It was most annoying last week to read Chairman Xi Jinping’s (習近平) fulsome encomium to the People’s Liberation Army during the Eightieth Anniversary celebrations of victory over Japan in World War II. Comrade Xi’s soaring rhetoric was stuffed with “martyrs, sacrifice, solemnity and unwavering resolv
The main contenders for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Oct. 18 chairmanship election are Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), 55; former legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), 56; Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), 71; and former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), 73. Each brings distinct s
Traffic incompetence continuesTwo events this month have laid bare the significant traffic issues in Taipei and New Taipei City: the removal of the Gongguan Traffic Circle and the filling in of a bus-only underpass, which began on Sept. 13.So, what was the result? Massive traffic jams and a bridge t
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Jimmy Kimmel, host of US late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, had his show suspended “indefinitely” from ABC on Wednesday after the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), its broadcast media regulator, threatened the television network.The FCC threats came in retaliation for comments Kimmel made
It is a rallying cry that every government can get behind. As artificial intelligence (AI) seeps into more facets of society — including critical industries such as defense, healthcare and financial services — countries want more control over the underlying technology.There is also a fear that embed
Taiwan and France should cooperate on tackling disinformation and defending democratic values, French Senator Rachid Temal said during a meeting in Taipei on Tuesday.Temal, chairman of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, arrived in Taiwan on Sunday last week for a six-day trip, leading a de
In debates over why some Indonesian migrants struggle to adapt to different cultures abroad, the hijab is often seen as the flashpoint. Cases from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan show that domestic helpers or caregivers insist on wearing long jilbab or looser robes. Non-governmental
US trade policy under US President Donald Trump has placed tariffs at the center of economic statecraft. However, Trump has repeatedly shifted positions, demanded sky-high concessions, and renegotiated after agreements — ranging from stacking reciprocal tariffs to the unsettled scope of Section 232
Last week, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) posted on the social media platform X a screenshot of her virtual call with US Senator Bill Hagerty, accompanied by a caption that read, “I’ve always appreciated his [Hagerty’s] support for the Taiwan-US partnership.” There was no mention of the content
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It feels increasingly difficult nowadays to avoid righteousness; or, worse, self-righteousness. People are constantly being told what to do by those who supposedly have seen the light. For example, I was recently scolded by a colleague for suggesting that my employer should aim to hire the best peop
The attendance of more than 100,000 people at a London rally called by the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson underlines the urgency for the UK’s Labour government to demonstrate progress in bringing immigration under control. The danger is that blunt measures designed to show toughness would cause c
The Ministry of Labor’s Minimum Wage Deliberation Committee is scheduled to meet on Friday next week to discuss whether the minimum wage would be raised next year. The annual meeting, mandated by the Minimum Wage Act (最低工資法), has become one of the most consequential mechanisms for ensuring that wage
According to recent reports, a trash collection worker in Taipei with more than 30 years of service picked up a discarded rice cooker from a recycling truck and gave it to an elderly woman who scavenges for a living. Although the rice cooker would fetch just NT$32 (US$1.06) at a recycling plant, the
Taiwan is a key economic and technological partner for India, as New Delhi has repeatedly affirmed over the years. Likewise, India has been an important partner and a priority country for Taiwan under its New Southbound Policy. Yet in recent times, this enthusiasm has waned.US President Donald Trump
Had former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) not accused his predecessor, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), of corruption in the Taiwan Intelligent Fiber Optic Network Consortium case in April last year, Hau’s loyal ally, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧), might
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A new political generation is reshaping Nepal’s future. For decades, the Himalayan nation has been caught between India and China, both vying for influence through patronage and investment, but those familiar formulas might no longer work.Nepal’s location has long made it a geopolitical prize for Ne
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