Vice President Lai Ching-te registers candidacy in DPP leadership race

Vice President Lai Ching-te registers candidacy in DPP leadership race

2022-12-14

Former Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun on Wednesday registered Vice President Lai Ching-te’s candidacy in the by-election for DPP chair. Cheng handed in the documents and the registration fee on behalf of Lai, who is currently following self-health monitoring rules after contracting COVID earlier this month. She said that, if elected party chair, Lai will try to stabilize the political situation, win back the people’s trust, recruit more talent and work to protect Taiwan.

Former Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun on Wednesday took documents and NT$1.5 million to the DPP headquarters to register Vice President Lai Ching-te’s candidacy in the upcoming by-election for party chair.

Cheng Li-chiun
Former culture minister
He’s willing to take this step and take on this huge responsibility. I support him and thank him for that. So when he asked me to register him, of course I accepted.

Lai is currently under self-health monitoring rules after testing positive for COVID earlier this month. The former culture minister conveyed Lai’s four goals to lead the DPP. They are: stabilizing the current political situation, conducting reviews to regain the trust of the public, recruiting more talent, and protecting Taiwan. Reporters asked her whether helping Lai register was a sign that she would run as his deputy if he were to run in the 2024 presidential election.

Cheng Li-chiun
Former culture minister
You’re thinking too far ahead. I personally am not planning to run for election.

Meanwhile, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, who is reportedly likely to be appointed premier in January, says he looks forward to Lai leading the DPP.

Cheng Wen-tsan
Taoyuan mayor
He doesn’t just have my blessing, he also has my support. The 2024 presidential election will determine whether the DPP will continue leading the country. It is a crucial election. With the by-election for party chair, we can get a new leader that sets a new formation for the party.

The Taoyuan mayor says he looks forward to the future of the DPP. For Lai, it will be a true test to win back the public’s support and stage a comeback for the DPP after its defeat in the local elections.

賴清德參選黨主席由鄭麗君代為登記

2022-12-14

已宣布參選民進黨主席補選的副總統賴清德，因為還在自主管理期間，今天特別委託前文化部長鄭麗君，到黨中央為他領表登記參選黨主席，並代為發表參選聲明，賴清德提出4項主要工作，包括重整旗鼓協助穩定政局，深刻檢討，贏回人民信任，以及廣納人才和守護台灣。

前文化部長鄭麗君，帶著副總統賴清德的登記資料和150萬現金，代他正式登記補選民進黨主席。

[[前文化部長鄭麗君]]
“我看到他願意挺身而出，來承擔未來的重責大任，我很支持、也很感謝，所以他請我代為登記，我覺得義不容辭”

賴副總統確診完還在自主健康管理，鄭麗君代他提出參選黨主席的4項主要工作，不只要重整旗鼓協助穩定政局，深刻檢討贏回人民信任，接下來更要廣納人才、守護台灣，但外界好奇，被找來代登記，難道和2024大選盤算賴鄭配有關嗎？

[[前文化部長鄭麗君]]
“這個問題好像問得太遠了，我個人是沒有參與選舉的規劃”

而傳出明年有機會接閣揆的鄭文燦，也期待改選新黨主席，可以帶領民進黨，組成新隊形。

[[桃園市長鄭文燦]]
“我們不只是會給他祝福，也會給他協助。2024年的總統大選關係到執政的路線能否繼續，這是一個非常關鍵的選舉，透過黨主席的改選能夠讓黨的團隊形成一個新的隊形”

鄭文燦聚焦民進黨未來，綠營九合一大選挫敗，賴清德決心扛責，登記參選黨主席，期望贏回人民信任。

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President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday received a delegation from Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Tsai took the opportunity to express Taiwan’s position on regional security.

Tsai Ing-wen
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James Steinberg
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Dean of John Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, James Steinberg, praised Taiwan’s resilience and courage. The delegation, which Steinberg came with, included many former U.S. government officials, who said they hoped to better understand the challenges faced by Taiwan. They expressed the hope of strengthening U.S.-Taiwan bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, Tsai took the chance to convey to the delegation her appreciation for the U.S.’ ongoing support of Taiwan.

Tsai Ing-wen
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We want to thank the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who recently approved the seventh arms package for Taiwan since he took office. The U.S. continues to take concrete steps to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, and to ensure Taiwan’s security. Aside from defense exchanges, we also look forward to applying the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and other frameworks to deepen cooperation with the U.S. in all areas. We will create more mutually beneficial trade exchanges, and build safe and resilient supply chains together.

In the first visit by a delegation from CSIS to Taiwan since the pandemic started, Tsai spoke about deepening trade ties and cooperating on defense. The delegation also demonstrates ongoing close ties between Taiwan and the U.S.

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Doctor says coldness and pain in the limbs may be sign of a serious condition

The cold winter weather is already here, and for some, that might mean the onset of a serious condition they are unaware of. One doctor is advising those who feel coldness and pain in their limbs to seek immediate medical attention, as the condition may be a sign of narrowed or restricted arteries. If you’re heading outdoors, remember to dress warm, and if you feel numbness or pain from the cold, check with a doctor as soon as possible.

Older adults enjoy exercising in the park, but may experience coldness in the limbs when doing so in the winter. Doctors warn that the feeling of cold feet may be an indication of a serious problem such as deep vein thrombosis, and that if you are unsure, you should consult with a physician.

