Tue, Mar 10, 2026
Taiwan received a letter of acceptance (LOA) for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the US on Friday last week, which must be authorized by the Legislative Yuan and signed before March 26 to ensure the systems can be obtained on time, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday assured the public that the nation is not facing an imminent power shortage as supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) remains sufficient and there is no need to increase coal-fired power generation in the short term.Taiwan has secured 20 of
Iran yesterday named the hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader, signaling no letup in the war launched by the US and Israel. Oil prices surged as Iran attacked regional energy infrastructure and the US and Israel bombed targets across Iran.With Iran’s theo
The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted Guangfu Township (光復) Mayor Lin Ching-shui (林清水) on charges of dereliction of duty and negligent manslaughter after a barrier lake breach killed 19 people on Sept. 23 last year.Lin was also charged with falsifying evacuation figures during
CLOSER TO CHINA: The upgraded Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000km, compared with the original model’s range of 200km, and can reach mainland China Japan is preparing to deploy its first batch of domestically developed long-range missiles, with their launchers arriving at an army camp yesterday, as the country accelerates its offensive capability in response to rising challenges in the region.The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles are to be
One person was killed and another seven injured today when a tourist shuttle bus plunged 30m to 40m down a ravine in Nantou County, the Tourism Administration said.The bus is suspected to have suddenly accelerated out of control near the flower center of the Sun-Link-Sea Forest Recreation Area, a po
A man was taken in for questioning this afternoon after alleging that Team Taiwan had admitted to throwing games in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament, police said.The Criminal Investigation Bureau notified the man, surnamed Chang (張), to appear for questioning at 1pm.The case is to be refe
Monthly births fell below 7,000 for the first time last month, marking the 26th consecutive month that Taiwan’s population has decreased, Ministry of the Interior data showed.There were 6,523 births last month, a decrease of 2,200 births compared with January, showing a 25.2 percent drop.As of the e
Investigators today determined that the driver of a tourist shuttle bus that plunged into a ravine in Nantou County yesterday afternoon was not drinking, after finding he had a blood alcohol content of zero.The bus plunged 30m to 40m into a ravine at about noon yesterday, killing one and injuring se
Taiwan’s indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, today conducted its fifth submerged sea trial, drawing military enthusiasts to Kaohsiung Harbor.The submarine sailed out to sea at about 8am, with fans spotted waving the Republic of China flag and holding banners to chee
Taiwan moved up one spot from last month to rank as the 31st most powerful passport globally, the latest Henley Passport Index ranking showed today.Singapore topped the list once again, with its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 192 destinations. Taiwan ranked 31st globally with visa-free access
The High Court today upheld a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a former diabolo champion who developed a Chinese-funded espionage organization in Taiwan with active-duty and retired military personnel.Lu Chi-hsien (魯紀賢) and nine other accomplices were found to have received NT$5.7 million (US$
Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) visited former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday, the Legislative Yuan said today.Turnbull welcomed Chiang and expressed support for Chiang's proposed "3D" principles of deterrence, dialogue and
Visiting Guam Governor Lourdes A Leon Guerrero signed a sister-city agreement with Kaohsiung during her current visit to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.As part of an eight-day visit that concludes tomorrow, Guerrero traveled to Kaohsiung on Thursday last week to sign a sister-cit
The Hualien District Court last night released Guangfu Township (光復) Mayor Lin Ching-shui (林清水) on NT$1 million (US$31,425) bail, on the condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device.Lin and two other township office officials were indicted earlier in the day by the Hualien District Prosecu
PREDICTABLE OUTCOMES: It turns out that flooding the Strait of Hormuz with criss-crossing munitions is suboptimal for the 20 percent of the planet’s oil that transits there Shares in Taiwan posted their fourth steepest point fall yesterday, plunging about 1,500 points, with market sentiment spooked by spiking international crude oil prices amid the US-Israel war with Iran.The TAIEX closed down 1,489.12 points, or 4.43 percent, at 32,110.42 after foreign institutional i
Taiwan’s exports expanded 20.6 percent annually last month, the strongest-ever February performance as continuously strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing and cloud-based devices offset holiday effects, Ministry of Finance statistics showed yesterday.Last month
