Fri, Dec 26, 2025
CATS AND DOGS: Cat owners who fail to microchip their pets would face fines of up to NT$15,000, matching rules for dog owners, the Ministry of Agriculture said The minimum monthly wage next month is to rise to NT$29,500 (US$937.10) from NT$28,590, while the minimum hourly wage would be NT$196, up from NT$190.About 1.74 million people are expected to benefit from the adjustment of the minimum monthly wage, while about 730,000 would benefit from the hourly w
Beijing could eventually see a full invasion of Taiwan as the only “prudent” way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in an annual report to the US Congress on Tuesday.The Pentagon’s Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republi
The north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 officially began operations yesterday and is expected to ease congestion during early-morning transfer and departure peak hours, the airport operator said.About 40 flights are to use the north concourse every day, Taoyuan Inter
Saudi Arabia yesterday formally called on United Arab Emirites (UAE)-backed separatists in Yemen to withdraw from two governorates that their forces control in the country, a move that threatens sparking a confrontation within a fragile coalition battling the Houthi rebels.The statement from the Sau
PENTAGON ASSESSMENT: A US report said that even as China and Russia deepen their partnership, cooperation is hindered by a ‘mutual distrust’ of each other The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as of October had doubled the number of ships and airplanes deployed around Taiwan compared with the previous two years, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said yesterday, a day after the opposition-controlled legislature voted against re
‘JOINT DETERRENCE’: Representative Keisuke Suzuki said that to make sure a Taiwan contingency does not happen, ‘we need to beef up our deterrence capabilities’ Closer bilateral collaboration between Taiwan and Japan is important to enhance joint deterrence capabilities and prevent a “Taiwan contingency,” Japanese Representative Keisuke Suzuki told a news conference in Taipei yesterday as he concluded a three-day visit to the country.Suzuki, a former Japane
NEST EGG: The proposed initiative would fund accounts for children that would become available when they turned 18, giving them a start in adult life The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday announced plans for government-funded investment accounts for children that could be claimed upon turning 18.KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) unveiled the “Taiwan Future Account”
Taiwan should draft a new constitution that includes rights of self-determination and national sovereignty, as well as protections for the environment, members of the Taiwan Go Go Front said on Wednesday.“It is time for Taiwan to say goodbye to the outdated Constitution, as it is based on old concep
A verdict in the trial of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) over allegations that he accepted bribes in the Core Pacific City development project and misused political donations would be handed down in late March, a Taipei judge said on Wednesday.The chief justice of the panel at the Taipei Distri
BETTER BALANCE: The biggest obstacle preventing staff from taking parental leave is the administrative procedures involved, while overtime rules risk overworking others The Ministry of Labor yesterday said that it has decided not to relax regulations governing workers’ overtime hours when it implements flexible parental leave next month, adding that it would instead focus on helping businesses better manage their workforce by ensuring that employers reasonably allo
MEDIA REVOLUTION: Short-form videos have become popular relatively quickly, but one expert said this was not a worry, as media formats are constantly evolving Short-form videos have become the most common media format consumed by Taiwanese, ahead of social media, the Taiwan Network Information Center said in a report released on Wednesday last week.In a survey commissioned by the center, 78.46 percent of respondents had watched a short-form video in the p
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之) yesterday said he would propose a bill that would mandate each municipality to establish at least one “referral school” with enhanced counseling resources to send problematic students.The bill aims to “protect the lives and safety of the
The Chunghwa Post Workers’ Union (CPWU) yesterday said that it would soon negotiate with the management of the state-run postal firm over a proposal to grant employees birthday leave.The union made the proposal after Taiwan Railway Corp said it would implement the policy next month following multipl
The lowering of the eligibility age floor for National Health Insurance (NHI)-funded preventive examinations for adults has benefited 300,000 young adults this year, allowing them to seek care earlier to manage chronic disease, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said on Thursday last week.As
A woman has been ordered by the Chiayi District Court to pay NT$13.97 million (US$443,774) in civil damages for selling her mobile phone number to scammers who used it to defraud the man who filed suit.The verdict can be appealed.According to a civil judgement issued by the court on Friday last week
AI TALENT: No financial details were released about the deal, in which top Groq executives, including its CEO, would join Nvidia to help advance the technology Nvidia Corp has agreed to a licensing deal with artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Groq, furthering its investments in companies connected to the AI boom and gaining the right to add a new type of technology to its products.The world’s largest publicly traded company has paid for the right to use
LENDING WOES: Mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, making borrowing difficult for first-time buyers, Evertrust said Taiwan’s housing market is set to consolidate next year, with transaction volumes expected to hold near this year’s levels as tight mortgage conditions continue to weigh on demand, Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) said on Wednesday, citing a quarterly survey.Between 251,000 and 264,000 home sales are for
Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進), a joint venture between Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車), yesterday launched an electric vehicle (EV) model called Bria.Versions of the model would initially be sold at three prices, ranging from about NT$899,000 to NT$1.15 millio
The Constitutional Court on Friday last week ruled that an opposition-backed amendment to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) was unconstitutional and should be rendered void, as it was passed in an undemocratic manner and goes against the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
Kaohsiung’s Beiling Elementary School has become the nation’s first experimental immersion school for the Hoklo language, (often known as Taiwanese, or Tai-gi). It is a huge step forward for Hoklo-language education, and hopes are high that it could pave the way for more schools around the country.
Tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan have again exposed the fragility of East Asia’s security architecture. Comments by Japanese leaders warning that a Chinese use of force against Taiwan could pose a direct threat to Japan’s security triggered sharp reactions from Beijing, reviving fears of
FAMILY BUSINESS: France legend Zinedine Zidane, whose son was starting in goal for the Desert Foxes, drew cheers from the crowd when he was shown on the big screen Amad Diallo and Riyad Mahrez on Wednesday starred as defending champions Ivory Coast and former winners Algeria had contrasting victories as the first round of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) group matches concluded in Morocco.Manchester United winger Diallo struck early in the second half with a clo
The Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a biennial competition to a tournament held every four years has been met with a mixed reaction on the continent with some seeing it as simply caving in to pressure from European clubs and FIFA.CA
Backup quarterback Luke Weaver on Wednesday night threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, as the University of Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 comeback victory over the University of California, Berkeley in a thrilling Hawaii Bowl.Weaver entered the game after Micah Alejado t
“It’s a lonely place,” Stephen Bunting said, as he sat quietly in Alexandra Palace on Saturday last week, the tears welling in his eyes. “If things don’t go right, you can look at your family, your management, you can look at your sponsors, but it’s down to you — and yeah, I’m getting a bit emotiona
HOMECOMING: Tarique Rahman had been living in London since being tortured by a military government in 2008, but has remained ‘de facto’ leader of his party The son of a former prime minister of Bangladesh returned home yesterday after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile as a front-runner to become the nation’s next leader in upcoming elections.Tarique Rahman moved to London in 2008 for medical treatment with permission after he was tortured while
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday announced plans for a national bravery award to recognize civilians and first responders who confronted “the worst of evil” during an anti-Semitic terror attack that left 15 dead and has cast a heavy shadow over the nation’s holiday season.Albanes
The death of a former head of China’s one-child policy has been met not by tributes, but by castigation of the abandoned policy on social media this week.State media praised Peng Peiyun (彭珮雲), former head of China’s National Family Planning Commission from 1988 to 1998, as “an outstanding leader” in
We lay transfixed under our blankets as the silhouettes of manta rays temporarily eclipsed the moon above us, and flickers of shadow at our feet revealed smaller fish darting in and out of the shelter of the sunken ship. Unwilling to close our eyes against this magnificent spectacle, we continued to
Youngdoung Tenzin is living history of modern Tibet.The Chinese government on Dec. 22 last year sanctioned him along with 19 other Canadians who were associated with the Canada Tibet Committee and the Uighur Rights Advocacy Project.A former political chair of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Onta
Filmmakers Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet are clearly fascinated by ambition. They’re fascinated, too, by dreamers — difficult dreamers, brilliant but demanding people who have plans they must fulfill no matter the personal cost.They’re also interested in dreamers who cross the ocean to America with
A: Compared to Taiwanese, what did Americans search for most in 2025?B: No. 10 to No. 6 are: Tariffs, FIFA Club World Cup, government shutdown, DeepSeek and incoming New York mayor Zohran Mamdani.A: Mamdani is set to take office on Jan. 1. And what are the top five?B: No. 5 to No. 1 are: the One Big
A: Google has unveiled its 2025 Year in Search chart. No. 10 to No. 6 are: Typhoon Podul, Chinese drama “Love’s Ambition,” tariffs, US President Donald Trump and singer Khalil Fong’s death.B: Wow, actress Rosy Zhao’s new drama is so popular. So what are the top five?A: No. 5 to No. 1 are: Gemini, ha
In June, headlines shocked the art world when a visitor damaged a 17th-century painting at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, while posing for a photograph. This was not an isolated event. Recently, similar disasters have been reported worldwide, from a child damaging a Mark Rothko painting to
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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