Tue, Apr 21, 2026
CURRENCY VOLATILITY: The shift would streamline capital outflows by eliminating the conversion process that adds friction to the market, proponents of the change said Taiwan is weighing a proposal to permit listed companies to distribute dividends in US dollars, a change from the rule requiring payouts in the local currency, people familiar with the matter said.The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is evaluating operational details, they said, asking not to
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey.By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,
Philippine and US forces are to carry out maritime strike drills on a remote Philippine island near Taiwan during annual exercises that started yesterday, which the Philippine military chief said would test their readiness under “real-world conditions.” The exercises known as “Balikatan,” or “should
Pakistan yesterday moved ahead with preparations for a new round of talks between the US and Iran two days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.Over the weekend, the US attacked a
President William Lai (賴清德) has been formally welcomed ahead of his trip to Africa this week by more than 40 political figures from 11 African nations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.Lai is to make his first official trip to the continent when he visits Eswatini — Taiwan’s only diplomati
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan at 3:53pm today, as authorities urged residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3m were expected.The tremor had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean and was 10km deep, the Japan Meteorological Agency s
The army late last night demoted a company commander after he was accused of using a racial slur against a Japanese-Taiwanese conscript serving under him.The commander, a captain, was removed from his post in the Yilan-based 153rd Infantry Brigade with immediate effect, the 6th Army Corps Command sa
Taiwan is a reliable global partner on the path toward sustainability and should leverage its prowess in technology and artificial intelligence to drive a dual digital and net zero transformation, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said today.Hsiao made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said it is in the process of purchasing a property in Sydney to house its representative office.The ministry is finalizing the deal to complete the transfer of ownership, Department of General Affairs Director-General Chen Jin-ling (陳錦玲) said.She did not
One man has been detained and three brought in for questioning in Pingtung County after a well-known night market vendor’s son was attacked on Sunday and left with both arms and both legs broken.A man surnamed Hsu (徐), the 30-year-old son of a food stand owner in Pingtung Night Market, was beaten wi
The Ministry of Education is this year offering 36,000 “Lifelong Learning Vouchers,” with entries closing today ahead of tomorrow’s draw. The vouchers offer NT$1,500 in discounts for community college and senior learning university courses across more than 30 university programs, including online at
The central government’s general budget for this fiscal year is today to be sent to committees for review, after Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) presented it at the Legislative Yuan.Addressing the legislature, Cho expressed his gratitude to all party caucuses for their positive interactions and commitmen
Three suspects have been placed under residence restrictions after allegedly clashing with police as the annual Dajia Matsu pilgrimage passed through Changhua County last week, the Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office said today.The Changhua District Court ordered a 21-year-old man surnamed Ko (柯)
The palanquin carrying two statues of the sea goddess Matsu yesterday returned to their home base at Gongtian Temple (拱天宮) in Miaoli County’s Baishatun (白沙屯), concluding an eight-day procession to Chaotian Temple (朝天宮) in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township (北港).Surrounded by tens of thousands of devot
A heat alert has been issued for parts of southern Taiwan, with temperatures there expected to reach 36°C or higher today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.With mostly sunny skies expected due to warm easterly winds, the CWA issued a "yellow" heat advisory for Tainan’s Yujing (玉井) and N
EXPECTATION GAP: While the government projected 7.71 percent GDP growth for this year, consumers in the survey on average forecast GDP growth of 6.38 percent Taiwanese consumers are growing more cautious about the economy and spending, despite continued signs of strong growth in official data, underscoring a widening gap between macro fundamentals and household sentiment as geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns intensify, a survey released yesterd
Military aircraft maker Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空工業) yesterday said it expects stable operations this year on the back of commercial business with Airbus SE and Boeing Co, and military aircraft maintenance and government energy projects.Airbus and Boeing racing to ramp up pla
