Wed, Apr 15, 2026
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a bill governing childcare, including requiring institutions to install surveillance cameras and imposing penalties of up to NT$600,000 for childcare providers found guilty of abuse or harassment.The Executive Yuan in May last year approved the draft Childcare S
Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday announced the launch of a “One ID” smart travel service, enabling international travelers to access airport services using facial recognition after completing a one-time registration.The airport is the nation’s first and only airport offering
PROMOTING PEACE: The Spanish PM said that China can play an ‘important role’ in the Middle East, while Xi Jinping spoke about a return to the ‘law of the jungle’ China yesterday accused the US of “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) vowing Beijing would play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Middle East.US President Donald Trump has threatened to sink ships entering o
The Philippines discovered cyanide on Chinese boats operating around a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, Philippine security officials said on Monday.Authorities said laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the highly toxic substance in bottles seized by the Philippine Navy in operations at
SECOND OVERSEAS TRIP: Apart from attending anniversary and birthday celebrations, William Lai and his delegation are also to visit a planned industrial innovation park President William Lai (賴清德) is to visit Taiwan’s sole African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, later this month, in what would be his second official overseas trip since taking office in May 2024, the Presidential Office said yesterday.Eswatini is one of 12 UN member nations worldwide that have formal
SERIOUSLY DAMAGING: TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang said that legislators-at-large should meet party supporters’ expectations, rather than pursue personal interests The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Central Evaluation Committee yesterday voted to expel party member Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), effective immediately, following a series of controversies. The decision also resulted in Li’s loss of her legislator-at-large seat.Li, who took office in February as a legislator-at-
A suspected outbreak of food poisoning yesterday at Janfusun Fancyworld amusement park in Yunlin County has led 70 visitors from a junior-high school to seek medical attention, the Yunlin County Public Health Bureau said today. About 600 students and teachers from Ping Jhen Junior High School in Tao
Fuel prices for international flights have increased by 122 percent since the war in the Middle East began, leading to about 1.7 percent of flights being canceled next month, data from CPC Corp, Taiwan and the Civil Aviation Administration showed today.The Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee
The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee today approved proposed amendments to the Amusement Tax Act (娛樂稅法) that seek to abolish the amusement tax on films, cultural activities and competitive sporting events, retaining the fee only for dance halls and golf courses.The proposed amendment would set t
The US and other countries are continuing to assist Taiwan in restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras, whose new government has not yet appointed an ambassador to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said today.The remarks were made during a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs
A boy who received a partial liver transplant from his mother and a kidney transplant from his father within a year has returned to school, National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) said today.The boy, surnamed Hsu (許), who turns 12 this year, was diagnosed in infancy with the rare Caroli disease,
A man who pepper sprayed five cats in Houtong Cat Village last week "because he was in a bad mood" has been arrested on suspicion of animal abuse, New Taipei City police said today.According to a police investigation, the 28-year-old suspect, surnamed Lee (李), left his home in New Taipei City's Yong
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today indicted an air force officer for losing confidential documents classified as national and military secrets in a paper shredder for almost a year. The operations officer at the Air Force Songshan Base Command, surnamed Su (蘇), was responsible for base de
The High Court today sentenced six active and retired military personnel to four-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half years in prison for espionage and collecting sensitive military information for China.The ruling can be appealed. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it would consider appealing after receiv
Hung Tai Life Insurance Co (宏泰人壽) is suspected of conducting an irregular public tender of two plots of land in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) in 2019, an investigation report from the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) showed today. Ten suspects were released on bail of up to NT$10 mill
RISE AND SHINE: The TAIEX has gained 25.32% this year, outpacing the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, while the latest advance erased all of its losses since the start of the war Taiwanese stocks yesterday rose to a new record as investors returned to the pre-Iran war trading theme of chasing artificial intelligence (AI) shares amid hopes for easing tensions in the Middle East.The TAIEX yesterday closed up 838.83 points, or 2.37 percent, at 36,296.12, boosted by index heavyw
