Fri, Apr 04, 2025
New tariffs announced on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures and calls for further talks on trade rules.However, responses were measured, highlighting a lack of appetite among key trading partners of the US for an outright trade war with the world’s big
‘IMPORTANT ALLY’: The reports said that only the government in Taiwan can represent Taiwanese and called on the EU to convey a message opposing force The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday expressed gratitude for two resolutions passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday that back deepening ties with Taiwan and voice concern about heightened tension across the Taiwan Strait.The parliament on Wednesday adopted an annual report on the implem
Taiwan’s newly procured US weapon systems are to be tested in the 41st annual Han Kuang exercise later this year, the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.The drills would emphasize responses to “gray zone” activities, speed in preparing for combat, command authority delegation and nationa
China yesterday said it had “destroyed” an intelligence network set up by the Philippine espionage agency and arrested three spies from the country.State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported that authorities had identified one of the suspected spies as a Philippine national who had l
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday.At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White H
SUPPORT: The US’ ‘enduring commitment to our allies and partners, including Taiwan, continues,’ US Department of State spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said The US and the EU have reiterated their opposition to a unilateral change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait after China’s military launched a new round of joint military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday that ended last night. Asked about the latest military exercises in the waters and airspace
It is time for Taiwan to “reconcile with China,” former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) said in a New York Times op-ed this week, criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and President William Lai (賴清德) for antagonizing China and stirring fear among Taiwan’s public. Titled “The Clo
The Chiayi District Court has rejected a request from prosecutors to detain the mother of an infant who was found dead in a cardboard box in front of an abandoned house in Chiayi County's Budai Township on Wednesday.The Chiayi District Prosecutors Office filed a motion with the court yesterday to ha
Over one-third of sexual image abuse victims are minors, according to the latest statistics provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).The MOHW’s Sexual Image Abuse Reporting Center last year received a total of 1,928 complaints, with 1,040 victims.Thirty-five percent of all reports of se
Shifting from primarily offensive capabilities to a hybrid offensive-defensive force, the marine corps is establishing new land and sea-based units to defend missile and radar crews, local outlets reported today.The marine corps established the land-based “Air Defense Guard Group, First Security Bat
Members of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday reintroduced a bill to support Taiwan's international space and counter coercion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).The Taiwan Allies Fund Act was reintroduced by Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi and other lawmakers across party lines, includ
Taiwan should act calmly when facing a turbulent world, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) today said after having visited the grave of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) in the Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery this week several days before today’s Tomb Sweeping Day.“At this critical moment, if we
Three staffers of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have been reportedly detained without visitation rights and are being investigated on suspicion of spying for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Their detention comes at a time when several DPP members have been accused of and investigated for
The US Secretary of State and foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea yesterday released a joint statement to express concern over China’s military drills around Taiwan this week after a meeting in Belgium.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and South Korean
Weather conditions across Taiwan are expected to remain stable today, but cloudy to rainy skies are expected from tomorrow onward due to increasing moisture in the atmosphere, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).Daytime highs today are expected to hit 25-27°C in western Taiwan and
NOT GREAT: JPMorgan Chase analysts said the tariffs were ‘significantly higher than the realistic worst-case scenario,’ leading to a scramble for safe government bonds World stocks, the US dollar and oil all tumbled yesterday as US President Donald Trump’s drastic new tariffs drove widespread fears of a global recession and left investors seeking safe-haven bonds and the yen.A new baseline 10 percent tariff on imported goods, plus some eye-watering additional “rec