Mr. Kuo
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Mrs. Chang
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At first there was nothing wrong with me, but then there was such unbearable pain that I rushed to the emergency room. They ran tests and found out that it was thrombosis.

Taichung residents Mr. Kuo, 80, and Mrs. Chang, 72, both have histories of high blood pressure. Recently they both experienced coldness and pain in their legs, but had no idea it was a serious medical condition known as peripheral arterial occlusive disease, which is a blockage or narrowing of an artery in the legs.

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The doctor said that the condition mainly affects people 45 and older, and that those with histories of atrial fibrillation should pay particularly close attention to warning signs.

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With colder weather setting in for the season, doctors advise those experiencing coldness and pain in their limbs to check with a doctor, especially for those with a history of heart conditions.

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This is Yan Cheng-you, the world record holder for the men’s 13-14-year-old 3-3-3 event. He started sports stacking in kindergarten. He practices everyday for at least two to three hours. Though tiring, he says he loves the challenge.

Yen Cheng-yu
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When I was in kindergarten, I saw videos of stacking on the internet. I saw that everyone was fast, so I wanted to be like them. Since then, I have practiced every day. I practice for two to three hours a day nonstop. It is tedious to have to correct mistakes all the time, but it is helpful when competing.

This is Chen Bo-yu, the world record holder for the women’s 15-16-year-old cycle event. She picked up sports stacking in third grade after hearing about it at a club at school. She practices at least an hour a day.

Chen Bo-yu
Sport stacking athlete
I started sports stacking in third grade after learning about it at a club. I started practicing and got a sense of accomplishment during the practice process. That is what makes me continue playing the sport. When I’m not so busy with schoolwork, I practice for at least one hour a day. During practice and competitions, you can constantly improve yourself, your speed, or your psychological growth.

The World Sport Stacking Association Taiwan was launched in 2010 to help promote the sport in Taiwan. Since then, they have successfully incorporated sport stacking at local schools and held numerous tournaments around Taiwan.

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To be able to hold regular physical competitions here is very good for the players. Because we have been promoting the sport for many years, we have some sport stacking courses in schools, and we also regularly hold training camps every month. We also participate in international competition every year and hold competitions in Taiwan on a regular basis. On average, we organize more than 20 games a year in Taiwan.

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This is Sarah Brightman, the world’s biggest-selling soprano. She rose to fame by playing Christine Daae in the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” and singing “Time to Say Goodbye”with Andrea Bocelli. Over the course of her 40-year career, Brightman has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and won awards in over 40 countries.

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Sitting right next to me is Sarah Brightman. Over the course of her career, she has won music awards in over 40 countries. Welcome to Taiwan, Sarah.

Sarah Brightman
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Thank you. I am very excited to be back here actually.

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Sarah Brightman
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It is a show that is full of pieces of Christmas music that everybody knows all over the world. It has also got some of my hits, which obviously some of my pure fans want to hear. But we have given it a Christmas twist. A lot of beautiful costumes, a beautiful choir, an orchestra, and amazing lighting. It is just a very heartwarming and emotional show. I have been coming to Taiwan really since the mid-90s and I remember first coming here because the Taiwanese got to know my music. They were really enjoying an album I did all these years back called “Dive.” It was a new experience for me. It was an incredible experience because I loved the city and I loved the food. I was first taken out to an amazing dumpling house. That was my first experience there. Everyone was so friendly. There’s a lovely feeling of freedom here which I loved. Lots of people speak English so I felt very happy in this country,in this beautiful country.

Brightman is the world’s biggest-selling soprano. She started her career when she was just 11 years old. She pioneered the classical crossover music movement and is famous for having a vocal range of over three octaves. She’s also the only artist to have topped both the classical music charts and the Billboard dance charts. She says that traveling has inspired her music and still inspires her today.

Sarah Brightman
Award-winning singer
My taste in music has always been quite eclectic. I think that is probably why although I trained as a classical singer,I didn’t feel that the opera house would necessarily be the right place for me.I started to experiment with music.I think that through experimentation and working in all of the genres that I had trained in, they fused together. I created a fusion of classical pop.I think the world has inspired me. I have been a great traveler through my life even when I was very young. As soon as I was able to afford a train ticket or an airplane ticket, I was there to witness and try to understand the world at a deeper level.

Sarah has another lifelong dream which is singing in space. After months of training for 16 hours a day at Star City near Moscow, she planned to sing from the International Space Station in 2015. However, she later canceled the trip due to personal reasons. She said that although she didn’t go, she learned many valuable lessons through training and that it allowed her to step out of her comfort zone. She hopes to inspire others to pursue their own dreams.

Sarah Brightman
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Use space more though for the protection of our planet. I think that the more that we can do out there just to protect here is the most important thing about space. The training is hard especially if you do it in the Russian way, which I did. I went to Russia to Star City and I trained there. It was tough because I was doing a lot of it in another language. You exceed anything that you could ever believe that you can do. That was what was so good about it. I learned a huge amount about actually what my strengths were and how strong I could be as a human being. I think that if everybody could have this kind of training, it would be a great one because they would stop feeling fearful of anything.

Brightman says her future goals consist of composing more songs and continuing to delight her fans from all around the world.

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