Former executive secretary of the Lingya District Mental Health Center, part of the Kaohsiung Department of Health, Ho Chien-chung (何建忠) was indicted on Friday last week for allegedly abusing his authority as a public health official and sexually assaulting a minor. Such despicable behavior warrants
Taiwan’s energy debate is too often framed as merely a technical issue of emissions targets or electricity prices. In reality, it is a question of national security. As Taiwan’s economy becomes increasingly dependent on energy-intensive industries — from advanced semiconductors to artificial intelli
Global headlines have been dominated by the US kidnapping of deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. While debates continue regarding its compliance under international law, it is worth taking a closer look at the motive behind the operation and what it means for Taiwan. Parallels h
EDITORIAL CARTOON
In the early hours of Saturday last week, US forces bombed Caracas, blacking out the capital, and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his compound at Fort Tiuna. By dawn, US Delta Force operators had helicoptered Maduro — blindfolded, handcuffed, dressed in a Nike tracksuit — to the US
The immediate response in Taiwan to the extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the US over the weekend was to say that it was an example of violence by a major power against a smaller nation and that, as such, it gave Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) carte blanche to invade Taiwan. T
Statements by US President Donald Trump regarding Venezuela stressing decisive action and strategic control over regional outcomes have revived a familiar, but dangerous, argument: When a regime is deemed sufficiently “evil,” extraordinary measures that bypass legal and institutional constraints can
The results of Honduras’ presidential election were officially certified on Dec. 24 last year, nearly a month after polls closed, with the conservative National Party’s Nasry Asfura, who received US President Donald Trump’s endorsement, winning by a narrow margin. He is set to take office on Jan. 27
The US on Saturday last week moved swiftly and decisively to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, bringing them to New York for trial. The shocking move by US President Donald Trump’s administration carries profound international strategic significance, most notably as it highli
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Removing Venezuela’s dictator introduced “Trump’s corollary” in Latin America with an exclamation point.The White House’s updated take on the Monroe Doctrine had its baptism of fire on Saturday, when US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at his Caracas stronghold, decapitating the C
It is hard to ignore Bulgaria’s heart-on-sleeve embrace of the EU. The bloc’s blue flag with gold stars flies at institutions more prominently than in other countries in eastern Europe. Pro-euro billboards paid for by the government dot Sofia’s streets and metro stations.What is also conspicuous is
Venezuela is unlikely to see any meaningful boost to crude output for years even if US oil majors do invest the billions of dollars in the country that US President Donald Trump just hours following Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s capture by US forcesThe South American country might have the w
Benefiting from Taiwan’s strong economic growth and stable inflation, the central bank at its quarterly board meeting on Dec. 18 last year kept its policy rates unchanged for the seventh consecutive quarter since its most recent rate hikes in March 2024. That was even after the US Federal Reserve co
In an international system increasingly shaped by coercion, power politics and transactional diplomacy, multilateralism is often dismissed as naive or obsolete — especially for smaller countries living next to much larger neighbors. Taiwan’s experience suggests the opposite. For Taipei, multilateral
As technological change sweeps across the world, the focus of education has undergone an inevitable shift toward artificial intelligence (AI) and digital learning. However, the HundrED Global Collection 2026 report has a message that Taiwanese society and education policymakers would do well to refl
We are used to hearing that whenever something happens, it means Taiwan is about to fall to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) cannot change the color of his socks without China experts claiming it means an invasion is imminent. So, it is no surprise that what happened in Venezuela over the w
EDITORIAL CARTOON
US President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy warns that Europe faces “civilizational erasure.” While the language is deliberately forceful, the underlying concern is not misplaced. Europe does, in fact, risk becoming a continent shaped by the decisions of others rather than an actor co
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