Thu, Apr 02, 2026
The Ministry of Education yesterday unveiled plans to introduce saliva drug test kits to stop synthetic drug use in schools.The ministry plans to deploy the kits as early as September and would use them to screen students for drugs, with their parents’ consent, Department of Student Affairs and Spec
TIMELINE TO END? Despite the US president saying that there was a chance that he would pull forces out, an Iranian official said it does not set deadlines for its defense Iran yesterday hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar, as well as Kuwait’s airport, while airstrikes battered Tehran — hours after US President Donald Trump said that he was nearly ready to wind down the war.Trump, who was scheduled to address the US after press time last night, said that he could
Fuel surcharges for short and long-haul international aviation routes would rise dramatically from Tuesday next week due to a surge in crude oil prices, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday.Fuel surcharges for Taiwanese carriers would increase by US$27.50 for short-haul routes and
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday praised Europe’s “predictability” during a visit to Japan, contrasting it with countries that “could hurt you without even informing you” in an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump.Trump on Tuesday wrote on social media that Paris had been “very unhe
COOPERATION: As a democratic nation and a key partner in trade and technology, Taiwan’s stability is of particular importance to the EU, MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said The EU is to continue to oppose any attempt to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait by force, European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said yesterday during a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德), reaffirming support for stable cross-strai
A bipartisan delegation from the US Senate yesterday reiterated the importance of passing a sufficient defense budget, as Taiwan requires robust asymmetric rather than baseline capabilities to deter aggression.The visiting group included US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations members Jeanne Shahee
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: While Taiwan believes that peace is invaluable and that there are no winners in war, peace can only be secured through strength, Lai said Taiwan would continue to deepen cooperation with the US and help safeguard global supply chain security, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during a meeting with a delegation from the Global Taiwan Institute. Taiwan’s overseas investments have shifted significantly through the years, with 83
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged the Legislative Yuan to pass the general budget, saying that the ongoing funding freeze has inflicted severe harm to the nation’s development. Lai, also the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, said that the legislature has been deadlocked for 216
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Tuesday expressed hope that the UK would support Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) during a luncheon to welcome a delegation of British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group mem
Taiwan’s top diplomat yesterday stopped short of confirming whether the country plans to invite the Honduran National Congress’ pro-Taiwan speaker for a visit. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Taiwan and the Central American country severed ties three years ago, but Taipei has st
The captain of the Chinese vessel Hai Hong Gong 66 (海虹工 66) was detained on Monday to be questioned over suspected damage to the Taiwan-Matsu No. 3 undersea cable, the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch said yesterday. The vessel had been booked by the owner of the Chines
‘UNAVOIDABLE’ MISSION? Cheng did not elaborate on what tangible steps she would propose or what measures could be taken to ‘lay a foundation for peace’ The leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party yesterday vowed to “lay a foundation for peace” across the Taiwan Strait and regional stability on her visit to China next week, during which she is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).Speaking at a meeting of the Chinese Nationalist
The Taipei Department of Health on Monday said its latest inspection of children’s snacks found four among 10 tested snack products — all containing seaweed — sold through online channels had heavy metal levels exceeding allowable limits.Department of Health senior specialist Lin Meng-hui (林夢蕙) said
strong performance: Gains made in February smashed the fund’s previous record of NT$394.7 billion in January, marking a monthly return of 10.83 percent Funds managed by the Ministry of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Funds posted record gains of NT$418.4 billion (US$13.10 billion) in February on the back of a strong performance of global financial markets, the bureau said yesterday.Data compiled by the bureau showed the funds’ accumulated gains, which refl
BUNDLED SERVICE: The number of routine checkups for children up to the age of seven are to increase to provide accurate tracking of developmental progress Checkups under the government-funded Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services, which provides regular checkups and consultations for children up to the age of seven, would be increased from seven times to nine times starting from July 1, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday. Imp
