Mon, Apr 27, 2026
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks.Starting at 12:10am today, reporters obser
‘MALICIOUS ATTEMPTS’: ‘The greater the external pressure we face, the more courage and resolve we have,’ the president said in English in a video address Taiwan is a sovereign nation and the 23 million Taiwanese have the right to engage globally, President William Lai (賴清德) said in a pre-recorded video address broadcast at a gala dinner in Eswatini’s executive capital, Mbabane, yesterday after his planned in-person visit was canceled due to reported
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: ‘We are relieved to hear that [US] President Trump and other attendees remain safe from physical harm,’ President William Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday in a social media post condemned political violence following a shooting incident on Saturday at a media gala in Washington which US President Donald Trump attended. “Shocked and gravely concerned to hear about the gunshots fired at the White House Correspondent
Drug-impaired driving in January alone caused almost half as many drug-related traffic deaths and injuries as the whole of last year, prompting authorities to label it the top traffic safety threat, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said. In January, drug-impaired driving caused four
Taiwan’s drone exports surged past US$100 million in the first quarter, exceeding last year’s full-year total, with the Czech Republic emerging as the largest buyer, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Exports of complete drones reached US$115.85 million in the period, about 1.2 times the total r
International efforts to mediate between the US and Iran were in the balance yesterday, after US President Donald Trump canceled his envoys’ planned trip to Pakistan for talks. Trump said there was no point “sitting around talking about nothing” and dismissed Tehran’s negotiating position, but added
A battalion commander has been disciplined with two demerits for screening a Chinese propaganda movie for troops at an army camp in Yilan County, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed today.The Chinese movie The Eight Hundred (八佰), a war film about Chinese Nationalist soldiers during the 1937 B
Cross-party negotiations over the special defense budget ended after just one hour this afternoon, after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers clashed over the budget cap.Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) convened the third round of negotiations today, but ended the meeting early so the KMT a
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) today boycotted a Legislative Yuan committee hearing on a motion to impeach President William Lai (賴清德), calling the move a political farce by the opposition.The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucuses initiated impeachment proc
Chiu Mei-hung (邱美虹), a professor emerita at National Taiwan Normal University's (NTNU) Graduate Institute of Science Education, has received a top research award from the US-based National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), the university said today.NARST's Distinguished Contribut
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) today said she plans to visit the US in June, where she is to meet with political figures, think tanks and the Taiwanese diaspora to spread her message of cross-strait peace. Cheng met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing on
A man who took a shower in the bathroom of a Taiwan Railway Corp local train yesterday, causing water to spill out into the carriage, has been identified and would be fined, the Railway Police Bureau said today.In a news release, the bureau's Taipei Precinct said it received a report at 9am yesterda
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) today urged lawmakers to quickly pass a proposed amendment expanding restrictions on retired military officers making pro-China remarks, after a former navy commander sparked controversy by praising the Chinese navy to state-run media.Former navy lie
The New Taipei City Government yesterday completed its initial inspection of the new MRT Sanying Line, taking a major step toward its goal of beginning operations by the middle of this year.Following an on-site review, a committee of 16 experts outlined five items requiring improvement prior to the
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene today pressed the opposition-majority legislature to pass a "comprehensive" defense budget, saying integrated air and missile defense systems and drones are critically important and in high demand globally.President William Lai (賴清德) last
SECOND-RATE: Models distilled from US products do not perform the same as the original and undo measures that ensure the systems are neutral, the US’ cable said The US Department of State has ordered a global push to bring attention to what it said are widespread efforts by Chinese companies, including artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek (深度求索), to steal intellectual property from US AI labs, according to a diplomatic cable.The cable, dated Frida
NEXT-GENERATION: The company announced plans to roll out platforms with 100 TOPS performance and expects AI-capable systems to become the standard Industrial computer maker Advantech Co (研華) is eyeing strong growth potential in edge artificial intelligence (AI), as the technology shifts from cloud-centric computing to edge deployment and real-world applications, Advantech embedded Internet of Things president Miller Chang (張家豪) said on Thursda
CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) on Saturday said it would leave its gasoline and diesel prices unchanged this week in a bid to stabilize domestic consumer prices under the government’s instructions and amid global crude oil price volatility. Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) yesterday said it would fol
The Legislative Yuan on Friday held another cross-party caucus negotiation on a special act for bolstering national defense that the Executive Yuan had proposed last year. The party caucuses failed to reach a consensus on several key provisions, so the next session is scheduled for today, where many
What began on Feb. 28 as a military campaign against Iran quickly became the largest energy-supply disruption in modern times. Unlike the oil crises of the 1970s, which stemmed from producer-led embargoes, US President Donald Trump is the first leader in modern history to trigger a cascading global
The phenomenon of “lying flat (tang ping, 躺平),” has recently re-entered the forum of public debate as a criticism of the work ethics of public sector employees. However, assigning individual blame ignores the key institutional factors at play. In the past, the iron rice bowl of the civil service did
NO DOUBTS: Orlando beat Detroit 113-105 to take a 2-1 series lead, with Paolo Banchero saying that the eighth-seeded Magic ‘don’t fear’ the top-seeded Pistons Minnesota’s Ayo Dosunmu on Saturday scored 43 points off the bench as the Timberwolves shook off two potentially devastating injuries to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 and take a 3-1 lead in their NBA first-round playoff series.All-Star guard Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both exited in the f
Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who rode a roster with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Chris Sale to the most successful season in franchise history and then struggled to win with the discount lineups that replaced them, was fired on Saturday with Boston again mired in last place in the
Taiwanese pitcher Teng Kai-wei on Saturday recorded his first loss as a reliever for Houston, after giving up a home run to the New York Yankees’ Austin Wells, amid speculation that the right-hander could become a starter for the injury-ravaged Astros.Although Teng only gave up one run against three
Taiwan last week won a silver medal in the mixed team 10m air rifle event and a bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol competition at the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Cup in Cairo.Chen You-an and Tsai Chieh-ying, both 17, won silver on Friday with a score of 498.3, finish
CHAOS: The junta chief’s whereabouts were unknown, while there was speculation over the defense minister after residents said a blast had destroyed most of his home An al-Qaeda-linked group said on Saturday that its fighters had joined forces with Tuareg rebels to launch attacks against the army across junta-ruled Mali. Helicopters buzzed over Bamako and around the international airport, and fighting was reported at a nearby military base in what was one of the
A highway bomb attack in a restive region of southwestern Colombia on Saturday killed 14 people and injured at least 38, the latest spate of violence ahead of next month’s presidential election. Authorities blamed the attack in the Cauca department — a conflict-ridden, coca-growing region — on dissi
From post offices and parks to stations and even the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan’s vending machines are ubiquitous, but with the rapid pace of inflation cooling demand for their drinks, operators are being forced to rethink the business. Last month beverage giant DyDo Group Holdings announced it wou
The March/April volume of Foreign Affairs, long a purveyor of pro-China pablum, offered up another irksome Beijing-speak on the issues and solutions for the problems vexing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the US: “America and China at the Edge of Ruin: A Last Chance to Step Back From the Br
April 27 to May 3Everything about Castrated Chicken (閹雞) followed the rules — until the Taiwanese folk songs began. As the male choir sang Diu Diu Deng (丟丟銅仔) and June Fields (六月田水), the audience danced and sang along, even calling for the songs to be repeated several times.It was a bold move by the
The January 2028 presidential election is already stirring to life. In seven or eight months, the primary season will kick into high gear following this November’s local elections. By this point next year, we will likely know the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate and whether the Taiwan Pe
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？1. 你為什麼在會上一言不發？ˇ Why didn’t you say anything at the meeting?χ Why didn’t you say anything on the meeting?註︰不是「在…上」都用 on，「在會上」是 at the meeting，「在報紙上」是 in the newspaper，「在快車道上」是 in the fast lane。2. 別為這些小事擔憂。ˇ Don’t get upset about such trifles.χ Don’t get upset for such tr
One reason pistachios have taken the food world by storm compared to other nuts is their soft, green color. When ground down into a cream or butter, the green hue __6__ nicely with golden pastries or dark-brown chocolate, making it perfect for Instagram photos and TikTok videos. Their labor-intensiv
It seems like every year, new foods or drinks start trending and suddenly show up everywhere. A decade ago, avocado __1__ restaurant menus, while oat milk became the must-have addition to your coffee in cafes around five years back. The latest trend to hit this list is the pistachio. This flavorful
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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