Thu, Feb 12, 2026
PUSHBACK: The KMT’s Fu Kun-chi, speaking the same day 11 Chinese military aircraft were detected near Taiwan, said the Cabinet’s version of the budget would not pass The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) does not oppose prioritizing the Executive Yuan’s proposed special defense budget alongside its own version for review after the Lunar New Year holiday, TPP caucus convener Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) said yesterday.He added that the party is not seeking to block the Cabine
GOOD TIDINGS: The TAIEX surged 10,080.3 points during the Year of the Snake, with TSMC benefiting heavily from an AI boom, soaring 68.72 percent, TWSE data showed The TAIEX yesterday rose 532.74 points — or 1.61 percent — to close at a record high 33,605.71 and cap the Year of the Snake with a 42.84 percent rally, as individual investors pocketed an average gain of NT$2.46 million (US$78,149) over the period.Yesterday was the last trading session of the Year
The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) yesterday released the first images from its Formosat-8A satellite, featuring high-resolution views of Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), Tainan’s Anping District (安平), Kaohsiung’s Singda Harbor (興達港), Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo and Barcelona airport.Formosat-8A, na
Ten people including the shooter are dead after an assailant on Tuesday opened fire at a high school in western Canada in one of the country’s deadliest mass casualty events in recent history.The attack was carried out by a shooter described as “a female in a dress with brown hair,” police said.Six
The US on Tuesday barred Palauan Senate President Hokkons Baules and his family from entering the US, accusing him of corruption linked to China, as Washington pushes back on Beijing’s effort to boost its influence in the Pacific.“Baules abused his public position by accepting bribes in exchange for
President William Lai (賴清德) this morning told the nation that “defense cannot wait,” as he urged the legislature to pass the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.74 billion) special defense budget. The Executive Yuan on Nov. 27 approved the budget to strengthen Taiwan’s defense and asymmetr
The number of people in Taiwan opposed to abolishing the death penalty has reached a 10-year high, survey results released by National Chung Cheng University today showed.Of the survey’s respondents, 84.67 percent said they oppose abolishing the death penalty, while 66.91 percent said they are “comp
President William Lai (賴清德) today expressed condolences to the victims of a fatal school shooting in Canada, offering sympathies to the families of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.Nine people were killed and 27 injured in the shooting on Tuesday in the rural town of Tumbler Ri
The High Court today overturned a lower court’s acquittal of two people who were accused of accepting Chinese funds to organize trips to China to buy votes.Yao Wei-hua (姚韋華), a borough warden in New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城), was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and Chien An
China has built an “army of lawyers” to intimidate and constrain Taiwan, threatening “long-arm jurisdiction” beyond its own borders to persecute what it calls “die-hard Taiwan independence separatists,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released on Tuesday.The report,
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today indicted 10 legislators on charges including causing injury, while four others were not prosecuted, following a series of physical altercations in the Legislative Yuan throughout 2024 and last year.During the investigation, several legislators cited Judi
The US’ new "America First Arms Transfer Strategy" could benefit Taiwan, though much would depend on how it is implemented and whether Taipei approves sufficient funding, US defense experts said yesterday.The new foreign military sales (FMS) guidance could be helpful for Taiwan "if done properly,” s
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said it has filed civil litigation against the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) and its editor-in-chief Tzou Jiing-wen (鄒景雯), accusing the paper of publishing "entirely untrue" reports on exchanges between the KMT and the Chinese Commun
EFFICIENT TRAVEL OPTION: The airline has also launched a new group tour service called ‘Nine-Day Eastern US Highlights’ in collaboration with Taiwanese travel agencies EVA Airways yesterday announced that it would launch a direct flight service from Taipei to Washington on June 26, with four flights to be provided each week at the initial stage.The airline said that its North American network would grow to include 10 gateways with the new route, making it the Taiw
AVOIDING ILLNESS: Leftover food should be reheated to a core temperature of 70°C or higher to kill most bacteria that might have grown during storage, the FDA said The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday offered a “3-5-2 formula” — three tips for reheating food safely, five food sanitation and safety guidelines, and two types of food to avoid — to ensure food safety and prevent foodborne illnesses during the Lunar New Year holiday.With the long holida
Taiwan’s GDP per capita could exceed US$40,000 this year and the monthly minimum wage could top NT$30,000 if the economy continues its steady growth trajectory, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. Taiwan reported economic growth of 8.63 percent last year, with GDP per capita rising to US$39,477 a
VULNERABLE: Chinese smartphone vendors such as Xiaomi and Transsion would see deeper corrections given their larger exposure to entry-level models, TrendForce said Surging memorychip prices are expected to curtail global smartphone shipments by as much as 15 percent this year, with Chinese phone vendors suffering the brunt due to their larger exposure to entry-level models, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said in a report yesterday.Global smartphone shipments are proje