HIGHER PRICES: Given rising energy costs, CPC raised natural gas prices for generators by 41.58%, which Taipower said would raise its power generation costs by NT$10 billion State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) has activated its fourth naphtha cracker to boost ethylene supply, aiming to ease concerns over plastic material shortages amid tensions in the Middle East, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The move is expected to add 19,000 tonnes of supply thi
DENIAL: The FPCC rejected allegations it was creating an artificial shortage to drive up prices, saying it had been impacted by surging costs amid the Middle East conflict A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker yesterday called for a government probe into Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC, 台塑石化) over suspected output cuts and possible stockpiling of key petrochemical feedstocks amid a plastics shortage in Taiwan.At a news conference, DPP Legislator Chung Chia-pi
New car sales in Taiwan last month reached 39,318 units, a 78.4 percent increase from the previous month, as the number of working days returned to normal from a mere 14 days in February, market researcher U-Car said in a report yesterday. A renewal of government tax incentives, such as the NT$100,0
Taiwan’s population declined for the 26th consecutive month in February, as deaths continued to outnumber births, resulting in negative population growth. However, amid this birthrate crisis, domestic violence is on the rise, with 136,781 cases reported last year, up 9,419, or 7.4 percent, from 2024
Negotiations over the special defense budget are still stalled in the Legislative Yuan, with proposals varying widely and amounts ranging from NT$380 billion to NT$1.25 trillion (US$11.9 billion to US$39.1 billion). The debate has centered on all aspects from the total cost and letters of acceptance
No state has ever formally recognized the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as a legal entity. The reason is not a lack of legitimacy — the CTA is a functioning exile government with democratic elections and institutions — but the iron grip of realpolitik. To recognize the CTA would be to challen
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden a
Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday got started on his bid to win a Cy Young Award — just about the only major prize to elude him — with six shutout innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first outing on the mound this season.At the plate, the two-way superstar went 1 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout i
Taiwan on Tuesday rallied past Japan to win their second Baseball5 Asia Cup title in Hong Kong, securing a berth in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball5 World Cup.Sung Mi-chia’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning of the final set sent infielder Chen Xuan-chen in for his thi
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium.Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minu
‘NO SAFE CHOICES’: A UN official said the change should not be described as a ration cut, but Bangladeshi refugee authorities said it would make people desperate Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s camps were to have food assistance slashed starting yesterday, raising alarm throughout the community.The 1.2 million Rohingya in the camps receive US$12 a month per person, an amount that the minority from Myanmar has said is barely sustain
‘NO DEFENSE’: Self-defense groups were unable to hold off the gangs due to a lack of firepower, with the gangs waiting for nightfall when police departed to attack Armed men mounted further attacks in Haiti’s breadbasket Artibonite region on Tuesday, days after a gang’s weekend assault in the area of Jean-Denis left about 70 people dead, human rights groups and local residents said.National police said that it was conducting operations in several parts of Arti
When a hiker fell from a 55m waterfall in wild New Zealand bush, rescuers were forced to evacuate the badly hurt woman without her dog, which could not be found. After strangers raised thousands of dollars for a search, border collie Molly was flown to safety by a helicopter pilot who was determined
Last week saw Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), receive a 17-year sentence for crimes involving political corruption. This was only the opening round: the case is likely to drag on for several more years in appeals.Both the TPP and the Chinese Natio
On Monday morning, in quick succession, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) released statements announcing “that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) have invited KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to lead a
They’re missing a trick here, I thought, when the staff brought out the Minced Century Egg with Tender Tofu (馬告松花皮蛋豆腐, NT$360). Then I said it out loud. Unlike the original bill of fare, Chiou Hwa Restaurant’s English-language menu — which otherwise can’t be faulted — fails to mention the dish’s mos
A: The four-day Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend begins Friday and will run until Monday. Are you going to sweep your ancestors’ tombs?B: I did in advance last weekend, so I can go to Kaohsiung to see the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.”A: Wow, is “Phantom” touring Taiwan again? It debuted in 1986,
You’re sitting in class when a classmate asks to borrow a pencil. It seems like a small favor, so you agree without hesitation. The following week, the same classmate asks to share your notes. Later, they request help with a group project. You agree each time — after all, you helped out the first ti
Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to recycle such items, or it seems costly and inconvenient to do so.The world generates millions of tons of elec
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% | |
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