Mon, Nov 24, 2025
NO CHANGES: A Japanese spokesperson said that Tokyo remains consistent and open for dialogue, while Beijing has canceled diplomatic engagements A Japanese official blasted China’s claims that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered Japan’s position on a Taiwan crisis as “entirely baseless,” calling for more dialogue to stop ties between Asia’s top economies from spiraling.China vowed to take resolute self-defense against Japan if
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned China for distorting historical facts and contravening the UN Charter’s provisions in its letter to the UN threatening to invoke the right of self-defense against Japan.The ministry issued the statement after Chinese Permanent Representative
Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) yesterday urged people to avoid contact with poultry or wild birds when traveling abroad, in response to the first reported human death from complications of H5N5 avian influenza (bird flu) in the US on Friday last week.The Washington State Depar
Nations sealed a modest agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in the Brazilian Amazon on Saturday as many countries swallowed weaker terms on a fossil fuel phase-out to preserve unity.Nearly 200 countries approved the deal by consensus after two weeks of exhaustive negotiations on th
DETERMINATION: Beijing’s actions toward Tokyo have drawn international attention, but would likely bolster regional coordination and defense networks, the report said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration is likely to prioritize security reforms and deterrence in the face of recent “hybrid” threats from China, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said.The bureau made the assessment in a written report to the Legislative Yuan ahead of an oral repor
INTERCEPTION: The 30km test ceiling shows that the CSIST is capable of producing missiles that could stop inbound missiles as they re-enter the atmosphere Recent missile tests by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) show that Taiwan’s missiles are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles as they re-enter the atmosphere and pose a significant deterrent to Chinese missile threats, former Hsiung Feng III missile development project
A woman sentenced to life in prison for drugging her two children and then suffocating them to death with a pillow last year has had her appeal rejected, the Supreme Court said today.The woman, surnamed Su (蘇), was under the influence of alcohol and ketamine when she committed the murders at a New T
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) today said that weekend performances by K-pop group TWICE generated more than NT$500 million (US$15.89 million) in tourism revenue.The concerts, held over on Saturday and yesterday, drew a total of 180,000 fans to the Kaohsiung National Stadium, Chen told reporters
Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) representatives would not be allowed to enter Taiwan except in special cases, an official said today, citing China’s 22 “anti-independence” measures and cross-border repression as examples of its continued hostility and lack of goodwill toward Taiwan.This year’s Taipei-Sh
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today said it indicted three suspects in connection with an “internal breach” of Radio Taiwan International’s (RTI) Web site in September. On Sept. 11, RTI reported an online attack in which the banner on its Web site was replaced with the People’s Republic of
Taiwan's National Archives officially opened on Saturday, drawing nearly 10,000 visitors on its first day, the National Development Council (NDC) said.In his remarks, NDC Deputy Minister Peng Li-pei (彭立沛) said the archives would follow the principle of "maximum openness, minimum restrictions" in pro
Chinese researchers studying how to disrupt Starlink satellite Internet in Taiwan during a potential cross-strait conflict found that it would take an extensive 1,000 to 2,000 airborne devices to effectively jam the system.The study was published on Nov. 5 in the peer-reviewed journal Systems Engine
The Ministry of Labor’s draft act to mandate minimum wages for delivery drivers next year would not inflate prices on delivery platforms, as the current hourly rate for workers is already above the new standard, Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said today. Delivery drivers already earn an averag
The government would be required to respond to a request to instate for a four-day workweek by Dec. 7, after the proposal passed a signature threshold on the government’s policy participation platform.More than 5,700 people have endorsed the proposal for a four-day work week on the Public Policy Onl
The three upcoming concerts in Taipei by Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) are all sold out, with the tickets snapped up shortly after they went on sale at noon yesterday, her talent agency said.About 940,000 fans were vying for a total of 120,000 tickets for the three concerts at Taipei Dome on D
