title: Taiwanese shine at Venice festival

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Taiwanese filmmakers earned international recognition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, held from Aug. 27 to Saturday in Italy, with director Singing Chen (陳芯宜) winning the Grand Prize in the Venice Immersive section for her virtual reality free-roaming experience, The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up (雲在兩千米).

Adapted from a short story by author Wu Ming-yi (吳明益) in the collection The Land of Little Rain (苦雨之地), Chen’s production garnered the section’s top honor for its poetic imagery and emotional depth.

It is Taiwan’s second Grand Prize in the category, following Chen’s The Man Who Couldn’t Leave (無法離開的人) in 2022.

epa12358411 Taiwanese director Singing Chen holds the Venice Immersive Grand Prize for The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up during the awards ceremony of the Venice International Film Festival in Italy on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Director Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮), actress Shu Qi (舒淇) and animation director Hsieh Wen-ming (謝文明) also drew attention, with Tsai’s documentary Back Home (回家) screened in the Out of Competition section, and a 4K restoration of his classic Vive L’Amour (愛情萬歲) featured in Venice Classics.

Tsai was also honored with the FIPRESCI 100-Year Lifetime Achievement Award on Wednesday.

Shu, making her directorial debut with the feature film Girl (女孩), was nominated in the main competition. After its Venice premiere on Thursday, the film received a 15-minute standing ovation, making it one of the festival’s most talked-about works.

Taiwanese animation was also in the spotlight, with Hsieh’s short Praying Mantis (螳螂) selected for the Orizzonti competition, a milestone for Taiwanese animated shorts at Venice.

Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) yesterday praised the artists for their dedication, saying their achievements highlight the strength of Taiwan’s film industry.

Li added that recognition at one of the world’s major film festivals affirms the industry’s progress and the value of creative freedom.

He pledged continued support for promoting Taiwanese productions globally.


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Other items, not toilet paper cause of blockages: ministry

Toilet paper is safe to flush, as 26 off-the-shelf toilet paper brands with a “Green Mark” have been certified water-soluble in Taiwan, the Ministry of Environment said last week.

The “Do Not Flush Toilet Paper” signs posted in many restrooms have misled people to believe that toilet paper would clog the toilet, ministry officials told a forum in Taipei on Wednesday held jointly with the Taiwan Toilet Association on the cleanup and management of public restrooms.

Toilet paper is made of short cellulose fibers that can easily break apart in water, they said.

Twenty-six toilet paper brands circulating in Taiwan passed the CNS 1091 test and are certified water-soluble, they said.

Toilet paper would not block a toilet’s drainpipe, which is about 10cm wide, if it passes through the narrower P-trap, at about 5cm.

Taiwan Institute of Property Management president Kuo Chi-tzu (郭紀子) said that rather than toilet paper, household goods such as wet wipes, cotton swabs, cotton balls, tampons or dental floss are the main cause of blocked toilets.

While slurry, tile fragments or steel bars could fall into the pipelines of toilets and cause a blockage, aging pipes or greasy dirt, urine scale and fecal residue that have accumulated at pipe curves could narrow the inside diameter of the pipeline and block water flow, he said.

Therefore, regular maintenance of drainage systems is crucial to ensuring unobstructed water flow, including pipeline inspections and high-pressure washing, he added.

The ministry has launched an online poll (https://esms.moenv.gov.tw/toilet/VoteToilet2025) for people to select “The Best Public Toilet” from 40 restrooms qualified for the vote, with each person allowed to cast four votes per day. The poll runs through the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Friends of Daan Forest Park Foundation managing director Tsai Chien-sheng (蔡建生) said on the ministry’s podcast that the P-trap and drainpipe sizes are worldwide standards.

However, paper towels or wet wipes made of nonwoven fabric, which is insoluble in water, are difficult to break apart in water, he said.

Regarding why toilet paper is sometimes not flushed into the pipeline, Tsai said the key lies in the flushing power of the toilet.

Toilets with a low-profile tank produce less noise, but have weaker flushing power, which usually requires an additional 2kg of water pressure from outside the tank to create a vortex for the flush, he said.