Taiwan’s machinery industry is bracing for a sharp fall in exports as hefty US tariffs would interrupt local manufacturers’ sales to their biggest overseas market, the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI, 台灣機械公會) said yesterday.US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 32 percent
The head of one of the nation’s leading economic think tanks yesterday slammed the US’ method for calculating sweeping global tariffs, including a 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods, as “simplistic and crude.”Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢
China on Tuesday, April Fool’s Day, began two-day joint-force military exercises around Taiwan, painting them as a “severe warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence.” However, the exercises have again proven the country increasingly showcasing its military muscles to be a true “tr
Days ago, foreign media reported that Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command Director Lin Xiangyang (林向陽) is suspected to have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. The Eastern Theater Command is the core military department responsible for operations against Taiwan — t
Given its much smaller size than China, asymmetric defense capabilities are not just feasible for Taiwan — they are necessary. The Overall Defense Concept (ODC), designed to guide Taiwan’s limited defense budget and military capacity toward asymmetric capabilities, was created to meet this exact nee
RECORD WINNERS: The Catalan club, who are still in contention for a historic quadruple this season, are to face rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final Barcelona are to face rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final after Ferran Torres secured them a 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, progressing 5-4 on aggregate from the semi-final tie.Record 31-time winners Barca had the better of the clash at the Metropolitano after the wild 4-4 first-l
Jose Mourinho appeared to pinch the nose of Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk after his Fenerbahce team were knocked out of the Turkish Cup in a fiery match on Wednesday.In footage widely shared on social media, Mourinho appears to reach out from behind his opponent and make contact with his nose. Buruk
The inaugural Nations Championship finals — the biennial playoffs among the world’s leading international rugby union sides — is to be held in London next year with Qatar lined up for 2028, but Hong Kong is an increasingly popular suggestion for subsequent editions.The Kai Tak Stadium hosted its fir
Inter and AC Milan’s Coppa Italia semi-final was left finely balanced on Wednesday after the two giants of Italian soccer played out a 1-1 draw at the San Siro.Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike in the 67th minute made sure that Inter would head into the tie’s second leg later this month with the scores leve
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted by the Constitutional Court today, which upheld parliament's impeachment motion over his short-lived imposition of martial law last year that sparked the country's worst political crisis in decades. With Yoon's ouster, a presidential election is requir
‘WEAPONIZED STATE’: A report said the president and vice president had eradicated independent institutions, and silenced the opposition inside and outside the nation Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, his wife and dozens of senior officials were responsible for arbitrary detentions, torture and extrajudicial executions, a report by UN experts said yesterday.The report compiled by the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua names 54 people it said played key
The US government has banned US government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens, The Associated Press (AP) has learned.Four people with direct knowledge of the matter told the AP about
A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one — shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect aging brains.A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20 percent.The research, published Wednesday
Looking for an employee who’s ambitious, self-reliant and thinks outside the box? You might be fishing for a narcissist.A study by behavioral researchers looked at the corporate speak used in job postings and found that certain turns of phrase are catnip for those with, as a researcher puts it, “a g
If you’re hosting a dinner for half a dozen British intelligence agents with the aim of ferreting out a mole, what should you cook?For George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), who’s preparing for four colleagues, plus himself and his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), who, like him, is a high-le
A: Although the scandalous Eastern superstar Kim Soo-hyun canceled his visit, Western superstar Andrea Bocelli is visiting Taiwan over the long weekend.B: Yup, the blind tenor will become the first Western artist to hold a concert at the Taipei Dome tonight.A: Pop diva Celine Dion even praised hi
