Sat, Nov 23, 2024
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) has accepted the resignation of Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) amid criticism of her handling of the death of a worker who was allegedly bullied by a supervisor, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.Cho has appointed Ho’s deputy, Chen Ming-jen (陳明仁), as acting labor mini
AFP and Reuters, THE HAGUE, London, Berlin and ParisThe International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister as well as Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.The unprecedented move drew a furious reaction fro
EXCHANGES: The US and South Korea have accused Pyongyang of sending 10,000 soldiers to help Russia in its nearly three-year war with Ukraine Russia provided North Korea with oil, anti-air missiles and economic help in exchange for troops to support Moscow’s war on Ukraine, government officials and a research group said yesterday.The US and South Korea have accused the nuclear-armed North of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russi
Seasonal northeasterly winds could strengthen to a cold air mass and push temperatures in northern Taiwan down to about 14°C on Thursday and Friday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.While the northeasterly winds are expected to weaken on Sunday, resulting in temperatures acros
YOUTH PROGRAM: NT$1 billion would be allocated to cover the program next year, followed by NT$2 billion in 2026, NT$3 billion in 2027 and NT$4 billion in 2028 Starting next year, young Taiwanese can apply for individual subsidies of up to NT$2 million (US$61,453) for internships abroad as part of an Executive Yuan program approved yesterday.The four-year program proposed by the Ministry of Education was approved at the weekly Cabinet meeting. It was one o
‘AI SOVEREIGNTY’: TSMC would build a new plant in Taiwan every year over the next decade, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo said on Wednesday The government is to allocate about NT$30 billion (US$922 million) annually over three years for artificial intelligence (AI) development and seek to enhance cooperation with the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump, National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regu
Labor laws should be amended to allow civil servants to unionize and protect the rights of employees to disconnect from work after hours, the Taipei-based Chinese Federation of Labor (CFL) said yesterday. The federation issued the call following the report of a recent suicide by a worker surnamed Wu
DISCOVERY: The small goby was first recorded in northern Taiwan in 2012, but improper storage of samples prevented the fish from being officially named A new species of fish has been discovered and named Stiphodon chlorestes by a research team from National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU).The research team led by Liao Te-yu (廖德裕), a professor of oceanography at NSYSU, identified the new species among specimens collected from rivers in Taiwan and nor
The Garden of Hope Foundation on Thursday urged the government and employers to implement measures to safeguard migrant workers’ human rights.According to the group’s most recent survey, 69 percent of migrant workers have not been taught to observe work safety, while issues of work discrimination an
A Malaysian backpacker was arrested on suspicion of acting as a money mule when he prepared to receive NT$1 million (US$30,681) in cash in Chiayi City last week, local police said earlier this week.Someone who was allegedly defrauded of millions of New Taiwan dollars reported the case to the police
CANADA: The former president, who was to deliver a keynote speech at an annual security summit in Canada today, thanked Taiwanese compatriots for their support Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Canada on Thursday urged Taiwanese compatriots in the North American country to continue to work for Taiwan by supporting its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).Speaking at a luncheon organized by Taiwa
SUPPLY CHAINS: Taiwan’s democratic values and advanced technologies give it a competitive advantage in the drone industry, an insider said Taiwanese drone companies have expanded their reach into the European market by signing two memorandums of understanding (MOU) with Lithuania to enhance collaboration in the uncrewed aerial vehicle industry.The MOUs were signed on Thursday during the Drone Industry Business Forum in Vilnius by a rep
A proposal by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus to set up an investigation committee into National Development Fund (NDF) investments passed during a plenary vote at the legislature yesterday.Despite opposition from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the proposal passed with Chinese Nation
Former Dingyue Development Corp president Chu Yea-hu (朱亞虎) was released on bail yesterday by the Taipei District Court after prosecutors said he confessed amid an investigation into Core Pacific Group and the former Taipei administration.Chu is among the 22 people listed as defendants in an investig
RECORD LOWS: The national unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.4 percent last month, the lowest in 24 years, and is expected to fall even lower by the year’s end The unemployment rate last month shed 0.03 percentage points to 3.4 percent, the lowest in 24 years, as fewer workers quit and more first-time jobseekers landed positions, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.The jobless rate, an important gauge for hou
GROWTH ENGINE: Wistron expects AI-related orders to grow on enterprise demand and to comprise more than 50 percent of Wistron’s revenue next year Electronics maker Wistron Corp (緯創) yesterday said it is shipping artificial intelligence (AI) server racks based on the newest Blackwell chip from Nvidia Corp this quarter, which would be a new growth engine to propel the company’s revenue contribution from AI-related devices and servers next year.
