Thu, Jun 04, 2026
ABOVE EXPECTATIONS: This first cycle came in about 10 percent above the projected amount, and could go toward emission-reduction project grants The Ministry of Environment (MOENV) yesterday said it collected NT$4.97 billion (US$158.1 million) in Taiwan’s first carbon fee collection cycle.A total of 461 factories operated by 240 companies paid carbon fees, the ministry said, adding that among them, 123 semiconductor manufacturing facilities
Men overtook women in applications for flexible parental leave last month, the first time it has happened since the “child-friendly workplace” policy was implemented on Jan. 1, the Ministry of Labor said.The flexible parental leave without pay policy allows applications to be submitted on a daily ba
Kuwaiti civil aviation authorities said the country’s main airport has partially reopened after an Iranian attack damaged it yesterday.Kuwait Airways flights resumed from a different terminal from the one that was hit. No other flights would be operating, they said.Kuwait suspended commercial flight
New Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale yesterday said he would review a secretive 2022 security pact with Beijing, which rattled Canberra and Washington by opening the door to Chinese forces in the South Pacific.Asked about that pact alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the
TRUSTWORTHINESS: Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the nation’s most responsible commitment to the global supply chain, William Lai said Taiwan has become indispensable to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at the opening of Computex Taipei.Lai said global tech giants had gathered in Taiwan for this year’s Computex, with some announcing plans to continue investing in
‘TRAGEDY’: The air force has grounded all T-34C trainer aircraft as it investigates the cause of the crash that killed the pilots carrying out a simulated engine-failure exercise The air force yesterday said that pilots reported no anomalies or malfunctions before a T-34C trainer aircraft crashed at an air base in Kaohsiung while carrying out a simulated engine-failure exercise earlier in the day.Following the crash yesterday morning, killing two pilots, the air force ground
‘CONNECTED’: In 1996, Taiwan held its first elections, the Czech Senate was established and Vaclav Havel delivered his ‘Europe as a Task’ speech, the Czech Senate head said Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil, who is in Taiwan for a four-day visit, and former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday reflected on the legacy of human rights advocate and former Czech president Vaclav Havel and the shared democratic values of Taiwan and the Czech Republic.Speaking at the o
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said there has been no change in US policy on Taiwan and that Washington wants to see the “status quo” preserved.“The most important thing to understand is we want to see the status quo preserved as-is at this moment. That’s our policy, that’s what we’ve
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators on the Education and Culture Committee yesterday said they had reviewed the committee’s Japan trip plans this month, and questioned whether it was a waste of funds and an attempt to stall legislative reviews.It is Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legisla
‘SAD SIGHT’: Under Cheng Li-wun, if one does not name the speaker, it is hard to tell whether a statement was made by the KMT or the TAO, a legislator said The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it would not attend the Straits Forum on Saturday next week in Xiamen, China, calling the event part of Beijing’s “united front” activities.The party’s move is in line with the Mainland Affairs Council’s (MAC) designation of the event as a “platf
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (
SAFETY FIRST: Personnel conduct tests on blood samples while wearing personal protective equipment at air-filtered laboratories, the minister of health said Airports are screening travelers who recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) or Uganda for Ebola to prevent the disease from spreading, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told a news conference yesterday following an inspection of the disease control team
The hotel market grew slightly in the first quarter, with the average hotel room price rising to NT$3,101, up 1.5 percent from NT$3,054 in the same period last year, Tourism Administration data showed. Tourism Administration officials attributed the increase to higher operating costs, such as for el
Mayor Lu: “Though Far Apart, We Feel Like Neighbors” and Hopes to Deepen Taiwan-Germany Industrial Cooperation On May 28, Till Steffen, Chair of German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, led the delegation on a visit to the Taichung City Government and was further accompanied by Kirsten Tietz, Director General of German Institute Taipei.Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-Yen (盧秀燕) personally received the delegation.
Taiwanese manga creators Eli Lin (依萊) and MurJi won gold and bronze respectively in the Wordless Manga category at the Kadokawa World Manga Contest, the organizers announced on Friday last week, while another Taiwanese creator, JASONZ, received an honorable mention for the work Johnny B. Good is Gon
NEW TECH: Jensen Huang responded positively when the ‘Taipei Times’ asked him if 800V architecture would be the next-generation power standard for AI data centers Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) plans to begin small-volume shipments of its 800V high-voltage direct current (HVDC) architecture to Nvidia Corp next quarter, with the product currently in the verification stage, Delta vice president of the power and system business group Ares Chen (陳盈源) said yesterday.
