Thu, Oct 09, 2025
BALANCE: The proposed regulations would entitle litigants to oppose motions to broadcast a trial and to obscure or anonymize videos to protect people’s privacy The Judicial Yuan yesterday unveiled proposed rules to govern the broadcast of court proceedings amid a partisan debate over the transparency and autonomy of the justice system.Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers in June passed amendments to the Court Organizati
Enhancing bilateral cooperation is crucial for Taiwan and Paraguay to address the threat of authoritarian expansionism amid rapid global change, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at an event welcoming a delegation of lawmakers headed by Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies President Raul Latorre.
CHINA THREAT: John Noh said Taiwan needs to spend more and acquire the asymmetric capabilities that would be most relevant in an invasion scenario The nominee to be the Pentagon’s senior official for the Indo-Pacific region on Tuesday said that he strongly supported US President Donald Trump in saying that Taiwan should spend up to 10 percent of its GDP on defense.Taiwan’s proposed defense budget for next year is to be 3.32 percent of GDP, and
US President Donald Trump yesterday called for jailing Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’ governor, both Democrats, as his administration prepared to deploy military troops to the streets of the third-largest US city.Trump’s call to imprison the two prominent opponents of his immigration crackdown comes
Scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi yesterday won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a new form of molecular architecture, yielding materials that can help tackle challenges such as climate change and lack of fresh water.The laureates worked to create molecular constru
COVETED PRIZE: The US president would be a peace prize laureate should he persuade Xi Jinping to abandon military aggression against Taiwan, William Lai said US President Donald Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize should he be able to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to abandon the use of force against Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) told a conservative US radio show and podcast in an interview.The US is Taiwan’s most important internat
A Taiwanese national died of hypothermia and altitude sickness on Monday in China after being caught in heavy snowfall while hiking in Qinghai Province’s Laohugou area, which stranded more than 250 hikers, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said today.The deceased was among hikers stranded by sev
China is increasing military activities near Taiwan and honing its ability to stage a surprise attack, as well as seeking to undermine trust in the government with "hybrid" online warfare tactics, the defense ministry said today.Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from Beijing during the pa
The Executive Yuan today approved amendments to a special act to rebuild in the aftermath of Typhoon Danas and extensive flooding last month, seeking an additional budget of NT$25 billion (US$820 million).The budget ceiling of the special relief package, if passed, would be raised to NT$85 billion,
President William Lai (賴清德) today reiterated that he hoped Taiwan’s defense spending would reach 5 percent of GDP before 2030 when he met with guests taking part in this year’s Taipei Security Dialogue.Taiwan is to continue to strengthen its defense capabilities, proactively develop its asymmetric w
Belize Governor-General Dame Froyla Tzalam and Saint Lucia Governor-General Sir Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles today arrived in Taiwan to take part in this year's Double Ten National Day celebrations.Their delegations were welcomed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) when they
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) earlier this week signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation to enhance public-private sector cooperation in post-disaster relief and medical aid, MOFA announced today.The MOU was signed by Foreign Minister Lin
Taiwan recorded its third-hottest September since 1951, while Taipei set a record with 19 days last month reaching or exceeding 35°C, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.In a recap of last month's weather published on Facebook, the CWA said Taiwan’s average temperature last month
POST-DISASTER: The body of a woman was found in a vehicle near a quarry site, and authorities believe that the deceased is the missing owner of the site The body of a woman was found yesterday in a vehicle near a quarry in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) after a barrier lake on the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) burst on Sept. 23 amid Super Typhoon Ragasa, bringing the death toll from the disaster to 19. The badly bent vehicle was found buried in mud a
Raccoons, saltwater crocodiles and two types of venomous snakes — vipers and elapids — would be banned from being kept as household pets, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday. The species are to be added through an amendment to the list of animals prohibited from being raised, imported or expo
AI LINK? Equity markets were more subdued in Asia as questions were asked about the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been invested in artificial intelligence Gold prices yesterday broke US$4,000 for the first time as investors piled into the safe haven over expectations for US interest rate cuts and worries about the US government shutdown.The rally in the precious metal also came after concerns that a tech-fueled rally that has sent some equity markets