Japan’s reliance on the Middle East for aluminum is forcing companies to cut back on production and scramble for alternative supply sources after key shipping routes were severed due to the Iran conflict.Among the most exposed are auto and parts makers such as Toyota Motor Corp and Denso Corp.Domest
Anthropic PBC’s new artificial intelligence (AI) model, Claude Mythos, has drawn significant attention in the cybersecurity field following its release for a preview by a small group of companies and organizations. According to Anthropic, the latest model is capable of advanced reasoning, which enab
The recent push by Washington and Tokyo to expand Indo-Pacific multilateral cooperation — including the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum and its US$50 billion project pipeline — reflects a shift toward institutionalizing cooperation in response to a more complex and less p
The ongoing Middle East crisis has reinforced an uncomfortable truth for Taiwan: In an increasingly interconnected and volatile world, distant wars rarely remain distant.What began as a regional confrontation between the US, Israel and Iran has evolved into a strategic shock wave reverberating far b
LIFELINE: Morgan Gibbs-White scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest came from behind to beat Burnley and heap the pressure on troubled Spurs Manchester City on Sunday beat stumbling Arsenal 2-1 to seize control of the English Premier League title race as Liverpool strengthened their push for a UEFA Champions League place.Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have been in pole position for months, but are wobbling at the worst time as they seek to win t
Taiwan’s Teng Kai-wei on Sunday continued his strong start to the MLB season, tossing two scoreless innings in the Houston Astros’ 7-5 home loss to the St Louis Cardinals.The Taiwanese right-hander came out of the bullpen at the top of the sixth inning, with the Astros trailing 4-1. He struck out th
The Orlando Magic on Sunday stunned the Detroit Pistons 112-101 as reigning champions the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics opened the NBA playoffs with big wins.The Thunder, trying to become the first team since Golden State in 2017 and 2018 to repeat as champions, came out firing in a 1
Despite sealing their 35th Bundesliga title on Sunday, Bayern Munich put the celebrations, including the traditional beer showers, on ice as they continue to chase a treble this season.Bayern came from a goal down to beat VfB Stuttgart 4-2 to move into an unassailable 15-point lead over second-place
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there.The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-q
PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY: Rumen Radev’s party won 44.7 percent of the vote, an outcome that could end years of political instability and shift Bulgaria’s foreign policy Pro-Russian former Bulgarian president Rumen Radev has won the parliamentary elections by landslide, official results showed yesterday, sidelining long-dominant political forces and potentially pushing the EU and NATO member state closer to Moscow. The performance, exceeding opinion poll forecasts,
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the UN, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis.Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall are each to fa
During her 2015 trip to Taiwan, Sophia J. Chang (張詠慧) got fewer answers than she’d hoped for, but more revelations than she could have imagined.“That was the year I last saw my grandmother. She was in hospice care in Tainan, and it was painful to see her in bed, barely able to open her eyes,” says L
In our discussions of tourism in Taiwan we often criticize the government’s addiction to promoting food and shopping, while ignoring Taiwan’s underdeveloped trekking and adventure travel opportunities. This discussion, however, is decidedly land-focused. When was the last time a port entered into it
April 20 to April 26After a hundred years, Matsu finally made it onto the boat.On April 25, 1926, vessels carrying a statue of Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功, also known as Koxinga) from the Kaishan Shrine (開山神社) sailed down the Tainan Canal during the inauguration ceremony of the waterway, followed by the J
The US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, has killed thousands of people, destabilized the Middle East and rocked global energy markets by effectively closing the strait.WHAT IS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ?Lying between Oman and Iran and linking the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the
對話 Dialogue清清：這個週末你有空嗎？要不要一起去淨灘？Qīngqīng: Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma? Yào bú yào yìqǐ qù jìngtān?華華：淨灘？你為什麼突然想參加這個活動？Huáhua: Jìngtān? Nǐ wèishéme túrán xiǎng cānjiā zhège huódòng?清清：因為我看到新聞說，海邊的垃圾越來越多，對海洋生物影響很大。Qīngqīng: Yīnwèi wǒ kàndào xīnwén shuō, hǎibiān de lèsè yuèláiyuè duō, duì hǎiyáng shēng
1. 他甚至還自認為是個了不起的領導人。ˇ He even went so far as to think himself a great leader.ˇ He even went so far as to think of himself as a great leader.χ He even went so far as to think himself as a great leader.註：認為某人或某事為何等樣人或何等樣事，可用 think＋受詞＋受詞補語，或 think of ... as ...，正句第一句比第二句普遍些。用了 of，後面用 as；沒有 of，就不可以用
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% | |
RSS