The overall monitoring indicator for the business cycle showed a “red” growth signal for a second straight month in January, with the overall economy maintaining positive momentum, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday.The council measures the nation’s economic health using a five-co
The conflict in the Middle East has been disrupting financial markets, raising concerns about rising inflationary pressures and global economic growth. One market that some investors are particularly worried about has not been heavily covered in the news: the private credit market. Even before the j
Today, Tibetans around the world mark the anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Lhasa — a day when ordinary men and women rose up against overwhelming force to defend their dignity, culture and faith. Sixty-seven years later, China continues its relentless campaign to dominate not only Tibetan land bu
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela on March 1 was promoted from commodore to rear admiral from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The promotion is a striking testament to how Beijing’s intimidation tactics on its current main target in the South China Sea have backfired. It is also
ALL ENGLAND SUCCESS: Upon clinching victory in the men’s singles final, Lin Chun-yi flopped on the court and clenched his fists, before letting out a celebratory roar Lin Chun-yi on Sunday made history when he won the men’s singles competition at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, becoming the first Taiwanese to secure the title in the annual tournament.World No. 11 Lin defeated 12th-ranked Indian ace Lakshya Sen 21-15, 22-20 in a gruelin
Taiwanese Olympic bronze medalist Tang Chia-hung on Sunday made a golden season debut, winning the horizontal bar title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.Tang, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games, secured top spot with 15.366 points. His performance was bolstered by
South Korea yesterday squeezed into the World Baseball Classic quarter-finals by the finest of margins after a nerve-jangling 7-2 win over Australia to finish as Pool C runners-up.South Korea needed to win by five clear runs at the Tokyo Dome to advance ahead of Australia and Taiwan, and they were s
Team Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) journey ended last night when South Korea beat Australia 7-2 and won the tiebreaker with Australia and Taiwan to advance to the tournament’s quarter-finals in Miami.South Korea earned its spot by scoring a run in the top of the ninth to do just enough under
ASSET REDLOYMENT? The Flightradar24 Web site showed that US military transport planes, including C-17s and C-5s, flew out of Osan Air Base, as the war in Iran raged US military transport planes have flown out of South Korea in the past few days, flight-tracking data showed, after Seoul confirmed it was discussing the possible redeployment of US military assets as the Iran conflict escalates.Data from the Flightradar24 Web site indicated that US military transpo
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities across the world on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day and denounce the war in the Middle East.From Rio in Brazil, Caracas in Venezuela and cities across France, Spain, Turkey and other European countries, demonstrators marched t
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction.Australia in December became the first country to impose a nati
Four mounted cowboys jostle for position near the bull pen gate. When the bull bolts out into the ring, a mad scramble begins as the riders vie to grab its tail and knock it to the ground.Bull tailing, or coleo is to Venezuela’s llanos (tropical grasslands) what rodeo is to Texas — an integral part
Skipper Sampsa Jalo greets three young children on their way home from school as they board an unusual amphibious vessel docked and humming at a wooden pier on the frozen Baltic Sea.Due to unusually thick ice this winter, a hovercraft called “Snovit” (“Snow White”) has replaced the ferries that norm
Recently the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and its Mini-Me partner in the legislature, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), have been arguing that construction of chip fabs in the US by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is little more than stripping Taiwan of its assets. For example, K
The US-Israeli war on Iran, launched on Feb. 28, has set the Middle East alight, threatening millions of people’s lives and livelihoods as the violence spreads in widening arc stretching from central Asia to the edge of Europe.The joint operation, named “Epic Fury” by the US and “Roaring Lion” by Is
對話 Dialogue清清：我剛剛看到經理的桌上有一盒純白色的巧克力，好特別！Qīngqing: Wǒ gānggāng kàndào jīnglǐ de zhuōshàng yǒu yì hé chún báisè de qiǎokèlì, hǎo tèbié!華華：喔！那可能是經理有喜歡的人了！Huáhua: Ō! nà kěnéng shì jīnglǐ yǒu xǐhuān de rén le! 清清：你怎麼知道？這麼八卦！Qīngqing: Nǐ zěnme zhīdào? Zhème bāguà!華華：3月14號就是白色情人節了，如果在2月14號有女生送他巧克力，他也喜歡那個女生
1. 因為食物不夠，我還是很餓。ˇ There was not enough food. I still feel hungry.χ There was no enough food. I still feel hungry.註：可以說 no good food, no suitable clothes，因為這裏 no 修飾 food, clothes（＝ no food that is good, no clothes that are suitable）。本句應該用 not enough food，因這裏 not 修飾形容詞 enough。同樣，There is no much tim
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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