Fri, Apr 17, 2026
FOUNDATION DENIAL: The KMT said the funds were to promote freedom and democracy in China, while the DPP said the exchanges lacked democratic elements The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy yesterday said that it has not yet reimbursed the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for a trip to China led by KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), adding that the foundation’s charter prohibits sponsoring activities involving unification or independence.Earlier in th
Taiwan overtook the UK in stock market value as the country’s tech firms regained favor amid hopes for further de-escalation in the Iran war.Taiwan’s market capitalization rose to US$4.14 trillion as of Wednesday, making it the world’s seventh-largest, according to data compiled by Bloomberg that sh
Columns of fire engulfed a crucial Australian oil refinery after a chain of explosions, authorities said yesterday, as they warned of disruptions to domestic fuel supply.Flames as high as 60m erupted late on Wednesday after a gas leak ignited at the Viva Energy fuel plant in Victoria state, firefigh
Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others, officials said yesterday.Russia launched nearly 700 drones, and dozens of ballistic
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) today confirmed that the party had applied for subsidies from the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, which is mainly funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to cover party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) “journey of peace” to China, where she met with Chinese Pre
DEADLOCK NEAR END? The KMT and the DPP would each appoint five caucus members and the TPP one to conduct an interpolation session, Han Kuo-yu said The legislature yesterday agreed to start deliberating the government’s general budget for this fiscal year after an hour of caucus negotiations, potentially ending 230 days of deadlock.Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said that the caucuses had resolved to
MOVING FORWARD: The legislature would approve the budgets for new projects in full without freezing it during the review of this year’s general budget, the Cabinet said The Executive Yuan yesterday said it would instruct government agencies to begin allocating NT$71.8 billion (US$2.28 billion) for certain budgetary items prioritized by opposition lawmakers as soon as the general budget is formally referred to legislative committees next week.Cross-caucus negotiatio
Taiwan is holding urban resilience drills concurrently with this year’s Han Kuang 41 military exercises to bolster civil defense preparedness, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.The Executive Yuan Central Joint Emergency Operation Center (CJEOC) is overseeing the simulations in New Taipei City, Yilan
MISLEADING: ‘Preferential treatment’ for fishing boats is just Beijing again offering concessions after imposing barriers, not a substantive new policy, a minister said The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday confirmed that it had received a letter from China regarding resuming cross-strait flights from five Chinese airports, and said it would carefully evaluate the proposal.The letter was received on Tuesday last week, when Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Cha
The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court yesterday overturned the first appellate court’s ruling in Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao’s (高虹安) plagiarism case and remanded it to the Taipei District Court for a retrial.The Institute for Information Industry filed the plagiarism lawsuit against Kao on Oct. 2
National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) this week visited the Kingdom of Eswatini to inspect security arrangements ahead of President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming state visit to the African ally, the bureau said yesterday.Tsai met with King Mswati III to convey Lai’s rega
US senators John Curtis and Jeff Merkley on Wednesday reintroduced the Taiwan relations reinforcement act, a bipartisan legislation that “reaffirms US policy to support Taiwan’s democracy and its engagement with the world.” The latest version urges Taiwan to increase investment in its defense capabi
BACKUP PLAN: The ministry should incentivize energy-intensive industries, such as semiconductors, to generate their own electricity, a DPP legislator said Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday urged the Ministry of Economic Affairs to propose a law requiring land to be set aside for self-generated power in industrial parks, in line with the US Ratepayer Protection Pledge.Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫
Taiwanese marine biologists yesterday called for action to conserve mixed coral-algal reefs after new research suggested that juveniles of economically valuable fish depend on such environments.A joint research team from Tunghai University and the Fisheries Research Institute presented the research
Local governments and state-run Taiwan Railway Corp are ramping up preparations for the annual Dajia Matsu pilgrimage, which is set to begin tonight in Taichung.The nine-day, eight-night procession is to depart at 10:05pm from Dajia Jenn Lann Temple (大甲鎮瀾宮), traveling to more than 100 temples across
NO SHORTCUTS: Asked about Elon Musk’s Terafab initiative, TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said it takes two to three years to build a fab and another one to two to ramp it up Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday raised its revenue growth forecast for this year to above 30 percent, up from the 25 percent it estimated three months earlier, citing extremely robust artificial intelligence (AI)-related chip demand.“Our customers and customers’ customers
NEXT STEP: The phone lens maker is venturing into the co-optics business — focusing on fiber array units — for AI servers, chairman Adam Lin said Largan Precision Co (大立光), a key iPhone lens supplier, yesterday reported that its gross margin increased to 49.4 percent in the first quarter this year, the best in three quarters, thanks to eased inventory write-downs. The figure remained lower than the 54.63 percent margin a year earlier, weighed
