Sun, Apr 19, 2026
Japan’s rare two-pronged deployment near Taiwan during its first-ever participation in Philippine drills as an “operational combat unit” underscores a shift in first island chain posture and reflects Tokyo’s efforts to play a more central role in regional alliances, analysts said.Japanese destroyer
CREDIT-GRABBER: China said its coast guard rescued the crew of a fishing vessel that caught fire, who were actually rescued by a nearby Taiwanese boat and the CGA Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday.The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishin
Iran yesterday rowed back on its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and fired on a tanker attempting to pass through the waterway. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.Confusion over the critical chok
Australia and Japan yesterday signed contracts to deliver the first three of a A$10 billion (US$7.2 billion) order of Japanese-designed warships, with the first due for delivery in three years.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would build the first three Mogami-class frigates in Japan, while Australia pla
BIPARTISAN PUSH: In a letter, US lawmakers reiterated the importance of enabling procurement of US equipment and domestic production of asymmetric capabilities The US is likely to approve pending weapons sales to Taiwan in the coming weeks, a bipartisan group of senators assured Taiwanese lawmakers in a letter, urging Taipei to hasten its stalled defense spending in the face of pressure from China.The letter comes ahead of a planned May 14 to 15 trip to Ch
PROTECTING YOUNG PEOPLE: The expansion covers the murder of young children, the abuse and obstruction of an adolescent’s well-being and sexual exploitation of minors The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed an amendment expanding “pre-emptive detention” to include suspects in the sexual exploitation of minors, the homicide of young children, fraud and drunk driving as stipulated in the Criminal Code, among other offenses.The expansion of the grounds for pre-emptive
END IN SIGHT: The agreement comes with preconditions such as the implementation of an opposition-approved NT$71.8 billion portion of the budget for new initiatives Looking to end an impasse of more than six months, lawmakers across party lines have agreed to begin reviewing the general budget for this fiscal year as long as Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) agrees to present the budget at the legislature.The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Taiwan People’s Party (TPP
SHARING INSIGHT: Taiwan’s representative to the UK would give oral evidence on an issue that JCNSS’ chair says is ‘one of the biggest challenges’ facing the UK Representative to the UK Vincent Yao (姚金祥) has been invited by the UK’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) to testify in a hearing scheduled for tomorrow on societal resilience.On its Web site, the UK Parliament said that Yao, along with Dutch Ambassador to the UK Paul Huijts,
China’s population is rapidly aging and moving toward a low-fertility society, with the demographic dividend that fueled three decades of rapid economic growth now turning into a demographic burden, according to a Taiwanese researcher.In an article titled “Observations on China’s Population Structur
Police said yesterday they would launch an investigation after unidentified people allegedly sprayed pepper spray near Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) during a campaign event at Fengjia Night Market in Taichung the previous night, causing harm to him and others nearby.Ko was in T
LEAST CONCERN: The risk of eye disease as a result of Chinese farmed shrimp is low, the CDC said in response to a flurry of concern online over a study on the topic The risk of contracting a new type of eye disease by covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV) via exposure to farmed shrimp from China is extremely low in Taiwan, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, responding to concerns spreading online.CMNV is listed by the World Organization for Anima
A man in Yilan County is under investigation for allegedly concealing the death of his mother to continue collecting her pension, police said yesterday after authorities entered their residence with a search warrant and found the woman mummified.It was estimated that she had been dead for at least f
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations.The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported
The Hualien Fisheries Association along with five whale-watching operators yesterday launched a “friendly whale-watching” initiative under the auspices of the Ocean Affairs Council’s Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA), unveiling key guidelines, including “slow down, avoid circling, do not chase
A man died after a car driven by a 71-year-old woman crashed into a coffee shop in Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) yesterday morning while turning into a parking space, police said.The incident occurred at about 7am when the driver, surnamed Lin (林), was traveling from Section 2 of Jianguo Road
