Sun, Mar 08, 2026
REASSURING COMEBACK: After a demoralizing loss to Japan on Friday, the Taiwan team’s bats came alive, setting a new record with eight stolen bases in a single game Taiwan secured their first victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) yesterday, handing the Czech Republic a 14-0 trouncing at the Tokyo Dome.After being defeated in its first two Pool C games — including a demoralizing 13-0 loss to Japan on Friday — Taiwan’s bats came alive.The lineup eru
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) attended the World Baseball Classic (WBC) game between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in Tokyo yesterday — the first time an incumbent Taiwanese premier has visited Japan since Taipei and Tokyo severed diplomatic ties in 1972.The timing of the visit is sensitive, as Japan-C
A subsidiary of a Hong Kong-based company that has lost control of two critical ports on the Panama Canal said it is seeking US$2 billion of compensation in damages from Panama over its “illegal” takeover of the ports.Panama Ports Co, a unit of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings (長江和記實業), on Friday s
US President Donald Trump yesterday threatened to escalate the bombing of Iran as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that he would never surrender, despite a fresh blitz of US and Israeli airstrikes that set a Tehran airport ablaze. Israel confirmed some of the biggest strikes since the aeria
GOALS: Phase two of the initiative aims to see advancements in quantum hardware, achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing and improve practical industry applications Taiwan would leverage its edge in advanced semiconductor manufacturing to build key supply chain partnerships with like-minded countries and secure a strategic role in the global quantum ecosystem, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference held by the National Science and Technology Council
ALTERNATIVES: The KMT proposed a budget of NT$380 billion, while the TPP’s capped spending at NT$400 billion, both much less than the Executive Yuan’s NT$1.25 trillion Three special budget bills, proposed by the Cabinet, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), advanced to committee yesterday after months of legislative deadlock over plans to acquire US weapons approved for sale to Taiwan.Lawmakers unanimously agreed to send the bil
SEPARATION TACTICS: Groups called on Taiwan to take action against Chinese surveillance and oppression as they marked the anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day Tibetans yesterday marched in Taipei alongside human rights advocates to protest China’s transnational repression and its crack down on the spirituality of Tibetans.The march marked the 67th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10, 1959.The Swiss government in February last year published a
The presence of several ships flying flags of convenience near the Fangshan Submarine Cable Protection Zone off the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) could indicate that they are engaged in “gray zone” tactics or targeting Taiwan’s undersea cables, military interest group TaiwanADIZ said yesterday.The vesse
TRUMP-XI MEETING: As well as standing firm on the US’ Taiwan policy, Trump should be frank with Xi Jinping about actions in Hong Kong, Nicholas Burns said US President Donald Trump should stand by Washington’s commitment to provide defensive weapons to Taiwan, former US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said on Friday at a conference at George Washington University on US-China ties ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習
An “unprecedented purge” of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is affecting its exercise schedule and would make it difficult for China to launch a large-scale military operation against Taiwan in the short term, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said
TIME TO RE-EXAMINE The warnings on menopause treatment drugs are more than 20 years old, and have been shown to be based on an imperfect understanding, he said The warning labels for risks from menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in Taiwan should be updated, as they are based on a study from more than 20 years ago and newer studies indicate the risks are more age-dependent, Taiwanese Menopause Society president Lai Tsung-hsuan (賴宗炫) said yesterday ahead of In
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs.Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and eve
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams
A New Taipei City man was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday for fatally abusing his two-year-old stepson, while the child’s mother received a 19-year prison term for failing to stop the violence, according to a ruling by the New Taipei City District Court.According to the verdict, the man, su
An exhibition titled “1 Tree 1 World” has opened at the National Taiwan University Library’s Zu Zan Hall to raise public awareness of forest and biodiversity conservation, with a full-height photo of the tallest tree in Taiwan unveiled for the first time.The exhibition was organized by the Trust in
A new worry has been rippling across the stock market lately: Entire businesses, not just their employees, might be thrown out of work. While most economists say fears of an artificial intelligence (AI) job apocalypse are overblown, seismic shifts have happened in the past after big tech breakthroug
