农历新春台湾张灯结彩庆佳节******
中新社台北1月21日电 云林西螺福兴宫3万多盏灯笼高挂街道，绵延4公里，一眼望不到头；金门各重要地点设置装置艺术，点亮年节气氛；高雄佛光山大年初一起将开设平安灯法会，推出最新佛光“云宇宙”春节版本……农历新春到来，台湾岛内处处张灯结彩，欢度中华民族传统的新春佳节。
综合台媒报道，云林西螺福兴宫每年都在庙埕周围高挂数万盏灯笼，打造数公里灯廊，去年入选全台十大灯廊美景。今年庙方加码，3万多盏灯笼高挂街道，被赞为全县最美的灯笼海。
庙方表示，除了花灯活动，今年恢复举办8800包的红包与抢头香活动。民众除夕夜可来赏灯、抢头香之外，还能领取红包。
金门各重要地点设置装置艺术，点亮年节气氛。营造团队深入金门各乡镇，结合在地空间背景与文化作为基础，以“金兔迎新春 幸福兔给力”为主轴在各乡镇策划出不一样的年节气氛。
历史小镇鹿港保留浓厚年味，鹿港天后庙埕已点亮千百盏小灯笼，周边灯饰也灿烂辉煌，文武庙、鹿港街区和顶番婆地区也布置光环境和各式璀璨花灯。
鹿港天后宫是台湾唯一奉祀湄洲妈祖庙开基妈祖神尊的庙宇，每年新春人潮络绎不绝。除夕夜将恭请湄洲妈祖进中殿视事、举办金锣开锣仪式，初一上午9点敲响平安锣、10点和下午2点发送招财小红包，大年初四抽各行各业的“百业签”也是万众瞩目。
“2023新北灯会”将于1月26日至2月12日举办，今年灯会以“兔来运转熊猴森”为主题，主灯“太空兔”搭乘飞碟高8米，可随音乐及灯光流转。活动规划“八大主题灯区”“五大展演活动”，新北好运兔小提灯也将在大年初八于新北灯会现场首发。
随着农历春节到来，佛光山将于1月22日至2月19日开设平安灯法会，推出最新佛光“云宇宙”春节版本，通过虚实结合的多重祈福方式，包括领取供灯、礼佛、在线祈福、祝祷新春等，为全球华人带来特别的新年祝福。(完)
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
