Sat, Jan 18, 2025
Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world.At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy st
STRATEGIC SHIFT: While the US has a history of sending military instructors and special operations teams to Taiwan, it is the first time it has officially announced such a mission Taiwan and the US have signed a two-year specialized training program for the local navy, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, in an unexpected announcement confirming US training.The US has a history of stationing military instructors and special operations teams in Taiwan to quietly as
Israel’s security Cabinet yesterday convened to vote on a ceasefire deal after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza and release dozens of hostages held by militants there.Mediators Qatar and the US anno
The presidents of Russia and Iran yesterday opened their talks in the Kremlin before signing a broad cooperation pact.The Kremlin said that the “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” to be signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, covers all are
Holiday traffic advisory unveiledThe Ministry of Transportation and Communications has issued a series of measures and recommended transportation routes to ensure smoother traffic during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday starting on Saturday next week.The usual measures — traffic control, priority
’TAIWAN’S VOICE’ The group, led by the KMT’s Han Kuo-yu, projects unity to the outside world, to contribute to deepening ties with the US, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday stressed unity despite domestic political differences as he received the delegation that is to attend the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump at the Presidential Office in Taipei.A cross-party delegation led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) is
US Senator Marco Rubio, US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, on Wednesday said that a “dangerous” China cheated its way to superpower status, as he vowed to ramp up support to deter an invasion of Taiwan.Rubio laid out his worldview to fellow senators at a confirmation h
KEEPING PROMISES: The groups accused Taipower of breaking its environmental pledges, while others saw amendments to the port proposal as an act of goodwill Environmental protection groups yesterday demanded that the Ministry of Environment write Taiwan Power Co’s (台電, Taipower) promise into law and pledge that future burning of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would not produce any sulfur dioxide. The Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association made the remarks
knowing deception: The company continued to purchase the dye even after third-party testing found that it contained the banned substances, prosecutors said Seven people working at a company producing and selling spices and condiments were indicted on Tuesday for contravening food safety laws, forging documents and committing fraud, relating to their alleged involvement in distributing products containing banned Sudan dyes, prosecutors in Yunlin County
The Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) yesterday called for companies to adopt new animal welfare policies for pigs, including banning live pig auctions.The group also rated eight retail channels based on their friendliness to pig welfare.Taiwan consumes 7.4 million pigs annually, but a
The Taipei Department of Land Administration on Thursday released an anti-scam video, using material from a recently cracked case of real-estate fraud to urge the public to be on the lookout for similar scams.The department said it hoped its video, based on real-life events, would allow other sector
Italy has been selected as the guest of honor at this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition from Feb. 4 to 9 at the Taipei World Trade Center, and is set to showcase its illustrators and authors across literary genres, organizers said yesterday.The Italian Pavilion would feature two sections,
PUBLIC OPINION The government survey also found that close to half of Taiwanese believed there would be no change to Taiwan-US relations under president-elect Trump Nearly half of the respondents in a recent survey supported increasing the nation’s defense budget, a Taiwanese government think tank reported yesterday.The survey released by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) showed that when asked for their view on Taiwan’s defense b
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday welcomed an announcement by Chinese authorities on their plan to resume group travel to Taiwan for residents of Shanghai and its Fujian Province.“The [Taiwanese] government welcomes Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan,” the MAC said in a statement.“However,
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus would cut NT$111.1 billion (US$3.37 billion) from the central government’s total budget and also oppose the Executive Yuan’s proposal to subsidize the deficit of Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) with NT$100 billion, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) said yesterday
Film directors and culture industry figures joined with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday to condemn proposed motions by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to slash the budget of the Ministry of Culture, Public Television Service (PTS) and other government bodies.Prominent film
CROSS-STRAIT EXCHANGE: China said it would resume group tours to Taiwan, while the Tourism Administration said the nation is ready for policy relaxation Shares in the local tourism sector yesterday jumped 3.98 percent, much faster than the TAIEX’s 0.53 percent increase, after China voiced more interest in resuming cross-strait tourist exchanges in Shanghai and Fujian Province.The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism yesterday morning wrote on its
BRACING FOR IMPACT: Beijing has vowed further monetary easing as well as stronger public spending with US president-elect Trump’s looming tariffs China’s economy hit the government’s growth goal last year after an 11th-hour stimulus blitz and export boom turbocharged activity, although looming US tariffs threaten to take away a key driver of expansion.GDP rose 5 percent in the world’s second-largest economy, data released by the Chinese Natio
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) is expected to miss the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump on Monday, bucking a trend among high-profile US technology leaders.Huang is visiting East Asia this week, as he typically does around the time of the Lunar New Year, a person familiar with the
Chinese military drills around Taiwan are likely to continue and escalate this year, which is wearing down the resources and response time of the military, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hopes to force Taiwan into capitulation through coercive acts such
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) continued China’s longstanding tradition of starting the new year with African diplomacy. From Monday to Saturday last week, Wang visited Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria, reflecting China’s consistent engagement with the continent
Last week, I received a Line message from my friend that said: “Are you asleep?” followed by, “My family members are sleeping nearby, can we send messages instead of calling?” I replied: “Sure.” My friend then sent another message saying: “I reached my online bank transfer limit, and I was wondering
