Mon, Feb 23, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would increase the global 10 percent tariff he announced one day earlier to 15 percent, stirring up more economic turbulence as he lashed out at the US Supreme Court over its ruling that his preferred mechanism for applying tariffs was illegal. “I, as Pr
PREPAREDNESS: Technology research prioritizes uncrewed systems, counter-reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, and more, a Cabinet report said The Executive Yuan in a policy report submitted to the legislature has underscored efforts to expand Taiwan’s domestic defense industry, particularly in shipbuilding, as new vessels were delivered to the military.Defense technology research prioritizes uncrewed systems and counter-reconnaissance and
The Central Election Commission has amended election and recall regulations to require elected office candidates to provide proof that they have no Chinese citizenship, a Cabinet report said.The commission on Oct. 29 last year revised the Measures for the Permission of Family-based Residence, Long-t
Hungary would block the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs said yesterday, the latest step aimed at pushing Ukraine to resume the flow of Russian oil through a pipeline supplying Hungarian refineries. Shipments of Russian oil to Hungary and Slova
‘LIMITED IMPACT’: It is unclear how the new tariff would impact the Taiwan-US trade deal signed last week, but the Cabinet said it was in close contact with Washington US President Donald Trump on Friday imposed an additional 10 percent tariff on imports after the US Supreme Court struck down many of his sweeping and often arbitrary duties, delivering a stinging rebuke on his signature economic policy.Trump signed the tariff order in the Oval Office — saying on so
Taiwan yesterday filed an application to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to self-declare the nation free of African swine fever (ASF), as no positive cases were detected over the past three months.The nation was recognized by the WOAH as an ASF-free country in May last year, but a ho
CLOSELY MONITORED: The guided missile frigate made the transit without incident, but Chinese state media claimed PLA forces had watched its sailing closely An Australian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait, an Australian government source said yesterday, in the latest transit of the sensitive sea lane by a US ally, which Chinese state-backed media said was tracked and monitored by the Chinese military.Beijing views the narrow, highly strategic str
Taiwan must act to preempt potential Section 301 investigations as US President Donald Trump moves to a new tariff strategy, following a US Supreme Court ruling that voided tariff measures, an academic said yesterday.Countries running the largest trade surpluses with the US face a growing likelihood
TAKING A CUE: Looking at India’s approach to their vest web of languages, experts say that could be a useful reference as Taiwan develops its own local AI Taiwanese experts attending the 4th artificial intelligence (AI) Impact Summit in New Delhi said they were struck by India’s development of AI models capable of handling dozens of dialects, and described India’s approach as a valuable reference for Taiwan’s own “sovereign AI” efforts.The summit, hel
Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) is viewed as the “strongest contender” to run for mayor of Taipei within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), sources said, as the party’s Electoral Strategy Committee is set to convene today.The committee is expected to discuss candidates for the mayoral and cou
ENCOURAGING SUBSIDIES: Carbon reduction purchase price offsets for electric car replacements could hit as high as NT$16,000 and reach NT$2,000 for motorcycles More than 120,000 fossil fuel vehicles nationwide have been replaced with electric vehicles via a system established by the Ministry of Environment in 2022, cumulatively reducing more than 520,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide last year.The ministry yesterday urged the public to replace their old fossil
ADVICE: People who have difficulty breathing should seek immediate medical help, while those who vomit or have diarrhea should stay home for 48 hours after symptoms subside Emergency room visits for diarrhea and influenza-like illness (ILI) were lower on Saturday compared with Friday, and fell more than 50 percent year-on-year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.The number of emergency room visits typically peaks during the Lunar New Year holiday, whe
Prolonged use of earbuds could cause bacteria levels in the ear to surge, as heat and moisture get trapped, a doctor warned, citing a rise in people seeking treatment for persistent ear itches.Many of those people reported blocked ears or excessive itching, and often suspected that excessive earwax
The Grand Hotel Taipei on Saturday confirmed that its information system had been illegally accessed and expressed its deepest apologies for the concern it has caused its customers, adding that the issue is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau.The hotel said that on Tue
Superstitions passed down through generations could shape people’s lives in subtle, yet lasting ways. Director Tsou Shih-ching (鄒時擎) in her debut solo feature film, Left-Handed Girl (左撇子女孩), uses that belief to examine gender roles and expectations imposed on women in Taiwanese society.The movie fol
OVERSIGHT: Democracies need to start developing shared AI safety standards, an OpenAI executive said, drawing parallels to the International Atomic Energy Agency OpenAI is projecting that its revenue would grow at a fast clip in the next few years and exceed US$280 billion in 2030, a person familiar with the matter said.The revenue forecast reflects OpenAI’s strong momentum in subscription sales for its artificial intelligence (AI) software to consumers and
