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Taiwan candidates get theatrical in packed election race

Taipei, Taiwan: From rock concerts to yellow rubber ducks and free condoms, Taiwan's parliamentary candidates are going to great lengths to stand out with a week to go in the island's tightest ever race for seats.

The vote for president on January 16 is grabbing the biggest headlines, and Saturday sees a "super weekend" of rallies by rival leadership candidates.

But a record 556 hopefuls are also running to become legislators in parliamentary elections which coincide with the presidential vote, with just 113 seats up for grabs.

The embattled ruling Kuomintang (KMT) risks losing its parliamentary majority this time, with the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hoping to reap the benefits.

But 26 smaller parties, many of them new on the political scene, are also gunning for glory and are pulling out the stops to garner attention.

Rocker and social activist Freddy Lim of the newly formed New Power Party wooed thousands of supporters when he sang on stage with his heavy metal band ChthoniC in a recent free concert in Taipei.

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Nepal district chief wins 'Integrity Idol'

AFP
Published Jan 11, 2016, 12:00 AM IST
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Kathmandu Nepali bureaucrat Pradip Raj Kandel on Sunday clinched the title of Integrity Idol, a television talent show-styled initiative that awards honest civil servants. The contest, in its second year, saw over 50,000 people cast their votes via text message and social media in a bid to encourage honesty in the corruption-ridden Himalayan nation, where many citizens are forced to pay bribes for essential services. The chief district officer of Gulmi in mid-eastern Nepal,…

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