Fri, May 01, 2026
Taiwan’s economy grew far faster than expected in the first quarter, as booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove a surge in exports, spilling over into investment and consumption, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.GDP growth
UAV TACTICS: Taiwan urgently needs to boost its defense industry and ammunition stockpiles to ensure the lethality and resilience in a full-scale conflict, the official said The government’s special defense budget is key to the armed forces’ plans to augment command and control, lethality, defense resilience and full-domain awareness, a top Ministry of National Defense official told a Cabinet meeting yesterday.The military’s ability to make snap decisions, maintain situ
DRAWBACKS: The lack of effective action to improve news coverage and ensure the public’s right to reliable information are problems, Reporters Without Borders said Taiwan dropped four places to 28th in this year’s World Press Freedom Index compared with the previous year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said yesterday, warning that global press freedom conditions were at a record low.Taiwan’s ranking out of 180 countries and territories declined from 24th last
The US is pushing for a new international coalition to restart commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as talks with Tehran stall, US media reported.The US Department of State sent an internal cable to US embassies calling on diplomats to convince governments around the world to join the Maritim
A Jewish community group warned police that a terror attack was “likely” just days before two gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach, an inquiry said yesterday.Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, his son, are accused of opening fire as Jewish families thronged Bondi Beach fo
OPENING DAY TOMORROW: The deduction for supporting elderly people in long-term care has risen, while those for raising children are to be applied more broadly President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday detailed cuts to income tax and excises aimed at improving workers’ livelihoods ahead of the tax filing period, which starts tomorrow.Lai, who is chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party, made the remarks at the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting.The
Haitian ambassador to Taiwan Roudy Stanley Penn and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday reaffirmed bilateral ties as the two diplomatic allies marked the 70th anniversary of relations at a reception in Taipei."This bilateral relationship is one of Haiti's oldest and most consis
The Highway Bureau today announced further details of new regulations for mandatory driver's license renewals that would take effect this month, including the addition of a physician’s assessment and a self-declaration, with the latter likely applicable to those aged 75 or older.The bureau said it i
The US “must deter a crisis over Taiwan, not just a war,” an article published on Wednesday by US magazine and forum Foreign Affairs said, as it detailed how China could enact a quasi-blockade and quarantine of Taiwan, a contingency for which the US has “no integrated strategy.” The article was auth
The High Court yesterday upheld negligent homicide convictions for four contractors over the 2019 collapse of Yilan County's Nanfangao Bridge (南方澳橋), which killed six people and injured 12.The court rejected appeals from the prosecutors and defendants, maintaining prison sentences of between 18 mont
The Hualien County Government yesterday held evacuation drills with three local townships to prepare for a potential disaster involving a barrier lake on Mataian Creek (馬太鞍溪) following an earthquake.The drills came after a barrier lake burst on Sept. 23 last year, sending mud-laden floodwaters into
A group of employers took to the streets on Labor Day today to demand the abolition of the replacement wait period for caregivers and the introduction of mandatory security deposits, criticizing the government for insufficient long-term care capacity.The alliance, formed by families employing migran
A man wanted on fraud charges turned himself in earlier this week, immediately after registering his marriage at a government office in Kaohsiung, police said today.The suspect, surnamed Chen (陳), was listed as wanted by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office on allegations of fraud, the Yanchen
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) confirmed that she has asked to meet with US President Donald Trump during an upcoming trip to the US, Bloomberg reported yesterday, though she added it could be “very difficult” to make happen. “As long as it is something that helps the
Taiwan has raised the minimum wage for a 10th consecutive year, with the monthly minimum set at NT$29,500 and the hourly wage at NT$196, benefiting more than 2.47 million workers, President William Lai (賴清德) said in a Labor Day message on Facebook today.Workers are the most important force driving t
UPBEAT: The chip designer expects its first AI ASIC project for a US hyperscaler to contribute US$2 billion in the fourth quarter, double its previous estimate MediaTek Inc (聯發科), the world’s largest mobile phone chip supplier, yesterday projected that revenue this year would grow by a mid-to-high-single-digit percentage, as robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators would compensate for weakness in smartphone chips.The Hsinchu-based chip
MONETARY POLICY: Government measures to stabilize energy costs and cushion imported price pressures have helped keep inflation in check While the central bank has kept interest rates unchanged, minutes of the meeting last month reveal that policymakers are increasingly alert to the risk that external shocks could destabilize inflationary expectations even as current price pressures remain contained. All board members agreed to maint