Many silent flush toilets, which are widely introduced in concert halls, are rather impractical for public restrooms, as the ceiling or roof is usually not high enough to offer extra water pressure, he said.


title: Taiwanese cinema in spotlight at Vancouver film festival

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The annual Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival, held Friday and Saturday, screened 21 films under the theme “Perception and Reality -- Through Taiwan’s Lens” to highlight the island’s cultural richness, according to the organizer.

The two-day event also hosted panel discussions to encourage exchanges between Taiwanese and Canadian filmmakers. About 200 attendees, including Canadian officials, members of the Taiwanese community and film enthusiasts, joined the opening ceremony on Friday.

Now in its 19th year, the festival curated award-winning features such as Daughter’s Daughter (女兒的女兒), Didi (弟弟), Doubles Match (乒乓男孩), Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道) and Salli (莎莉), along with 16 documentaries and shorts exploring themes of romance, social issues, humanitarian care, new immigrant culture and Indigenous perspectives.

Event participants pose for a photograph at the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival on Friday. Photo: CNA

Festival chair Charlene Liu said the selection demonstrated the breadth and creativity of contemporary Taiwanese cinema, offering Canadian audiences a fresh visual experience.

According to curator Apple Chang (張郁柔), panels this year featured professional filmmakers from Taiwan and Canada covering directing, editing, music, sound design and AI in film. She said the discussions gave young filmmakers guidance and opportunities to showcase their talents.

The opening screening featured a short directed by Lai Chien-hung (賴建宏), a former hospital radiologist who turned to filmmaking last year. The film tells the story of a girl who survived a plane crash learning to cope with trauma.

Canadian MP Jenny Kwan and Vancouver City Councillor Rebecca Bligh, both attending the opening event, praised Taiwan’s democratic values and diversity, calling film a powerful medium to deepen understanding of the country.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver Director Liu Li-hsin (劉立欣) said the festival fostered dialogue between creators and audiences in Taiwan and Canada, showcasing personal and societal stories while reflecting Taiwan’s connections to Canada and the world.


people: 卓榮泰 賴清德

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REFOCUS: The government must return to pushing policies that help the economy, people’s livelihoods, the youth and the disadvantaged, after the past year’s struggle   By Tzou Jiing-wen, Huang Wei-chu and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer

President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday talked about three new aspects of economic developments facing the nation and the role of a proposed sovereign wealth fund in helping Taiwan’s traditional industries.

First, the government must assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microenterprises affected by the US’ tariffs in getting through this tough time, he said yesterday during an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times).

That was why Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) tabled an NT$88 billion (US$2.87 billion) support package for domestic industries on April 4, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on April 2, Lai said.

President William Lai gestures during an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

The amount was boosted to NT$93 billion after more than 20 industry forums, he added.

The bill has passed the third reading in the legislature and the Cabinet would send the budget to legislators for review, Lai said, adding that it would be implemented soon if the budget is approved.

Second is the upgrading and transformation of SMEs and microenterprises, Lai said.

These businesses have been uncompetitive globally, especially as the era of artificial intelligence and net zero emissions has begun, he said.

Therefore, the government would continue to help them digitalize and align with the net zero transition, so that their products could be better marketed to the world, he added.

The third involves special help for SMEs, Lai said.

While some have a major share in the global market, others are facing challenges, such as the machine tool industry in central Taiwan and screw manufacturers in the south, he said.

They are too small in scale to be competitive globally and expect the government to help with their mergers, Lai said, adding that a related bill has been approved by the Cabinet.

Post-merger, these companies’ securities transaction tax could be exempted to help the merged entity grow and become more competitive, he said.

These businesses also lack international distribution channels, Lai said, adding that many distributors used to place orders with Taiwan, but they have shifted to other countries that have lower prices, such as Japan and China.

“Therefore, we must open up more channels,” Lai said.

While the Taiwan External Trade Development Council can help in promoting international trade, Lai said he has proposed establishing a sovereign wealth fund to purchase or invest in international channels.

That would ensure that traditional industry commodities could be marketed globally and foregrounded in the future economy, he said.

The economy, people’s livelihoods, the youth and disadvantaged groups have been the government’s priorities in its policies, Lai said.

“Unfortunately, the intensity of domestic political struggles over the past year diminished our achievements in this regard,” he said. “As Taiwanese society must rest to regain vitality after the mass recall movement, I have asked the Cabinet to continue to push forward policies addressing those four issues.”