COLLABORATION: Taiwan and the US could jointly find solutions to weaknesses in supply chain resilience for critical materials, focusing on mining and initial refinement Taiwan is likely to purchase rare earths from the US in the future, and is also in talks with Australia and Canada to strengthen global rare earth supply chain security, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.Taiwan and the US last month concluded the sixth Economic Prosper
President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on their historic landslide victory in Japan’s general election.The LDP secured the largest single-party majority in post-World War II Japan, winning 316 seats. The win i
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has led her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a sweeping victory in a snap election over the weekend, securing 316 seats and a two-thirds majority in the Japanese House of Representatives. While major foreign media outlets have rushed to report on the landslide
More than one month has passed since the Gregorian new year, yet there are still a few more days before the Year of the Snake comes to an end and the Year of the Horse begins. This is an exceptionally exciting moment — one could say it is time for the “Dance of the Golden Snake” (金蛇狂舞) as adrenaline
UNDER PRESSURE: Thomas Frank was met with chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ by disgruntled Spurs supporters after a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United Benjamin Sesko on Tuesday salvaged a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at West Ham United as Michael Carrick’s perfect start came to an end, while Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United pushed Thomas Frank closer to the exit door.The Irons kept one Manchester United fan who has vowed not to
US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin on Tuesday suffered more Winter Olympic heartbreak, while Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych vowed to continue wearing a banned helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia.On the ice in Milan, US figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin further burnished his growin
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday ran roughshod over the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers, the French superstar matching his NBA season high with 40 points in a 136-108 rout.Wembanyama, whose California swing includes a second All-Star Game appearance on Sunday, added 12 rebou
Opener Sahibzada Farhan on Tuesday hit a solid half-century, while spinner Usman Tariq grabbed three wickets as Pakistan downed the US by 32 runs in a T20 World Cup Group A game in Colombo.The 29-year-old hit five sixes and six fours in his 41-ball 73 and was aided by a brilliant 32-ball 46 by Babar
BEYOND BORDERS: Anna Kwok called her father’s conviction ‘transnational repression’ based on ‘incoherent fiction,’ while a rights activist said it set a dangerous precedent The father of a US-based activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities was yesterday convicted for attempting to deal with his daughter’s financial assets in the territory, in the first court case of its kind brought under a homegrown national security law.Kwok Yin-sang’s (郭賢生) daughter Anna Kwok (郭鳳儀) i
DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT: Parties have recalibrated their messages to reach young voters, taking campaigns online and investing heavily in content on Facebook and TikTok Millions of young Bangladeshis are today to vote for the first time in a landmark election to determine the country’s leadership following a 2024 student-led uprising that ended former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule.The vote is also to include a landmark referendum for sweeping democ
A group of Buddhist monks — bearing a message of peace — walked into the heart of Washington on Tuesday, greeted by large, joyful crowds as they completed their 15-week trek from Texas.In their saffron and maroon robes, the monks became fixtures on social media as they made their way through the sou
The Taipei Times reported this week that “independent” Legislator May Chin (高金素梅), who aligns with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and 17 others were questioned after prosecutors searched her office over alleged corruption involving national security concerns tied to campaign finances and assis
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is entering the Year of the Horse with reasonable expectations of riding to victory in November’s nine-in-one elections, but there are concerns within the party that they could instead ride off a cliff. We cannot be sure what “unknown unknowns” are out there, but
When Bilahari Kausikan defines Singapore as a small country “whose ability to influence events outside its borders is always limited but never completely non-existent,” we wish we could say the same about Taiwan. In a little book called The Myth of the Asian Century, he demolishes a number of precon
A: The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics just opened in Italy last weekend. Nineteen-year-old Li Yu-hsiang has successfully qualified for the event, becoming Taiwan’s second figure skater to compete in the Winter Games.B: I love to watch figure skating. Who are the most notable male figure skater
The UK government has unveiled plans to lower the national voting age from 18 to 16, a transformation set to take effect in the next general election. With youth turnout at historic lows, the reform is framed as a way to reengage younger citizens and restore trust in the political process, though re
Russian figure skater Petr Gumennik has been forced to change his short program music two days before the men’s program at the Milan Cortina Olympics after joining a growing list of figure skaters dealing with copyright issues.Gumennik, who is participating as a neutral athlete at the Winter Games,
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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