Sun, Jun 02, 2024
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Thursday voiced the US’ strong concern over China’s “destabilizing actions” around Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait in a meeting with a Chinese official, saying that they “erode the status quo that has maintained regional peace and stability for decades.”
ALL IN: Austin said he told his Chinese counterpart that if he calls him he would answer the phone and hopes Dong would do the same to help maintain peace US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin yesterday hailed a “new era of security” in the Asia-Pacific region, as Washington bolsters its network of alliances aimed at countering China’s growing military might and influence.From Japan to Australia, the US has been deepening defense ties across the region
Taiwan is an indispensable member of the international community in ensuring global health security, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, pointing to increasing support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA).The annual meeting of the decisionmaking body of the WHO was h
Nvidia Corp, whose Tainan-born CEO is today to speak at the informal opening of Computex Taipei, could soon surpass Apple Inc to become the world’s second-most valuable company, as the biggest beneficiary of the surge in adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications takes on the iPhone maker
Indians yesterday flocked to the polls under scorching heat in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi as a marathon national election reached its final day, six weeks after voting first began.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to win a third term when results are announced on Tuesday, i
ECFA MANIPULATIONS: The MAC urged China to cease its ‘economic pressure’ and ‘resolve disputes through constructive dialogue without political preconditions’ The government yesterday criticized China for unilaterally announcing a plan to expand its suspension of preferential tariff rates for Taiwanese imports that had been part of a bilateral trade deal, effective from June 15.Taiwan “strongly protested and expressed its dissatisfaction with” Beijing’s d
SEEKING PEACE: The president said that it is his responsibility to safeguard stability across the Taiwan Strait and to promote economic development President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday vowed to promote cross-strait tourism based on the principles of equality and dignity.Lai’s statement at the opening of the Taipei Tourism Exposition came after the Executive Yuan announced that a ban on group tours to China would not be lifted this month, but a
IMPORTANT: The aircraft are used to transport personnel and equipment outside Taiwan, and upgrades would bring it in line with international aviation regulations The air force would increase its efforts to receive the Executive Yuan’s approval for a project to upgrade the capabilities of 19 C-130 Hercules aircraft, which is estimated to cost more than NT$10 billion (US$307.889 million), sources said yesterday.It is also pushing to include the project in the
BOOK: Matt Pottinger and Ivan Kanapathy outline measures Taiwan and other democracies must urgently take to deter an armed unification attempt by China Taiwan needs reforms in its military culture, former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger said in a book he coauthored with of Beacon Global Strategies vice president Ivan Kanapathy.Taiwan needs a brand-new military culture to address deficiencies in fighting a protracted conflict and
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Wednesday said that it expelled two Chinese military vessels that intruded into waters off Kinmen County.The Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch yesterday confirmed that it began monitoring two suspicious vehicles that came from the direction of Xiamen, China — which i
Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPC), said Friday it has been working to diversify its business to other potential markets for some time, in response to China’s announcement that it would expand the suspension of preferential tariffs on some Taiwanese imports.The company began diversifying exports of i
China should consider the consequences before it suspends the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), as doing so would affect peace across the Taiwan Strait, former Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said on Friday.Any move by China to suspend the free-trade agreeme
INNOVATION: The government has established sites in Tokyo and Silicon Valley, California, to help Taiwanese start-ups gain a global presence, an official said The government is planning to invest NT$150 billion (US$4.63 billion) in start-ups annually for five years to create 20,000 jobs within five years and become a start-up exporting nation within the next decade, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said on Friday.The Executive Yuan is also budgeting NT$11.7 bil
The number of pedestrians killed in traffic-related accidents during the first quarter of this year was 15.5 percent higher than the same period last year, data released on Friday by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications showed.From January to March, Taiwan reported 97,436 traffic-relate
The Hsinchu District Court on Thursday last week ruled against a woman who sought compensation from an amusement park after her daughter died of a stroke shortly after taking a ride in its free-fall drop tower.In its verdict, the court said the Leofoo Village Theme Park does not owe the woman’s fami
