Sat, Aug 15, 2026
‘WELCOME DEVELOPMENT’: The decision to reduce the referendums from six to three showed that lawmakers have taken a rational approach, the CEC’s chair said The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved three referendums, which would be voted on alongside the local elections in November. It voted down a proposal on a referendum about legalizing euthanasia. The referendums passed are: introducing caning as a criminal punishment, abolishing the government’s “nu
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has indicted three additional suspects in a case involving the alleged leaking of military information, which was apprently spearheaded by former TV producer Lee Neng-chien (李能謙), the office said yesterday.Lee, who was indicted in April on espionage-related ch
Record-breaking rainfall flooded cities east of Tokyo overnight, killing at least five people, injuring more than two dozen others and stranding thousands, authorities said yesterday.As the deluge subsided, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) downgraded its most severe heavy-rain warning in more t
North Korea yesterday threatened unspecified stern steps against the US and South Korea ahead of their upcoming military drills, which Pyongyang called a war rehearsal that claimed would be more provocative than last year.The warning is typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ah
The Legislative Yuan today approved three referendums on flogging, nuclear power and traffic fines to be voted on alongside the November local elections, while voting down another proposal on legalizing euthanasia.The three referendums passed are on introducing caning as a criminal punishment, aboli
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus today approved the full NT$63.4 billion (US$1.98 billion) budget for uncrewed vehicle development and procurements requested by the Executive Yuan, saying it had decided to support the budget after confirming it did not overlap with other requested funds.Th
TAIWAN-MADE: Taiwanese drone products would be subject to a 15 percent non-stacking tariff, putting it in a relatively low-tariff category, the Cabinet said 15 percent US tariff on drones and parts would help Taiwan maintain its competitive edge among key trading partners, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would impose tariffs on imports of drones and their components, including from some key US allies, with
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for faster development of uncrewed systems as the Han Kuang Exercises concluded, vowing to bolster defense supply chains.“Over the 10-day, nine-night drills, military personnel worked around the clock, from carrying out missions on the front lines to hand
ACROSS-THE-BOARD CUTS: Special allowance funds would be reduced by 60 percent across government agencies, with overseas and domestic travel budgets also affected The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the third reading of across-the-board budget cuts for central government agencies in this fiscal year, reducing overall spending by NT$48 billion (US$1.5 billion), or about 1.689 percent.The Executive Yuan submitted this fiscal year’s central government budget p
The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) yesterday launched a book tracing its evolution from a traditional foreign aid agency into a platform linking Taiwan’s technology and expertise with global development needs.Published to mark the organization’s 30th anniversary,
Taiwan’s top envoy in Geneva has been ordered to return home to respond to allegations of workplace bullying, misuse of public funds and other misconduct, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a formal investigation into the behavior
SEEKING JUSTICE: The Constitutional Court remanded the 11 cases as amendments passed in July changed the start of the statute of limitations to when the victim turns 20 The Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that the old Criminal Code provisions governing the statute of limitations for child sexual assault prosecution were unconstitutional and remanded the cases involving 11 victims for retrial.However, the ruling does not cover other pending cases in which the s
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday launched a pilot inpatient rehabilitation program for stroke patients, providing up to 180 days of intensive daily care to aid their recovery.The program is expected to serve 1,600 to 2,000 patients annually, said the National Health Insurance Administration (NH
Two people were yesterday stung to death and one was in critical condition after the three allegedly deviated from approved paths in the Sizihkou (溪仔口) area in Kenting National Park and were attacked by Asian giant hornets.Sources said the Kaohsiung Branch of the Chinese Taipei Mountaineering Associ
Couples should keep their properties separate when they marry to avoid situations such as the one Chen Hsing-yu (陳幸妤) — the daughter of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) — described, a former family court judge said yesterday.Chen Hsing-yu on Thursday wrote in a post online that she had purchase
NON-TECH SUPPORT: Exports of non-tech products rose in the first seven months of the year, suggesting traditional industries are reviving, a statistics official said The government yesterday raised its economic growth forecast for this year to 11.05 percent, which would be the fastest pace in 39 years, as stronger-than-expected exports, investment and consumption extended the economy’s artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled expansion.The latest forecast was 1.41 pe
GERMAN DEAL: The firm said it plans to complete a tender offer for Kontron AG next week as it eyes an expansion of its presence across the Asia-Pacific region Industrial computer maker Ennoconn Corp (樺漢科技) yesterday said revenue in the second half of this year is expected to exceed first-half levels driven by rising demand for smart factory and facility management solutions from semiconductor makers investing in high-tech and automation systems.Ennoconn’s
China’s top foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC, 中芯), yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand would continue to underpin orders for its production and that it had raised prices for its most sought-after capacity.SMIC co-chief executive officer Zhao H
Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an interview on Monday that Taiwanese students should learn how to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and think independently, adding that education must place greater emphasis on problem solving, judgement and knowledge application, rathe
At the end of last month, Taiwan’s Public Television Service (PTS) warned that proposed cuts and freezes to this year’s budget had exceeded NT$1 billion (US$31.2 million) — close to half of the government funding it receives — while funding for the international platform TaiwanPlus faced being almos
The Legislative Yuan on Tuesday continued cross-caucus negotiations to discuss this fiscal year’s general budget, but Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) was once again absent. KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that he could not represent the caucus if F
sWIATEK CLAIMS TITLE: The Polish player said winning the tournament meant a lot to her because she had improved her game, ‘despite all the opinions on the Internet’ Ben Shelton on Thursday defended his Montreal Masters title, beating Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in an all-American final.The fifth-seeded Shelton has seven career ATP Tour victories, also winning this year in Dallas, Munich and Stuttgart. He won the Canadian event last year in Toronto.“Tennis-
Edwin Diaz is out of explanations and manager Dave Roberts is almost out of patience after the latest untimely meltdown by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ problematic bullpen on Thursday.The Dodgers took a two-run lead into the ninth inning with Diaz, the highest-paid closer in the MLB, on the mound. The d
On a Manila court made of crushed seashells, an earnest four-year-old sends a forehand sailing wide — one of dozens of children aiming to follow in the footsteps of the Philippines’ first homegrown tennis sensation, Alexandra Eala.The 21-year-old’s rise has sparked a rush of interest in a sport typi
TABLE TENNISTaiwanese pair advanceTaiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Cheng I-ching on Thursday upset the world’s top-ranked mixed doubles pair to reach the semi-finals at the WTT Europe Smash in Malmo, Sweden. The Taiwanese duo, ranked 11th in the world, defeated South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin 11-
‘NOT ALONE’: Colombians are helping one another, bringing food, water and other necessities to affected neighborhoods, with many lining up to donate blood Colombia’s disaster relief chief vowed to find the hundreds of people still missing after a massive earthquake, as rescuers dug through rubble early yesterday following the end of a critical lifesaving period.The strongest quake to hit Colombia this century devastated the western cities of Cali and
DIVISIVE POSITION: The far-right One Nation party, which is gaining popularity, wants Canberra to re-evaluate ties with international organizations and cut aid Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong in a speech yesterday defended multiculturalism as “the only Australia that has ever existed,” pushing back against the ascendant far-right One Nation party.Malaysian-born Wong warned against “external and internal forces” seeking to divide the count
In blazing temperatures, Muhammad Idrees ladles boiled dates from a vat simmering over an open flame, work that laborers lament is getting hotter each year in Pakistan’s southern Sindh Province.Date season arrives in July, when temperatures in Sindh regularly hit the mid-40°C. Workers start before s
These few weeks will decide who ends up on the ballot, and who does not, in this year’s elections. Registration closes on Sep. 4, but until then, politicians may drop in or drop out of the race. Both the pan-green Democratic Progressive Party and the its supporters (DPP) and the pan-blue Chinese Nat
Starting dramatically on a historic trail built by the Japanese above a hot springs town and ending unceremoniously on a muddy, leech-infested forest road after what could be your worst night’s sleep ever in the mountains, the Mabolasi Traverse (馬博拉斯橫斷) is full of challenge and reward. For fit hiker
It was an unexpected turn of events after seeing Jane Schoenbrun’s buzzy third feature Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. Suddenly, after nearly 30 years of not thinking about the Counting Crows, their 1996 ballad A Long December was firmly stuck in my head, and it wouldn’t go away.The film itsel
Most prescriptions come with a list of side effects. The Swedish Prescription, however, offers pine-scented air, the slow rhythm of Nordic life, and the idea that recovery can happen in a forest rather than a clinic. Launched by Visit Sweden, this initiative was created in cooperation with medical
A: Besides the National Palace Museum’s Tibetan Dragon Canon exhibit, other popular summer events include the Yilan Children’s Folklore & Folkgame Festival, Taitung’s International Balloon Festival and the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival.B: Hey, do you wanna go to Taipei Zoo to se
A: The National Palace Museum has launched an exhibit titled “Tibetan Dragon Canon: A Symphony of Imperial Power, Belief, and Art in a Golden Age.”B: In 1667, during the Qing Dynasty, then Emperor Kangxi initiated an ambitious Buddhist cultural project — the production of a deluxe gold-inked manus
| New Taipei City | 31-35 | 90% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 31-34 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu City | 31-33 | 20% | |
| Taipei City | 32-36 | 90% | |
| Miaoli County | 31-34 | 30% | |
| Taoyuan City | 31-35 | 90% |  |
| Keelung City | 30-32 | 90% | |
| Yunlin County | 30-33 | 50% | |
| Taichung City | 31-33 | 40% | |
| Nantou County | 30-34 | 40% | |
| Changhua County | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Chiayi County | 30-33 | 90% | |
| Chiayi City | 29-33 | 80% | |
| Tainan City | 30-32 | 80% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 30-32 | 80% | |
| Pingtung County | 29-32 | 90% | |
| Yilan County | 31-34 | 40% | |
| Hualien County | 30-33 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 30-33 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 29-31 | 20% |  |
| Penghu County | 29-31 | 30% | |
| Lienchiang County | 29-32 | 20% | |
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