Wed, Jul 03, 2024
The Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (TCX) has listed its first green carbon project, and expects it to generate carbon credits for 10,000 tonnes of carbon. The newly listed project is an afforestation initiative in eastern Paraguay, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, and carbon credits for the project are
CLOSE TO HOME: William Lai said that he wants to promote telemedicine because of his experiences as a doctor and growing up in a remote township President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday visited a hospital to oversee implementation of the “acute care at home” trial program after amendments to the Rules of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment by Telecommunications (通訊診察治療辦法) aimed at expanding telemedicine services took effect on Monday.The amendments
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Sandra Oudkirk was yesterday honored with a diplomacy medal for her contributions to relations between Taipei and Washington as her term comes to an end.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) presented the Grand Medal of Diplomacy to Oudkirk, prai
The US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on presidential immunity sets a “dangerous precedent” that former US president Donald Trump would exploit if elected in November, US President Joe Biden said on Monday.The conservative-dominated high court ruled that Trump — and all presidents — enjoy “absolute
Hurricane Beryl yesterday roared through open waters as a monstrous Category 5 storm on a path that would take it near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after earlier making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, killing at least two people.A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane wa
TOP-NOTCH RESEARCH: The president lauded Academia Sinica for nurturing talent in the fields of humanities and social sciences in collaboration with universities President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he expects the nation’s academics to continue to boost the nation’s scientific research capabilities.“Academia Sinica, being Taiwan’s highest research institution, has been leading Taiwan forward by offering advice on government policies,” Lai said in his o
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) yesterday reiterated the council’s call to Taiwanese to be mindful when traveling in China due to increased safety concerns.In a radio interview, talk show host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) asked Liang to comment on the council raising its travel
FLU CONTINUES: Hospitals reported 101,091 visits for flu-like illnesses last week, while 68 severe cases and 16 flu-related deaths were also reported, the CDC said The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported 932 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and 64 related deaths for last week, adding that the number of people who had contracted new SARS-CoV-2 subvariants KP.2 and LB.1 has increased.The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 increased fr
DETERRENT: As regulations to curb drunk driving have significantly reduced traffic incidents, the government should similarly target unlicensed drivers, a legislator said The government should impose heavier penalties on unlicensed drivers amid an annual increase in incidents involving drivers without a license, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said yesterday.Lin and Jin-Chuan Child Safety Foundation representatives urged the Ministry of Tr
The Tourism Administration on Monday launched a limited-time round-the-island travel package called the “Taiwan Pass,” priced at NT$2,800 for two travelers.The package, which integrates Taiwan Railway Corp services, local metro systems and tourist buses, would be offered through Sept. 30, the agency
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would suspend chili powder imports from three South Korean companies whose products were found to contain excessive pesticide residues, the agency said yesterday.Imports of their products would be suspended for one month or longer, the FDA said.Between Dec. 24
Forty-seven market associations nationwide are working with the Ministry of Environment and local governments to reduce plastic waste by encouraging the public to bring their own bags when shopping, a ministry official said yesterday.The initiative aims to cut plastic bag usage by 20 percent, or abo
‘NO SUBORDINATION EITHER WAY’: The council’s deputy minister said that even if the president were to follow a ‘one China’ path, Beijing would still criticize him President William Lai’s (賴清德) statement that the Republic of China (ROC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other is in line with the Constitution, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said on Monday.Liang cited the preface to the Add
AMMO FUROR: A village official said he opposed a plan to store ammunition because using religious sites for such purposes is banned by international law The Miaoli Armed Forces Reserve Command does not have plans to store ammunition at local temples, it said on Monday, despite a previous communique seemingly asking temple overseers to do just that.Chinese-language media on Sunday reported that at least three temples in Miaoli County were asked to al
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭 美琴) yesterday expressed gratitude to the United States for its support of Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities and calls for cross-strait peace during a reception organized by the US de facto embassy in Taiwan to mark July 4 Independence Day.In her address during th
The Control Yuan on Monday asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of legislative amendments passed in May, saying that they allow the Legislative Yuan to usurp its power.The petition was filed by Yang Chang-hsien (楊昌憲), head of the Control Yuan’s Department of Supervisory In
GROWING MARKET: The bank wants to set up a branch in Tokyo to extend its financial services to Japan, aiding Taiwanese firms there and building up its overseas network The Financial Supervisory Commission yesterday approved Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank’s (台北富邦商業銀行) application to set up a Japanese branch. This follows its approval in February of Taiwan Cooperative Bank’s (合庫銀行) application to establish a branch in the East Asian nation.In a statement posted on its
