Fri, Feb 07, 2025
‘INVESTMENT’: Rubio and Arevalo said they discussed the value of democracy, and Rubio thanked the president for Guatemala’s strong diplomatic relationship with Taiwan Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Guatemala City on Wednesday where they signed a deal for Guatemala to accept migrants deported from the US, while Rubio commended Guatemala for its support for Taiwan and said the US would do all it can to facilitat
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s plan to purchase 100,000 more flu vaccines after demand for flu shots increased following the death of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛).Hsu died of flu-triggered pneumonia while traveling in Japan during the Lunar New Year
Israel yesterday said it has begun preparations for the departure of large numbers of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in line with US President Donald Trump’s plan for the territory, while Egypt has launched a diplomatic blitz behind the scenes to try and head off the plan.The Trump administration
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines during a call with his counterpart in Manila in the face of geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea.“The leaders discussed the importance of re-establishing deterre
COMBINING FORCES: The 66th Marine Brigade would support the 202nd Military Police Command in its defense of Taipei against ‘decapitation strikes,’ a source said The Marine Corps has deployed more than 100 soldiers and officers of the 66th Marine Brigade to Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) as part of an effort to bolster defenses around the capital, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.Two weeks ago, a military source said that
ADJUSTMENT: The longer distance a person travels, the greater discount they would enjoy, an official said as he explained the proposed pricing scheme Taiwan Railway Corp’s (TRC) board of directors yesterday approved a proposal to raise ticket prices by an average of 26.8 percent. The new pricing scheme would be implemented if it secures final approval from the Executive Yuan, which would be followed by a public comment period of two months. Trans
DEFENSE SUPPORT: The MND said it had ordered 400 additional Stinger missiles and the inauguration of a UAV training center would help in training new recruits Military conscripts starting their mandatory service this year would be training with drones and Stinger missiles during their eight-week basic training course, building a solid foundation for further specialized training in the next stage, the Executive Yuan’s administrative report issued this week
A research group has called on the British government to strengthen ties with Brunei in response to growing Chinese influence in the region.A recent report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, titled “Geopolitical Vulnerabilities of the UK’s International Military Partnerships — A Case Stu
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has demanded an explanation from local authorities in Hualien County after personnel from the county’s Household Registration Office allegedly broke the law by visiting the residences of voters who lawfully engaged in recall vote activism.The CEC said yeste
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday called for a judicial probe into a potential conflict of interest and allegations of profiteering by Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城) and his family through their “strong generation” (壯世代) programs.Besides founding the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) yesterday apologized over reports that she failed to disclose properties she owned in California, but said they were acquired in her name by her father decades ago.Her comments came a day after former Democratic Progressive Party legislat
KEY SYSTEMS: Onglaisat tested technologies that could prevent data transmission bottlenecks, improve image resolution and help Taiwan develop its own satellites The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) on Wednesday announced that the Taiwan-Japan codeveloped small satellite Onglaisat had hit a key milestone by completing 50 imaging operations and successfully testing three key technologies.After nearly three months of in-orbit operation, Onglaisat achieved its object
A fire broke out at a chemical fiber factory in Hsinchu County in the early hours of yesterday, claiming the lives of two people and injuring 19, according to Far Eastern New Century Corp, which runs the plant.The fire at the plant in Sinpu Township (新埔) was reported at 2:53am yesterday. Although fi
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), who is allegedly responsible for a fire at a hospital in Pingtung County that killed nine people in October last year, has been released on bail of NT$5 million (US$152,318).Su, former honorary director of Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hos
US CONCERNS: ‘We face challenges to the supply chain from fires and storms, port disruptions, geopolitical disruptions, immigration and tariffs,’ a Fed official said US Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday pointed to the large policy uncertainty around tariffs and other issues arising from the early days of US President Donald Trump’s administration as among the top challenges in figuring out where to take US monetary policy in the months ahead.Chicago Federal