AI UNCERTAINTY: While more than 30 percent of financial institutions have already adopted AI, they are still facing obstacles in integrating the technology Taiwan’s financial sector is entering a more volatile period as geopolitical tensions, currency and interest-rate pressures, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) reshape the industry’s outlook, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Taiwan said yesterday, citing interviews with local financial l
The founder of Chinese property giant Evergrande Group (恆大集團) has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, a court said yesterday, the latest blow for what was once the country’s leading developer.Evergrande’s rise was propelled by decades of rapid urbanization and rising living standards, bu
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency on Sunday unveiled 10 new “incentive measures” for Taiwan, following a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in Beijing on Friday last week. The measures largely focus on cros
The US Department of State late last month issued an “orange” travel advisory for Hong Kong and Macau. According to the latest amendments to the implementation rules for Hong Kong’s National Security Law, police have the authority to require travelers to provide passwords for their mobile phones and
The Iran crisis has demonstrated how deeply interconnected regional conflicts have become in an era of globalized security. What might appear as a geographically separated confrontation in the Middle East has tangible consequences for the Indo-Pacific region, particularly for deterrence, diplomatic
BITTER RIVALS: Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card early in the second half after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair Leeds United’s Noah Okafor on Monday scored twice as his side grabbed a morale-boosting 2-1 English Premier League away win over bitter rivals Manchester United, who had Lisandro Martinez sent off in the 56th minute for pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Manchester United remain third in the
Quinton Byfield scored twice, Anton Forsberg made 28 saves and the Los Angeles Kings secured a playoff spot with Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Trevor Moore, Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings, who won their fifth straight and are playoff-bound for the fifth
Diego Maradona would be happy, his fans say. The childhood home of the late Argentine soccer legend has been transformed into a soup kitchen for people squeezed by Argentine President Javier Milei’s austerity policies.The needy can also ask for clothing at 523 Amazor street in the Buenos Aires subur
A new trial over the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona is to begin today, with seven members of his medical team charged with negligent homicide about a year after a previous case collapsed in a mistrial. An enduring presence in Argentina — from towering murals to tattoos — Maradona di
CANADA BY-ELECTIONS: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the Liberals won through ‘backroom deals,’ and floor-crossers had betrayed people who voted for them Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party secured a majority in parliament on Monday after winning all three by-election seats up for grabs, boosting his Liberals as they work to bolster a nation shaken by threats from the US.Carney’s Liberals won the most seats in elections a year ago, but fell j
PAPAL RETORT: Pope Leo told reporters that he has ‘no fear, neither of the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel’ US President Donald Trump has feuded with Pope Leo XIV over the Iran conflict — setting off an unholy row that could have serious political implications for the Republican leader back in the US.Trump has drawn barbs even from some allies over the attacks on the US-born pontiff, who has criticized th
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on March 10, but the brea
The battered wooden trunk had been in the family for a century — shifted from attic to barn to garage as it was handed down through the generations. No one knew a cinematic treasure was inside.That was until retired high school teacher Bill McFarland’s curiosity got the better of him. For the past 2
For some evangelical Christians, faith is about having a personal relationship with Jesus. At US$1.99 per minute, the tech company Just Like Me is taking that concept to a new level.Users of the platform can join video calls with an avatar of Jesus generated by artificial intelligence. Like other re
As mega K-pop group BTS returns to the stage after a hiatus of more than three years, one major market is conspicuously missing from its 12-month world tour: China.The omission of one of the group’s biggest fan bases comes as no surprise. In fact, just the opposite would have been huge news. China h
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
Handing down a name over generations is a central part of the Japanese traditional theater art of Kabuki, and that ceremony gets celebrated at theaters and special events every few years.Now, the ritual is taking place with the eighth Kikugoro, who is having that honor passed down from his 83-year-o
對話 Dialogue清清：你看過螢火蟲嗎？我聽新聞說，四到五月是螢火蟲的季節。Qîngqîng: Nǐ kànguò yínghuǒchóng ma? Wǒ tîng xînwén shuô, sì dào wǔ yuè shì yínghuǒchóng de jìjié. 華華：是喔？我從來沒親眼看過螢火蟲，只在電視上看過。Huáhua: Shì o? Wǒ cónglái méi qînyǎn kàn guò yínghuǒchóng, zhǐ zài diànshì shàng kàn guò.清清：你想一起去看嗎？我們可以去山上走走，那裡比較容易看到。Qîngqîng: Nǐ xiǎ
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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