RATE DECISION DRAMA: Five of the 12 Fed officials who vote on policy this year have indicated they are leaning toward keeping rates on hold at next month’s meeting Division at the US Federal Reserve has intensified in the past few weeks, with officials staking out disparate positions ahead of the central bank’s policy meeting next month — all while Fed Chair Jerome Powell stays silent. The drama was amped up on Friday when New York Fed President John Williams,
Japan is open to intervening in the currency market “to mitigate the side effects of a weak yen,” a Japanese government panel member said, reflecting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s concerns about inflation. Takaichi’s administration “will intervene more actively in the foreign exchange mar
Gasoline and diesel prices are to remain unchanged this week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday, despite crude oil import costs falling. Gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to stay at NT$27.1, NT$28.6 and NT$30.6 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octa
Tokyo-Beijing relations have been rapidly deteriorating over the past two weeks as China tries to punish Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks about Taiwan earlier this month, and the off-ramp to this conflict is yet to be seen.Takaichi saying that a “Taiwan contingency” could
There has been much catastrophizing in Taiwan recently about America becoming more unreliable as a bulwark against Chinese pressure. Some of this has been sparked by debates in Washington about whether the United States should defend Taiwan in event of conflict. There also were understandable anxiet
Deng Wanhua (鄧萬華), the former warden of Syuetian Village (學田) in Hualien County’s Fuli Township (富里), was removed from her post on Aug. 1 after she was found to have contravened foreign nationality laws. Deng, who is a Chinese spouse of a Taiwanese and has been in Taiwan for 28 years, still had Chin
Taiwanese Olympians Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching on Saturday settled for a silver medal in the mixed doubles category at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Muscat competition after losing to their Japanese opponents. The world No. 9 duo fell to Japan’s Satoshi Aida and Hitomi Sato 9-11, 5-1
FINAL STRETCH: After the McLaren drivers’ disqualifications, Verstappen’s chances of a fifth successive title would depend on another big slip-up from Norris and his team Formula One world champion Max Verstappen on Saturday produced a masterful drive to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix and his title hopes were boosted further with the McLarens of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being disqualified. Norris finished the race in second with Piastri fourth
Troubled Liverpool’s woeful season on Saturday hit a new low with a shocking 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, while Newcastle United dented Manchester City’s English Premier League title challenge as Harvey Barnes’ brace sealed a controversial 2-1 victory. The spluttering champions fell be
Paul Pogba on Saturday described his emotional Monaco debut as a moment of relief and gratitude, after the French midfielder returned to the pitch for the first time in more than two years following a doping ban. The former Juventus and Manchester United player, who joined the French Ligue 1 side on
‘WISH LIST’: Senators said Rubio earlier told them that the plan for Kyiv to cede territory, cut its military and pledge not to join NATO was just a Russian proposal Washington on Saturday insisted that its Ukraine proposal is indeed official US policy, denying claims by a group of senators that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document under discussion is just a Russian “wish list.”The dispute over the 28-point plan — which cedes Ukrainian territ
ON THE LAM: The Brazilian Supreme Court said that the former president tried to burn his ankle monitor off as part of an attempt to orchestrate his escape from Brazil Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro — under house arrest while he appeals a conviction for a foiled coup attempt — was taken into custody on Saturday after the Brazilian Supreme Court deemed him a high flight risk.The court said the far-right firebrand — who was sentenced to 27 years in prison
The US is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four US officials told Reuters, as US President Donald Trump escalates pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operat
The Western media once again enthusiastically forwarded Beijing’s talking points on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment two weeks ago that an attack by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Taiwan was an existential threat to Japan and would trigger Japanese military intervention in d
NOV. 24 to NOV. 30It wasn’t famine, disaster or war that drove the people of Soansai to flee their homeland, but a blanket-stealing demon. At least that’s how Poan Yu-pie (潘有秘), a resident of the Indigenous settlement of Kipatauw in what is today Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), told it to Jap
Divadlo feels like your warm neighborhood slice of home — even if you’ve only ever spent a few days in Prague, like myself. A projector is screening retro animations by Czech director Karel Zeman, the shelves are lined with books and vinyl, and the owner will sit with you to share stories over a gla
