[{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Liao Chia-ning and William Hetherington ","ar_views":"818","ar_id":"2003831257","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Government is likely to buy air guns from China","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The government is likely to purchase air guns from a Chinese manufacturer to control the invasive green iguana population that is damaging crops, an industry association said. The Ministry of Agriculture last year proposed the use of air guns to help cull iguanas in the wild, which are estimated to ","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831257","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831257","ph_attr":"Photo: Liao Chia-ning, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"Six Chinese-made air guns used to kill African sacred ibis are displayed in an unidentified location and undated photograph.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-008.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-008.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-008.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"451","ar_id":"2003831258","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Taiwanese artists featured at comic festival in France","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The works of Taiwanese artists are being featured at the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival, France\u2019s largest comics event, which began on Thursday.The festival, which was to end yesterday in the French city of Angouleme, \u201cwelcomes nearly 6,000 comics professionals from all over the world,","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831258","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831258","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA ","ph_cap":"Taiwanese comic artist Ting Po-yen, second right, speaks in a forum at the Angouleme International Comic Festival in Angouleme, France, on Friday last week.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-DADAD.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-DADAD.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-DADAD.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"495","ar_id":"2003831259","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Assembly Affairs Museum reopens after three years","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The Assembly Affairs Museum reopened last month after more than three years of renovations, offering visitors a chance to explore Taiwan\u2019s political development through legislature-themed exhibitions.The facilities and exhibitions are \u201cthe only national-level museum in Taiwan with politics as the th","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831259","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831259","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA","ph_cap":"The dome of the Assembly Affairs Museum in Taichung is pictured on Saturday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-604.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-604.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-604.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"589","ar_id":"2003831260","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Local diversity is reflected in Taiwan\u2019s art, says artist nominated for Grammy","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Taiwan\u2019s cultural diversity is reflected in the works of local artists whose album packaging designs have earned Grammy nominations, the artists of the works said.Lee Pei-tzu (\u674e\u73ee\u6148), the art director of experimental band iWhooiWhoo\u2019s (\u4e00\u864e\u4e00\u864e) album Pregnancy, Breakdown, And Disease (\u75c5\u5b50\u75c5\u75c5\u75c5\u5b50), said that ","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831260","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831260","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA\r","ph_cap":"Lee Pei-tzu, art director of experimental band iWhooiWhoo\u2019s album Pregnancy, Breakdown, And Disease, poses for a photograph with the band\u2019s singer Lai Yu-chiao, right, and bass player Cheng Nai-han in Los Angeles on Saturday.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-602.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-602.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-602.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"449","ar_id":"2003831261","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Data bill to be submitted soon","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"A draft bill to set up a Personal Data Protection Commission would be sent to the legislature for review in the coming months to establish the independent body by the August deadline set by the Constitutional Court, an official said.The draft bill, which would provide the legal grounds for the commi","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831261","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831261","ph_attr":"Photo: Wang Ting-chuan, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"A Web site illegally disclosing personal information is pictured in an undated photograph.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-009.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-009.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-009.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"MUST REMAIN FREE:","ar_byline":"By Lee I-chia","ar_views":"1203","ar_id":"2003831262","ar_sbhdbody":"A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would lead to a global conflict, and if the nation blows up, the world\u2019s factories would fall in a week, a minister said","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Minister likens Taiwan to 1938 Prague","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Taiwan is like Prague in 1938 facing Adolf Hitler; only if Taiwan remains free and democratic would the world be safe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (\u5433\u5fd7\u4e2d) said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.The ministry on Saturday said Corriere della Sera is one of Ital","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831262","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831262","ph_attr":"Photo:  Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times ","ph_cap":"Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu speaks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei on Jan. 21.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-011.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-011.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-011.