MAJOR CHANGES: As AI develops faster than expected, the biggest issues facing the supply chain are technological capabilities and production capacity, Mike Yang said Quanta Cloud Technology Inc (雲達), the manufacturing arm of Quanta Computer Inc (廣達), plans to add three new facilities in California by the end of this year to support clients’ expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, company president Mike Yang (楊麒令) said on Tuesday.Yang also serve
Aspeed Technology Inc (信驊), a supplier of baseboard management controllers (BMCs), expects revenue to grow significantly this year and next year, chairman Chris Lin (林鴻明) said yesterday, citing skyrocketing server demand as agentic artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as OpenClaw gain trac
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on Saturday last week, a senior Royal Marines officer defended the UK’s transits through the Taiwan Strait.The UK upholds the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and believes there should be no “no-go” areas for navigation, inc
Extreme rainfall has become the new normal for countries across East Asia, which is why South Korea has, in the past few years, been rolling out “digital twin” technology to assist with its adaptation efforts. The idea is to build a virtual model that can simulate flood paths and predict inundation
June marks the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) rise to power, China has extended a model of governance that prioritizes national security over pluralism to Hong Kong through far-reaching legal restructuring. While citizens in China h
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar
The New York Knicks are bracing for a hard-fought battle from San Antonio when the NBA Finals begin today (Taipei time), while the Spurs seek revenge for a loss in the NBA Cup. Both clubs tried to keep the atmosphere as normal as possible during Tuesday media day interview sessions on the eve of a h
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool
Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish has revealed he is undergoing treatment for cancer. Dalglish, who is one of Liverpool’s greatest players and also managed the club in two spells, on Tuesday issued a statement about his diagnosis. The 75-year-old former forward said he had mistakenly poste
ACTIONS AND REACTIONS: Conservative opposition party the PPP has taken several hard hits since the party head attempted to declare martial law and was impeached South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party (DP) is on track to win a clear majority of key local offices in a nationwide vote, providing President Lee Jae-myung a boost as he enters his second year in office.The DP is projected to secure 11 of 16 major posts in elections held yesterday for provincial gov
REARGUARD ACTION: As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, its influence around the world has waned, as other power blocs have allegedly undermined its interests Russian President Vladimir Putin has read long-term ally Armenia the riot act: persist in wanting to join the EU and you can kiss goodbye to cheap Russian oil and gas.Putin issued the warning before a parliamentary election in Armenia on Sunday, which polls suggest the party of Western-leaning Armen
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday told lawmakers that the US is still in discussions with several countries to resettle more than 1,000 Afghans who assisted the US’ “War on Terror,” while he defended US President Donald Trump’s decision to green-light refugee admissions for tens of thousa
Lost in the news last week: Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwanese People’s Party (TPP) legislators fast-tracked bills intended to expand local government authority over industrial air pollution. The government, Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) and local business organizations all registered object
“Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Comes to US With a Message Straight Out of Beijing” read a May 31 headline in the Wall Street Journal. Top US administration officials and members of Congress almost certainly read the WSJ, and if there was a bullet point takeaway that people in Washington should absorb a
As someone who normally steers clear of books with “transcendence” or “metaphysics” in their subtitles, this reviewer — a casual observer of local belief systems since the 1990s — found Fabian Graham’s Money God Temples in Taiwan a challenging read. Those who’ve only dipped their toes into temple cu
A: Over 130,000 college graduates are about to enter the workforce upon graduation.B: According to a survey, the top 10 most desired careers among Taiwanese are: independent content creator, civil servant, information engineer, financial professional, medical worker, content planner, flight attend
In 2023, an 80-year-old woman in Taipei suffocated her paralyzed son after over five decades of caring for him. Turning herself in immediately, she confessed that worsening health and anxiety about who would care for him after her death had driven her to act. The court, acknowledging her difficult s
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。The mango looked perfect. It sat on the fruit stand like a small sunset, red on one side and gold on the other. “I’ll take this one,” said Daniel. The fruit seller shook her head. “Not that one.” Daniel was surprised. “Why not? It looks be
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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