Fri, Jun 05, 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it “strongly condemns” China’s decision to impose a travel ban on a group of New Zealand lawmakers after they visited Taipei last month. Beijing earlier yesterday said it barred a group of New Zealand lawmakers from entering China after they visited off
RIGHT DIRECTION: Taiwan’s efforts to prevent forced labor include a proposal to ‘fully prohibit’ employers from withholding workers’ documents, an official said Taiwan is to establish a mechanism to restrict imports of goods linked to forced labor, the Executive Yuan said yesterday, after the US proposed imposing additional tariffs on Taiwanese goods over labor concerns.“The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs are to establish an intermin
North Korea yesterday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong-un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”Some experts still question whether North Korea has functioning nuclear missiles that could reach the US mainland, bu
Israeli strikes yesterday killed at least four people in Lebanon, local authorities said, and a UN peacekeeper was killed in the crossfire, despite the announcement of another ceasefire agreement. The fighting in Lebanon threatens efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehra
On the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre today, President William Lai (賴清德) wrote on Facebook and X that he hopes China can face the June 4 incident, acknowledge the truth and work to heal the wounds it left behind. A country’s might is not decided by its size or its military strengt
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more
OVERHAUL: The introduction of 14 new measures spans across three areas: stopping supply, enhancing enforcement and tougher penalties, an official said The Cabinet yesterday unveiled proposed amendments and policies aimed at curbing drug-impaired driving, including lifetime license revocation for serious and repeat offenses.At its weekly meeting, the Cabinet discussed how to implement a government-wide crackdown on drugs including etomidate, which
Czech Republic Senate President Milos Vystrcil yesterday said that no one should bow to pressure to become a vassal state, and that efforts should be taken to ensure that Taiwan is not alone in the world.At his last news conference before returning to the Czech Republic, Vystrcil said it was a great
A man suspected of spying for China and detained in the Czech Republic is to stand trial for the crime of “unauthorized activity for a foreign power,” a court said on Wednesday.The man has been in pre-trial custody since being detained in January, media reports said.“I can confirm the court will dea
Taiwan would not allow personnel from either central or local governments to attend the Straits Forum starting on Saturday next week in China’s Xiamen, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday.“The Straits Forum serves as the Chinese communist government’s
Ongoing talks between Japan and the Philippines on exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and maritime borders should not infringe upon Taiwanese interests, and Taiwan would continue talks with both sides on the matter, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.Last month, Japan and the Philippines said they would
Around 500 people gathered in Taipei on Thursday evening for an annual candlelight vigil marking the 37th anniversary of the June 4th Incident, according to organizers.The incident refers to the Chinese authorities’ bloody crackdown on student-led, pro-democracy demonstrations in and around Beijing’
Civil servants’ professional skill-set bonuses would be included in general annual assessments if necessary, the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA) said yesterday, as the opposition parties proposed further adjustments to civil servant salaries.The comments were made after DGPA M
MAJOR DISRUPTION: Thirty-four train services were canceled due to last month’s signaling incident, while 113 services were delayed for more than five minutes Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday said it is considering investing more than NT$200 billion (US$6.36 billion) to upgrade the high-speed rail system, following a signaling malfunction that caused major delays on May 25.In a briefing to the legislature’s Transportation Committee, the high-
The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday announced amendments to regulations that would restrict the export of peanut seeds to prevent the outflow of valuable varieties.In the proposed amendments to the Enforcement Rules for the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act (植物品種及種苗法施行細則), exports of peanuts and th
‘INSANE YEAR’: C.C. Wei said he is confident that Taiwan’s AI supply chain would fend off foreign competition, dismissing concerns South Korea would take over Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said an explosive demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips has led to pervasive supply constraints and it is accelerating capacity expansions to avert bottlenecks.“We are trying not to become the bottleneck. Supply is a little bit tigh
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院) yesterday said that a US drone industry certification program has granted it Green UAS evaluation authorization.In addition, the institute signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with state-backed Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (漢翔航空
EXPANSION HURDLES: Msscorps said the issue of semiconductor materials analyses would become more important as firms move toward more advanced technologies Taiwanese companies across the artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain yesterday said they expect robust growth ahead as AI investment accelerates, but warned that bottlenecks are emerging in areas ranging from memory chips and advanced packaging to semiconductor material analyses.At a Taiwan Stoc
Singaporean former Prime Minister and current senior minister Lee Hsien- Loong(李顯龍 last month stood on Chinese soil and told Beijing that Singapore cooperates because of “shared interests”, not because of common “ethnic descent,” a significant statement that has upended China’s cognitive warfare tac
When I visited Taiwan last summer, I called on the nation to use its status as a technology superpower to build superweapons. It is obvious to me as I return a year later that Taiwan is now answering that call.By 2030, Taiwan envisions a domestic drone hub, capable of producing large quantities of d
On Thursday last week, the Philippines and Japan issued a joint statement on their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, reaffirming the need to further promote peace, stability and mutual trust through maritime cooperation grounded in respect for international law. They also announced the commenceme
KNICKS TAKE LEAD: San Antonio put on a 9-0 run to be up 95-94 with just over 2 minutes to play, but the rest of the game belonged to the New York Knicks It was past five minutes through the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday and the New York Knicks’ 11-game winning streak was in major jeopardy.The Knicks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the early part of the period and trailed the San Antonio Spurs by 14 points. They were f
France defender Ibrahima Konate on Wednesday said that he battled depression following the deaths of Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and his father while continuing to fulfil his duties as a professional sportsman.Portugal forward Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash in July last yea
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible.“Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5,
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
TRADING STRIKES: Talks to end the war have stalled, with Russian shelling on Wednesday killing at least three in Ukraine, and Kyiv’s oil terminal attack killing one on the same day Ukrainian attacks killed four people in the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula, Kremlin-installed officials in the region said yesterday, one day after Moscow and Kyiv traded strikes on each other’s cities.Ukrainian forces had hit a non-residential part of Simferopol, the peninsula’s main administrativ
Cuban ballerina Laura Kamila Rojas is dancing her way through the transport woes, lengthy power cuts and economic hardship that now define daily life on the Caribbean island.Twirling and pirouetting as a soloist with the National Ballet of Cuba, the usually shy 25-year-old transforms into a commandi
Chinese authorities are snuffing out any remembrance of the deadly 1989 military crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, which happened 37 years ago yesterday, in a further tightening of a years-long campaign to erase what happened from public memory.Police told relative
Raw, bleak and at times difficult to watch, That Burning House (失樂園) does not shy away from depicting child sexual and physical abuse within children care homes. The movie is structured in three parts. “Stuffed Toy” depicts a severely bullied and abused boy (Hung Chun-hao, 洪君昊) living in a group ho
Democracy came to the cradle of Voodoo religion in 1991, when Benin’s military dictator of many years surprisingly lost an election that he had organized.Mathieu Kerekou had amassed power partly by banning the practice of so-called sorcerers, whose authority he deemed subversive to his own. Voodoois
Sure, folks discuss the weather a lot, especially in Britain.Still, it’s hard to imagine that a quiet chat about the weather — and why it isn’t boring — could be an emotional high point of a feature film. Especially when that film is about World War II, one of the most cinematic subjects in history.
A: While AI is reshaping the world, “Money Talks News” revealed seven career fields that are “AI-proof.” First is the healthcare field, like nursing jobs, personal care aides, and social work specialists. B: This type of job is indeed in high demand. So what’s next? A: Up next are skill-based po
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
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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