WASHINGTON POLICY: Tariffs of 10 percent or more and other new costs are tipped to hit shipments of small parcels, cutting export growth by 1.3 percentage points The decision by US President Donald Trump to ban Chinese companies from using a US tariff loophole would hit tens of billions of dollars of trade and reduce China’s economic growth this year, according to new estimates by economists at Nomura Holdings Inc.According to Nomura’s estimates, last year c
South Korean ministries and police yesterday said that they were blocking DeepSeek’s (深度求索) access to their computers, after the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information.DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month,
Following a YouTuber’s warning that tens of thousands of Taiwanese have Chinese IDs, the government launched a nationwide probe and announced that it has revoked the Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship of three Taiwanese who have Chinese IDs.Taiwanese rapper Pa Chiung (八炯) and YouTuber Chen Po-yu
Political pundit and former Taiwan People’s Party member Grace Woo (吳靜怡) on Saturday last week attended a civic group event in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) to promote the recall of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯). From the moment Woo left the venue, a pair of police o
The grassroots movement pushing for a mass recall of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators from multiple constituencies is catching fire across the nation. On top of this, it was recently revealed that KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) — who is on the recall list for Taipei lawmakers, alongsid
SECOND SHOT: The coach said that they wanted to get pressure on Gabriel and William Saliba, and to do so, they got ‘bodies in the right areas and pressed high’ Eddie Howe on Wednesday said that his Newcastle United team executed his game plan to perfection as they completed a 4-0 aggregate romp over Arsenal to reach the EFL Cup final.Leading 2-0 from the first leg in north London, it would have been easy for Newcastle to sit back and try to protect their a
Holders Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Wednesday came from two goals down and scored a last-gasp equalizer before snatching a 3-2 extra-time win over second-division club Cologne to reach the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.Victor Boniface volleyed in the winner in the 98th minute after fellow Leverkusen forward Patr
The NFL is to engage its Competition Committee on technology to take virtual line-to-gain measurements next season, but officials will continue to spot the football.There is no current technology being considered that would help determine forward progress, which became a point of contention after Jo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up Most Valuable Player numbers and posting historic ones.The Canadian guard on Wednesday scored 50 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 140-109.Gilgeous-Alexander became the ninth player in NBA history to score at least 50 points on three or m
’SOVEREIGNTY’: The decision is based on ‘profound differences in health management, especially during the [COVID-19] pandemic,’ a spokesperson for Javier Milei said Argentina’s president has ordered the country’s withdrawal from the WHO due to “profound differences” with the UN agency, a presidential spokesperson said on Wednesday.Argentine President Javier Milei’s decision echoes that of his ally, US President Donald Trump, who began the process of pulling the
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba yesterday headed to the US ahead of what would be US President Donald Trump’s second summit with a foreign leader since his return to the White House.Japan is one of the closest allies of the US in Asia with about 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the c
Thousands gathered across New Zealand yesterday to celebrate the signing of the country’s founding document and some called for an end to government policies that critics say erode the rights promised to the indigenous Maori population.As the sun rose on the dawn service at Waitangi where the Treaty
A pig’s head sits atop a shelf, tufts of blonde hair sprouting from its taut scalp. Opposite, its chalky, wrinkled heart glows red in a bubbling vat of liquid, locks of thick dark hair and teeth scattered below. A giant screen shows the pig draped in a hospital gown. Is it dead? A surgeon inserts hu
For millions of Hindu pilgrims at India’s millennia-old vast Kumbh Mela festival, the culmination of their journey is ritual bathing in the holy waters where sacred rivers meet.And for as long as anyone can remember, it has been generations of boatmen from the Nishad community who have provided the
It’s a remarkable performance. Star of the moment Timothee Chalamet inhabits the loose-limbed, live-wire physicality of the young Bob Dylan and makes an impressively good fist of capturing the frayed hessian of his distinctive voice. Acoustic guitars are plucked and harmonicas honked with the effort
A: Apart from 2NE1, Rain and Maroon 5, Japanese band Yoasobi is set to hold two shows in Taipei this weekend.B: Yoasobi?A: Yoasobi is a J-pop duo formed by Ayase and Ikura in 2019, and it’s loved by young people. Haven’t you heard?B: Oops, I’m feeling a little old.A: It sings the theme songs of