The manufacturing sector rebounded last month, as domestic demand and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven growth gathered pace, but growing geopolitical risks in the Middle East continued to cast a shadow over the outlook.In a statement released yesterday, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Tuesday last week made a trip to Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) to observe a maritime rescue drill marking the first visit by the council’s head in seven years to the island in the disputed South China Sea.Taiping Island — also known a
With the workers’ Day holiday upon us, discussions about wages have once again intensified.From a statistical perspective, Taiwan’s nominal wages have not stagnated; on the contrary, they have demonstrated a long-term and stable upward trend. The minimum wage has also increased year after year, grad
Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system and other social welfare programs have long been regarded as international models. However, behind the polished image, the institutional design surrounding migrant workers in the nation’s blue-collar industries reveals a clear imbalance between welfare
NO HARD FEELINGS: Taiwan’s Lin Hsiang-ti and Indonesia’s Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi embraced after fighting to a tense and rare 30-29 final game in their Uber Cup match The Taiwanese men’s team on Wednesday fought back from the brink of elimination to defeat Denmark in Group C and advance to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup, while the women’s team were to face South Korea after press time last night in the Uber Cup quarter-finals in Horsens, Denmark.In the firs
Cade Cunningham on Wednesday kept top-seeded Detroit’s NBA playoff run alive against the Orlando Magic, as the Los Angeles Lakers again failed to close out their series with Houston.Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an impressive comeback victory to take a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Rapto
Juan Jose Guilarte is like any other 10-year-old as he raced around a park in Cuba’s capital, Havana, but one detail distinguishes the sports-mad kid who dreams of Olympic glory: his prosthetic leg.Guilarte was born with a congenital malformation that resulted in his left leg developing only as far
Cam York on Wednesday flicked a wrist-shot for an overtime winner that ignited a Flyers’ celebration 14 years in the making to chase away years of bad hockey in Philadelphia.He slithered free from the mob of exuberant teammates and chucked his stick deep into the stands and watched it soar, only no
PHILIPPINE COMMITTEE: The head of the committee that made the decision said: ‘If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to hide, there is no reason to obstruct’ A Philippine congressional committee on Wednesday ruled that there was “probable cause” to impeach Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte after hearing allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and threats to have the president assassinated.The unanimous decision of the 53-member comm
TWO JEWS STABBED: The Metropolitan Police chief faced calls to resign after a man attacked people in the Golders Green area in what police said was an ‘act of terror’ The British government yesterday announced an extra ￡25 million (US$34 million) to fund security for Jewish communities after two Jewish men were knifed in London a day earlier.“People have a sense of deep insecurity ... and that is why the government is bringing forward investment, an additional [￡
Burmese President Min Aung Hlaing yesterday cut all prisoners’ sentences by one-sixth, a blanket measure that a source close to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi said would further shorten her detention.Aung San Suu Kyi has been sequestered since a 2021 military coup, but the senior member of her diss
The small platform at Duoliang Train Station in Taitung County’s Taimali Township (太麻里) served villagers from 1992 to 2006, but was eventually shut down due to lack of use. Just 10 years later, the abandoned train station had become widely known as the most beautiful station in Taiwan, and visitors
There are some early cues that the new animated Animal Farm is not your grandmother’s Animal Farm. Like when one critter asks, “What’s up?” and another says, “Totally rad.” Did George Orwell really have one of his pigs scream, “Check it before you wreck it”?I don’t want to get all prudish here; I’m
It has long been known that dogs have less between their ears than wolves, but now research has suggested their brains started to get smaller at least 5,000 years ago.Experts say the results offer fresh insights into the domestication of our canine companions. However, the findings are unlikely to e
A: In addition to the biopic “Michael,” comedy “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is finally in theaters. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since the 2006 debut of the original film.B: Does the sequel still revolve around the fashion industry?A: This time, “Miranda,” the fashion magazine editor-in-chief p
A: This year’s two most anticipated films have finally hit theaters in Taiwan. “Michael” premiered last Wednesday, while “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiered this Wednesday ahead of its global release. B: Isn’t “Michael” the biopic about the late King of Pop Michael Jackson?A: Yup, it tells the story
Cameras are everywhere — in our pockets, on our walls and even in space. They capture emotions, preserve history and reflect culture. Through these devices, photography is now essential to modern life, influencing how we perceive ourselves and the world. To understand the root of their power, let’s
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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