China’s Huawei Technologies Co (華為) plans to start mass-producing its most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip in the first quarter of next year, even as it struggles to make enough chips due to US restrictions, two people familiar with the matter said.The telecoms conglomerate has sent sampl
The Hong Kong High Court on Tuesday sentenced 45 rights advocates to up to 10 years in prison following a national security trial, illustrating the contempt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has for democracy and its insatiable desire to crush all who threaten its monopoly on political power. T
The curtains closed earlier this month at the Taipei International Travel Fair, which had a special exhibition highlighting tourism to diplomatically aligned countries. Guatemala’s and Paraguay’s ministers of tourism traveled more than halfway across the world to help host the project. Tourism and t
The knife attack on the Bannan Line train at the beginning of this month was a grim reminder that safety on public transportation encompasses more than infrastructure and security management — it also involves mitigating the potential risks posed by passengers experiencing mental health issues. Seve
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive.The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball to
India yesterday roared back into the first Test against Australia after being skittled for 150, taking seven wickets in the final session to put themselves in the box seat after a riveting opening day in Perth.At the close the hosts were in disarray on 67-7 after Jasprit Bumrah demolished the Austra
With a restructuring at Andretti Global that pushed Michael Andretti into a smaller role, the chances of his organization landing a Formula 1 team have substantially increased.So much so that F1 and Formula One Management could have a decision to grant the General Motors (GM)-backed entry a spot as
Shohei Ohtani is going to save the newspaper industry in Japan — singlehandedly.The Japanese and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar on Thursday won his third Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, this time picking up his first MVP in the National League. He had already won two in the American League — in 202
RETALIATION: Tehran said it would launch a significant series of ‘advanced’ centrifuges after the nuclear watchdog said it had failed to comply with non-proliferation obligations Iran yesterday said it would launch a series of “new and advanced” centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the UN nuclear watchdog that censures Tehran for what the agency called lack of cooperation.The censure motion brought by Britain, France, Germany and the US at the 35-nation board o
ESCALATION: Ukraine’s allies condemned Russia after it test-fired a new intermediate-range missile at Ukraine, with Putin hinting at more to come Russia yesterday said it had scuppered Kyiv’s military objectives for next year just after President Vladimir Putin issued a warning to the West by test-firing a new intermediate-range missile at Ukraine.That assessment for next year came after a Russian drone attack at night on the eastern Ukrainia
US president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said he would nominate former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), turning to a longtime ally after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations.Bon
The only geopolitical certainty is that massive change is coming. Three macro trends are only just starting to accelerate, forming a very disruptive background to an already unsettled future. One is that technological transformations exponentially more consequential and rapid than anything prior are
Anyone who has been to Alishan (阿里山) is familiar with the railroad there: one line comes up from Chiayi City past the sacred tree site, while another line goes up to the sunrise viewing platform at Zhushan (祝山). Of course, as a center of logging operations for over 60 years, Alishan did have more ra
The rhythms of bustling, working-class Mumbai are brought to vivid life in All We Imagine as Light. The stunning narrative debut of filmmaker Payal Kapadia explores the lives of three women in the city whose existence is mostly transit and work. Even that isn’t always enough to get by and pay the re
It’s likely that you may know someone who has had their appendix removed, or at least you’ve heard of the operation. An appendectomy is typically performed when the appendix, a small pouch next to the intestines, becomes inflamed or infected, leading to severe pain and potential complications if lef
A: And which films are nominated for the Golden Horse Awards’ Best Narrative Feature?B: The nominees are: “All Shall Be Well,” ”Stranger Eyes,” “Dead Talents Society,” “An Unfinished Film” and “Bel Ami.”A: I heard that “Bel Ami” is a great gay-themed comedy from China.B: Yeah, and as many as 276
