Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday last week published its “2026 Press Freedom Index” report. Taiwan was ranked 28th worldwide and first in Asia, far ahead of South Korea at 47th and Japan at 62nd. Since 2024, Taiwan has consistently come in the top 30 — a significant achievement that shoul
For years, I have consistently argued against “doubting the US.” Across many columns in the Taipei Times, my position was clear: Washington remains the only power capable of intervening decisively in a Taiwan contingency.That assessment still holds, but something has changed, and it would be irrespo
The TAIEX has surpassed 40,000 points and the number of brokerage accounts now exceeds 14.2 million, creating the appearance of widespread prosperity. Yet, as the index reaches new highs and the number of investors continues to grow, we should ask ourselves: How many people are truly benefiting from
We still need teachersIn your story on artificial intelligence (AI), (“AI cannot replace real teachers,” May 5, page 8), as a university student I agree with Chen Chi-nung’s (陳啟濃) point that AI can support learning, but the real question is not whether students should use AI. The question is whether
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a plan to have half of its government services run on agentic artificial intelligence (AI) within the next two years. Under the scheme, AI is supposed to serve as an “executive partner” that “analyzes, decides, executes and improves in rea
The news late last month that US President Donald Trump sounded out FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, about replacing Iran with Italy at this year’s World Cup jolted insiders and pundits on the beautiful game. It has also cast a fresh light on the unusual and evolving relationship between Tr
Taiwan’s technology companies outpaced traditional sectors by swiftly penetrating the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain to occupy an indispensable place in the industry, breaking away from the slim-profit-margin business models of providing manufacturing services on a contract basis.
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam
A portion of Taiwanese society, provoked by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), has voiced intense opposition to Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han’s (洪申翰) announcement early last month that 1,000 Indian workers could arrive as part of a pilot program of a bilateral agreement with India to bolster Taiw
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) farcical handling of the defense budget review has reached a new low, unmasking fractures in a party being pulled in multiple directions.At a Central Standing Committee meeting, Chi Lin-lien (季麟連), one of the KMT’s four vice chairmen and retired Marine Corps gen
EDITORIAL CARTOON
The Internet was supposed to kill off books, but across much of Asia, a booming market tells a different story. The region does not have a special affinity with reading. Demand is being driven by something more practical: a desire to get ahead. It is also underpinned by rising literacy, an expanding
It is too soon to know when or how the war with Iran would end, or what its geopolitical or economic consequences would be. However, one thing is already certain: What is meant by energy security must be rethought. About 20 percent of the world’s traded oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormu
You cannot walk through an African capital these days without stumbling over a gaggle of visiting European politicians and businesspeople. Similarly, European cities are abuzz with African leaders invited to town for bilateral meetings, summits, “relationship upgrades” and photo opportunities. Europ
As widely expected, the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday last week kept the federal funds rate at 3.5 to 3.75 percent for a third consecutive meeting, citing economic uncertainty. However, this time, the message is significantly more complex and arrives amid concerns about the US
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) can hardly reach a consensus on the arms procurement bill. Under the leadership of KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), the party proposed a “NT$380 billion (US$12 billion) plus N” plan — with “N” referring to additional funds in the future. Meanwhile, Taichung Mayo
Do you still remember the kind of teachers you have always missed from your elementary and high-school years? It is often the ones full of passion who radiate light and warmth. While personal characteristics cannot be feigned, beyond innate disposition, they can be trained through education. In the
President William Lai’s (賴清德) arrival in the Kingdom of Eswatini over the weekend was, on the surface, a routine diplomatic success. The red-carpet reception, the national flags and the reaffirmation of bilateral ties all conveyed continuity. Yet the story that preceded the landing tells a far more
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