1. 他離開倫敦很久了。ˇ He has been away from London for quite a long time.ˇ It is quite some time since he left London.χ He has left London for a long time.註︰to leave 和 die, graduate, get up, retire 等動詞一樣，是所謂的 point-of-time verb「瞬間動作」（或稱 terminative verb），動作是在一瞬間發生並無延續，因此不能像 period-of-time verb（或稱 durative v
A groundbreaking AI-powered pen developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), could revolutionize the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. This innovative device detects subtle changes in handwriting, a key indicator of the neurodegenerative disorder. The pen uses
A document long considered an unofficial copy of the “Magna Carta” has been identified as a rare original issued by King Edward I in 1300. Tucked away in Harvard Law School’s library, the manuscript was acquired in 1946 for a mere US$27.50.Medieval history professors from King’s College London used
Two moves show Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is gunning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) party chair and the 2028 presidential election. Technically, these are not yet “officially” official, but by the rules of Taiwan politics, she is now on the dance floor. Earlier this month Lu confirmed in an interview in Japan’s Nikkei that she was considering running for KMT chair. This is not new news, but according to reports from her camp she previously was still considering the case for and against running. By choosing a respected, international news outlet, she declared it to the world. While the outside world likely paid little attention, domestically the message was unmistakable: She is moving on to a larger stage. Part of the dance is to leave options open before formally committing, and with the chair race due in late September, she has time. If something goes wrong in the meantime, or if power brokers in the party offer her a deal that provides more benefits than taking on the role of chair, she can pivot accordingly. Earlier this year, I suggested that strategically, she would be better off concentrating on her job as Taichung mayor until she is term-limited out of office in December next year. Taichung mayor is obviously a full-time job, and concurrently running the Taipei-headquartered party runs the risk of doing one or both jobs poorly and making mistakes that could imperil her shot at the presidency in 2028. The situation has changed. Current KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), knowing he is likely to face challengers of a higher caliber than the three relative nobodies already declared, has gone all in on appealing to the base. The base is more likely to turn out to vote in the chair election, so this makes some strategic sense in the short term.
Among Thailand’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) villages, a certain rivalry exists between Arunothai, the largest of these villages, and Mae Salong, which is currently the most prosperous. Historically, the rivalry stems from a split in KMT military factions in the early 1960s, which divided command and opium territories after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) cut off open support in 1961 due to international pressure (see part two, “The KMT opium lords of the Golden Triangle,” on May 20). But today this rivalry manifests as a different kind of split, with Arunothai leading a pro-China faction and Mae Salong staunchly aligned to Taiwan. Last spring at Arunothai’s Jiaolian School, principal Wang Mingming (王明明) had forewarned me of the division between villages, saying, “We are not like the people in Mae Salong. They are rich. Because of the Taiwanese.” Arunothai has in recent years become split in its loyalties between Taiwan and China (see part one, “A tale of two schools,” on May 15), but in Mae Salong, links to Taiwan remain strong. Taiwan-funded monuments pay homage to the Lost Army, villagers wear T-shirts emblazoned with the Republic of China (ROC) flag and tea plantations grown Taiwan’s most famous tea varieties, including Dong Ding (“frozen peak”) Oolong, Oriental Beauty and Jin Xuan (Golden Daylily or Milk Oolong). Even the numerical classifications of the teas — Oolong No. 12 or No. 17, for example — are the same, and the shops resemble those found on Alishan. At the tomb of General Tuan Hsi-wen (段希文) — perched on a Mae Salong hilltop with a view of his ancestral homeland in China’s Yunnan province — a third generation villager wearing a vintage KMT army uniform, Yan Si-Chung (岩思中), greets visitors with sharp military salutes. “Both my father and my grandfather were soldiers in the KMT army,” the 44-year-old
| New Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Miaoli County | 24-26 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 27-28 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 26-28 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 25-26 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-27 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 25-26 | 30% |  |
| Hualien County | 25-26 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 25-27 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 27-27 | 20% | |
| Lienchiang County | 27-28 | 20% | |
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