Google on Monday said it is planning to invest in New Green Power Co (NGP, 永鑫能源), a solar energy developer owned by BlackRock Inc, to build 1 gigawatt of solar capacity in Taiwan to supply clean energy for its local data center and offices.“Our investment in NGP, subject to regulatory approval, will
Housing transactions in the six special municipalities last month totaled 23,801 units, representing a 16.9 percent increase from a year earlier, as favorable lending terms and stock market rallies bolstered buying interest, data released by separate local administrations showed on Monday.Real deman
As part of ongoing efforts to improve pedestrian safety, Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan on Monday introduced a demerit system for YouBike, with riders accruing points for each violation. Those who get three points within a year would have their membership suspended for 14 days. If they accumula
The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises, the largest naval exercise in the region, are aimed at deepening international collaboration and interaction while strengthening tactical capabilities and flexibility in tackling maritime crises. China was invited to participate in RIMPAC in 2014 and 2016,
There are two issues that deserve our full attention: the rise in health insurance adjustments and the sorrow-filled sagas of long-term care. The two are seemingly unrelated, but “overtreatment” is causing both of these issues. Health insurance is an internal cost. Long-term care is an external cost
WOE CANADA: Decked out in special red jerseys and red caps, the Blue Jays lost on Canada Day for the second year in a row, this time suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Astros J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias on Monday night homered in a six-run 10th inning, as the New York Mets held off the Washington Nationals 9-7 to spoil the major league debut of prized outfield prospect James Wood.Francisco Alvarez had three RBIs and two extra-base hits for the Mets (41-41), who stopp
Portugal on Monday spared Cristiano Ronaldo’s blushes, but still needed penalties to beat Slovenia after a 0-0 draw to set up a UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-final with France, who edged out Belgium 1-0.Diogo Costa was the Portuguese hero in Frankfurt as the Porto goalkeeper saved all three Slovenian spot-
Eritrean Biniam Girmay on Monday dedicated his stage three win at the Tour de France to “the continent of Africa” as Richard Carapaz took the overall race lead in Turin.“Let me open the door,” 24-year-old Girmay wrote on social media after earlier pointing out he was the “first Black African to win
Taiwan’s men’s national basketball team is set to upgrade its depth in the paint after signing Brandon Gilbeck of the P.League+’s Formosa Dreamers to a naturalized player’s contract.The 27-year-old big man from the US landed in Taoyuan early on Monday, where he was welcomed by Chinese Taipei Basketb
NO CASUALTIES REPORTED: The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for targeting Israeli communities near the Gaza border with what Israel said was about 20 projectiles Israeli forces yesterday carried out deadly strikes on southern Gaza and battled militants after the army again ordered Palestinians to leave areas near the besieged territory’s border with Israel and Egypt. Witnesses reported intense bombing and shelling around Khan Yunis, southern Gaza’s main city
SPACE GOALS: Pyongyang has moved transmission of state TV broadcasts to a Russian satellite, possibly aiming to develop its own commercial satellite with help from Moscow North Korea yesterday said it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying “a super-large warhead,” a claim quickly disputed by South Korean officials and experts who speculate the North likely fabricated a successful test to conceal a botched launch.It is the second time that
Violence raging in Haiti is forcibly displacing one child every minute on average, with about 300,000 children already affected, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.Displaced children account for more than half of the 600,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence
The local press is already running lots of content on the jostling and jockeying for power within the parties to be in position to emerge as the chosen candidates in the 2026 elections. In part one of this series we examined some of the strategies being pursued and considerations the parties faced,
Japan used to think skateboarding was a pastime for delinquents but the country has grown into a global powerhouse in the sport and is expected to dominate at this month’s Paris Olympics.Children as young as six can be seen zipping up ramps and grinding down rails at skate parks, with instructors te
In spite of the next local elections being over two years away, there is already considerable intrigue and jockeying for position by politicians and their supporters. The local press runs quite a bit of content, mostly speculative, on who will run in what races and what the outcomes might be. This i
In the realm of fashion, we often label clothing as “for men” or “for women” in a gender-specific manner, but history tells a more complex story. Several items we now consider women’s clothing were deeply influenced by men’s fashion needs in earlier eras. Take high heels, for example. These shoes w
With extreme heat gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere last week, authorities and public health experts have issued heat warnings to help keep people safe.Parts of China, India, the Middle East, southern Europe and the United States are bracing for the possibility of new record highs.WHAT ARE TH
對話 Dialogue清清:華華,你在看什麼?看得這麼入神?Qīngqing: Huáhua, nǐ zài kàn shénme? Kàn de zhème rùshén?華華:7月6號是國際炸雞日,好幾家店都推出了各種優惠活動,我正在比較吃什麼好。Huáhua: Qī yuè liù hào shì Guójì Zhájīrì, hǎojǐ jiā diàn dōu tuīchūle gèzhǒng yōuhuì huódòng, wǒ zhèngzài bǐjiào chī shénme hǎo.清清:哇!太好了!我也趕快來看看,除了炸雞,不知道雞排店是不是也有特價?我好想吃雞排加珍珠
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% | ![]() |