NETWORK: Many foreign alumni struggle to find a job and the event aims to help them by letting them share their experiences, the university said National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) yesterday hosted its first international alumni reunion luncheon on campus in Taipei, with more than 60 foreign alumni from 32 countries participating in the event and sharing their career experiences in Taiwan after graduation.The university’s Alumni Center
Almost every Indian meal requires an onion — one of the cooking essentials along with sugar and lentils that sweet-talking politicians use to curry favor with voters by lowering costs.However, their policies to cut prices by slapping export bans on some goods, including on onions and sugar, or by al
Employers are turning to increasingly bizarre hiring tactics in a job market where the balance of power has shifted away from workers.When Marissa Marlowe got invited to a happy hour hosted by a New York tech start-up she was interviewing with for a job, she was under the impression she would meet f
African start-ups, addressing overlooked needs, are putting the spotlight on a burgeoning tech scene, despite challenges such as inequality and limited digitization.At the GITEX Africa fair in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh this week, innovations in remittances and healthcare that cater to the conti
A declining population, competition from the civilian sector and inadequate military salaries are causing recruitment woes, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report submitted to the legislature.The pool of Taiwanese men who could potentially serve in the military last year decreased to 97,8
President William Lai (賴清德) highlighted Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) during his inauguration speech, noting ongoing efforts to establish bilateral investment agreements with democratic nations globally and enhance trade partne
Mike Gallagher, who in April resigned as chair of the US House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was known for his strong support for Taiwan and opposition to the CCP.Nevertheless, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued to punish Gallagher even after he left the US House
TOP EIGHT: The Fiji-based side’s win gave them six victories in the regular season, which meant they finished seventh on the table ahead of the Rebels with five wins The Fijian Drua yesterday qualified for the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals for the second consecutive year after scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Melbourne Rebels 40-19 in the last round of the regular season.The win clinched seventh place for the Drua on 26 points and
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Edmonton Oilers went into Friday’s Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference Finals determined to score if they got a power-play chance and did it twice in a 3-1 win over the top-seeded Dallas Stars to take a 3-2 series lead and get within one victory of going to the Stanley C
Reigning champion Iga Swiatek on Friday celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open last 16, while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both powered into the second week.Alcaraz got the better of Sebastian Korda in straight sets to edge closer to a semi-final m
BADMINTONTaiwanese pair make finalTaiwanese pair Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang yesterday earned a spot in the mixed doubles final at the Singapore Open, defeating Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch of Denmark 21-17, 21-12 in 36 minutes. They face Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong in the final at the
IN THE WORKS: While international officials hailed the plan, Netanyahu took issue with the US president’s presentation of the deal, saying that a ceasefire was ‘conditional’ Israeli forces yesterday hammered Rafah in southern Gaza with tanks and artillery, hours after US President Joe Biden said Israel was offering a new road map toward a full ceasefire.Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would still pursue the
CARTEL INFLUENCE: In the run-up to today’s election, gangs have taken to firing on campaign rallies, burning ballots and even setting up banners to influence voters Mexico’s election is now the bloodiest in its modern history after a candidate running for local office in central Puebla state was murdered on Friday at a political rally, taking the number of assassinated candidates to 37 ahead of today’s vote.Jorge Huerta Cabrera, a candidate who was running for
The British ambassador to Mexico has been removed from his post after he pointed an assault rifle at a local embassy employee in a vehicle, according to media reports and a video of the incident circulating online.The video, shared on X, shows the career diplomat, British Ambassador to Mexico Jon Be
June 3 to June 9If you wanted a beer in Taiwan before 1987, it was almost certain to be Taiwan Beer — unless you had special connections. But by June of that year, consumers suddenly had nearly 100 types of foreign brews to choose from, with Heiniken, Budweiser and Miller among the major brands.The
Curated by Edward Chiu (邱奕堅), Two Kings is the first solo exhibition of Toronto-based photographer Pengkuei Ben Huang (黃鵬魁) to be held in the city of his birth. It officially opens today in Taipei’s 1839 Contemporary Gallery (1839 當代藝廊) in Daan District (大安).The photos on show document the Kings Reg
