Fri, Feb 20, 2026
The Legislative Yuan could begin reviewing the Taiwan-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade on March 12, a day after the election of conveners of legislative committees, sources said.Based on the bilateral agreement signed on Thursday last week, the US would cap tariffs on Taiwanese goods at 15 percent w
Any effort to isolate Taiwan would amount to a “global catastrophe” with economic, strategic and moral consequences, former US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi said at The World Forum in Berlin yesterday, as she called on democracies to act in concert to deter authoritarian expansion.Sp
Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was yesterday sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in a dramatic culmination to the nation’s biggest political crisis in decades.Yoon was ousted from office after a baffling attempt to overcome an opposition-controlled legisl
READY? US media reports said the US military could launch strikes as early as this weekend, although the US president has not made a final decision yet The White House on Wednesday warned that Iran would be “wise” to do a deal with the US as President Donald Trump once again hinted at military action.The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a deadly crackdow
Peruvian lawmakers on Wednesday picked Jose Maria Balcazar as the nation’s new interim president, after previous leader Jose Jeri was impeached on graft allegations.The left-wing lawmaker was elected head of the Peruvian Congress after a vote broadcast live on TV, meaning the 83-year-old lawyer and
NON-NEGOTIABLE: The US president’s action ran counter to one of the US’ ‘six assurances’ on not consulting China about arms sales to Taiwan, US lawmakers said US President Donald Trump’s admission that he is discussing arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is “alarming and a blatant violation of US policy and the six assurances,” US Representative Ro Khanna said on Tuesday.Trump on Monday said he would decide soon on whether to send
HYGIENE: People should wash their hands before eating or preparing food, and clean contaminated surfaces with a diluted bleach solution, the CDC said More than 7,500 people sought medical attention for diarrhea during the first three days of the Lunar New Year holiday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that nearly 90 percent of the cluster diarrhea outbreaks were caused by norovirus.Norovirus-triggered symptoms drew pub
Burning substandard incense containing lead-based pigments risks raising blood lead levels, doctors warned.Paying respects to ancestors and praying for blessing at temples are traditional Lunar New Year activities, but using incense that is not domestically certified or not sourced from a reputable
OVERWHELMED: Taking care of traditional customs can be more stressful than work, a woman said, while a man said social gatherings can make him feel sad People should set aside alone time for themselves to relieve social burnout and anxiety from cleaning their homes, entertaining guests and observing traditional customs during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, Taoyuan General Hospital Department of Psychiatry director Su Po-wen (蘇柏文) said.Social
The number of trips made by Taiwanese travelers to China rose 16.86 percent year-on-year last year, but remained nearly 20 percent below pre-COVID-19 levels, Ministry of Transportation and Communications data showed.Taiwanese travelers made 3.24 million visits to China last year, and although an inc
The condition of Penghu County Commissioner Chen Kuang-fu (陳光復) is continuing to improve following emergency surgery after he was flown from Penghu to Kaohsiung with a brain bleed on Tuesday, a doctor responsible for treating Chen said yesterday.The 70-year-old member of the Democratic Progress
A Tainan agricultural research station has developed a new sesame variety, “Tainan No. 2,” with 35 percent lower production costs and higher oil content, boosting the competitiveness of Taiwan’s domestic sesame industry.Taiwan relies heavily on imported sesame, with domestic production accounting fo
People look at displays of moth orchids at the Spring Festival Flower Exhibition at the Shilin Residence in Taipei yesterday, the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Adults and children ride inflatable rafts at the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park yesterday, the third day of the Luanr New Year.