RISING TIDE: Chinese AI firms are also riding a halo effect with fresh private funding for OpenAI expected to exceed US$100 billion, while Anthropic has taken in US$30 billion US markets are gripped by the “AI scare trade,” with investors selling software firms and wealth managers on concern that rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) would erode established business models.In China, the mood is far more upbeat. Instead of worrying about disruption, investors are
Microsoft Corp named artificial intelligence (AI) executive Asha Sharma to lead its Xbox and gaming business, replacing Phil Spencer, as the company vowed to recommit to console users after years of developing products for mobile and PC players.Spencer, who has run the Xbox business since 2014 and w
During the long Lunar New Year’s holiday, Taiwan has shown several positive developments in different aspects of society, hinting at a hopeful outlook for the Year of the Horse, but there are also significant challenges that the country must cautiously navigate with strength, wisdom and resilience.B
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) earlier this month led a delegation to Beijing to attend a think tank forum between the KMT and Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After returning to Taiwan, Hsiao spoke at length about “accumulating mutual trust” and letting matters “
As red lanterns adorn street corners and social media feeds teem with zodiac divinations, the Year of the Horse has arrived. In our hyper-accelerated age, the horse is almost exclusively synonymous with the idiom ma dao cheng gong (馬到成功) — “instant success upon arrival.” It is a linguistic shot of a
HOT ON ICE: Canada’s Jacobs said that he hoped their gold win was burned into the brains of anyone who had called them cheaters or said anything negative about Canada Canada, who were mired in a cheating controversy earlier in the tournament, on Saturday beat the UK 9-6 in a tense final to win Olympic men’s curling gold for the fourth time.Brad Jacobs’ team secured their country’s first title in the event since defeating Britain in the 2014 gold-medal match in So
At the foot of an active volcano in northern Japan, shouts rang out, competitors sized each other up and snowballs whistled through the air in a serious game of yukigassen — a sport with Olympic dreams.The competition over the weekend has been held every year in Sobetsu, a town on the main northern
Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who won eight Gold Glove awards for his steady work in the field and the hearts of countless Pittsburgh Pirates fans for his historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, has died at the age of 89.“Maz was one of a kind, a true Pirates
Ilia Malinin on Saturday highlighted mental health struggles during an emotional performance at the Olympic figure skating gala as men’s gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov got the crowd going to Kung Fu Panda.Wearing a gray hoodie sweatshirt with “Fear” written upside down, Malinin symbolically swatted
TENSIONS: The march went ahead without clashes, but arrests were still possible as police investigate suspects behind Nazi salutes, racist slurs and homophobic insults Thousands of people on Saturday marched in southeastern France under heavy security in tribute to a far-right activist whose killing, blamed on the hard left, has put the country on edge. The crowd — many wearing black and some covering their lower faces with masks — marched through the city of Lyon
Iranian students on Saturday chanted anti-government slogans and scuffled with counter-protesters in the latest display of anger at the country’s clerical leaders, who also face a US military build-up aimed at pressuring them into a nuclear deal. The gatherings at universities, which were reported b
CONTROVERSY: The festival’s director has acknowledged that this year’s edition had been ‘emotionally charged’ after the jury president’s comments sparked outrage Yellow Letters, directed by German filmmaker Ilker Catak, on Saturday won the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear for best film at a ceremony reflecting the controversy over Gaza that has dogged this year’s edition. Some award winners spoke out in favor of the Palestinian cause, pushing back after ju
For many centuries from the medieval to the early modern era, the island port of Hirado on the northwestern tip of Kyushu in Japan was the epicenter of piracy in East Asia. From bases in Hirado the notorious wokou (倭寇) terrorized Korea and China. They raided coastal towns, carrying off people into s
Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, there will be no Features pages. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 23, when Features will also be resumed. Kung Hsi Fa Tsai!
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moving the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds before midnight last month symbolized the closest humanity has ever been to global catastropheIn this context, the legislature remains gridlocked over the general budget, mirroring tensions simmering across the globe. Acco
1. 他沒有看過那部電影，我也沒有看過。ˇ He hasn’t seen the movie. I haven’t seen it, either.χ He hasn’t seen the movie. I haven’t seen it, too.註：too 表示「也」，在肯定句中與 also 同義且更口語。too 一般放在句尾，或作為插入語放在句中；also 通常靠近動詞，不放在句尾。例如： He likes chocolate; I also like it. He likes chocolate; I like it, too.表示「也不」，不可以在否定語的後面用 too，應用 eit
Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, there will be no Bilingual Pages. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 23, when Bilingual Pages will also be resumed.
A tragic case in California has brought renewed attention to the risks of using artificial intelligence. The parents of a 16-year-old boy, Adam Raine, filed a lawsuit in San Francisco against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT provided harmful information that encouraged his suicide. According to the com
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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