[{"ar_sbhdtease":"TRIP TO TAIWAN:","ar_byline":"By Shelley Shan","ar_views":"1503","ar_id":"2003831294","ar_sbhdbody":" The resumption of group tours from China should be discussed between the two agencies tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-04","ar_head":"Lai reassures PRC-based entrepreneurs","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"President William Lai (\u8cf4\u6e05\u5fb7) yesterday reassured China-based businesspeople that he would follow former president Tsai Ing-wen\u2019s (\u8521\u82f1\u6587) cross-strait policy to facilitate  healthy and orderly exchanges with Beijing and build a resilient economy. \u201cAs president, I have three missions. First, I will follo","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/04\/2003831294","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831294","ph_attr":"Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"President William Lai, center, attends a Lunar New Year event for China-based businesspeople hosted by the Straits Exchange Foundation in Taipei yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/04","ph_fname":"p01-250204-004.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/p01-250204-004.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/thumbs\/p01-250204-004.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"REMINDER:","ar_byline":"By Lee I-chia","ar_views":"4373","ar_id":"2003831295","ar_sbhdbody":"Of the 6.78 million doses of flu vaccine Taiwan purchased for this flu season, about 200,000 are still available, an official said, following Big S\u2019 death","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-04","ar_head":"CDC advises people to get vaccinated against flu","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"As news broke of the death of Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu (\u5f90\u7199\u5a9b), also known as Big S (\u5927S),  from severe flu complications, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and doctors yesterday urged people at high risk to get vaccinated and be alert to signs of severe illness. Hsu\u2019s family yesterd","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/04\/2003831295","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831295","ph_attr":"Photo: Lo Kuo-chia, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"Actress Barbie Hsu, also known as Big S, poses in an undated photograph. \r\n","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/04","ph_fname":"p01-250204-005.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/p01-250204-005.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/thumbs\/p01-250204-005.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Crystal Hsu","ar_views":"675","ar_id":"2003831296","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-04","ar_head":"TAIEX plunges on US tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"The TAIEX yesterday plunged 3.53 percent, or 830.7 points, to close at 22,694.71, as major tech companies took a hard hit from Washington\u2019s tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, where Taiwanese electronics suppliers have set up factories to take advantage of favorable tax terms.The recen","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/04\/2003831296","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831296","ph_attr":"Photo:  Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE","ph_cap":"People walk past stock index displays outside the Taiwan Stock Exchange office in Taipei yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/04","ph_fname":"p01-250204-316.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/p01-250204-316.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/thumbs\/p01-250204-316.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"528","ar_id":"2003831297","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-04","ar_head":"EU leaders, UK meet on defense","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"EU leaders yesterday huddled with Britain\u2019s prime minister and the head of NATO to discuss efforts to boost Europe\u2019s defenses as they face an aggressive Russia and as US President Donald Trump demands that allies spend much more.The gathering in Brussels is billed as a \u201ctriple first\u201d: the first time","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/04\/2003831297","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831297","ph_attr":"Photo: EPA-EFE","ph_cap":"NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, right, greets Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during an informal retreat of EU leaders at Egmont Palace in Brussels yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/04","ph_fname":"p01-250204-324.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/p01-250204-324.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/thumbs\/p01-250204-324.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"474","ar_id":"2003831298","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-04","ar_head":"US president warns of short-term pain from tariffs","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"US President Donald Trump on Sunday said the sweeping tariffs that he has imposed on Mexico, Canada and China might cause \u201cshort-term\u201d pain for Americans, as concerns the levies would spark an economically damaging trade war rise.Trump added that he would talk yesterday with the leaders of Canada an","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/04\/2003831298","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831298","ph_attr":"Photo: Bloomberg","ph_cap":"Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron talk at an informal retreat of EU leaders at Egmont Palace in Brussels yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/04","ph_fname":"p01-250204-323.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/p01-250204-323.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/04\/thumbs\/p01-250204-323.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"6393","ar_id":"2003831276","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Actress Barbie Hsu dies of pneumonia at 48","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (\u5f90\u7199\u5a9b) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent.\"Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Bar","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831276","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831276","ph_attr":"Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"Actress Barbie Hsu poses during an event in Taipei on Oct. 27, 2018.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"BarbieHsuedit.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/BarbieHsuedit.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/BarbieHsuedit.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"PETITIONS: ","ar_byline":"By Jason Pan","ar_views":"2140","ar_id":"2003831245","ar_sbhdbody":"A Democratic Progressive Party official quoted President William Lai as saying that civil society groups are organizing the recall drives at the grassroots level ","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"KMT lawmakers could face recall votes","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"Some civil society groups yesterday announced that they have collected enough signatures to pass the first-stage threshold to initiate a recall vote against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators in 18 constituencies nationwide, saying that they would submit the signatures to the Central Electi","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831245","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831245","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of Chen Yu-ling","ph_cap":"A woman holds up a sign in Chinese, which reads: \u201cI do not pay tax to communists,\u201d in Nantou County on Saturday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-003.