Tue, May 05, 2026
NON-INTERFERENCE: The US called Taiwan a trusted and capable partner, while an African Union leader urged nations to reflect on respect for sovereign choices Taiwan is a “trusted and capable” partner of the US and Taipei’s global relationships, including with Eswatini, provide significant benefits, the US Department of State said of President William Lai’s (賴清德) trip to the southern African kingdom.Lai arrived in the former Swaziland on Saturday on a sur
Taiwanese shares yesterday posted a record daily gain of more than 1,700 points to close above 40,000 points for the first time, led by large-cap semiconductor stocks such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) amid optimism about the artificial intelligence (AI)
CLOSE WATCH: The government is closely monitoring supplies of key commodities and providing subsidies for transportation and fuel costs to stabilize prices, Cho Jung-tai said Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday instructed ministries to coordinate assistance for Taiwanese shipping firms whose vessels were stranded due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US.In a news release, the Cabinet said the premier convened a meeting on the situation, citing Mini
The US military yesterday denied claims that Iran struck a US Navy vessel as US forces offer to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds have been stuck since the Iran war began. Tehran over the past two months has attacked some vessels and blocked others that have not rec
Canberra and Tokyo yesterday agreed to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, during a three-day visit to the country.After signing a landmark defense deal last month, the two nations agreed to s
Like a plot straight out of the film Catch Me If You Can, a wanted fraudster who was once dubbed the “golden boy of real estate” was apprehended in Taipei late last year after hiding out in Pingtung County where he again swindled tens of millions of New Taiwan dollars from local residents, investiga
Revenue for the Employment Stabilization Fund is expected to increase by NT$10 billion (US$320 million) due mainly to relaxations in rules about hiring migrant workers, a Ministry of Labor (MOL) official said today. In a recent meeting, the fund's committee approved proposals covering the fund’s pro
Legal experts and youth advocacy groups today issued a letter suggesting that the law be amended to lower the voting age to 18, thereby bypassing the high threshold for amending the Constitution. Article 130 of the Constitution states that citizens must be at least 20 years of age to vote.However, t
Three men were indicted yesterday for allegedly stealing more than 4.5km of cable from a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) construction site and selling it for nearly NT$5 million (US$158,239).In the indictment issued by the Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office, prosecutors said a 29-year-
Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) has protested Taiwan's designation at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and called for the nation's equal treatment in the organization, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement today.As an ADB board member, Chuang issued a statement at the ADB's 59th annu
More than 1,000 nurses today protested outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare, handing in a petition demanding that a proposed nurse-to-patient ratio system be put into law after two years of promises.The system would set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for day, evening and night shifts across m
The Minnesota General Assembly yesterday passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to strengthening and deepening sister ties between the US state and Taiwan, marking the fifth consecutive year that a pro-Taiwan resolution was passed with unanimous bipartisan support.As this month marks Asian A
Taiwan Lottery Corp today introduced two new scratch-off games with total prize money exceeding NT$1.9 billion (US$60.11 million).In a news release, the company said the scratch cards used in the new games — called "Mahjong Big Bingo" (麻將大賓果) and "Gold Diamond 999" (金鑽999) — would be priced at NT$30
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July.The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded t
Prosecutors are to reopen an investigation into a McDonald’s supervisor accused of sexually assaulting a former employee, who later died of suicide, the High Prosecutors’ Office said today. The supervisor, surnamed Lee (李), denies all wrongdoing and said the acts were consensual and he never forced
FRONT-LOADING: War-driven uncertainty and the volatile energy market have seen manufacturers work to stockpile raw materials as a hedge against the future Taiwan’s manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in more than three years last month, as Middle East tensions pushed up raw material costs and prompted firms to accelerate orders, while sustained demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors continued to underpin production, t
