Thu, Feb 05, 2026
A New York court on Tuesday sentenced a Taiwanese man to 30 years in prison for conspiring to distribute narcotics, money laundering, and conspiring to sell adulterated and misbranded medication.Lin Rui-siang (林睿庠) was arrested in May 2024 for operating an online narcotics marketplace, called “Incog
The Tech World Pavilion, originally built by Taiwan for last year’s World Expo in Osaka, Japan, is to be recreated and displayed at the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi County next month, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.The pavilion is being brought back to Taiwan to give local audiences access t
PUSHBACK: An alliance of middle powers united around common values of democracy and respect for international law is needed, the group said Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged nations to push back against “aggressive superpowers,” such as Russia, China and the US under President Donald Trump, accusing the countries of undermining human rights and undoing much of the progress of the past decades.In an interview with Agence France-Presse (
Iran has asked the US to move diplomatic talks originally planned for Turkey to Oman and to limit the agenda to the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, people familiar with the matter said.Tehran is resisting US pressure to include its ballistic missile program and support for allied militias in the
‘GENERATION OF PROSPERITY’: Taiwan is on the right economic path and is striding confidently onto the world stage, the president underlined Taiwan must look to fellow democracies, not China, for trade and economic cooperation, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as his government mapped out how the nation plans to work with the US in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and critical minerals.Senior Taiwanese and US officia
Opposition parties not passing defense funding harms Taiwan’s national security, two US senators said separately in rare public criticism.“I am disappointed to see Taiwan’s opposition parties in parliament [the legislature] slash President [William] Lai’s (賴清德) defense budget so dramatically,” Roger
‘SEVERE WARNING’: US lawmakers from two parties urged the Legislative Yuan to pass the defense budget and provide funds for ‘urgently needed weapons systems’ The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday said it respects Taiwan’s political procedures and looks forward to seeing the Legislative Yuan hold sincere deliberation on how to support the nation in bolstering its self-defense capabilities. An AIT spokesperson made the remark in response to medi
The government on Tuesday donated US$3 million to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to support its social relief programs, Taiwan’s embassy to the Caribbean ally said yesterday.The donation was made by Ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Fiona Fan (范惠君) to SVG Prime Minister Godwin F
Civic groups and members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday urged the removal of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator-at-large Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) from the legislature, as she holds Chinese nationality. Citizen Congress Watch said that all evidence indicated that Li had not gone thro
‘HOSTILITY’: China’s ‘one country, two systems’ formula for Taiwan is designed to eliminate the ROC, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said yesterday Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) yesterday said the government will not accept the “15 shared recommendations” by the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) think tanks.The text is full of condemnation of the government for “obstructing
WRAPPING UP: The Taipei City Government is to review the land rights and royalties in the contract today, with the aim of signing the contract before the Lunar New Year The Taipei City Government and Nvidia Corp are to sign a contract before the Lunar New Year allowing the artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer to build its Taiwan headquarters in the Beitou Shilin Technology Park, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.Chiang, who previously said the c
LIGHT VEHICLES: Although cabin motorcycles are small, their user interface is similar to that of a car, meaning that a car licence would be required to drive one Cabin motorcycles would soon be allowed in Taiwan after an amendment to the Road Traffic Safety Rules (道路交通安全規則) is completed, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.The proposed amendment is open to public comment for 60 days and could be implemented in the second half of
Starlux Airlines, the newest international carrier in Taiwan, will launch direct flights on Aug. 1 between Taipei and Prague, its first destination in Europe, the Prague Airport said Wednesday.In a statement posted on its website, the airport said Starlux Airlines will initially provide three round-
Tigerair Taiwan, the only Taiwanese low-cost carrier, has signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase four A321neos, the European plane maker said Wednesday.In a statement, Airbus said the purchase agreement marked the first time the Taiwanese carrier has ordered A321neo aircraft to expand its fleet
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week.The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabi
CHIP HANG-UP: Surging memorychip prices would deal a blow to smartphone sales this year, potentially hindering one of MediaTek’s biggest sources of revenue MediaTek Inc (聯發科), the world’s biggest smartphone chip designer, yesterday said its new artificial intelligence (AI) chips used in data centers are to account for 20 percent of its total revenue next year, as cloud service providers race to deploy AI infrastructure to meet voracious demand.MediaTek