As for the US’ tariffs, Lai said that negotiations have technically been completed and that they are just waiting for a final meeting.

The government has told Washington it hoped to complete the process as soon as possible and be exempted from tariff stacking, he said.

Taiwan’s investment in Alaska was part of the negotiation, Lai said, adding that the government has long planned to invest in Alaska’s natural gas, as it is more accessible and could be transported more safely than from the Middle East.

“Given later invitations from Washington and the ongoing tariff negotiations, we did express willingness to invest in Alaska,” Lai said.

Additional reporting by Chen Yun

title: Lai covers economic, wealth fund plans


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By Lo Tien-pin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The military is to buy up to 1,200 more attack drones from the US, following an assessment that its current inventory is insufficient, a source said yesterday.

Taiwan has already purchased 685 units of the Switchblade 300 loitering munitions drones from US defense contractor AeroVironment, as well as 291 units of the 600M-V anti-armor drones from contractor Altius, the shipments of which have begun arriving.

However, a recent Ministry of National Defense (MND) assessment showed that the number of attack drones is still insufficient, so another procurement phase has begun, the source said.

Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey, left, presents a drone model to Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo on Aug. 4. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense

The second phase, codenamed “Project Hunter Owl,” would potentially expand the program to include more powerful attack drones with longer ranges, the source said, adding that the military plans to purchase between 800 and 1,200 units from the US.

Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) last month said that the military might seek to acquire the upgraded Altius-700 series, depending on joint force planning and fiscal conditions.

The ministry initially submitted an NT$11.536 billion (US$376.81 million) budget proposal to the Legislative Yuan for the project, which was reduced to NT$5.78 billion after factoring in Taiwan’s domestic contributions to the drone program, the source said.

The military initially intended to use the surplus to purchase more attack drones directly from the US, but lawmakers rejected the idea, insisting that the money first be returned to the treasury, they said.

“Therefore, the ministry submitted a new procurement proposal to purchase more drones,” they said.

Separately, the budget the ministry submitted to the legislature indicates that the air force would continue to commission the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to produce Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles, following the conclusion of the Air and Sea Combat Power Improvement Program next year.

The NCSIST had been producing 10 designated weapons systems at a budget of NT$236.97 billion under a five-year program.

The air force has listed a “Wan Chien Missile System Commissioned Production” program worth NT$517.45 million, covering last year to 2028, the budget showed.

Some have speculated that the new program would focus on small-scale production of the Wan Chien II, which has an extended range of up to 400km.

The ministry declined to comment on the speculations.

As of last year, 150 Wan Chien missile systems were completed under the original program.

Production of the Chien Hsiang loitering munition (an anti-radiation uncrewed aerial vehicle) and the long-range Hsiung Sheng surface-to-surface missile system are set to be completed by the end of this year, and production of several other systems are scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.

Production is expected to be completed next year on a coastal defense anti-ship missile system, air defense systems employing Tien Chien II missiles and Tien Kung III surface-to-air missiles, high-performance naval vessels and Coast Guard Administration vessels equipped with weapons systems, the source said.

In related news, a source yesterday said that the army would showcase newly acquired US-made M1A2T Abrams tanks and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for the first time during the biennial Taipei defense show.

The Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) is to take place from Thursday next week to Saturday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1, and would feature a record 400 exhibitors from 14 countries, including the US, France and Germany, organizers said.

Taiwan’s military would, as usual, set up a pavilion at the event, in cooperation with the Armaments Bureau and the NCSIST.

The bureau would display four types of new drones it developed: first-person view drones, explosive drones, kamikaze or suicide drones and surveillance drones, the source said, adding that it would be the explosive’s and suicide drones’ TADTE debut.

The NCSIST would display its attack drone boat, they said.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: MND to buy up to 1,200 more US drones: source


content_text:
CCP trying to erase Tibet culture, rights group warns

BRAINWASH? Children are being sent to schools where they are taught in Mandarin, take lessons about Chinese culture and told their well-being is a gift from the CCP

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to eliminate Tibetan culture, religion and language to tighten its grip on the next generation, Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT) secretary-general Tashi Tsering said yesterday.