A: Who are nominated for Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards?B: The nominees are: Jason King, Chang Chen, Neo Yau, Wanlop Rungkumjad and Zhang Zhiyong.A: How about Best Leading Actress?B: The nominees are: Patra Au, Kimi Hsia, Chung Suet-ying, Sylvia Chang and Sandra Ng.A: What are yo
It’s certainly been a pleasure watching the presidential campaign launch of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) lurch painfully about like a wounded pachyderm in search of an elephant graveyard. Hou’s fall to third place in some polls last week appears early, and it might still be recoverable. But grumbling in his party about replacing him has already begun. Indeed, all indications are that the party that twice gave us Lien Chan (連戰), the most despised politician in Taiwan, as a presidential candidate and later offered voters Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is arcing along its normal descending trajectory, the North Korean missile test of electoral politics. A KIND OF POLICY PLATFORM Last week the KMT doubled down on this path with Hou’s calls for nuclear power and more death penalty executions, standard KMT fare for decades (the latter is unnecessary since so many potential criminals are likely to die in traffic accidents long before they harm anyone). Apparently KMT policy institutions are not echo chambers so much as mausoleums where dead ideas are embalmed and then periodically put on display. The lack of public policy imagination is obvious. A less obvious facet of KMT ineptitude: with years of speculation that Hou would be their man in 2024, neither Hou nor the party insisted on interesting or experimental public policies to showcase Hou’s greatness in preparation for the showdown. Of course, that is even more true of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Hou’s slide and the media buzz surrounding it are obscuring the truly urgent problem the pro-Taiwan side faces: DPP presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) has not expanded his voter support beyond the party base. In most polls he remains below 40 percent. Independent voters are staying away in droves, and for the moment the young are turning to
July 17 to July 23 When Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯) came of age, the traditional skills of architecture and carpentry that had been in his family for four generations were disappearing. After helping his uncle Yeh Teh-ling (葉得令) construct ships, residences and temples for more than a decade, Yeh struck out on his own at the age of 28 in 1960 as a damusi (大木司, chief carpenter), earning his lifelong title “Chief Chuang” (壯司). Around this time, builders in his homeland of Penghu were increasingly using reinforced concrete instead of wood, due to the humid climate. The period also saw a frenzy in temple construction as the economy improved, meaning there was plenty of work for Yeh. Adept in non-structural techniques such as doors, windows and furniture, as well as the intricate carvings and detailed decorations that adorned the structures, Yeh was able to adapt his skills, leading the reconstruction of the historic Hsiliao Daitian Temple (西寮代天宮) on Penghu’s main island in 1963. According to the book Crossing Traditions in Yeh Ken-chuang’s Large-scale Carpentry Skills (宮廟巧藝 :跨越傳統的葉根壯大木作技術), it was Penghu’s first temple that used a purely reinforced concrete structure. Before his life was cut short, Yeh created more than 70 temples and related structures across the various islands of Penghu and left behind more than 230 building plans. Although Yeh could have built temples and other structures on Taiwan proper, he only worked on a handful of projects outside of Penghu because he wanted to be close to his family. CLAN OF CARPENTERS The Yeh family’s woodworking tradition began with Yeh Ma-li (葉媽利), who learned the architecture and carpentry trade from an unknown master on Kinmen. The Yehs trace their roots to Kinmen, although this branch had been living in Penghu since the early 1600s. Yeh Ma-li was Penghu’s chief temple builder between 1860 and
| New Taipei City | 14-23 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 12-22 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 15-21 | 10% | |
| Yunlin County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Taichung City | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Nantou County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Changhua County | 14-23 | 0% | |
| Chiayi County | 13-24 | 0% | |
| Chiayi City | 14-25 | 0% | |
| Tainan City | 15-22 | 0% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 17-23 | 0% | |
| Pingtung County | 16-25 | 0% | |
| Yilan County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hualien County | 16-22 | 10% | |
| Taitung County | 17-23 | 10% | |
| Kinmen County | 11-18 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 17-20 | 0% | |
| Lienchiang County | 10-13 | 10% | |
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