MILITARY
Liu Ho-chien dies at 97
Liu Ho-chien (劉和謙), a former chief of the general staff, died early yesterday at the age of 97, the Ministry of National Defense said in a press release. The ministry said it would help Liu’s family with the funeral arrangements, but did not give any other details of his death. Liu, a four-star admiral, served as commander of the navy from 1983 to 1988 and as chief of the general staff from 1991 to 1995. He was appointed as military strategy adviser to the president by Taiwan’s four elected presidents to date, including President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). He played a crucial role in the development of Taiwan’s navy and helped Taiwan purchase submarines in the 1980s despite various difficulties.
TRANSPORTATION
THSRC announces tickets
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday said that sales of reserved seat tickets for eight additional services running from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 are to start at Saturday midnight. The THSRC said it is to run eight additional services amid high demand for the105 specially scheduled trains, bookings for which opened on Dec. 1. A total of 740 regular trains, and 53 southbound and 60 northbound extra services are to run from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 to meet the demand, it said. Meanwhile, reserved seat tickets for 12 extra services from Jan. 5 to 7 are also go on sale at midnight on Saturday, it said. THSRC added that travel advice for nonreserved tickets, which can only be purchased on the day of travel, would be provided on the homepage of its Web site during the holiday period. Under its color-coded system, green indicates wait times of less than 30 minutes, while yellow indicates longer than 30 minutes and red more than 60 minutes, it said.
SOCIETY
Citizenship granted to 28
Twenty-eight foreign professionals were granted citizenship this year, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The ministry on Monday convened its final meeting of the year to review naturalization applications for high-level foreign professionals, who under a 2016 amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) no longer need to forfeit their original nationality to become citizens. “High-level professionals” are defined in the act as working in technology, economics, education, culture, art, sports or other fields and have been recommended by a central authority. In the six years since the change, 281 people have become naturalized citizens, the ministry said. The seven applications approved on Monday brought the total for this year to 28, it said. Education was the best-represented field with nine approved applicants, followed by technology with seven and economics with six, it said. Twelve of the people hold dual citizenship with the US, it said.
BUSINESS
EVA Air awarded in Dubai
Taiwan-based EVA Air has been named as offering the best premium economy service in Asia at this year’s World Travel Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a statement released yesterday by the airline said. The airline, which launched its premium economy service in 1992, said it has “adopted business class seats” to make travelers feel comfortable and offers amenities such as inflight entertainment systems featuring an 11-inch LCD touch screen and noise-canceling headphones to enhance the flying experience. A pillow and blanket set, travel-sized toiletries, USB plugs and 110v sockets for laptops are also offered, it added. In addition to seats and amenities, special meals for are also provided, it added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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