
The Elderly Welfare Law, Old Farmer Subsidy, National Pension Increase and Universal Cash Policy will increase government expenditure by 600 billion yuan next year, accounting for 15% of next year's total budget
AI-generated summary
The countdown to the nine-in-one local elections is approaching. The blue and white parties are pushing for a number of welfare bills, including amendments to the elderly welfare law, subsidies for elderly farmers, an increase in the national pension and a universal cash cash policy of NT$20,000.
Blue and White are promoting four major bills, including exempting health insurance premiums for seniors over 65, which will increase government spending by 600 billion yuan next year alone, accounting for 15% of next year's total budget.
Using taxpayers' hard work to save the election, the blue and white money-buying bill starts at 600 billion
Nine-in-one voting is counting down, the Blue and White election is in critical condition, and taxpayers’ hard-earned money is being used to save the election! Party and government figures estimate that based on several currently controversial policies, the revision of the Elderly Welfare Law will increase the annual pension by approximately 40 billion yuan. The opposition version of the old farmer subsidy will increase by approximately 32 billion yuan compared with the government version. If the national pension is increased to 8,000 yuan, it will increase by 50 billion yuan. Coupled with the blue camp’s universal cash payment policy of 20,000 yuan, next year alone will increase the government’s expenditure by 600 billion yuan, accounting for 15% of next year’s total budget.
For details, see the use of taxpayers' hard work to save the election. The blue and white money-buying bill starts at 600 billion.

Kuomintang Taichung mayoral candidate Jiang Qichen, together with city councilors Yang Dahong, Huang Xinhui, Zhang Liao Nailun and legislator Liao Weixiang, prayed for votes at the intersection of Wenxin Road and Taiwan Avenue. Some people shouted "frozen garlic" to express their support.

This article is the "Freedom to Speak" column in the "Liberty Times". The author believes that the international community's assessment of risks in the Taiwan Strait is under control, not because the authoritarian system has changed its mind, but because Taiwan has strengthened its defense and international connections for many years, making the other side understand that there must be a price to pay for rash actions. The author calls on the government to make national defense construction more transparent and the public to maintain a clear consensus, emphasizing that peace comes from the ability to defend oneself rather than the good intentions of the other party. Only by standing firm can we maintain the freedom of choice and protect ordinary daily life.

Internet celebrity Four Forked Cat posted a post on Facebook questioning Wang Hongwei. When Jiang Wanan went to the Liaoning Night Market to ask for votes on the 6th, Xu Kaijie, director of the Zhongshan Service Office, pointed the loudspeaker at the entrance and exit of the "Ocean Current" dumpling shop and asked whether this was a personal act or Wang Hongwei's order. Xie Jinhe, chairman of Caixin Media, had witnessed the incident and exposed the grudges. Wang Hongwei asked Xie Jinhe to provide evidence late at night on the 8th.

The Philippines will host an important summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and U.S. President Trump is expected to attend. The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a rare tough statement on the 8th, requiring its officials and military to maintain a "unified tone" in their statements against China to avoid undermining the country's diplomatic mediation. The statement emphasized that international relations are led by civilian governments and that the results of the 2016 South China Sea international arbitration were based on international legal procedures rather than social media spats.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally gave opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot the first chance to form the next government on Sunday evening, marking a significant step in the former military chief’s effort to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after elections in a deeply divided country still scarred by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks and ensuing multifront wars.

The Youyi Village Dumpling Shop in the Liaoning Night Market in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, was temporarily closed because of its support for Shen Boyang, the Taipei mayoral candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, after being attacked by blue camp legislators and supporters. After the store reopened, the owner's daughter emphasized in an interview that "politics and life are closely related." She quoted Cai Kangyong's famous saying, "When you vote for the life you want, you win." Her speech was praised by netizens. Kuomintang legislator Xu Qiaoxin once called on netizens to give the store a five-star Google review, but the owner's daughter did not appreciate it and said she didn't care about the number of stars. People who would come to shop will naturally come.