WAR GAMES: The drills along the Taimali River are a continuation of the military’s shift to live-fire exercises that emphasize realistic, location-specific training The military is to hold live-fire drills along the Taimali River (太麻里溪) in Taitung County’s Taimali Township (太麻里) next month for the first time in three decades, a source said yesterday.The drills, part of the “Tianma Exercise” (天馬操演), are aimed at enhancing combat readiness in eastern Taiwan. They
TWO-HOUR SPEECH: Asia’s richest man said he plans to embed artificial intelligence across manufacturing, logistics, energy, finance, retail, agriculture and healthcare Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s conglomerate is to plow as much as 10 trillion rupees (US$110 billion) over seven years into artificial intelligence (AI)-related infrastructure, joining the global rush into technology’s fastest-growing arena.This investment by Reliance Industries Ltd and its tele
French President Emmanuel Macron told a global artificial intelligence (AI) summit in India yesterday he was determined to ensure safe oversight of the fast-evolving technology.The EU has led the way for global regulation with its Artificial Intelligence Act, which was adopted in 2024 and is coming
US Federal Reserve officials appeared surprisingly wary of cutting interest rates when they met last month, with several even suggesting the central bank might need to raise rates if inflation remains stubbornly high.While the minutes of the central bank’s Jan. 27-28 policy meeting, released on Wedn
To our readers:Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, the Taipei Times will have a reduced format without our regular editorials and opinion pieces. From Mondy to Thursday the paper will not be delivered to subscribers, but will be available for purchase at
With the Year of the Snake reaching its conclusion on Monday next week, now is an opportune moment to reflect on the past year — a year marked by institutional strain and national resilience. For Taiwan, the Year of the Snake was a composite of political friction, economic momentum, social unease an
There is a story in India about a boy called Prahlad who was an ardent worshipper of Lord Narayana, whom his father considered an enemy. His son’s devotion vexed the father to the extent that he asked his sister, Holika, who could not be burned by fire, to sit with the boy in her lap and burn him to
AZERBAIJAN ROUT: Newcastle United made short work of Qarabag, with Anthony Gordon netting two penalties among his four goals Norway’s Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday stunned Inter in the UEFA Champions League, beating last season’s runners-up 3-1 in the first leg of their playoff after Anthony Gordon scored four as Newcastle United hammered Qarabag 6-1 in Azerbaijan.Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were held by Club Brugge in a thrilli
UEFA on Wednesday said that it would “investigate allegations of discriminatory behavior” after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior accused SL Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him during a UEFA Champions League match in Lisbon.Tuesday’s first leg of the playoff was stopped for 10 mi
Mikel Arteta on Wednesday said that Arsenal deserve criticism for the self-inflicted wounds that threaten to ruin their English Premier League title bid after the leaders blew a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers.Goals from Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie put Arsenal o
Defending champions India on Wednesday beat a spirited Netherlands team by 17 runs ahead of their meeting with South Africa in the Super Eights of the Men’s T20 World Cup.India posted 193-6 and then kept the Netherlands down to 176-7, with spinner Varun Chakravarthy returning figures of 3-14 in Ahme
SENSITIVE POLL: A survey of 2,000 families, administered by Palestinian pollsters, found that the official death toll was a substantial undercount by a margin of about 40% More than 75,000 people were killed in the first 16 months of the two-year war in Gaza, at least 25,000 more than the death toll announced by local authorities at the time, a study published on Wednesday in the Lancet Global Health medical journal showed.The research also found that reporting by the
UNEASE: The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the Lakemba Mosque, said it had asked the government for funding for additional security and surveillance cameras Australian police yesterday said they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country’s largest mosque, the third such incident in the lead-up to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.The letter sent on Wednesday to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s west contained a drawing o
One of Australia’s most highly valued defense firms is helping Ukrainian soldiers knock Russian drones off the battlefield, riding a surge in military spending by Western governments with tech combating the weapon of the future.From the trenches of Ukraine to the Red Sea and the cartel wars of South
Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, there will be no Features pages. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 23, when Features will also be resumed. Kung Hsi Fa Tsai!
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moving the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds before midnight last month symbolized the closest humanity has ever been to global catastropheIn this context, the legislature remains gridlocked over the general budget, mirroring tensions simmering across the globe. Acco
Feb. 16 to Feb. 22Pai Ko’s (白克) film career appeared poised to reach new heights in 1962 with the completion of the highly-anticipated, star-studded Romance of Longshan Temple (龍山寺之戀). Despite being mainly in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), the film promoted harmony between those born in China
Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 22, there will be no Bilingual Pages. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 23, when Bilingual Pages will also be resumed.
A tragic case in California has brought renewed attention to the risks of using artificial intelligence. The parents of a 16-year-old boy, Adam Raine, filed a lawsuit in San Francisco against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT provided harmful information that encouraged his suicide. According to the com
A: Have you suddenly become so obsessed with ice sports because of the ongoing 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics?B: Apart from this, it’s also because of my obsession with an ice hockey-themed TV series, “Heated Rivalry.” A: Is that the gay romance drama where two ice hockey stars unexpectedly f
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