Thu, Jul 16, 2026
DEFINING CRIMES: The bill would define transnational repression in the US as any effort by a foreign agent or proxy to harass, coerce or threaten a person on US soil US lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bipartisan bill to increase penalties for foreign government agents who threaten people on US soil, a move aimed at countering the rise of what officials call “transnational repression” by countries such as China and Iran. The bill, put forward by US senators Ada
Taiwan and the US have agreed to jointly produce the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)-developed Chien Feng I (勁蜂一型, Mighty Hornet I) drone, a high-level government official familiar with the matter said. The Mighty Hornet I, which is in service with the Marine Corps, h
Foreign journalists last year faced an increasingly “challenging and restrictive” environment that comprised the “new abnormal” in China, a report released on Monday by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in China (FCCC) said. China is one of the most challenging environments globally for reporters, an
The US yesterday launched a wave of strikes against Iran, after it reimposed a naval blockade in a return to war between the two foes. Nearly a month after they signed a memorandum of understanding toward ending the Middle East war, the two sides resumed fighting with strikes on targets across the r
REFERENDUMS: The DPP said it also supports legalizing euthanasia, but supporting laws relating to the Criminal Code, medical ethics and patient autonomy are needed The opposition alliance yesterday advanced proposed referendums on legalizing euthanasia and reactivating nuclear power plants directly to a second reading, moving the motions into the legislature’s formal review process.Should the Legislative Yuan approve the proposals, voting would be held in tand
‘ETHNIC UNITY’: The DPP motion recommends amending laws and increasing penalties for those aiding or abetting China, and enhancing protection for citizens and groups Lawmakers yesterday voted to send a motion condemning China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, amend domestic laws to prevent people from aiding and abetting China, and step up collaborations with like-minded international partners to uphold human rights to a second reading.The Democratic Pr
REVIEW IN PROGRESS: The police agency said that no security incidents have been identified so far, but it has requested that the supplier explain their devices’ origins The National Police Agency (NPA) suspended the use of a new biometric attendance system after a legislator said it posed a risk to national security, as it might be using products manufactured by Chinese company ZKTeco.Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) yesterday said the s
Taiwan should enact legislation to counter Beijing-directed transnational repression, an academic and a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker said yesterday, after the US Senate proposed a bill to stop China’s “ethic unity law.”A bipartisan group of US lawmakers on Tuesday introduced the Stop
A Taiwanese judge specializing in national security cases on Tuesday urged law enforcement authorities in Taiwan and the US to jointly take on transnational repression threats brought by China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law.Taipei District Court judge Hsu Kai-chieh (許凱傑) suggested Taipei
Former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) “special state-to-state relations” framework helped Taiwan move beyond Beijing’s “one China” narrative and provided diplomatic space for the nation’s democratic transition, Hoover Institution Library and Archives East Asia collections curator Lin Hsiao-ting (林孝庭
PUSHBACK: Taiwanese must engage with the global community, make their voices heard and promote themselves on the world stage, he said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) yesterday announced that he would visit the US on Monday and “would not be silenced.” Shen has been labeled a “die-hard separatist” by Beijing, and he and a civil defense organization he cofounded, the Kuma Ac
The military during a simulated firepower drill in Taoyuan yesterday deployed M110A2 self-propelled howitzers under a decentralized command structure.The drill was part of the Joint Defense Exercises, which began on Monday and run until tomorrow. The army’s 21st Artillery Command, which is under the
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday presented outgoing French Office in Taipei Director Franck Paris with the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, honoring his efforts to deepen Taiwan-France cooperation in politics, culture, science and other fields.Paris, who took office in August 2023, is
Around 300 people gathered at Liberty Square in Taipei yesterday evening to commemorate Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen, who died after self-immolating outside the United Nations (U.N.) headquarters in New York earlier this month.The gathering also protested China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Pro
The Lienchiang District Prosecutors Office announced yesterday that it will not prosecute the captain of a Chinese-flagged work barge, which damaged a subsea cable off Dongyin Island on March 30, citing insufficient evidence.According to a statement from the prosecutors’ office, the incident oc
LITHOGRAPHY MACHINES: Demand has motivated customers to increase spending, the company said, adding that Intel has begun to use its most advanced machine ASML Holding NV lifted its annual sales forecast for the second time this year and laid out plans to increase production as a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) spending drives demand for the Dutch company’s chipmaking machines.Net sales would grow to between 43 billion euros and 45 billion euros
Taipei’s Grade A office space market is expected to be resilient in the second half of this year, despite a wave of new supply, with demand from technology companies and corporations seeking higher-quality workplaces expected to cushion the impact on vacancy rates, property consultant Jones Lang LaS
