Sat, May 17, 2025
QUESTIONABLE: Capital punishment has not been abolished and the death sentence has been ruled constitutional, so the motion was a waste of money, Rosalia Wu said The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-proposed referendum opposing the abolition of the death penalty, with a 54:48 vote.The bill yesterday questioned the legality of all courts across different circuits having to reach a unanimous decision in a capital sentence r
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) would be the final torchbearer at the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei City today, the Games’ executive committee said yesterday.Huang agreeing to be the torchbearer for the Games highlighted the new role of technology in th
Paris has filed a case against Tehran at the top UN court over two French citizens who have been held in Iran for three years, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said yesterday.The announcement comes as Iranian negotiators met with their counterparts from the UK, France
At least 93 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza yesterday as US President Donald Trump wrapped up his regional trip.Strikes overnight hit across Gaza, including the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis. The Gaza Health Ministry said hundreds more were injured in addition
DEMOGRAPHICS: Robotics is the most promising answer to looming labor woes, the long-term care system and national contingency response, an official said Taiwan is to launch a five-year plan to boost the robotics industry in a bid to address labor shortages stemming from a declining and aging population, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.The government approved the initiative, dubbed the Smart Robotics Industry Promotion Plan, via executive order, se
PORCUPINE BILL: The legislation would put Taiwan into the NATO Plus category for shorter congressional notification times and higher weapons value thresholds Two US senators have introduced legislation to streamline arms sales to Taiwan by adopting similar rules as those used for “NATO Plus” countries.The providing our regional companions upgraded protections in nefarious environments act, or PORCUPINE Act, was introduced on Tuesday by US senators Pete R
EXTRA EFFORT: More diversified environmental policies are needed, as lowering PM2.5 levels is becoming harder due to diminishing returns and higher ozone pollution The Ministry of Environment yesterday published a white paper on air quality policies aiming to bring down PM2.5 level to 8 micrograms per cubic meter while achieving the carbon reduction goal of 38 percent, plus or minus 2 percent, by 2035.The white paper was formulated using a bottom-up approach b
PROLIFERATION: Effective forest restoration has allowed the population of Formosan black bears to expand, resulting in increased encounters between bears and humans Human-bear coexistence would be prioritized in future conservation policies, as Formosan black bears are proliferating and forming a breeding population in low-altitude areas, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said yesterday.Formosan black bear populations
A bus crashed into a wall outside Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport early yesterday morning, injuring 31 people, including 22 foreign travelers, the Tourism Administration said.The incident occurred at 1:35am when a Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport bus operating Route 1819 made a left turn after departi
Evading compulsory military service is a criminal offense punishable by up to seven years in prison, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday, following reports of entertainers being investigated for evading service.Local media have reported on 36 cases of people who are under investigation for a
The Yuli Township (玉里) Office in Hualien County has sparked controversy after introducing 150 non-native fish into a local park pond as part of a campaign to enhance the area’s biodiversity.In a social media post earlier this week, the township office announced that it had recently introduced koi fi
HOUSE HEARING: Retired US rear admiral Mark Montgomery said that aside from military hardware, a joint training team in Taiwan should be doubled to 1,000 The US should double the size of its joint training team in Taiwan in addition to providing military equipment as part of efforts to help Taiwan’s military face threats posed by China, retired US Navy rear admiral Mark Montgomery said on Thursday.Montgomery made the remarks as a witness at a hearing
A bipartisan group of US representatives has introduced a bill to codify the “six assurances” as official US policy.The six assurances to Taiwan act, introduced on Thursday by US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and five cosponsors, would also require congressional approval for any attempts to alt
KAOHSIUNG SPEECH: The army engineers and the navy’s anti-submarine aviation command are the ‘cornerstones of the armed forces,’ the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday offered his support and encouragement to the armed forces ahead of what the government has warned could be a new round of Chinese military exercises near Taiwan from as early as next week.Taiwan cannot rule out that China would hold more military drills to “stir
Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), head of the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, on Thursday met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in South Korea, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said in Taipei yesterday, without providing details on what specifically was discusse
STABLE: The company plans an additional US$4 billion investment in Texas, bringing its total to US$7.5 billion, as US clients seek locally produced wafers to mitigate tariff risks GlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓), the world’s third-largest silicon wafer supplier, yesterday said that it plans to invest an additional US$4 billion in the US, citing growing demand from US customers seeking locally produced wafers amid ongoing uncertainty over US tariff policies.The announcement was made at
US chipmaker Nvidia Corp is planning to build a research and development center in Shanghai, the Financial Times reported yesterday, as tighter export restrictions imposed by Washington threaten sales in the key Chinese market.The tougher US controls in recent years have prevented the California-bas
EXPANSION: The company is considering shifting some notebook computer production to Mexico, eyeing the preferential conditions under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement Wistron Corp (緯創), a contract manufacturer of servers and notebook computers, yesterday said that its new US plant would begin producing high-performance computing (HPC) devices for customers by the end of next year, as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of US tariffs.The company has secured its
On May 1, The Economist published an article titled “A Superpower Crunch Over Taiwan Is Coming,” examining the growing risk of conflict over Taiwan amid deteriorating US-China relations. The piece says that Taiwan’s importance has increased economically, due to its critical role in global semiconduc
In an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) on Wednesday said that international exchanges are a positive experience for students.However, he did not encourage attending exchange programs in China.“I don’t
On April 22, terrorists killed 25 Indian civilians and one Nepali national in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF), an alleged proxy of the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility before quickly retracting the statement. When India sought to name the