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-003.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-003.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"REACTIONS: ","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"859","ar_id":"2003831246","ar_sbhdbody":"Canada and Mexico said that they would impose retaliatory tariffs, while China said it would file a claim against Washington at the WTO","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Canada, Mexico, China respond to US tariffs","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced broad tariffs on major US trading partners Canada, Mexico and China, claiming a \u201cmajor threat\u201d from illegal immigration and drugs \u2014 a move that sparked promises of retaliation. Canadian and Mexican exports to the US would face a 25 percent tariff start","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831246","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831246","ph_attr":"Photo: AFP","ph_cap":"Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on Tuesday last week.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-322.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-322.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-322.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Chen Yun and Sam Garcia ","ar_views":"1270","ar_id":"2003831247","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Tsai discusses relations with Trump","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"In an interview with British newspaper the Times published on Saturday, former president Tsai Ing-wen (\u8521\u82f1\u6587) discussed how solid communication with the first administration of US President Donald Trump helped maintain a mutually beneficial relationship. \u201cI led Taiwan for eight years \u2014 this is how I k","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831247","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831247","ph_attr":"Screengrab from the Web site of the <i>Times<\/i>","ph_cap":"Former president Tsai Ing-wen is featured in an article of the <i>Times<\/i>.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-004.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-004.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-004.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Esme Yeh","ar_views":"613","ar_id":"2003831248","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"More than half of Taiwanese used AI last year: NCC","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"More than half of Taiwanese used artificial intelligence (AI) services last year, a National Communications Commission (NCC) report said.The NCC\u2019s 2024 Communications Market Report, released last month, showed that 52.5 percent of people surveyed said they used AI services last year, with smart navi","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831248","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831248","ph_attr":"Photo: Fang Wei-chieh, Taipei Times ","ph_cap":"A room for AI servers in an unidentified location is pictured in an undated photo.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-006.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-006.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-006.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"439","ar_id":"2003831249","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Fifty-four killed in Sudan attack","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"An attack on an open market in the Sudanese city of Omdurman by a paramilitary group killed 54 people and wounded at least 158, health authorities said on Saturday. The attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Sabrein Market was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the escalated civil ","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831249","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831249","ph_attr":"Photo:reuters","ph_cap":"RSF sodiers in Khartoum,Sudan.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-0DSAS.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-0DSAS.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-0DSAS.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT: ","ar_byline":"By Jake Chung ","ar_views":"1104","ar_id":"2003831191","ar_sbhdbody":"The FSC said it would enforce a previous demand that operators observe information transparency to uphold client interests and rights ","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"FSC mulls cryptocurrency regulation","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is mulling legislation to regulate the cryptocurrency industry, or virtual assets, and demanding that virtual asset service providers (VASPs) secure permits within 15 months of the legislation\u2019s promulgation. The planned legislation would set different capi","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831191","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831191","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA","ph_cap":"Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Peng Jin-lung, right, and FSC Deputy Chairman Chen Yen-liang speak at a news conference in Taipei on Wednesday last week.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P01-250202-604.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P01-250202-604.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P01-250202-604.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"PRICE WORRIES: ","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"817","ar_id":"2003831192","ar_sbhdbody":"Hiking import taxes on crude oil from Canada and Mexico could bring \u2018huge implications for US energy prices, especially in the US midwest,\u2019 analysts said","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Trump set to hit Canada, Mexico, China with tariffs","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"US President Donald Trump was expected to unveil fresh tariffs yesterday on major trading partners Canada, Mexico and China, threatening upheaval across supply chains from energy to autos and raising inflation concerns. Trump has promised to impose 25 percent tariffs on immediate neighbors Canada an","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831192","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831192","ph_attr":"Photo: Reuters","ph_cap":"US President Donald Trump gestures upon his arrival in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P01-250202-350.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P01-250202-350.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P01-250202-350.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"587","ar_id":"2003831227","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Artists celebrate Taiwan's diversity in Grammy-nominated album packaging","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"Staff Writer, with CNATwo design works of Taiwanese artists have been nominated for Best Recording Package at the 67th Grammy Awards, set to take place on February 3( US Time) in Los Angeles. Taiwan's cultural diversity is reflected in the works of local artists whose album packaging designs have ea","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831227","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831227","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of Lee Pei-tzu via CNA","ph_cap":"iWhooiWhoo's album \"Pregnancy, Breakdown, And Disease\" designed by Lee Pei-tzu. ","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"\u674e\u4f69\u6148\u5531\u7247\u8a2d\u8a08\u4f5c\u54c1.