A: The four-day long weekend for Tomb-sweeping Day begins today. Are you going south to sweep tombs this weekend?B: I went south early last weekend, so I could attend South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun’s show at the Kaohsiung Sakura Festival, but he canceled his visit after a scandal broke out.A: Th
In the vast landscapes of Australia, a unique and charming creature roams — the “wombat.” These round, adorable animals possess surprising abilities and fascinating traits that never fail to amaze. Let’s explore the world of this remarkable creature. Wombats are marsupials native to Australia, meas
In 2020, a labor attache from the Philippines in Taipei sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding that a Filipina worker accused of “cyber-libel” against then-president Rodrigo Duterte be deported. A press release from the Philippines office from the attache accused the woman of “using several social media accounts” to “discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government.” The attache also claimed that the woman had broken Taiwan’s laws. The government responded that she had broken no laws, and that all foreign workers were treated the same as Taiwan citizens and that “their rights are protected, including freedom of speech.” Last week the government announced that the National Immigration Agency (NIA) would revoke the spouse-based residence permit of social media influencer Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), a national of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), who is married to a local. This became a major news story, even making the international media. The NIA investigated reports that Liu advocated annexing Taiwan to the PRC through military force in videos posted on social media, including Douyin (where she has 400,000 followers), YouTube and TikTok. On all three, her account name is Yaya in Taiwan (亞亞在台灣). The NIA press release said that Liu’s residence permit will be revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the Measures for the Permission of Family-based Residence, Long-term Residence and Settlement of People from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民在台灣地區依親居留長期居留或定居許可辦法). The NIA said that her calls for military force against the people of Taiwan violate the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例). Liu thus violated specific rules that govern PRC citizens. She will be barred from re-applying for residence within the next five years. The government is giving her time on humanitarian grounds to arrange her family
March 24 to March 30 When Yang Bing-yi (楊秉彝) needed a name for his new cooking oil shop in 1958, he first thought of honoring his previous employer, Heng Tai Fung (恆泰豐). The owner, Wang Yi-fu (王伊夫), had taken care of him over the previous 10 years, shortly after the native of Shanxi Province arrived in Taiwan in 1948 as a penniless 21 year old. His oil supplier was called Din Mei (鼎美), so he simply combined the names. Over the next decade, Yang and his wife Lai Pen-mei (賴盆妹) built up a booming business delivering oil to shops and restaurants all over Taipei and Taoyuan. The major Shanghai restaurants in Taipei all ordered from him, and the owners were quite fond of the honest, no-nonsense and hard-working Yang. In 1963, the couple bought their own shop front, a one-story red brick structure on Xinyi Road (信義路) by Yongkang Street (永康街). Unfortunately, the traditional oil industry took a major hit around 1972 due to a health scare and the advent of mass-produced “salad oil.” With sales faltering, Yang’s friends suggested that he switch to selling Shanxi specialties such as knife-sliced noodles. However, Tang Yung-chang (唐永昌), owner of Shanghai restaurant Fuxingyuan (復興園), recommended the more delicate, varied Shanghai-style dim sum instead, even setting him up with one of his former dim sum chefs Lu Chi-chung (魯紀忠). In 1972, Yang set up three tables in one-half of his oil shop, and Lu got to work. Business was lousy at first, but Yang persisted, thinking that he had nothing to lose — at that time, he never expected Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐) to become a global empire. ESCAPING WAR Several books provide details on Yang’s early life, including Huang Hung-hu’s (黃鴻湖) Exemplary Din Tai Fung (典範鼎泰豐), Lin Ching-yi’s (林靜宜) Din Tai Fung: Warmth in Perfection (有溫度的完美)
| New Taipei City | 18-24 | 30% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 18-23 | 30% | |
| Hsinchu City | 18-23 | 30% | |
| Taipei City | 18-23 | 30% | |
| Miaoli County | 18-23 | 20% |  |
| Taoyuan City | 17-24 | 30% | |
| Keelung City | 17-22 | 30% | |
| Yunlin County | 18-23 | 20% | |
| Taichung City | 19-24 | 20% | |
| Nantou County | 18-23 | 20% | |
| Changhua County | 19-23 | 20% | |
| Chiayi County | 18-24 | 20% | |
| Chiayi City | 18-24 | 20% | |
| Tainan City | 21-24 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 22-25 | 20% | |
| Pingtung County | 20-27 | 20% |  |
| Yilan County | 17-20 | 20% | |
| Hualien County | 18-21 | 30% |  |
| Taitung County | 19-22 | 20% |  |
| Kinmen County | 17-20 | 40% | |
| Penghu County | 19-21 | 20% | |
| Lienchiang County | 15-16 | 40% | |
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