Wed, Sep 27, 2023
The government is to raise childcare allowances by at least NT$1,500 (US$46.54) per month starting next year to try to boost the nation’s shrinking birthrate, the Executive Yuan said.Starting on Jan. 1 next year, subsidies for parents with children younger than three attending public care centers ar
Taiwan’s Lin Wei-chun (林唯均) and Lo Chia-ling (羅嘉翎) yesterday both won silver medals after losing in the finals of their respective weight classes in the taekwondo competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.Twenty-year-old Lin, competing in the women’s under-53kg category, lost the final 2-1 t
FISHING FUROR: The latest spat was sparked by a floating barrier that was found across the entrance of Scarborough Shoal during a resupply mission to fishers Beijing yesterday warned Manila not to “stir up trouble” after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipino fishers from the area.Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in the South China Sea has long been a
Senior diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan yesterday agreed that their nations’ leaders would meet at the “earliest convenient time,” the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after a rare meeting aimed at commencing trilateral exchanges.The three nations had agreed to hold a summit
DETERRENCE: The president on Thursday is to launch the first indigenous submarine, which is to enter sea trials next month before being delivered to the navy next year Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles to bolster its deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said.Taiwan has made the Indigenous Submarine Program a key part
Taiwan’s “Queen of Judo” Lien Chen-ling (連珍羚) yesterday defeated Momo Tamaoki of Japan in the women’s under-57kg final to take a surprise gold in the weight class and Taiwan’s second judo gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.Lien’s gold medal was also Taiwan’s second-ever in the sport at the q
TOO LENIENT: Prison sentences for spying average 6.18 months in Taiwan, compared with 30 years to life in prison in other nations, DPP Legislator Liu Shyh-fang said The military is intensifying countermeasures to prevent Chinese infiltration of its ranks and stepping up evidence-gathering in espionage cases to facilitate prosecution, Executive Yuan officials said at a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.That was in response to criticism
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry did not mention Taiwan during his address on Friday at the UN General Debate because of the “extraordinary circumstances” that his country is facing, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday in Taipei.Department of International Organizations Director-
The Judicial Yuan should first communicate with the public how artificial intelligence (AI) would assist judges in writing rulings, and what measures it would take to avoid erroneous and biased judgements, before using it in the legal system, legal professionals and legal justice advocates said yest
POLITICAL PLOY: With no timetable for the proposal’s execution, Hou You-yi’s pledge is an empty promise, the DPP campaign office said New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, yesterday pledged to raise the monthly pension for farmers aged 65 or older to NT$10,000 from NT$7,550.The subsidy for elderly farmers is adjusted every years, and is to rise to NT$8,080 next year,
L’Oreal Group is driven by an ambition to be the leading beauty company in inclusivity, striving to mirror the diversity of the consumers they serve by fostering a value of inclusivity and inclusion. In Taiwan, they have introduced a unique and diverse portfolio of 18 international brands to cater t
Guided by the sense of purpose to “Create the Beauty that Moves the World”, L’Oreal, the world’s leading beauty company, has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection, social responsibility, and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) practices. The Taiwan subsidiary of the company has
ON ALERT: Although new cases were about the same as the previous week, the transmission risk remains high, so people should stay cautious, an official said More than 2,000 local dengue infections were reported last week for a total of more than 10,000 cases this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that three dengue deaths and eight influenza-related deaths were confirmed last week.CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy D
STARSTRUCK: Seventy-nine-year-old actress Wang Man-chiao demonstrated receiving the new COVID-19 vaccine to encourage older people to get booster shots Local COVID-19 infections are at a low point, but are expected to rise slightly this fall and winter, peaking in December, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, the first day people aged 65 or older were eligible to receive an updated booster vaccine.Since COVID-19 was downgraded on
The British Office Taipei is accepting applications for Chevening Scholarships to study in the UK, it said yesterday.The office on Monday hosted Taiwanese Chevening alumni to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the global scholarship program, the office said in a news release.The Taiwan version of the
KEY MONEYMAKERS: NOR flash memory chips used in vehicles, and industrial and medical devices would support the firm in the first six months next year, its CEO said Macronix International Co (旺宏), the world’s biggest supplier of NOR flash memory chips, yesterday said it did not expect the memorychip industry to pick up significantly in the first half of next year as a weak global economy — China in particular — and rising inflation have dampened consumers’ appe