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table.Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blan
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final.American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in t
Nikola Jokic on Thursday scored 29 points and unheralded bench player Julian Strawther produced a crucial late burst as the Denver Nuggets clinched a series-leveling 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.A hard-fought NBA Western Conference semi-final series now goes to a decisiv
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics.Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by takin
DEALS AND PLEDGES: The US president’s trip included securing ‘trillions of dollars,’ the lifting on sanctions on Syria, and talks of a US-UAE technology and AI partnership US President Donald Trump yesterday capped off a Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi that has seen the securing of multibillion-dollar deals, a US$1.4 trillion investment pledge from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as historic overtures to Syria and renewed optimism over an Iran nuclear deal.On his first
Calligraphy by a South Korean independence hero, created while awaiting execution for assassinating a Japanese statesman, is breaking new auction records in Seoul, as the country’s ultra-rich seek to bring historic artwork home.Revered in the South for his efforts to defend the country against Japan
Russia and Ukraine yesterday held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the war.A Ukrainian delegation led by Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov wa
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parti
The 27th Taipei Film Festival yesterday announced the nominees for this year’s Taipei Film Awards, with Dead Talents Society leading with 14 nominations, closely followed by Yen and Ai-Lee and Mongrel with 12 and 10 nominations respectively.Known for its million-dollar grand prize, a total of 274 en
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American intern
Dog owners often wish they could understand their pets’ thoughts. “Dog buttons” might turn their dream into a reality. These specially designed buttons, __1__ sound chips, enable dogs to communicate their needs by pressing buttons corresponding to pre-recorded words like “walk,” “play,” “outside,” a
A: Where will the 35 sports of the 2025 World Masters Games be held?B: Apart from Taipei and New Taipei City, some games will take place in Yilan County, Taoyuan County, and Hsinchu County and City.A: The news says about 25,000 people, including many celebrities and sports stars, have already reg
A: The 2025 World Masters Games will begin on May 17 and run until May 30.B: World Masters Games?A: It’s a quadrennial multi-sport event for people over 30, which will be jointly held by Taipei and New Taipei City. B: Cool, maybe we can go cheer for all the athletes from home and abroad.A: The
April 21 to April 27 Hsieh Er’s (謝娥) political fortunes were rising fast after she got out of jail and joined the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in December 1945. Not only did she hold key positions in various committees, she was elected the only woman on the Taipei City Council and headed to Nanjing in 1946 as the sole Taiwanese female representative to the National Constituent Assembly. With the support of first lady Soong May-ling (宋美齡), she started the Taipei Women’s Association and Taiwan Provincial Women’s Association, where she sought to improve women’s welfare and boost participation in politics. On April 24, 1948, Hsieh was elected Taiwan’s first female legislator, garnering the sixth-highest votes nationwide. She served with her usual enthusiasm and energy at first — but abruptly quit in October 1949, moving to the US and not returning until 1991. Growing up under Japanese rule, Hsieh was a bright and outspoken student who became Taiwan’s first female surgeon in 1940. She deeply resented colonial rule, and in 1943 she was arrested for plotting to sabotage the Japanese troops and help the Allies take over Taiwan. The authorities offered to release her if she would collaborate with the Japanese on medical work, but she staunchly refused, remaining in jail and subject to torture until the end of World War II. “As long as I have a drop of blood left, I belong to the Chinese people!” she reportedly said defiantly. As such, she was happy to work with the KMT, finding herself quite adept at navigating the treacherous world of politics. So why did she leave Taiwan? HEADSTRONG YOUTH Hsieh was born in January 1918 in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華); her father ran a Chinese restaurant next to the Red House in the Ximending
One of the most transformative technical achievements in human history took place on Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik 1 into orbit. Americans, utterly convinced of their technical and industrial superiority at the time were shocked, though some tried to play it down by dubbing it the “beeping grapefruit” due to its size and sole capability. That jibe was entirely unfair, as it was a proof-of-concept mission. That they were able to achieve the historic first of launching into space and accurately position a satellite to orbit the earth was a singular achievement. The beeping radio waves ensured they could both prove and track their success. Two months later, the American launch of Vanguard failed spectacularly. Many Americans did take Sputnik very seriously at the time, and the term “Sputnik moment” today means an existential wake-up call. Those that took it seriously were proven correct; in less than four years the Soviets went from a “beeping grapefruit” to sending the incredibly brave Yuri Gagarin into space and safely returning, a first for humanity. Note the positive language I used in describing the Soviet achievements. It is not to praise the Soviet Union, one of the most murderous regimes in history, but the talented people who accomplished these goals. This distinction is relevant in a Chinese context today. SOVIET DOWNFALL When DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence (AI) was launched in January, it was laughably dubbed a “Sputnik moment.” It was not even close. It was not a revolutionary leap into the unknown but rather an evolutionary improvement on the AI offerings already available. Still, it was impressive and a wake-up call to the American tech giants that the Chinese were competitive. A string of recent AI releases by a range of Chinese tech giants proved that DeepSeek was not alone,
| New Taipei City | 24-27 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 22-24 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu City | 22-24 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 24-28 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 22-25 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 23-27 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 22-25 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 24-27 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 24-26 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 24-27 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 23-25 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 24-27 | 10% |  |
| Chiayi City | 25-28 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 25-27 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 26-28 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 27-30 | 10% |  |
| Yilan County | 22-24 | 20% | |
| Hualien County | 23-25 | 30% |  |
| Taitung County | 24-26 | 20% | |
| Kinmen County | 21-25 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 21-24 | 10% | |
| Lienchiang County | 18-21 | 10% | |
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