Electric vehicle (EV) sales have jumped in Southeast Asia as cost-conscious buyers have poured into dealerships looking to dodge the fuel price spikes driven by the Middle East war.Asian nations have been particularly hard hit due to a sharp fall in the crude shipments they rely on — and have few al
Wrexham’s fairytale rise in English soccer since a takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has not been limited to on-pitch success as a wave of new fans from around the globe has fueled an economic boom in north Wales.Just over five years ago, the Red Dragons languished in the
Japanese game studio Capcom is taking a big science fiction swing this week with moon-bound action title Pragmata, juiced by the success of hit franchises like Resident Evil.Following the adventures of an astronaut trapped on a moon base overrun by hostile robots, the new game, which was released on
Asked about the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) expulsion of its former legislator-at-large Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), TPP founder and former chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said, “she did it to herself.” The circumstances leading to Li’s expulsion, and the increasingly ugly fallout that has since played out in the m
After the meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Chinese Communist Party immediately announced 10 new Taiwan-related measures, including the resumption of pilot programs allowing residents from some regions in China t
When 17,000 troops from the US, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand spread across the Philippine archipelago for the Balikatan military exercise, running from tomorrow through May 8, the official language would be about interoperability, readiness and regional peace.How
‘UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT’: Bobby Thomas’ late equalizer handed Frank Lampard his first promotion as a manager, with the club to get a much-needed financial boost Coventry City on Friday ended their 25-year absence from the Premier League with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers, securing promotion from the Championship with three games to spare.Needing only a point to make it mathematically certain, Frank Lampard’s league leaders salvaged a draw as Bobby Tho
The Phoenix Suns on Friday ended the Golden State Warriors’ season, while the Orlando Magic thrashed the Charlotte Hornets as the NBA playoffs’ final teams were decided.Jalen Green put in a dazzling performance with 36 points, including eight triples, to secure the Western Conference No. 8 seed for
Italian soccer is at its lowest ebb in nearly 40 years after a wholesale European exodus at club level followed the nation’s failure for the third successive time to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, and compounded a leadership and structural crisis.The exits suffered by Bologna and ACF Fiorentina on
Coach Tana Umaga fears that a vast pool of Pacific talent would be lost to rugby union if Moana Pasifika are dumped from Super Rugby and the competition shrinks to 10 teams.Umaga spoke about the wider importance of his team following their 29-14 loss to the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney on Frid
HAZARDOUS CONDITION: The typhoon’s sheer size, with winds extending 443km from its center, slowed down the ability of responders to help communities, an official said The US Coast Guard was searching for six people after losing contact with their disabled boat off the coast of Guam following Typhoon Sinlaku.The crew of the 44m dry cargo vessel, the US-registered Mariana, on Wednesday notified the coast guard that the boat had lost its starboard engine and needed
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday said his country was on the verge of a “new phase” of “permanent agreements,” after the 10-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war went into force.In a speech addressing the Lebanese people and hinting at the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group the day aft
In communist Cuba, where priests were once persecuted, churches are acting as a lifeline for the needy during a severe economic crisis aggravated by a crippling US oil blockade.Dozens of people queue outside the Church of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem in Havana twice a week for free medicine, which, l
April 20 to April 26After a hundred years, Matsu finally made it onto the boat.On April 25, 1926, vessels carrying a statue of Cheng Cheng-kung (鄭成功, also known as Koxinga) from the Kaishan Shrine (開山神社) sailed down the Tainan Canal during the inauguration ceremony of the waterway, followed by the J
The entire Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) saga has been an ugly, complicated mess. Born in China’s Hunan Province, she moved to work in Shenzhen, where she met her future Taiwanese husband. Most accounts have her arriving in Taiwan and marrying somewhere between 1993 and 1999. She built a successful career in Tai
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry consumes electricity at rates that would strain most national grids. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) alone accounted for more than 9 percent, or 2,590 megawatts (MW), of the nation’s power demand last year.The factories that produce chips for the world’s
