Sat, May 02, 2026
Taiwan risks "losing a lot of trust" with the US and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region if it does not provide for its own defense, former US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) intelligence chief Michael Studeman said in Taipei yesterday."How can you expect other nations to support your defense
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed concern regarding Chinese threats, hours after a call between China and the US’ top diplomats.“MOFA is concerned about the press release issued by China ... which again unilaterally made threatening remarks on the Taiwan issue,” the ministry
US President Donald Trump’s administration said the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began last month, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.The statement furthers an argument laid out by US Secretary of Defense
Brazil’s Congress on Thursday voted to override a presidential veto and adopt a bill to reduce former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup, in a blow to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.The legislation indicates a weakening of Lula’s position in Congres
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday hosted a delegation from Eswatini, striking a defiant note a week after Beijing blocked his planned state visit to the African nation by allegedly pressuring three neighboring countries to revoke overflight permissions.Lai was quoted by the Presidential Office i
Taiwan’s economy grew far faster than expected in the first quarter, as booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications drove a surge in exports, spilling over into investment and consumption, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.GDP growth
Labor groups and unions rallied on Workers’ Day yesterday, calling for pension reform to prevent poverty among older people caused by wage polarization and structural unemployment.They demanded that pensions be increased and the labor insurance’s mandatory coverage be extended to all workers, includ
LONG-AWAITED: The amendments, originally previewed in 2019, outline a series of protections for doctors including compensation for occupational accidents The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday detailed amendments to the Medical Care Act (醫療法) governing doctors and hospital workers, as well as plans for new regulations to protect physicians employed as visiting staff.Despite being first previewed in 2019, the proposed changes to the act went thr
‘ABSURD’: In addition to high monthly costs, families are forced to face the consequences of workers who do not honor their contracts or who are deported, the alliance said A group of employers took to the streets on Workers’ Day yesterday to demand the abolition of the replacement wait period for caregivers and the introduction of mandatory security deposits, criticizing the government for insufficient long-term care capacity.The alliance, formed of families employing
Hoarding might be a symptom of insecurity, depression or mild dementia, New Taipei City Counseling Psychologists Association president Lo Hui-chun (羅惠群) said, advising that failing to resolve such behavior might worsen the situation.Those aged 65 or older might hoard for two reasons, the first of wh
US tangerine imports would not affect the domestic citrus industry given their low volume, staggered selling seasons and marked price difference, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday.The ministry was responding to fears that domestic production of citrus fruits would be affected by cheap, i
An 84-year-old woman in Tainan has been detained by prosecutors for allegedly killing her 92-year-old bedridden sister, in what police described as a tragic case involving assisted euthanasia.The younger sister is suspected of using a kitchen knife and a fruit knife to slash her elder sister’s neck,
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Instead of trying to take down every bit of misinformation, governments should focus on increasing the public’s psychological resilience China and Russia have shifted to using bots to spread disinformation by blending together truths and falsehoods to dominate online discourse, a Japanese analyst said earlier this week, calling for greater psychological resilience rather than trying to take down every bit of misinformation.Beijing an
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that its proposed special defense budget bill of “NT$380 billion {US$12 billion] + N” is “politically binding” on its lawmakers, while the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) deliberates what stance to take on the issue.The KMT issued a statement in
HIGHER LIMITS: The proposed adjustment could unlock an additional NT$757 billion to NT$1.51 trillion in lending capacity, providing fresh liquidity to investors The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is weighing plans to ease lending restrictions on securities firms, as a shortage of funding for margin-style loans fuels industry calls for greater flexibility — but any relaxation is likely to come with stricter capital conditions.The FSC is considering r
Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) on Thursday gave an optimistic forecast for this quarter and this year, driven by rising demand for its power and thermal management products amid artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure deployments.Gross margin this quarter is to expected to surpass the 35.51 percent
HELPING HAND: Demand for inspection robots and robotic dogs is rising in North America, China and some fabs in Taiwan, embedded Internet of Things president Miller Chang said Advantech Co (研華) expects its robotics-related business to grow rapidly this year after contributing more than 5 percent to the company’s total revenue last year, the company’s embedded Internet of Things president Miller Chang (張家豪) said in an exclusive interview with the Taipei Times on Thursday l
A police officer at Kaohsiung’s Sanmin Police Station on Wednesday was indicted under the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) and the Criminal Code on suspicion of taking taking indecent photographs. The officer, surnamed Tu, reportedly indecently photographed several women under the pretext of
Taiwan is, by any reasonable measure, a democratic success story. It ranks among the most open societies in Asia, consistently scoring highly in global indices of political rights, civil liberties and democratic governance. Its peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to a vibrant democracy remai
In Asia, the supply of light crude oil as a feedstock for plastic production has long been dependent on the Middle East, with about 60 percent of supply coming out of the region. The supply chain is evidently vulnerable to the escalation of geopolitical tensions, with the war in Iran and blockade of
DESTROYED: The New York Knicks routed the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 and their 47-point halftime lead, at 83-36, was the widest in NBA post-season history The Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday eliminated Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance.Sixth-seeded Minnesota are to play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals aft
Up-and-coming Belgian Alexander Blockx on Thursday ended Casper Ruud’s title defense by defeating the former world No. 2 6-4, 6-4 to set up a Madrid Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev, while Mirra Andreeva booked her spot in the women’s singles final.Blockx, 21, who broke into the top 100 for
Quinn Hughes on Thursday led Minnesota to their first playoff series victory in 11 years, scoring twice in the Wild’s 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 6.Minnesota are to face Presidents’ Trophy winners Colorado in the second round. The Avalanche have not played since sweeping Los Angeles on
Nottingham Forest on Thursday seized the advantage in their UEFA Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa as Chris Wood’s penalty sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg.Wood netted from the spot in the second half after a needless handball by Villa defender Lucas Digne in the all-English clash at the
HOSTILITY ONGOING: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun slammed Israel for continuing to kill people, and demolishing homes and places of worship despite the ceasefire The US embassy in Lebanon on Thursday urged a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the Lebanese Ministry of Health said Israeli strikes on the country’s south killed at least 17 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.Israeli and Lebanese representatives this month have met twice in Washingto
‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: The bill defines Ugandans abroad as ‘foreigners,’ and allows people who receive money from abroad to be labeled as a ‘foreign agent,’ critics said A proposed Ugandan law has been fiercely criticized by rights groups, journalists and businesses for replicating the language of “foreign agents” used in a Russian law aimed at silencing dissent.The country has been under the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Yoweri Museveni for 40 years.
Jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai (黎智英) has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s (DW) freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster on Thursday said Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on June 23 at the
President William Lai (賴清德) on Nov. 25 last year announced in a Washington Post op-ed that “my government will introduce a historic US$40 billion supplementary defense budget, an investment that underscores our commitment to defending Taiwan’s democracy.” Lai promised “significant new arms acquisiti
The small platform at Duoliang Train Station in Taitung County’s Taimali Township (太麻里) served villagers from 1992 to 2006, but was eventually shut down due to lack of use. Just 10 years later, the abandoned train station had become widely known as the most beautiful station in Taiwan, and visitors
There are some early cues that the new animated Animal Farm is not your grandmother’s Animal Farm. Like when one critter asks, “What’s up?” and another says, “Totally rad.” Did George Orwell really have one of his pigs scream, “Check it before you wreck it”?I don’t want to get all prudish here; I’m
Few sea creatures of their size have as much destructive power as pistol shrimp. These small animals, usually measuring around four centimeters long, produce shock waves that can stun or even kill their prey.The attack begins when the shrimp opens its specialized claw, allowing water to fill a chamb
A: In addition to the biopic “Michael,” comedy “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is finally in theaters. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since the 2006 debut of the original film.B: Does the sequel still revolve around the fashion industry?A: This time, “Miranda,” the fashion magazine editor-in-chief p
A: This year’s two most anticipated films have finally hit theaters in Taiwan. “Michael” premiered last Wednesday, while “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiered this Wednesday ahead of its global release. B: Isn’t “Michael” the biopic about the late King of Pop Michael Jackson?A: Yup, it tells the story
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