‘AI INFRASTRUCTURE’: The council minister said that it would continue to support domestic investments, with a focus on silicon photonics and copackaged optics The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) yesterday proposed a record technology budget of NT$176.8 billion (US$5.49 billion) for next year, aiming to improve artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge technologies in Taiwan.That would be a 6.2 percent rise from this year’s budget of NT$
China’s offer of heavily subsidized trips to Xinjiang for Taiwanese teachers and students is the latest example of Beijing’s efforts to shape Taiwanese opinion, a government official said on Monday. Under the program, participants pay NT$4,000 for an eight-day, seven-night tour covering accommodatio
On Monday last week, we listened to the UN General Assembly debate on the Responsibility to Protect with hope that the voices of the Uighur people would finally be heard. Instead, we were heartbroken by the silence.The meeting was dedicated to preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and cr
National security has become one of Taiwan’s most discussed public issues. Defense budgets, arms procurement, reserve reform and cross-strait deterrence dominate headlines almost daily. Compared with a decade ago, Taiwan has made remarkable progress in bringing security into public debate.Yet after
TWO-NIL: Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored the goals for Spain, while Kylian Mbappe of France was unable to add to his eight goals in the tournament Spain’s defensive prowess and swagger on Tuesday were too much for an attacking trio led by France great Kylian Mbappe and just enough to get the 2010 champions into another FIFA World Cup final.The Spain team posted a record sixth shutout in seven games so far, winning 2-0 in the semi-finals agains
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has received a complaint alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino has repeatedly breached rules on political neutrality.FairSquare, a nonprofit organization and advocacy group, asked the IOC to investigate, among several instances, Infantino’s possible
The NBA is to do some international business alongside the FIFA World Cup final in the coming days as it moves closer to the planned launch of a new league in Europe next year.NBA commissioner Adam Silver, speaking after the league’s Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, said that he and NBA deputy
THERMAL THREAT: Riders are turning to water-cooled mattresses, ice-socks down their jerseys, and when all else fails, dumping water on themselves to beat the heat Since the Tour de France began in Barcelona, there has almost been more talk about the extreme heat than the race itself.Despite the mercury never having dipped below 30°C — and often having gone hotter than 40°C — since the start of the race, the riders themselves have been coping admirably.A varie
EVENTS UNCLEAR: The officers involved in the shooting, at least the ninth time ICE has used deadly force since Trump’s crackdown started, were not wearing body cameras White House officials on Tuesday told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings within a week, people familiar with the decision said on Tuesday. The policy change came after an ICE officer on Monday shot and killed a Colombian driver
CONTAINMENT FEARS: The epidemic could be two to four times larger than the official case count because 80% of new infections are outside known contacts Confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) have reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, government data released on Tuesday night showed in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record even as some health workers have gone on strike over payment issues
A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world’s largest and most complete specimens was sold for a record US$50.1 million on Tuesday to a mystery bidder. Sotheby’s said the 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed “Gus,” is the most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned off, besting th
“Line” is widely identified as the most popular messaging app in Taiwan, with up to 90 percent market penetration. Countless foreigners use it, yet the complexity of its information ecosystems is often invisible to them. For Taiwanese, however, Line is full of all sorts of groups organized, like loc
For a diplomat, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene has been anything but subtle. Unlike his recent predecessors as American de facto ambassadors, he has openly thrown his weight around in local politics. The last time that I can recall Americans becoming blatantly involved in
The world’s tallest unoccupied skyscraper was meant to boast a rooftop pool and a luxury hotel after completion, but instead it has stood deserted in the Chinese port city of Tianjin for years.Work on the soaring Goldin Finance 117 began in 2008, but construction stalled as its developer fell into d
A: The 23rd FIFA World Cup tournament is being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the US, marking the very first time the event is hosted by three nations.B: Expanding from 32 to 48 teams, the scale of the games has reached a new high. Some tickets for the final even surged to a sky-high price o
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, an interesting debate kicks off once again: should the sport be called “soccer” or “football”? Both words appear in media and conversations, yet their usage changes across countries. If they refer to the same sport, how did this linguistic split begin, and whic
Learning another language could slow aging in the brain by up to 13 years, according to research.People who speak more than one language seem to have younger brains and the more languages you speak and the earlier you speak them, the better, according to findings from a study being presented at the
| 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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