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By William Hetherington ","ar_views":"624","ar_id":"2003831263","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"KMT to reverse pension reform, push recall act","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) at the legislature\u2019s next session is likely to prioritize bills related to the stemming of recall drives against it and the cutting of pensions for public sector, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported yesterday. Fearing that the major recall drive would lead to a","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831263","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831263","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA","ph_cap":"Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lin Szu-ming, left, and Wang Hong-wei, right, speak to reporters in front of Taipei City Police Department\u2019s Zhongzheng First Precinct on Jan. 23.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-605.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-605.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-605.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Sam Garcia","ar_views":"530","ar_id":"2003831264","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"DPP to focus on unfreezing budget in new session","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would try to unfreeze portions of the central government budget and fight opposition party lawmakers\u2019 proposed amendments to national security laws in the new legislative session, DPP caucus secretary-general Rosalia Wu (\u5433\u601d\u7464) said.The DPP also hopes the Executi","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831264","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831264","ph_attr":"Photo:CNA","ph_cap":"Democratic Progressive Party caucus secretary-general Rosalia Wu, right, gestures \u201cno\u201d during a legislative session on Jan. 21.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-606.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-606.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-606.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Esme Yeh","ar_views":"107","ar_id":"2003831265","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Absentee voting, judicial reforms to be prioritized: TPP","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The Taiwan People\u2019s Party (TPP) would prioritize absentee voting in the next legislative session, as well as promote reforms in the media and the judicial system, TPP lawmakers said yesterday.The next legislative session is to begin today or tomorrow, contingent on the outcome of cross-party negotia","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831265","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831265","ph_attr":"Photo: Wang Yi-sung ","ph_cap":"Taiwan People\u2019s Party Legislator Chang Chi-kai speaks to reporters in Taipei on Jan. 12.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-012.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-012.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-012.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"IMPORTANT ISSUES","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"111","ar_id":"2003831266","ar_sbhdbody":"Conference participants would discuss personal data protection, sustainable development, challenges of AI and ways to safeguard at-risk communities","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"RightsCon selects Taiwan as digital rights summit host","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Taipei has been selected as the host city for this year\u2019s RightsCon, an international conference focused on digital rights to be held later this month, because of its protection of democracy, freedom and human rights, the event\u2019s organizer said.\u201cFor us, it was a natural step\u201d to choose Taiwan as the","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831266","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831266","ph_attr":"Screengrab from RightsCon\u2019s Web site","ph_cap":"The logo of RightsCon.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-AFSAD.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-AFSAD.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-AFSAD.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"582","ar_id":"2003831267","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"China intensifying efforts to suppress Taiwan, ministry says","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The South African government\u2019s demand that Taiwan\u2019s representative office move out of Pretoria despite ongoing negotiations showed that China has intensified its suppression of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.\u201cWe will continue to communicate with the South African government b","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831267","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831267","ph_attr":"Photo: Huang Chin-hsuan, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured in an undated photo.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-0SDADA.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-0SDADA.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-0SDADA.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"81","ar_id":"2003831268","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Inviting wealth","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"A person dressed as the God of Fortune waves as he visits Guang Hua Digital Plaza in Taipei yesterday.","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831268","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831268","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA","ph_cap":"","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P01-250203-601.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P01-250203-601.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P01-250203-601.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"83","ar_id":"2003831269","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Field of flowers","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Tourists pose for a photograph in a flower field in Citong Township, Yunlin County, on Sunday.","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831269","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831269","ph_attr":"\bPhoto courtesy of Lee Ming-feng","ph_cap":"","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P02-250203-010.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P02-250203-010.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P02-250203-010.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"66","ar_id":"2003831270","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-03","ar_head":"Wealth wishes","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Two women touch a giant ingot at the Songshan Xiahai Chenghuang Temple in Taipei yesterday.","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/03\/2003831270","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831270","ph_attr":"Photo: CNA","ph_cap":"","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/03","ph_fname":"P03-250203-607.