The inauguration of the 16th president of the Republic of China, Taiwan was a riotous affair filled with wildly eclectic performances, incredible variety and diversity, influences from local roots and from around the world, heartwarming enthusiasm, remarkable talent and creativity at moments so surp
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日)https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/langOver the years, music technology evolved from records to cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s to streaming, but this hasn’t caused the three-minute duration of pop songs to __3__. One reason for this was that radio stations wanted to fit a
Have you ever wondered why pop songs tend to be around three minutes long? This custom of the three-minute song actually dates back to the middle of the 20th century. In the 1950s, the small 45 RPM record was favored by radio stations over larger long-playing (LP) records. This __1__ was mainly beca
A: It’s so hard to get a ticket for “God of Songs” Jacky Cheung’s concert.B: The Taipei Arena has 15,000 seats, but the newly opened Taipei Dome has 40,000. Why doesn’t he stage his shows at the Taipei Dome?A: Well, the Taipei Dome actually obtained its operation license as a sports venue. B: S
It’s certainly been a pleasure watching the presidential campaign launch of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) lurch painfully about like a wounded pachyderm in search of an elephant graveyard. Hou’s fall to third place in some polls last week appears early, and it might still be recoverable. But grumbling in his party about replacing him has already begun. Indeed, all indications are that the party that twice gave us Lien Chan (連戰), the most despised politician in Taiwan, as a presidential candidate and later offered voters Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is arcing along its normal descending trajectory, the North Korean missile test of electoral politics. A KIND OF POLICY PLATFORM Last week the KMT doubled down on this path with Hou’s calls for nuclear power and more death penalty executions, standard KMT fare for decades (the latter is unnecessary since so many potential criminals are likely to die in traffic accidents long before they harm anyone). Apparently KMT policy institutions are not echo chambers so much as mausoleums where dead ideas are embalmed and then periodically put on display. The lack of public policy imagination is obvious. A less obvious facet of KMT ineptitude: with years of speculation that Hou would be their man in 2024, neither Hou nor the party insisted on interesting or experimental public policies to showcase Hou’s greatness in preparation for the showdown. Of course, that is even more true of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Hou’s slide and the media buzz surrounding it are obscuring the truly urgent problem the pro-Taiwan side faces: DPP presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) has not expanded his voter support beyond the party base. In most polls he remains below 40 percent. Independent voters are staying away in droves, and for the moment the young are turning to
July 17 to July 23 When Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯) came of age, the traditional skills of architecture and carpentry that had been in his family for four generations were disappearing. After helping his uncle Yeh Teh-ling (葉得令) construct ships, residences and temples for more than a decade, Yeh struck out on his own at the age of 28 in 1960 as a damusi (大木司, chief carpenter), earning his lifelong title “Chief Chuang” (壯司). Around this time, builders in his homeland of Penghu were increasingly using reinforced concrete instead of wood, due to the humid climate. The period also saw a frenzy in temple construction as the economy improved, meaning there was plenty of work for Yeh. Adept in non-structural techniques such as doors, windows and furniture, as well as the intricate carvings and detailed decorations that adorned the structures, Yeh was able to adapt his skills, leading the reconstruction of the historic Hsiliao Daitian Temple (西寮代天宮) on Penghu’s main island in 1963. According to the book Crossing Traditions in Yeh Ken-chuang’s Large-scale Carpentry Skills (宮廟巧藝 :跨越傳統的葉根壯大木作技術), it was Penghu’s first temple that used a purely reinforced concrete structure. Before his life was cut short, Yeh created more than 70 temples and related structures across the various islands of Penghu and left behind more than 230 building plans. Although Yeh could have built temples and other structures on Taiwan proper, he only worked on a handful of projects outside of Penghu because he wanted to be close to his family. CLAN OF CARPENTERS The Yeh family’s woodworking tradition began with Yeh Ma-li (葉媽利), who learned the architecture and carpentry trade from an unknown master on Kinmen. The Yehs trace their roots to Kinmen, although this branch had been living in Penghu since the early 1600s. Yeh Ma-li was Penghu’s chief temple builder between 1860 and
New Taipei City | 14-23 | 10% | |
Hsinchu County | 14-22 | 10% | |
Hsinchu City | 14-22 | 10% | |
Taipei City | 14-22 | 10% | |
Miaoli County | 12-22 | 10% | |
Taoyuan City | 14-22 | 10% | |
Keelung City | 15-21 | 10% |
Yunlin County | 14-24 | 0% | |
Taichung City | 14-24 | 0% | |
Nantou County | 14-24 | 0% | |
Changhua County | 14-23 | 0% |
Chiayi County | 13-24 | 0% | |
Chiayi City | 14-25 | 0% | |
Tainan City | 15-22 | 0% | |
Kaohsiung City | 17-23 | 0% | |
Pingtung County | 16-25 | 0% |
Yilan County | 14-22 | 10% | |
Hualien County | 16-22 | 10% | |
Taitung County | 17-23 | 10% |
Kinmen County | 11-18 | 0% | |
Penghu County | 17-20 | 0% | |
Lienchiang County | 10-13 | 10% |