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/\u674e\u4f69\u6148\u5531\u7247\u8a2d\u8a08\u4f5c\u54c1.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/\u674e\u4f69\u6148\u5531\u7247\u8a2d\u8a08\u4f5c\u54c1.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Jonathan Chin ","ar_views":"729","ar_id":"2003831193","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Government agencies banned from using DeepSeek, digital ministry says","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) on Friday said that public sector workers would be banned from using DeepSeek, a recently released Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) model, due to concerns over data leaks. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of AI p","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831193","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831193","ph_attr":"Photo: Reuters","ph_cap":"The DeepSeek logo is displayed on a smartphone screen with a Chinese flag in the background on Wednesday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P01-250202-314.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P01-250202-314.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P01-250202-314.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Tsai Yun-jung \nand Esme Yeh ","ar_views":"1533","ar_id":"2003831194","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Temperatures forecast to drop","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"A strong continental cold air mass moving south is to bring down temperatures nationwide tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. A cold front has brought brief showers to northern Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (\u66fe\u662d\u8aa0) said. There is a slight chance of snow falling ","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831194","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831194","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Administration ","ph_cap":"A chart shows this week\u2019s temperature forecast. The brown line represents the outlying counties of Penghu and Kinmen, the yellow line represents Lienchiang County (Matsu), the green line represents southern Taiwan and Taitung, the blue line represents central Taiwan and Hualien County, and the red line represents northern Taiwan and Yilan County.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P01-250202-001.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P01-250202-001.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P01-250202-001.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"408","ar_id":"2003831195","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Hamas and Israel continue to release hostages, prisoners","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"Freed Palestinian inmates were greeted by a cheering crowd in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday, after Hamas released three Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip in the fourth exchange under the group\u2019s ceasefire deal with Israel. Three other buses carrying freed Palestinians also arr","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831195","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831195","ph_attr":"Photo: AFP","ph_cap":"Palestinian militant group Hamas fighters escort American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, center, on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Gaza City yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P01-250202-352.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P01-250202-352.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P01-250202-352.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"TAIWAN DEFENSE:","ar_byline":"By Chen Cheng-liang and William Hetherington","ar_views":"3499","ar_id":"2003831144","ar_sbhdbody":" The initiative would involve integrating various systems in a fast-paced manner through the use of common software to obstruct a Chinese invasion","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-01","ar_head":"First Replicator initiative on track: US","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"The first tranche of the US Navy\u2019s \u201cReplicator\u201d initiative aimed at obstructing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be ready by August, a US Naval Institute (USNI) News report on Tuesday said.The initiative is part of a larger defense strategy for Taiwan, and would involve launching thousands of uncr","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/01\/2003831144","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831144","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense","ph_cap":"A map shows activity by the Chinese People\u2019s Liberation Army in the 24 hours that ended at 6am yesterday. \r\n","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/01","ph_fname":"P01-250201-003.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/P01-250201-003.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/thumbs\/P01-250201-003.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"\u2018UNITED FRONT\u2019:","ar_byline":"By Huang Hsu-lei and Lery Hiciano","ar_views":"758","ar_id":"2003831145","ar_sbhdbody":" While promising to safeguard national security, William Lai also called on the public to join the collective effort to protect the country ","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-01","ar_head":"President urges vigilance against Chinese tactics","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"President William Lai (\u8cf4\u6e05\u5fb7) yesterday called on the public to be vigilant against China\u2019s \u201cunited front\u201d tactics, which have become increasingly severe, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains committed to annexing Taiwan.Lai made the remarks while visiting Lecheng Temple (\u6a02\u6210\u5bae) in Taichung, whe","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/01\/2003831145","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831145","ph_attr":"Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office\u2019s Flickr page","ph_cap":"President William Lai, center, speaks during a visit to the Lecheng Temple in Taichung yesterday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/01","ph_fname":"P01-250201-dsada.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/P01-250201-dsada.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/thumbs\/P01-250201-dsada.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"703","ar_id":"2003831177","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Front Page","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-01","ar_head":"Taiwan bans government use of DeepSeek","dp_urlname":"front","ar_desc":"The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) said yesterday that public sector workers will be banned from using DeepSeek, a recently released Chinese artificial intelligence model, due to concerns over data leaks to the Chinese government.In a press release, MODA said DeepSeek AI is a Chinese ICT product","ar_url":"News\/front\/archives\/2025\/02\/01\/2003831177","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831177","ph_attr":"Photo: Reuters","ph_cap":"Deepseek logo and the Chinese flag are seen in this illustration taken on Jan. 27. ","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/01","ph_fname":"deepseek.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/deepseek.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/01\/thumbs\/deepseek.jpg"}}]