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/P03-250203-607.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/03\/thumbs\/P03-250203-607.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"FALLING STATISTICS: ","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"731","ar_id":"2003831207","ar_sbhdbody":"The decline in Chinese visitors was due to Beijing\u2019s ban on tour group visits, while the weak yen has held back Japanese from traveling abroad","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Foreign visitors still less than pre-COVID-19 level","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"The number of foreign visitors has failed to rebound to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, with the expected 7.5 million to 8 million overseas visitors last year well below the 11.86 million who arrived in 2019.There were 2.23 million fewer Chinese visitors in the first month of last year compared with t","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831207","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831207","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of the Tourism Administration","ph_cap":"Japanese actor Satoshi Tsumabuki, who was named Taiwan\u2019s tourism ambassador last year, eats Taiwanese dishes in front of Ci Sheng Temple in Taipei in an undated promotional photograph by the Tourism Administration.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P02-250202-002.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P02-250202-002.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P02-250202-002.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Jonathan Chin","ar_views":"855","ar_id":"2003831208","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Tainan attracts foreigner digital nomads","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Tainan\u2019s initiative to recruit digital nomads has resulted in several German, US and Vietnamese nationals applying to live and work in the city, the Tainan Research, Development and Evaluation Commission said yesterday.That marked the city as the first in the nation to attract digital nomads, follow","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831208","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831208","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of the Tainan City Government","ph_cap":"People attend a digital nomad recruitment session in Tainan on Dec. 20 last year.","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P02-250202-605.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P02-250202-605.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P02-250202-605.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"By Liu Hsiao-hsin, \r\nCheng Chi-fang \r\nand Esme Yeh","ar_views":"1504","ar_id":"2003831209","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Vietnamese migrant worker takes home NT$12mn scratch lottery jackpot prize","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County\u2019s Puyan Township (\u57d4\u9e7d), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday.The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to w","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831209","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831209","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of a reader.","ph_cap":"The inside of a lottery shop in Changhua County\u2019s Puyan Township is pictured in an undated photograph.\r\n","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P02-250202-003.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P02-250202-003.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P02-250202-003.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"LIMIT ACTIVITIES:","ar_byline":"By Wu Liang-yi and William Hetherington ","ar_views":"706","ar_id":"2003831210","ar_sbhdbody":"The surgery causes gas build-up inside the eyeball, which could expand when the air pressure decreases and can affect intraocular pressure","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Doctor urges eye surgery patients to heed travel warning","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"People who undergo eye surgery should avoid heights until they fully recover, an ophthalmologist said, citing a patient who experienced altitude sickness following surgery. A patient who visited a mountain in Nantou County with family members shortly after undergoing retinal surgery suddenly develop","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831210","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831210","ph_attr":"Photo: Lu Hsien-Hsiu, Taipei Times","ph_cap":"Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital superintendent and ophthalmologist Lai Chi-chun is pictured in the hospital on June 14, 2023.\r\n","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"imageShow2.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/imageShow2.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/imageShow2.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"544","ar_id":"2003831211","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Fly safe","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"People heading to Kaohsiung board an Air Force C-130 transport aircraft in Penghu County yesterday. In response to the surge in demand for flights from the outlying islands of Penghu to Taiwan proper over the past few days of the Lunar New Year holiday, commercial airline UNI Airways and the Air For","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831211","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831211","ph_attr":"Photo courtesy of the Penghu County Government","ph_cap":"","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"P02-250202-606.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/P02-250202-606.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/P02-250202-606.jpg"}},{"ar_sbhdtease":"","ar_byline":"","ar_views":"380","ar_id":"2003831226","ar_sbhdbody":"","ar_section":"Taiwan News","ar_pubdate":"2025-02-02","ar_head":"Temple Visit","dp_urlname":"taiwan","ar_desc":"Rows of lanterns and many visitors are pictured in front of the Lukang Tianhou Temple in Changhua County yesterday. The temple is one of the oldest temple in Taiwan that worships the sea goddess Matsu and is also a well-known attraction site in the historic town of Lukang. The number of visitors to ","ar_url":"News\/taiwan\/archives\/2025\/02\/02\/2003831226","photo":{"ar_id":"2003831226","ph_attr":"","ph_cap":"","ph_fpath":"2025\/02\/02","ph_fname":"WIRE-P01-250202-005.jpg","ph_url":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/WIRE-P01-250202-005.jpg","ph_url_thumbs":"images\/2025\/02\/02\/thumbs\/WIRE-P01-250202-005.jpg"}}]