The EU on Wednesday unveiled new “made in Europe” rules to bolster the bloc’s industries against fierce competition from China, in a push held up for months by wrangling over measures some see as overly protectionist. Concerning strategic sectors including cars, green tech and steel, the proposal is
The Bank of England (BOE) is planning to war-game the potential economic and financial impact of a full-blown artificial intelligence (AI) shock amid fears that the technology would cost vast numbers of jobs and cut through a swathe of businesses. The British central bank would also consider whether
Last month, amid doubts about her eligibility to serve as a public servant, Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) was sworn into office as a legislator-at-large for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The ceremony, which followed certification by the Central Election Commission (CEC), was thought to be the end of the contr
With this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) already under way, and enthusiasm soaring since Taiwan’s victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 in 2024, hoodies emblazoned with the name “Taiwan” have become a ubiquitous presence across the country. It all started two y
Every analyst watching Iran’s succession crisis is asking who would replace supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yet, the real question is whether China has learned enough from the Persian Gulf to survive a war over Taiwan.Beijing purchases roughly 90 percent of Iran’s exported crude — some 1.61 m
CHANCE TO QUALIFY: Both teams now have three points from two games, and Taiwan sit ahead of Vietnam and behind Japan, who last night beat India 11-0 Taiwan yesterday defeated Vietnam 1-0 to move into second place in Group C at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup with one match remaining. Su Yu-hsuan scored the decisive goal in the 26th minute after Taiwan midfielder Saki Matsunaga’s shot hit the crossbar, leaving Su to nod the rebound into an empty net fo
The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics started on Friday with an opening ceremony marked by Russian athletes being booed as they paraded behind their national flag for the first time since 2014. Despite Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed six Rus
US national team star Folarin Balogun was among the scorers as AS Monaco on Friday won 3-1 at Paris Saint-Germain, dealing a blow to the side from the French capital before they face Chelsea in a crunch UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie. Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco a first-half lead at the Par
At the US hotels that Meade Atkeson manages, a drop in tourism weighs heavily on business, but hoteliers like him hope that FIFA World Cup enthusiasm would soon eclipse wariness over US President Donald Trump’s policies. The US hospitality sector has been reeling from a tourism slump in the world’s
FRAGILE ALLIANCE: An expert said without Mexico and Brazil, led by leftist leaders, the coalition would find it hard to successfully tackle narcotrafficking and counterterrorism US President Donald Trump was yesterday to meet with a dozen right-wing leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss issues facing the region, from organized crime to illegal immigration. The “Shield of the Americas” summit also aims to serve Washington by boosting US interests in the reg
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil.Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming electi
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday.The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hung
March 9 to March 15“This land produced no horses,” Qing Dynasty envoy Yu Yung-ho (郁永河) observed when he visited Taiwan in 1697. He didn’t mean that there were no horses at all; it was just difficult to transport them across the sea and raise them in the hot and humid climate. “Although 10,00
Institutions signalling a fresh beginning and new spirit often adopt new slogans, symbols and marketing materials, and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is no exception. Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), soon after taking office as KMT chair, released a new slogan that plays on the party’s acronym: “Kind Mindfu
“M yeolgong jajangmyeon (anti-communism zhajiangmian, 滅共炸醬麵), let’s all shout together — myeolgong!” a chef at a Chinese restaurant in Dongtan, located about 35km south of Seoul, South Korea, calls out before serving a bowl of Korean-style zhajiangmian —black bean noodles. Diners repeat the phrase b
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日）https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/langHere’s a breakdown of several common lens colors and their functions to help you choose the right one for your needs: ‧ Green: This tint enhances contrast by filtering some blue light, which also reduces glare and eye strain. It’s
When purchasing sunglasses, many people prioritize fashion or comfort. However, experts warn that eye safety should be the foremost concern. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can lead to serious eye problems, including cataracts, macular degeneration, and even a painful condition called ph
A: As the Oscars are about to shine next weekend, several nominees are set to be released in Taiwan — such as “Hamnet,” with eight nominations.B: The movies that I most want to see this year are “Michael,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”A: Other hit movies inclu
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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