MONEY MATTERS: House prices in major cities rose 2 to 4.9 percent this quarter, boosted by the idea that real estate is a good way to hedge against inflation Taiwanese hold a neutral view of the property market next quarter, as cautious sentiment lingers amid economic uncertainty, but housing prices have found support in inflation, an Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) survey released yesterday showed.Almost 60 percent of respondents thought it would be unwise
A fire that broke out on Sunday at a Pegatron Corp (和碩) plant in Chennai, the capital of India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, has had little impact on operations, the company said on Monday.The iPhone assembler said in a statement that a small power panelboard at the factory caught fire on Sunday n
Taiwan’s first indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (SS-711), is to be launched tomorrow and undergo underwater testing next month. It is a major breakthrough in upgrading the nation’s self-defense capabilities, and would make it more difficult for China to blockade Taiwan.Facing Beij
Political platforms presented in the presidential election campaign must be forward-looking, solve problems and be practical. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, recently put forward four major proposals for long-term care: scrapping
Taiwan is beautiful — no doubt about it. In Taipei, the streets are clean, the skyline is gorgeous and the subway is world-class. The coastline is easily accessible and mountains can be seen in the distance. The people are hardworking, successful and busy. Every luxury known to humankind is availabl
PERFECT TIMING? The righty said it has been a season in which nothing has been easy, but ‘maybe catch the right timing here and this can be the start of something’ Justin Verlander on Monday took a shutout into the ninth inning, allowing just three hits, and worked out of the one jam he faced as the Houston Astros created some cushion in the American League playoff chase with a 5-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.In a season where he said nothing has come easy,
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles remained unbeaten in the NFL, but said they were not good as they feel they can be after the defending National Football Conference champions dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-11 on Monday.“Everybody wants us to be a final product now, but it’s a growth. Y
When the Cricket World Cup opens in India next month, several players will carry Kashmiri willow bats, but manufacturers say that exploitation of trees means their craft faces ruin.Unchecked logging without replanting has reduced swathes of woodland to scrub in the disputed Indian-administered Himal
THOROUGH THRASHING: It was the most points Wales have scored against Australia, whose hopes of qualifying for the quarters depend on Fiji losing to Georgia or Portugal AFP, PARISWales on Sunday became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup as they produced a record-breaking performance to hammer Australia 40-6 in Lyon. Scotland also remained in contention for the quarter-finals with a 45-17 bonus point win over Tonga, although they
‘TERRIBLE DAYS’: The the refugees were crowding into a humanitarian hub set up in a theater in the city of Goris, Armenia, to register for transport and housing Envoys from Baku and Yerevan yesterday prepared to meet in Brussels for talks as thousands of refugees fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s lightning takeover of the majority ethnic Armenian enclave.An offensive by Baku’s forces last week established Azerbaijani control over the breakaway region
South Korea yesterday commenced its first large-scale military parade in a decade, with weapons ranging from ballistic missiles to attack helicopters due to roll through Seoul in a show of force as it takes a tougher stance against North Korea.The parade marks the nation’s Armed Forces Day, normally
China is willing to play a “constructive” role in the success of the APEC summit in San Francisco, its top diplomat said yesterday, after the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at an annual G20 summit in India.“As the world’s largest developing country and an important member of APEC, Chi
If the world is to avert climate catastrophe without causing immense suffering, humanity must put the global economy into reverse gear, and begin serious and truly democratic discussions about resources and priorities, says Lu Chien-yi (盧倩儀), a research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Europ
Si Mateneng of the Tao indigenous community felt like he had reunited with a lost friend. While visiting Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, he encountered a boat that had been in the US since the 1970s, first hanging in a restaurant then languishing in a warehouse before being pu
This month the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced a new policy ostensibly aimed at influencing the upcoming presidential election. A top-notch Voice of America (VOA) report observed “China launched a series of influence campaigns against Taiwan last week, unveiling a plan t
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in many parts of Asia, including Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. Of these, Vietnam stands out from the crowd with its distinct way of celebrating the festival. The country has a rich heritage of ancient legends and beliefs about the festival that