A: Happy Year of the Snake! Did you do anything special during the Lunar New Year holiday?B: I went to K-pop girl group Apink’s concert. How about you?A: I just stayed at home. But I’m going to girl group 2NE1’s show on Saturday.B: Wow, I really love their megahit “I Am the Best,” better known b
As we bundle up in thick coats to stay warm during the winter, there is a population that has already adapted to extremely low temperatures. These people live in the remote city of Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth.Yakutsk is situated in the heart of Siberia, which is the capital of the Sakha Repub
With just 30 minutes to spare before the deadline, former lawmaker Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) submitted her application to run for party chair in the upcoming Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) by-election following the resignation of party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Jan. 1. Being held incommunicado in jail and facing indictment for corruption and pilfering campaign funds made it rather awkward for Ko to run the party. Whether Tsai Pi-ru had intended to add a little last-minute “will she, or won’t she” drama or not, she seemed genuinely unsure of her path forward in the days prior. Her decision pits her against acting party chair and legislative caucus convener Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌). The election is set for Feb. 15, with results to be officially announced on Feb. 19 with the term lasting until Dec. 31 next year. These two characters are strikingly different, and would offer different visions for the future of the party. Considering the headwinds the party is facing, this choice could be existential for the nation’s third-largest party. What they do have in common is they are uncommon politicians with colorful backstories, making them two of the most fascinating characters in Taiwanese politics. We will start with Tsai Pi-ru. ‘MOTHER OF THE TPP’ Tsai Pi-ru may be the only politician able to compete with Ko in frumpiness, but she is quite charismatic in interviews. With a resting face that always looks like she is smiling, a twinkle in her eye, sharp banter and clever wit, it feels like she’s letting you in on something important others do not know. Tsai Pi-ru and Ko were close colleagues at National Taiwan University Hospital — she was a nurse and he a doctor — for 20 years prior to entering politics. They co-authored two editions of a book on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which likely did
Dec. 9 to Dec. 15 When architect Lee Chung-yao (李重耀) heard that the Xinbeitou Train Station was to be demolished in 1988 for the MRT’s Tamsui line, he immediately reached out to the owner of Taiwan Folk Village (台灣民俗村). Lee had been advising Shih Chin-shan (施金山) on his pet project, a 52-hectare theme park in Changhua County that aimed to showcase traditional Taiwanese architecture, crafts and culture. Shih had wanted to build all the structures from scratch, but Lee convinced him to acquire historic properties and move them to the park grounds. Although the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法) was passed in 1982, there was still little awareness regarding the value of historic architecture. Private structures were too often demolished to make way for high-rise apartments, and Lee saw this as a way to save them. Lee facilitated the relocation of several other buildings to the park: Madou Lin Ancestral House (麻豆林厝), Chiayi Liao Clinic (嘉義廖診所), Liuying Liu Mansion (柳營劉氏洋樓) and the Douliu Tsai House (斗六蔡氏一條龍). The CT273 “Queen” locomotive was also housed there. The park thrived until 1999, then entered a steep decline. The Shih family sold it in 2007, and in 2020 the new owners began demolishing the site without warning or official approval. Three registered historic buildings were saved, but the rest of the site now lies in ruins. SAVIOR OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS Shih spent years planning the theme park in a bid to promote Taiwanese culture, finally opening it on Dec. 11, 1993. The main entrance and showpiece, “Qingfeng Gate” (慶豐門), was based on the Qing era west gate of Changhua City. It attracted more than 60,000 visitors on the first day. “Around the world, even less developed countries in Southeast Asia have folk villages. Only Taiwan does not,” states the theme park’s
| New Taipei City | 14-23 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 12-22 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 15-21 | 10% | |
| Yunlin County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Taichung City | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Nantou County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Changhua County | 14-23 | 0% | |
| Chiayi County | 13-24 | 0% | |
| Chiayi City | 14-25 | 0% | |
| Tainan City | 15-22 | 0% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 17-23 | 0% | |
| Pingtung County | 16-25 | 0% | |
| Yilan County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hualien County | 16-22 | 10% | |
| Taitung County | 17-23 | 10% | |
| Kinmen County | 11-18 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 17-20 | 0% | |
| Lienchiang County | 10-13 | 10% | |
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