Chip testing service provider Ardentec Corp (欣銓) yesterday said revenue is expected to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage this quarter, following stronger-than-seasonal growth last quarter, benefiting from rising demand for testing services for artificial intelligence (AI) and smartphone chips. R
The Fair Trade Commission’s (FTC) ongoing review of Grab Holdings Ltd’s US$600 million acquisition of Foodpanda Taiwan’s operations, announced on March 23, has taken on fresh urgency as industry experts warn that the transaction could embed significant Chinese cybersecurity vulnerabilities into Taiw
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
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Juventus missed a chance to exploit AC Milan’s loss and take third place as they drew 1-1 at home with relegated Hellas Verona Inter on Sunday won their third Serie A title in six seasons thanks to a 2-0 victory over Parma that ignited the celebrations at a jubilant San Siro and across the city.Marcus Thuram’s side-footed finish just before halftime set Inter on their way, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half goal put th
The Detroit Pistons on Sunday routed the Orlando Magic 116-94 to cap a remarkable NBA playoff comeback and book an Eastern Conference semi-final clash with Cleveland.Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and handed out 12 assists, while Tobias Harris added 30 points with nine rebounds as the Pistons, who
Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-2 on Sunday to seal a return to the UEFA Champions League next season, while Tottenham Hotspur climbed out of the English Premier League relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.Kobbie Mainoo’s late winner edged a thrilling encounter at Old Trafford in United’
Fresh from making history in Madrid on Sunday, Jannik Sinner wasted little time turning his thoughts to completing the “Golden Masters” by triumphing on home soil in Rome next week — which would make him only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles.The 24-year-old Italian became the first
‘NO SUPPORT’: The US’ announcement that it was pulling out troops was a surprise, underlining Europe’s need to take more charge of its security, European leaders said European leaders yesterday said that US President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands of US troops out of Germany came as a surprise, but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.The Pentagon last week announced that it would pull about 5,000 troops out of Germany, b
Dutch authorities would attempt to repatriate two sick people from a cruise ship battling a suspected outbreak of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives, the vessel’s operator said yesterday.In its first statement on the crisis, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed it was dealing with “a serious
In the western Spanish village of Almaraz, the uncertain future of the plant’s biggest nuclear power plant casts a pall over daily life.The Almaraz plant, which contributes about 7 percent of Spain’s electricity production, is scheduled to close in 2028 as part of the leftist government’s plan to sh
For many people, Bilingual Nation 2030 begins and ends in the classroom. Since the policy was launched in 2018, the debate has centered on students, teachers and the pressure placed on schools.Yet the policy was never solely about English education.The government’s official plan also calls for bilin
Traditionally, indigenous people in Taiwan’s mountains practice swidden cultivation, or “slash and burn” agriculture, a practice common in human history. According to a 2016 research article in the International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, among the Atayal people, this began with a sear
May 4 to May 10 It was once said that if you hadn’t performed at the Sapphire Grand Cabaret (藍寶石大歌廳), you couldn’t truly be considered a star.Taking the stage at the legendary Kaohsiung club was more than just a concert. Performers were expected to entertain in every sense, wearing outlandish or rev
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。Rain hammered the roof in hard, uneven bursts. “Hold him still!” Baosheng pressed one hand against the stranger’s brow as the man twisted on the wooden bed. His left eye was swollen shut. The right one burned red like a coal. “It feels l
對話 Dialogue清清：五一勞動節連假剛過，你好好地休息了嗎？Qīngqing: Wǔyī láodòng jié liánjià gāng guò, nǐ hǎohǎo de xiūxi le ma?華華：老實說，好像也沒有。每天都在外面跑，反而覺得更累。Huáhua: Lǎoshí shuō, hǎoxiàng yě méiyǒu. Měitiān dōu zài wàimiàn pǎo, fǎn’ér juéde gèng lèi.清清：我也是，本來想放鬆一下，結果行程排得很滿。Qīngqing: Wǒ yě shì, běnlái xiǎng fàngsōng yíxià, jié
1. 途中他們從墓園旁走過。ˇ On their way they passed by the graveyard.χ On their way they passed through the graveyard.註︰「從……旁邊走過」該用 pass by。「從……（中間）穿過」用 pass through。例如：They must pass through the forest before dark.（他們必須在天黑以前穿過樹林。）2. 老師要我們把這一句用自己的話講出來。ˇ The teacher wanted us to rephrase the sentence in our own
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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