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Sept. 15 launched strikes at three US auto plants after failing to reach an agreement over new contracts, the first-ever simultaneous labor action against the Detroit Three automakers. The UAW contracts at General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellant
對話 Dialogue馬克：小實，這張卡片給你，祝你「教師節快樂」！Mǎkè: Xiǎoshí, zhè zhāng kǎpiàn gěi nǐ, zhù nǐ “jiàoshī jié kuàilè!”小實：咦？是給我的嗎？可是我不是你的老師啊！Xiǎoshí: Yí? Shì gěi wǒ de ma? Kěshì wǒ búshì nǐ de lǎoshī a!馬克：你教了我很多中文，所以你是我的中文老師。Mǎkè: Nǐ jiāole wǒ hěnduō Zhōngwén, suǒyǐ nǐ shì wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī.小實：謝謝你這麼貼心！你怎麼知道教師節快到
It’s certainly been a pleasure watching the presidential campaign launch of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) lurch painfully about like a wounded pachyderm in search of an elephant graveyard. Hou’s fall to third place in some polls last week appears early, and it might still be recoverable. But grumbling in his party about replacing him has already begun. Indeed, all indications are that the party that twice gave us Lien Chan (連戰), the most despised politician in Taiwan, as a presidential candidate and later offered voters Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is arcing along its normal descending trajectory, the North Korean missile test of electoral politics. A KIND OF POLICY PLATFORM Last week the KMT doubled down on this path with Hou’s calls for nuclear power and more death penalty executions, standard KMT fare for decades (the latter is unnecessary since so many potential criminals are likely to die in traffic accidents long before they harm anyone). Apparently KMT policy institutions are not echo chambers so much as mausoleums where dead ideas are embalmed and then periodically put on display. The lack of public policy imagination is obvious. A less obvious facet of KMT ineptitude: with years of speculation that Hou would be their man in 2024, neither Hou nor the party insisted on interesting or experimental public policies to showcase Hou’s greatness in preparation for the showdown. Of course, that is even more true of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Hou’s slide and the media buzz surrounding it are obscuring the truly urgent problem the pro-Taiwan side faces: DPP presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) has not expanded his voter support beyond the party base. In most polls he remains below 40 percent. Independent voters are staying away in droves, and for the moment the young are turning to
July 17 to July 23 When Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯) came of age, the traditional skills of architecture and carpentry that had been in his family for four generations were disappearing. After helping his uncle Yeh Teh-ling (葉得令) construct ships, residences and temples for more than a decade, Yeh struck out on his own at the age of 28 in 1960 as a damusi (大木司, chief carpenter), earning his lifelong title “Chief Chuang” (壯司). Around this time, builders in his homeland of Penghu were increasingly using reinforced concrete instead of wood, due to the humid climate. The period also saw a frenzy in temple construction as the economy improved, meaning there was plenty of work for Yeh. Adept in non-structural techniques such as doors, windows and furniture, as well as the intricate carvings and detailed decorations that adorned the structures, Yeh was able to adapt his skills, leading the reconstruction of the historic Hsiliao Daitian Temple (西寮代天宮) on Penghu’s main island in 1963. According to the book Crossing Traditions in Yeh Ken-chuang’s Large-scale Carpentry Skills (宮廟巧藝 :跨越傳統的葉根壯大木作技術), it was Penghu’s first temple that used a purely reinforced concrete structure. Before his life was cut short, Yeh created more than 70 temples and related structures across the various islands of Penghu and left behind more than 230 building plans. Although Yeh could have built temples and other structures on Taiwan proper, he only worked on a handful of projects outside of Penghu because he wanted to be close to his family. CLAN OF CARPENTERS The Yeh family’s woodworking tradition began with Yeh Ma-li (葉媽利), who learned the architecture and carpentry trade from an unknown master on Kinmen. The Yehs trace their roots to Kinmen, although this branch had been living in Penghu since the early 1600s. Yeh Ma-li was Penghu’s chief temple builder between 1860 and
| New Taipei City | 30-33 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Hsinchu City | 31-33 | 20% | |
| Taipei City | 30-33 | 20% | |
| Miaoli County | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Taoyuan City | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Keelung City | 29-30 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 30-33 | 20% | |
| Taichung City | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Nantou County | 31-33 | 20% |  |
| Changhua County | 31-33 | 20% | |
| Chiayi County | 31-34 | 40% |  |
| Chiayi City | 30-33 | 60% | |
| Tainan City | 30-32 | 40% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 31-33 | 60% | |
| Pingtung County | 29-33 | 90% | |
| Yilan County | 29-32 | 30% |  |
| Hualien County | 29-31 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 29-32 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 29-32 | 20% | |
| Penghu County | 28-31 | 30% | |
| Lienchiang County | 28-30 | 20% | |
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