Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland ’s Warfare is more defined by what it isn’t than what it is.In their Iraq War-set film, there’s never any description of a wider strategy. There are no backstories to the American Navy SEALs whom we follow on an unspectacular mission. There’s not a short monologue about
In a small church tucked into a side street in northern China’s Hebei province, a group of around 10 people gathered for their weekly meeting, the day after Pope Francis died aged 88.The Vatican on Monday announced the death of the Argentine pontiff, who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists d
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) hatched a bold plan to charge forward and seize the initiative when he held a protest in front of the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office. Though risky, because illegal, its success would help tackle at least six problems facing both himself and th
Dogs are not simply “fur babies” or best friend but a blend of both, researchers have found in a study they say highlights the special status of pets.The study suggests owners rate their relationship with their dogs as being as satisfying or more satisfying than their closest human relationships. Ho
They’ve been called a cult, accused of coercive fundraising, and legally disbanded in Japan. But in a mountainous town nestled in South Korea, thousands of “Moonies” gathered this month for a mass wedding.Around 1,300 couples from dozens of countries tied the knot at the Unification Church’s sprawli
Many years ago there was a BBC children’s TV program called Why Don’t You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?. Its aim was to encourage kids to spending their summer holidays helping grannies across the street or litter-picking rather than lying on the so
How much of a US$450 pot would you give to a charity that cuts carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy, and how much would you keep for yourself? That was the question posed in a recent academic experiment. The answers mattered: real money was handed out as a result to some randomly chosen
The gym is back. A few years of exhorting people to socially distance and wipe down machines, gym chains are removing cleaning stations, while their clientele go back to sharing kit and sweating all over the benches. Nature, as they say, is healing.But how many people are using their membership, and
In the March 9 edition of the Taipei Times a piece by Ninon Godefroy ran with the headine “The quiet, gentle rhythm of Taiwan.” It started with the line “Taiwan is a small, humble place. There is no Eiffel Tower, no pyramids — no singular attraction that draws the world’s attention.”I laughed out lo
Time was, the ultimate honor for any ambitious chef was to gain a Michelin star or two. Better still, three. But these days, the world of fine dining is in a state of flux. Far from going to any lengths to schmooze critics or diners, restaurateurs are taking them on, from publicly berating customers
It is one of the more remarkable facts of Taiwan history that it was never occupied or claimed by any of the numerous kingdoms of southern China — Han or otherwise — that lay just across the water from it. None of their brilliant ministers ever discovered that Taiwan was a “core interest” of the sta
April 21 to April 27Hsieh 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 head
Mongolian influencer Anudari Daarya looks effortlessly glamorous and carefree in her social media posts — but the classically trained pianist’s road to acceptance as a transgender artist has been anything but easy.She is one of a growing number of Mongolian LGBTQ youth challenging stereotypes and fi
More than 75 years after the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four, the Orwellian phrase “Big Brother is watching you” has become so familiar to most of the Taiwanese public that even those who haven’t read the novel recognize it.That phrase has now been given a new look by amateur translator Tsiu Ing
The other day, a friend decided to playfully name our individual roles within the group: planner, emotional support, and so on. I was the fault-finder — or, as she put it, “the grumpy teenager” — who points out problems, but doesn’t suggest alternatives.She was only kidding around, but she struck at
Name: The perfect day.Apearance: Data driven.The perfect day? Huh. Good luck with that. You seem down — is your day going badly?Honestly, it’s a mixed bag. The world is sliding into geopolitical chaos and climate collapse while Jeff Bezos sends Katy Perry into space, but on the plus side, I’ve just
Before Jack Ryan was introduced into the culture, Robert Littell imagined Charlie Heller, a quiet, CIA cryptographer who goes rogue on a quest for vengeance after his love is killed by terrorists.As star of The Amateur, currently in Taiwan theaters, Rami Malek gets to be both skittish nerd and cooll
South Korean actor Simon Lee was stunned when he saw his likeness — at times as a gynecologist or a surgeon — being used to promote questionable health cures on TikTok and Instagram.He is one of scores of people who have licensed their image to AI marketing companies, and then ended up with the unpl
US President Donald Trump’s bid to take back control of the Panama Canal has put his counterpart Jose Raul Mulino in a difficult position and revived fears in the Central American country that US military bases will return.After Trump vowed to reclaim the interoceanic waterway from Chinese influence
RSS