Taiwan is attracting a growing number of foreign jobseekers as companies increasingly recruit overseas talent to ease labor shortages and expand global reach, recruitment platform 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) said yesterday. More than 40,000 foreign nationals searched for jobs in Taiwan through the platfo
South Korea on Friday last week adjusted its electronic arrival card system, removing its wrongful designation of Taiwan as “Taiwan (China).” The change followed diplomatic protests from Taiwan, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) warning it could revise South Korea’s designation from “Repub
Lee Chiao (李喬), a prominent Hakka writer in Taiwan, published the short story The Informant (告密者) in 1985. Though fictional, it offers a sharp critique of life under Martial Law and a cautionary message, with the protagonist ultimately descending into madness. Taiwan’s martial law period was prolong
In recent weeks, Taiwan has witnessed a surge of public anxiety over the possible introduction of Indian migrant workers. What began as a policy signal from the Ministry of Labor quickly escalated into a broader controversy. Petitions gathered thousands of signatures within days, political figures i
READY TO SHINE: The Warriors’ comeback victory evoked the brilliance of their golden era after a trying regular season in which they finished 10th in the Western Conference Stephen Curry on Wednesday night sank seven three-pointers while scoring 35 points, holding every fan at Intuit Dome in his thrall with another dazzling display of his unmatched shooting skill, as the Golden State Warriors rallied to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 and stay alive in the NBA pl
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday struck out 10 as the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the team’s 8-2 victory over the New York Mets on Jackie Robinson Day.Ohtani’s 22 swing and misses against the Mets were a career high with the Dodgers. He struck out the side in the sixth inning on 14 pi
Late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4-3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6-4 aggregate victory and setting up a semi-final with holders Paris Saint-Germain, while Arsenal advanced after riding their luck in a nervous goalless draw against S
Brisbane 2032 organizers are not considering alternatives to the Fitzroy River in central Queensland for rowing events, an official said yesterday, despite concerns over a venue renowned for strong tides and crocodiles.The Rockhampton waterway, a natural crocodile habitat about 600km north of Brisba
THREE PERCENT TARGET: The defense minister said this year’s defense spending of 2.8% of GDP would put Australia ahead of comparable European and Asian nations Australia would raise defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2033 as armed conflicts flare worldwide, Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said yesterday.“International norms that once constrained the use of force and military coercion continue to erode,” Marles said in a speech in Canber
Police in South Africa yesterday said that they had arrested anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, who is wanted in Benin for “inciting rebellion” after he supported a foiled coup in December last year.Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, heads the Pan-Africanist Emergency non-gove
SOCIAL MEDIA MEETING: ‘We owe it to parents, and to the next generation, to put children’s safety first — because they won’t forgive us if we don’t,’ Keir Starmer said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was to hold talks yesterday with representatives from social media firms to press them to do more to keep children safe online, as calls grow for a ban on under-16s using the platforms.“Today is about making sure social media companies step up and take responsibil
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry consumes electricity at rates that would strain most national grids. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) alone accounted for more than 9 percent, or 2,590 megawatts (MW), of the nation’s power demand last year.The factories that produce chips for the world’s
A pop star’s need for a new dress sets in motion David Lowery’s Mother Mary, a fitfully spellbinding chamber drama that grows more operatic with every stitch.What might be a fairly routine affair — some performers change outfits nearly every song — is in Lowery’s latest taken to beguiling extremes w
Zeus once caught sight of the breathtakingly beautiful princess Europa by the sea. Struck by desire, he transformed himself into a gentle, pure white bull, fragrant and serene. Drawn to the creature, Europa approached and eventually climbed onto its back. In that very moment, Zeus carried her across
A: Apart from the Thai Water Festival, Taiwan’s three major Matsu pilgrimages are among Asia’s largest annual folk activities.B: This year, “Baisha-ma” of the Baishatun Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County was the first to kick off her pilgrimage, with the deity departing on April 12 and returning on th
A: Why didn’t you come to work earlier this week? Did you go anywhere for fun? B: I went to Thailand with friends to celebrate the 2026 Water Festival, also known as the Songkran Festival. The three-day annual celebrations ran from April 13 to 15. Everyone was having water fights in the streets.A:
Many of us face common health challenges: tired eyes from long screen use, the search for anti-aging support and the need for weight control without resorting to restrictive diets. While no single food is a miracle cure, berries offer targeted, evidence-based nutritional support that’s easy and deli
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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