Phoenix Silicon International Corp (昇陽半導體), the world’s largest supplier of reclaimed wafers, yesterday said it is investing NT$1.85 billion (US$60.59 million) to build a new plant in Taichung to accelerate capacity expansions, and to meet market demand.The new plant, dubbed FAB3B, is expected to en
PROFITABLE FABS: If there is profit overseas, no concerns about national security, and the industry benefits, the government would help, the economics minister said There would be no 50-50 split in chip production between Taiwan and the US, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday ahead of a legislative meeting in Taipei, responding to comments by officials in Washington.US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick late last month proposed a
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) is facing allegations of operating a “paparazzi” group to surveil his political adversaries. The accusations stem from a lawsuit filed by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)
In South Korea, the medical cosmetic industry is fiercely competitive and prices are low, attracting beauty enthusiasts from Taiwan. However, basic medical risks are often overlooked. While sharing a meal with friends recently, I heard one mention that his daughter would be going to South Korea for
Freedom of the press is not a catch-all defense, and whistle-blower protections cannot pardon every crime. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) has recently been exposed for directing journalists to follow his political opponents, and has hailed former Central News Agency reporter Hs
‘BATTLE’: The rally from five runs down was the Yankees’ largest-ever comeback in an elimination game and the Toronto Blue Jay’s biggest blown-lead loss of the year Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm on Tuesday smashed home runs to spark the New York Yankees over the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6 to stay in contention in the MLB playoffs.Judge drove in a playoff career-high four runs and matched a post-season best with three hits to spark the Yankees.“Got to get the job don
Jesper Boqvist on Tuesday scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as the Florida Panthers, after raising their second straight NHL Stanley Cup banner, opened the defense of the title by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.Mackie Samoskevich — getting his second assist, the fifth two-
Taiwanese weightlifter Chen Wen-huei on Tuesday won bronze in the clean and jerk in the women’s 69kg division at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championship in Forde, Norway.Chen lifted 132kg in the clean and jerk, and finished with a total of 232kg, placing fifth overall.She succe
Novak Djokovic threw up, Alexander Zverev poured sweat out of his shoe and Emma Raducanu quit her match with dizziness — and the bad news for the world’s top tennis players is that more baking weather is forecast in China this week.Denmark’s Holger Rune called the temperatures of more than 30°C and
PROGRESS: A Hamas official said that ‘a spirit of optimism’ was prevailing in talks to end the war in Gaza, with the group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released The Israeli military yesterday intercepted a nine-boat flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and detained scores of activists on board, the flotilla organizers and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.The interception came ahead of talks in Egypt o
Grotesque makeup, menacing props and intimidating costumes are just one part of a Michigan haunted house’s 25-year-old formula to terrify guests.It starts by educating the actors looking to provide the most horrifying experience to its visitors. At Scare School, they learn all the tricks of the trad
Australian police foiled an alleged organized crime hit by a so-called kill team near a Sydney daycare facility, authorities said yesterday.New South Wales police on Tuesday swooped in on two cars after learning three men were preparing to carry out the alleged killing in Revesby, a suburb in the ci
Artificial intelligence, the technology upending nearly every corner of society, is creeping into religion, serving up virtual Jesus and automated sermons — a change drawing mixed reviews from the faithful.Religious chatbots and other faith-based digital tools are growing in number, offering counsel
In recent weeks the Trump Administration has been demanding that Taiwan transfer half of its chip manufacturing to the US. In an interview with NewsNation, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that the US would need 50 percent of domestic chip production to protect Taiwan. He stated, discuss
There are always points in financial booms when market commentators ask if exuberance has got out of hand.OpenAI’s multibillion-dollar deals with chip makers Nvidia and AMD are the latest reason for pause about the sustainability of vast investments in artificial intelligence.Here we answer some que
A: US singer Taylor Swift finally released her 12th album, titled “The Life of a Showgirl,” on Oct. 3.B: The pop diva’s dominating the Billboard charts once again.A: Earlier this year, she also successfully bought back the master recordings to her first six albums.B: And the good news keeps coming,
Returning to the White House with unprecedented economic weaponry, US President Donald Trump has launched a comprehensive tariff offensive that has sent shockwaves through international markets. On April 2, Trump announced his “reciprocal tariff” strategy, aimed at punishing trading partners who sel
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。Wu Gang bent low, his axe heavy in his hands. Sweat rolled down his back. He struck the osmanthus tree. The wound closed again. He paused to breathe. He admired the branches, glowing against black silence of space. He smelled the blossoms,
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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