In late January, Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), completed its first submerged dive, reaching a depth of roughly 50m during trials in the waters off Kaohsiung. By March, it had managed a fifth dive, still well short of the deep-water and endurance tests required be
Hours before departure, the aircraft was ready and the route cleared. Then, almost simultaneously, Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar withdrew previously approved overflight permissions without warning or explanation.The runway remained open, but Taiwan’s president could not leave.The incident cap
Eroding classroom trust Not long ago, a junior-high- school student asked on the social media platform Threads how to “get rid of” his homeroom teacher, and someone left a comment suggesting that he make false accusations against the teacher. The teacher–student relationship in Taiwan’s education sy
EDITORIAL CARTOON
In his 15 years as Apple’s top executive, Tim Cook has projected an image of the company as a champion of privacy rights. As he prepares to leave that role in September, that legacy has come back into focus. Cook trumpeted the iPhone maker’s commitment to privacy at home in the US and the EU, callin
Reuters, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesA warning by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has crystallized fears among Gulf states that reopening the Strait of Hormuz might be the most Iran-US talks can achieve, falling short of the broader de-escalation they regard as vital.Officials and analysts e
Maritime strike drills on a Philippine island near Taiwan are part of this year’s US-Philippines Balikatan military exercises, international media reported.The exercises, which began on Monday and are to run through May 8, are the largest ever in terms of participating countries, with Australia taki
Every year on April 23, the global literary community observes World Book and Copyright Day, a date established by UNESCO in 1995 to champion the written word. While the day is rooted in the legacies of European masters, its modern pulse beats with surprising vigor in Taipei. In the Chinese-speaking
At 10am on Monday last week, US President Donald Trump announced that the US Central Command would immediately begin imposing a naval blockade on all ships leaving or entering Iranian ports, or that have paid a toll to Iran, physically boarding them if necessary. The stoppage does not apply to vesse
Following the meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on April 10, political and media commentary in Taiwan has largely focused on its political implications and what it means for cross-strait relations. By contrast, Japane
EDITORIAL CARTOON
In June 2023, OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman visited New Delhi to address entrepreneurs and investors. Asked whether three Indian engineers with US$10 million could build something comparable to OpenAI, his response was blunt: It was “totally hopeless” for start-ups with limited resources
Inflation is more tangible than strong economic growth for Taiwanese as global crude oil prices remain high amid war in the Middle East. Taiwanese are feeling the effects of the war such as rising food prices and supply chain constraints for products such as plastic goods. In such circumstances, eco
There is a peculiar kind of political theater unfolding in East Asia — one that would be laughable if its consequences were not so dangerous. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) on April 12 returned from Beijing, where she met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and spoke ea
The most useful place to start thinking about Taiwan’s predicament is not the Taiwan Strait. It is Southeast Asia, and how the region evaluates the reliability of external powers. The latest “State of Southeast Asia” survey shows that Japan enjoys high trust across ASEAN. Japan is trusted because it
Taiwan’s labor shortage is worsening. The number of job vacancies nationwide has surpassed 1.12 million, with the manufacturing and construction sectors bearing the brunt. At the same time, the combined pressures of a declining birthrate and an aging population have made it nearly impossible to fill
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Most schoolchildren learn that the circumference of the Earth is about 40,000km. They do not learn that the global economy depends on just 160 of those kilometers.Blocking two narrow waterways — the Strait of Hormuz and the Taiwan Strait — could send the economy back in time, if not to the Stone Age
White evangelical Christians helped bring US President Donald Trump to power. They remain among his most ardent supporters. This, even as the president seemingly has gone out of his way to mock Christianity and its first commandment.One year in, the vast majority (69 percent) of white evangelicals c
RSS