QUEST FOR CLARITY: The foreign minister said he wants the US to understand South Korea’s legislative process, as lawmakers weigh a bill on the US’ requests South Korea’s top diplomat met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the country scrambles to avoid a threatened US tariff hike to 25 percent, while lawmakers in Seoul prepare to review a special bill required to implement funding pledged as part of last year’s trade agreement.South Korean Minis
The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said it has received 81 applications for a subsidy program that provides government funding for factory upgrades and operational transformation, with each applicant eligible for up to NT$3 million (US$95,006).The ministry offers subsidies to help local ente
Taipei and Tokyo must deepen cooperation on the economy and regional security, Japan’s representative to Taiwan said in an interview on Saturday. Taiwan’s strength lies in semiconductor production, accounting for 70 percent of global output and 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips, while Ja
When tensions flare between US President Donald Trump and the UN, reactions in Taiwan are often marked by frustration, even indifference. After decades of exclusion and obstruction, some argue that a weakened UN is hardly worth defending. If the organization no longer functions, perhaps nothing of v
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) referred to the US as a “benefactor” and to China as “family,” arguing that as long as Taiwan engages in good-faith discussions with China, relations between the two sides would begin to thaw. However, Cheng should first revisit the KMT’s
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg.Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory i
Retired Taiwanese-American basketball star Jeremy Lin is set to return to the NBA All-Star Weekend in the US, making his debut in the Celebrity Game on Friday next week.The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the rosters of the two celebrity teams, who are to play at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.The
The Ukraine-born grappler who has taken the sumo world by storm is in deep training for a historic run at the highest prize in Japan’s national sport.Aonishiki, whose sumo name means “blue brocade” in honor of the Ukrainian flag, has rocketed through sumo’s ranks at record speed. The 21-year-old is
What do a tax fraud investigator, a physical therapist and a health insurance salesman have in common? They are all refereeing this weekend’s Super Bowl.It is a little-known quirk of the NFL that the multibillion-dollar-grossing sports behemoth employs part-time officials to oversee even its biggest
OPERATION ‘HEROF’: The government sent helicopters and drones to eject militants from a town in Balochistan, in the largest attacks ever by insurgents in the province Pakistan’s security forces used drones and helicopters to wrest control of a southwestern town from separatist insurgents after a three-day battle, police said yesterday, as the death toll in the weekend’s violence rose to 58.Saturday’s wave of coordinated attacks by the separatist Baloch Liberation
KENNEL CLUB: More than 3,000 dogs from 17 nations competed, with four-year-old Penny becoming the fifth doberman to win the top prize at the US show Penny, a four-year-old Doberman pinscher, on Tuesday won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, capturing the most prestigious dog show prize in the US. Penny cut a majestic stance in the final round of judging, when the finalists of seven groups competed at New York City’s Madison Sq
Pope Leo XIV yesterday warned of the risk of “a new arms race” as the last US-Russia nuclear treaty is set to expire.New START, the last nuclear treaty between Washington and Moscow after decades of agreements dating to the Cold War, is due to expire today, and with it restrictions on the two top nu
The term “pirates” as used in Asia was a European term that, as scholar of Asian pirate history Robert J. Antony has observed, became globalized during the European colonial era. Indeed, European colonial administrators often contemptuously dismissed entire Asian peoples or polities as “pirates,” a
What are the factors to watch going forward this election year? In 2014, following the Sunflower movement, the political ground shifted, with the center of gravity moving closer to the pro-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), pan-green camp. They won in a landslide, taking 13 of the 22 “big six” metr
With the publication of Honghong Tinn’s (鄭芳芳) Island Tinkerers last year, it seemed like the canonical work on the development of Taiwan’s electronics industry had arrived. It was hard to imagine much had been left uncovered by this book (reviewed in the Taipei Times, Feb. 27, 2025, and listed as a
A: The world’s first Pokemon-themed “PokePark Kanto” in Tokyo’s Yomiuriland amusement park is opening today.B: Nintendo Co.’s Pokemon series has swept across the world ever since its launch in 1996. Anything special about this new park?A: PokePark Kanto includes two main zones featuring about 600
Many animals spend the winter in a deep, low-energy state known as “hibernation.” When food becomes scarce and cold conditions drain body heat, bats, hedgehogs, and some ground squirrels retreat to safe shelters. Their bodies slow down to save energy: heart rates drop, breathing becomes shallow, and
Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。Just yesterday, the boy had helped hang the lucky red couplets. Tonight, as firecrackers signaled the New Year, he lay in bed burning with a surging fever. The herbalist checked the boy’s pulse and went still. “The only cure is in the county
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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