His remark came after the Wall Street Journal in June reported that China is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build a broad network of preschools for Tibetan kids as young as four, seeking to inculcate loyalty to the CCP early in life.

Tibetan children are taught in Mandarin, and take lessons that emphasize Chinese culture as well as glorify the CCP and Chinese identity before they have a chance to absorb the Tibetan language and way of life, the report said.

An image released by the Mainland Affairs Council addressing China’s coercive policies seeking to eliminate Tibet’s culture. Photo: Screen grab from the Mainland Affairs Council’s Facebook page

Teachers tell children that their clothes, shoes and well-being are gifts from the CCP, it said.

China has for at least two decades directed Tibetan children to state-run boarding schools at ever younger ages, trying to gut Tibetan culture and blunt generations of opposition to CCP rule, it said.

The number of preschools in Tibet increased from about 500 in 2012 to nearly 2,500 in 2022, the report said, adding that the number of Tibetan children enrolled in preschools has surpassed 90 percent, up from 52 percent 10 years ago.

When culture is stripped away, only oppression remains, the Mainland Affairs Council wrote on social media last week in response to the report.

Tashi Tsering said that China has been trying to eliminate Tibetan culture, and the Chinese government has implemented such measures more strictly since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) took office.

The CCP promotes “patriotic” education in Tibet, and by “patriotic,” it means being obedient, listening to the party and not having any criticisms, he said.

Many children in Tibet are forced to leave their families for this so-called education that aims to make them forget their language, culture and religion, Tashi Tsering said.

This is to brainwash Tibetans and make all of them speak Mandarin in the end, he added.

When Xi visited Tibet last month, many Tibetans were “arranged” to welcome Xi at the airport, Tashi Tsering said, adding that the authorities tried to create a false impression that Tibetans like being ruled by the CCP to brainwash overseas Tibetans.

They would not succeed, he said.

The Chinese government has also criticized the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation and issued a decree in 2007 requiring all reincarnations of “Living Buddhas” to be determined and approved by state authorities, Tashi Tsering said.

The Dalai Lama previously said that the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue and that his successor would be born outside China.


title: Campaign in Europe to display Taiwan’s culture

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The government’s “Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025” campaign, which is to showcase Taiwanese performing arts groups and national treasures in Europe, aims to present the nation’s success as a democracy through culture, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said.

The campaign, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, would bring more than 70 Taiwanese cultural events to 26 countries, Wu, the former representative to France, said in an interview.

One such event is the exhibition of treasures from the National Palace Museum, such as the iconic Jadeite Cabbage With Insects (翠玉白菜), at the Czech National Museum in Prague, which runs from Thursday to Dec. 31, he said.

The Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025 poster. Photo: Screen grab from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Austria’s Web site

Performing arts groups, including U Theatre, the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan and Ju Percussion Group, are to tour Europe in the coming months as part of the campaign, Wu said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) views culture as a great jumping-off point for deepening ties between Taiwan and European countries, he said.

The appointments of National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Director Liu Suan-yung (劉玄詠) as Representative to Austria and metal band Chthonic lead vocalist Freddy Lim (林昶佐) as Representative to Finland were seen by many as an effort to promote “cultural diplomacy,” he added.

“Cultural events make Taiwan more visible, and the power of culture knows no bounds,” Wu said.

While China has spared no effort to sideline Taiwan politically, it was less successful in boycotting the nation at cultural events, he said.

For example, Beijing last year tried, unsuccessfully, to pressure the organizers of Festival OFF Avignon into dropping Taiwan as the guest of honor, with the Chinese ambassador to France refusing to walk past a display of 400 portraits of Taiwanese nationals representing different cultural communities, he said.

China frequently claims to “tell positive stories about China,” but because it often does bad things, it fails to do so, he added.

Taiwan should aim to create “an even greater Taiwan legend,” Wu said.

As a democracy, Taiwan offers an alternative model of success for Chinese-speaking societies, he said, adding that in Taiwan, people have respect and are free to speak their minds despite threats from China.

With many European countries facing threats from Russia, there is a growing understanding of Taiwan’s situation and increasing support from Europe, so now is the right time to promote “Taiwan Culture in Europe,” Wu said.