For a drink that’s essentially water with bubbles, carbonated water is at the center of an unexpected debate. With a few myths bubbling up, it’s time to set the record straight on this fizzy beverage. Some people worry that carbonated water melts away tooth enamel like soda does. While it is slight
When you twist open a bottle of carbonated water, bubbles rush out with a hissing sound. This drink is simply water infused with carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure, giving it that fizz on your tongue. But this basic description barely scratches the surface of the carbonated water family. Although
A: Apart from the Thai Water Festival, Taiwan’s three major Matsu pilgrimages are among Asia’s largest annual folk activities.B: This year, “Baisha-ma” of the Baishatun Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County was the first to kick off her pilgrimage, with the deity departing on April 12 and returning on th
Two moves show Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is gunning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) party chair and the 2028 presidential election. Technically, these are not yet “officially” official, but by the rules of Taiwan politics, she is now on the dance floor. Earlier this month Lu confirmed in an interview in Japan’s Nikkei that she was considering running for KMT chair. This is not new news, but according to reports from her camp she previously was still considering the case for and against running. By choosing a respected, international news outlet, she declared it to the world. While the outside world likely paid little attention, domestically the message was unmistakable: She is moving on to a larger stage. Part of the dance is to leave options open before formally committing, and with the chair race due in late September, she has time. If something goes wrong in the meantime, or if power brokers in the party offer her a deal that provides more benefits than taking on the role of chair, she can pivot accordingly. Earlier this year, I suggested that strategically, she would be better off concentrating on her job as Taichung mayor until she is term-limited out of office in December next year. Taichung mayor is obviously a full-time job, and concurrently running the Taipei-headquartered party runs the risk of doing one or both jobs poorly and making mistakes that could imperil her shot at the presidency in 2028. The situation has changed. Current KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), knowing he is likely to face challengers of a higher caliber than the three relative nobodies already declared, has gone all in on appealing to the base. The base is more likely to turn out to vote in the chair election, so this makes some strategic sense in the short term.
Among Thailand’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) villages, a certain rivalry exists between Arunothai, the largest of these villages, and Mae Salong, which is currently the most prosperous. Historically, the rivalry stems from a split in KMT military factions in the early 1960s, which divided command and opium territories after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) cut off open support in 1961 due to international pressure (see part two, “The KMT opium lords of the Golden Triangle,” on May 20). But today this rivalry manifests as a different kind of split, with Arunothai leading a pro-China faction and Mae Salong staunchly aligned to Taiwan. Last spring at Arunothai’s Jiaolian School, principal Wang Mingming (王明明) had forewarned me of the division between villages, saying, “We are not like the people in Mae Salong. They are rich. Because of the Taiwanese.” Arunothai has in recent years become split in its loyalties between Taiwan and China (see part one, “A tale of two schools,” on May 15), but in Mae Salong, links to Taiwan remain strong. Taiwan-funded monuments pay homage to the Lost Army, villagers wear T-shirts emblazoned with the Republic of China (ROC) flag and tea plantations grown Taiwan’s most famous tea varieties, including Dong Ding (“frozen peak”) Oolong, Oriental Beauty and Jin Xuan (Golden Daylily or Milk Oolong). Even the numerical classifications of the teas — Oolong No. 12 or No. 17, for example — are the same, and the shops resemble those found on Alishan. At the tomb of General Tuan Hsi-wen (段希文) — perched on a Mae Salong hilltop with a view of his ancestral homeland in China’s Yunnan province — a third generation villager wearing a vintage KMT army uniform, Yan Si-Chung (岩思中), greets visitors with sharp military salutes. “Both my father and my grandfather were soldiers in the KMT army,” the 44-year-old
| New Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 27-28 | 20% |  |
| Miaoli County | 24-26 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 27-28 | 20% | |
| Yunlin County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 26-28 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 25-26 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-27 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 26-27 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 25-26 | 30% |  |
| Hualien County | 25-26 | 30% | |
| Taitung County | 25-27 | 30% | |
| Kinmen County | 27-28 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 27-27 | 20% | |
| Lienchiang County | 27-28 | 20% | |
RSS