A hundred bald men ran a race yesterday to kick off President Chen Shui-bian's (
The race, held a day after the country's largest-ever protest against China, signified a play on words, since the Chinese for "referendum" is similar to the phrase "bald head."
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The "Referendum 100" campaign follows Saturday's massive demonstration in which an estimated 2 million Chen supporters formed a human chain spanning the length of Taiwan to protest against China's pointing of nearly 500 missiles at the nation.
Analysts say the peaceful rally was Chen's best chance of boosting voter support in his difficult battle with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Opinion polls last week had shown Chen and Lien running neck-and-neck, with a crucial fifth of voters still undecided.
"The Taiwanese people have expressed their incomparable will and determination to protect Taiwan's territory, sovereign status, democracy and economic prosperity, and to protect peace in the Taiwan Strait," Chen said yesterday.
"On February 28, we joined hands. On March 20, we must take part in the referendum to save Taiwan," Chen said at the launch of the new "Referendum 100' campaign.
Chen said the "1" stood for his candidate number and the two zeros symbolized the two questions the referendum asks.
Voters will be asked whether Taiwan should increase its anti-missile defenses if China refused to withdraw its missiles, and if the two sides should open talks on forming a framework for peaceful and stable ties.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
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