up hostility and conflict in our society, and abusing free speech,” he said.
Groups seeking to recall Lim hosted an event at Youth Park (青年公園) in the morning followed by a rally outside the Red House Theater in Ximending (西門町).
Among the speakers were Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平) of the KMT, and media personality and Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康).
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious