Sat, Jul 06, 2024
Some foreign companies are considering moving Taiwanese employees out of China after Beijing said it could impose the death penalty on “die-hard” Taiwanese independence advocates, four people familiar with the matter said.The new guidelines have caused some Taiwanese expatriates and foreign multinat
Two Taiwanese crew members onboard a Keelung-registered fishing vessel were questioned by Japanese authorities after their boat was intercepted for allegedly operating in Japanese waters yesterday morning, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.The Japanese authorities agreed, after negotiations,
LANDSLIDE WIN: The Labour leader reiterated his campaign promise to put country first, party second, and to serve public interests New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday pledged action to fix the country, not just words, but warned the voters who handed him a massive electoral majority and those who voted against him, that improvements would take time.Standing outside his new office and residence at No. 10 Downing St
The UN and partners say more migrants and refugees in Africa are heading northward toward the Mediterranean and Europe, crossing perilous routes in the Sahara where criminal gangs subject them to enslavement, organ removal, rape, kidnapping for ransom and other abuses.A report released yesterday by
‘HEALTHY TAIWAN’ PLAN: The government’s new measures include early tests and relaxing age requirements for cancer screenings, a health official said The government is considering expanding free cancer screenings and providing publicly funded health checkups to people as young as 30, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.The agency is assessing the viability of President William Lai’s (賴清德) “Healthy Taiwan” plan, which could in
China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Tuesday might be an act of psychological warfare by Beijing aiming to increase pressure on Taipei, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday.Chinese officials boarded the boat and then took it to a port in China. It
CKS MEMORIAL: The honor guard would also no longer stand sentry and drills would be canceled when it rains, following the example of the National Martyrs’ Shrine Military honor guards are to cease their sentry duty at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei and perform drills at Democracy Boulevard in front of the hall as soon as ministries approve the plan, a Ministry of Culture official said yesterday.The Executive Yuan on Thursday held a cross-departm
NATIONAL SECURITY: TPP caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang said his party did not support the amendments, as they could open up a backdoor for Chinese firms Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators have agreed to reconsider proposed amendments to the Offshore Islands Development Act (離島建設條例), after criticism that it would open the door to Chinese infiltration and undermine national security.The proposal was submitted earlier in the week by KMT legisl
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported renewed Chinese military activity nearby with another “combat patrol,” as the government called on Beijing not to escalate tensions after the seizure of a Taiwanese fishing boat.On Tuesday, China Coast Guard officials boarded and detained a Taiwane
The Keelung Election Commission would be required to verify a petition submitted by a campaign drive to recall Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the Central Election Commission said yesterday.Under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), an el
The Constitutional Court is to hear oral arguments next month on the constitutionality of a package of controversial amendments passed by the legislature at the end of May that opposition lawmakers said would strengthen lawmakers’ ability to scrutinize the executive branch.The oral arguments are sch
NO BOWING DOWN: Jakarta did not succumb to pressure from Beijing to hand over the 102 detainees, while Taipei quickly responded upon learning about the arrests The remaining 11 of 102 Taiwanese who were arrested in Indonesia for fraud were sent back to Taiwan late on Thursday, completing the repatriation of Taiwanese involved in the case, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said, amid reports that Beijing had pressured Jakarta to extradite the suspects to Ch
Yunlin County Council Speaker Huang Kai (黃凱) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of accepting a bribe in exchange for helping a company get a license for its solar power plant.Huang was ordered detained by the New Taipei District Court based on a request by New Taipei City
THE PROGRAM: Healthcare big data would be analyzed with AI to grade the risks of chronic diseases and predict morbidity rates. Hospitalization at home is also included The healthcare system is to analyze patient records and family histories using artificial intelligence (AI) to estimate the risk of developing diabetes or hyperlipidemia and improve early diagnoses, National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said in an in
Traffic accidents, and traffic-related deaths and injuries all dropped in the first quarter of the year from the same period last year amid government efforts to enhance safety on the roads, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said this week.There were 128,003 traffic incidents from Ja
RISING EXPENSES: Healthcare costs last month rose 3.78 percent from a year earlier, as hospitals and clinics hiked registration fees, the DGBAS said yesterday The consumer price index (CPI) climbed at the fastest rate in four months to 2.42 percent last month, as a result of higher food prices along with increasing medical, rental and dining out costs, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.The inflationary gau
TRADE BARRIERS? The European Commission is seeking information on the products and pricing of Chinese chip manufacturers and their competitors, two sources said The European Commission has begun canvassing the region’s semiconductor industry for its views on China’s expanded production of older-generation computer chips, two sources familiar with the matter said.The commission, the EU executive, has sought feedback ahead of two voluntary surveys for the chi
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s (鴻海精密) second-quarter sales outperformed analysts’ rising expectations on the strength of the company’s growing artificial-intelligence (AI) server business.The iPhone assembler, also known as Foxconn (富士康), yesterday said that its revenue last month was NT$490.7 bill
Midnight on Monday marked the 27th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty. Under the terms of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty lodged at the UN, China promised that Hong Kongers’ way of life would remain unchanged for 50 years and
At the 35th Golden Melody Awards ceremony held this year, singer Makav won Best New Artist and Best Indigenous Language Album. Makav began composing music in Bunun, her mother tongue, when she was 17. Indigenous music is gaining traction at the Golden Melody Awards, which manifests the importance of
Paraguay has long been a strong ally of Taiwan. It has the second-largest economy of all of Taiwan’s official diplomatic allies, highlighting its economic significance. However, as Paraguay evolves and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) influence in Latin America grows, Taiwan must update its so
‘NOT HOME TIME’: The goalkeeper told his players before the penalty shoot-out, in which he made two saves, that he was not ready to leave the tournament It will be tough for Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to top his penalty shoot-out heroics from the run to FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, but that certainly will not stop him trying.The ’keeper, known as “El Dibu” by his adoring fans, on Thursday produced two brilliant diving saves in
Taiwan won a back-and-forth match at the Unions Cup in Singapore yesterday, but the hosts claimed the trophy due to a better points differential over the tournament.Singapore’s players celebrated with the cup, despite losing a match in which they seized the lead three times, but ultimately fell to a
There were tears from Andy Murray, a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd and a video tribute replete with messages from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams as Murray lost alongside his brother on Thursday, all part of the first stop on the two-time Wimbledon singl
PHILLIES THREE? Three of the National League’s infielders could be from Philadelphia after fans voted in Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper Shohei Ohtani became the first player elected to start at designated hitter in four straight All-Star Games, joined by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge as the only holdovers from last year in the lineups announced on Wednesday for the July 16 game in Arlington, Texas.The Philadelphia Phillies
SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE: The Philippines prefers to handle operations on its own, and would exhaust all possible options before asking for help, the military chief said The Philippines has turned down offers from the US to assist operations in the South China Sea, after a flare-up with China over missions to resupply Filipino troops on a contested shoal, its military chief said.Tensions in the disputed waterway have boiled over into violence in the past year, with
MOBILIZATION: A leftist lawmaker warned about taking for granted that the far left would not gain absolute majority, as it could demotivate people to vote tomorrow France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party looked set to fall short of an absolute majority in parliamentary elections, recent polls showed on the last day of campaigning yesterday, although some politicians and pollsters urged caution.An OpinionWay poll for business daily Les Echos saw the RN win
Scotland faces a significant political reset after the Labour Party pummeled the Scottish National Party (SNP) in UK-wide elections, dealing a thumping setback to its already-fading hopes of forcing another independence referendum.As Labour swept to emphatic victories north and south of the border,
After The People’s Republic of China (PRC) published 22 new guidelines on June 21 that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death “Taiwan independence separatists,” the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) upgraded its travel advisory to the PRC and the Special Administrative Regions (SARs)
The Langmatt’s prestigious collection of Impressionist masterpieces is being seen in a new light, literally, after leaving the museum in northern Switzerland on loan for the first time.Around 50 paintings, including works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, are bein
The number of climate lawsuits filed against companies around the world is rising swiftly, a report has found, and a majority of cases that have concluded have been successful.About 230 climate-aligned lawsuits have been filed against corporations and trade associations since 2015, two-thirds of whi
Have you ever hiked up a mountain and thought about how much easier it would be if there were a stairway? Well, there is a mountain in Switzerland which features that very thing. Visitors to Niesen Mountain in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland will find a stairway consisting of 11,674 steps
A: South Korean superstar Kim Soo-hyun is back in the spotlight again with his TV drama Queen of Tears.B: He has made it to the Global Instagram Chart for K-drama actors, ranking at No. 10 with 14.5 million IG followers.A: So who have topped the chart?B: The top three are Ji Chang-wook, with 26.
A: South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun is finally visiting Taiwan again for a fan meeting.B: Wow, it’s been nine years since his last visit.A: He became a superstar after his TV drama “My Love from Another Star” caused a sensation across Asia in 2013.B: Where will the fan meeting take place?A: It’
It’s certainly been a pleasure watching the presidential campaign launch of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) lurch painfully about like a wounded pachyderm in search of an elephant graveyard. Hou’s fall to third place in some polls last week appears early, and it might still be recoverable. But grumbling in his party about replacing him has already begun. Indeed, all indications are that the party that twice gave us Lien Chan (連戰), the most despised politician in Taiwan, as a presidential candidate and later offered voters Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is arcing along its normal descending trajectory, the North Korean missile test of electoral politics. A KIND OF POLICY PLATFORM Last week the KMT doubled down on this path with Hou’s calls for nuclear power and more death penalty executions, standard KMT fare for decades (the latter is unnecessary since so many potential criminals are likely to die in traffic accidents long before they harm anyone). Apparently KMT policy institutions are not echo chambers so much as mausoleums where dead ideas are embalmed and then periodically put on display. The lack of public policy imagination is obvious. A less obvious facet of KMT ineptitude: with years of speculation that Hou would be their man in 2024, neither Hou nor the party insisted on interesting or experimental public policies to showcase Hou’s greatness in preparation for the showdown. Of course, that is even more true of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Hou’s slide and the media buzz surrounding it are obscuring the truly urgent problem the pro-Taiwan side faces: DPP presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) has not expanded his voter support beyond the party base. In most polls he remains below 40 percent. Independent voters are staying away in droves, and for the moment the young are turning to
July 17 to July 23 When Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯) came of age, the traditional skills of architecture and carpentry that had been in his family for four generations were disappearing. After helping his uncle Yeh Teh-ling (葉得令) construct ships, residences and temples for more than a decade, Yeh struck out on his own at the age of 28 in 1960 as a damusi (大木司, chief carpenter), earning his lifelong title “Chief Chuang” (壯司). Around this time, builders in his homeland of Penghu were increasingly using reinforced concrete instead of wood, due to the humid climate. The period also saw a frenzy in temple construction as the economy improved, meaning there was plenty of work for Yeh. Adept in non-structural techniques such as doors, windows and furniture, as well as the intricate carvings and detailed decorations that adorned the structures, Yeh was able to adapt his skills, leading the reconstruction of the historic Hsiliao Daitian Temple (西寮代天宮) on Penghu’s main island in 1963. According to the book Crossing Traditions in Yeh Ken-chuang’s Large-scale Carpentry Skills (宮廟巧藝 :跨越傳統的葉根壯大木作技術), it was Penghu’s first temple that used a purely reinforced concrete structure. Before his life was cut short, Yeh created more than 70 temples and related structures across the various islands of Penghu and left behind more than 230 building plans. Although Yeh could have built temples and other structures on Taiwan proper, he only worked on a handful of projects outside of Penghu because he wanted to be close to his family. CLAN OF CARPENTERS The Yeh family’s woodworking tradition began with Yeh Ma-li (葉媽利), who learned the architecture and carpentry trade from an unknown master on Kinmen. The Yehs trace their roots to Kinmen, although this branch had been living in Penghu since the early 1600s. Yeh Ma-li was Penghu’s chief temple builder between 1860 and
| 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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