‘HIM’: Lu, who had been tied with two-time MVP Amigo Yang on 1,749 points, broke the record 15 seconds after the opening tip-off against the Kaohsiung Steelers on Thursday Reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lu Chun-hsiang became the P.League+’s (PLG) all-time leading scorer on Thursday in his Taoyuan Pauian Pilots’ 114-77 win against the Kaohsiung Steelers, a shining moment in an otherwise difficult season for the league.In front of a crowd of 2,273, Lu, who had been
Sumo is facing a potential chasm at the top of the ancient sport for the first time in more than 30 years after the only yokozuna, Terunofuji, announced his retirement yesterday. The Mongolian-born 33-year-old has struggled with injuries and withdrew from the ongoing New Year Grand Sumo Tournament i
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka overcame a wobbly display to reach the Australian Open last 16, while Carlos Alcaraz was at his dazzling best despite a blip as warm and windy weather tested the composure of players.The opening match on Rod Laver Arena on the sixth day of the championships was har
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic advanced to the last 16 of the Australian Open after two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired during yesterday’s third-round match with an abdominal strain that has affected her since the start of the season.Bencic took the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7/3) before Japan’s O
RELEASE: The move follows Washington’s removal of Havana from its list of terrorism sponsors. Most of the inmates were arrested for taking part in anti-government protests Cuba has freed 127 prisoners, including opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrer, in a landmark deal with departing US President Joe Biden that has led to emotional reunions across the communist island.Ferrer, 54, is the most high-profile of the prisoners that Cuba began freeing on Wednesday after Biden
DOWNTREND: The total number of people dropped by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion. Experts warned of further declines putting pressure on the economy China’s population fell for a third consecutive year last year, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the trend would accelerate in the coming years.The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics said the total number of people in the nation dropped
US President Joe Biden on Thursday warned against the dangerous erosion of the fundamental guardrails protecting an increasingly “fragile” US democracy.A day after urging Americans to stand firm against an “oligarchy” forming under US president-elect Donald Trump, Biden highlighted the specific thre
In Taiwan’s politics the party chair is an extremely influential position. Typically this person is the presumed presidential candidate or serving president. In the last presidential election, two of the three candidates were also leaders of their party. Only one party chair race had been planned fo
They increasingly own everything from access to space to how we get news on Earth and now outgoing President Joe Biden warns America’s new breed of Donald Trump-allied oligarchs could gobble up US democracy itself.Biden used his farewell speech to the nation to deliver a shockingly dark message: tha
On Sept. 27 last year, three climate activists were arrested for throwing soup over Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh at London’s National Gallery. The Just Stop Oil protest landed on international front pages. But will the action help further the activists’ cause to end fossil fuels?Scientists are beg
Street lights are often taken for granted until a power outage plunges the world into darkness. When that happens, the value of these lighting installations becomes evident as the world turns into a more dangerous place for pedestrians and motorists alike. The Chinese could claim to be the first to
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?”B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears.A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10.B: No. 5 to 1 are:
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year.B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.”A: Who are the greatest pop singers?B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Ja
Ferry operators are planning to provide a total of 1,429 journeys between Taiwan proper and its offshore islands to meet increased travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday. The available number of ferry journeys on eight routes from Saturday next week to Feb. 2 is expected to meet a maximum transport capacity of 289,414 passengers, the bureau said in a news release. Meanwhile, a total of 396 journeys on the "small three links," which are direct ferries connecting Taiwan's Kinmen and Lienchiang counties with China's Fujian Province, are also being planned to accommodate travel needs during the nine-day holiday. During the Jan. 25 to Feb. 2 period, should any adverse weather or other force majeure affect ferry services, operators are required to publicly announce the information through various media platforms, the bureau said, adding that it would also provide real-time updates on ferry schedules on its official Web site. Separately yesterday, Taoyuan International Airport Corp said that flight passenger traffic is expected to peak starting on Monday next week as the Lunar New Year holiday approaches. During the longest holiday of the year, Feb. 2 (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year and the day before work resumes) is anticipated to see the highest travel volume, with nearly 150,000 passengers, the company said in a statement. As such, a total of 14 chartered flights and 103 extra flights would be added to serve more than 1.59 million passengers during the 11-day period from Friday next week to Feb. 3, the company said.
Dec. 9 to Dec. 15 When architect Lee Chung-yao (李重耀) heard that the Xinbeitou Train Station was to be demolished in 1988 for the MRT’s Tamsui line, he immediately reached out to the owner of Taiwan Folk Village (台灣民俗村). Lee had been advising Shih Chin-shan (施金山) on his pet project, a 52-hectare theme park in Changhua County that aimed to showcase traditional Taiwanese architecture, crafts and culture. Shih had wanted to build all the structures from scratch, but Lee convinced him to acquire historic properties and move them to the park grounds. Although the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法) was passed in 1982, there was still little awareness regarding the value of historic architecture. Private structures were too often demolished to make way for high-rise apartments, and Lee saw this as a way to save them. Lee facilitated the relocation of several other buildings to the park: Madou Lin Ancestral House (麻豆林厝), Chiayi Liao Clinic (嘉義廖診所), Liuying Liu Mansion (柳營劉氏洋樓) and the Douliu Tsai House (斗六蔡氏一條龍). The CT273 “Queen” locomotive was also housed there. The park thrived until 1999, then entered a steep decline. The Shih family sold it in 2007, and in 2020 the new owners began demolishing the site without warning or official approval. Three registered historic buildings were saved, but the rest of the site now lies in ruins. SAVIOR OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS Shih spent years planning the theme park in a bid to promote Taiwanese culture, finally opening it on Dec. 11, 1993. The main entrance and showpiece, “Qingfeng Gate” (慶豐門), was based on the Qing era west gate of Changhua City. It attracted more than 60,000 visitors on the first day. “Around the world, even less developed countries in Southeast Asia have folk villages. Only Taiwan does not,” states the theme park’s
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% |