Taiwan’s contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, its role in global geopolitics and its semiconductor leadership have significantly raised its profile in Europe over the past few years, he said.

The nation’s international engagement should not be limited to the US and Japan, but should also include deeper cultural exchanges with Europe, he added.

people: 林昶佐 林佳龍


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Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) yesterday confirmed his eligibility to run in the party’s chair election next month and announced plans for a nationwide campaign tour.

Lo wrote on Facebook that KMT headquarters had approved his candidacy, adding that he would begin touring Taiwan to share his vision with party members through policy forums and meetings.

The KMT is to elect a new leader on Oct. 18.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Chih-chiang poses next to a Sun Yat-sen statue in an undated photograph. Photo: Screen grab from Lo’s Facebook page

Incumbent Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said he would step down, while Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) has ruled out running.

Other people who have expressed interest in running include Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), former Changhua County magistrate Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源) and former legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文).

Lo’s bid had been in doubt, because candidates must hold a Central Committee or Central Advisory Committee post to be eligible to run for chairman.

However, Chu’s aides on Saturday said that he would soon appoint Lo to the advisory committee, clearing the way for his candidacy.

If elected, Lo vowed to work to oust President William Lai (賴清德), restore fairness for what he called victims of political persecution and “bring democracy back on track.”

Lo pledged support for suspended KMT Taipei branch chief Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and KMT staff facing prosecution.

There has also been speculation that former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) might join the race.

Hau has not declared an intent to run, but has recently voiced support for Ko and visited former KMT chairman Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄), moves seen as signaling interest.

title: Lo Chih-chiang confirms KMT chair bid eligibility

people: 卓伯源 羅智強 鄭麗文 郝龍斌 朱立倫 賴清德 柯文哲 盧秀燕


content_text: Wei Chuan Dragons batter Lin Chih-sheng, center, is thrown into the air by his teammates at his retirement ceremony at the Taipei Dome yesterday. Lin in his final game hit his first home run of the season, which was the 305th home run of his career.

title: Lin’s final game


content_text: Players and coaches from Taipei’s Dong Yuan Elementary School wave to onlookers during a parade on a Taipei street yesterday celebrating their Little League Baseball World Series title victory. It was Taiwan’s first Little League crown in 29 years, and Dong Yuan’s first since 1972.

title: The heroes return


title: Cheering on

content_text: The Fubon Angels, cheerleaders for the Fubon Guardians baseball team, and South Korean cheerleader Lee Ju-eun, center, dance in Japanese-inspired costumes yesterday ahead of a match at Sinjhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City between the Fubon Guardians and Rakuten Monkeys. The game was later canceled due to heavy rain and postponed to Oct. 4.


title: Semicon expo to see record exhibitors

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DEBUT:  The trade show is to feature 17 national pavilions, a new high for the event, including from Canada, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Sweden and Vietnam for the first time

The Semicon Taiwan trade show, which opens on Wednesday, is expected to see a new high in the number of exhibitors and visitors from around the world, said its organizer, SEMI, which has described the annual event as the “Olympics of the semiconductor industry.”

SEMI, which represents companies in the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, and touts the annual exhibition as the most influential semiconductor trade show in the world, said more than 1,200 enterprises from 56 countries are to showcase their innovations across more than 4,100 booths, and that the event could attract 100,000 visitors.

This year’s event features 17 national pavilions, also a new high, with Canada, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Sweden and Vietnam to open their own pavilions for the first time, SEMI said.

Semicon Taiwan-themed mascots gesture in front of the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on Wednesday last week to promote this year’s trade show. Photo courtesy of SEMI via CNA

On Friday, French Representative to Taiwan Franck Paris said the French pavilion — named “Choose France” — would be its largest ever, featuring at least 15 companies.

SEMI said this year’s exhibition, which is to run through Friday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, would focus on artificial intelligence (AI), automotive electronics and robotics and would cover a wide range of semiconductor technologies, such as AI chips, advanced integrated circuit (IC) assembly and testing services, as well as fan-out panel-level packaging, 3D ICs, chiplets, heterogeneous integration, quantum computing and high bandwidth memory.

Semicon Taiwan would also hold several forums to strengthen international exchanges in the semiconductor industry, it said.

The forums include a Taiwan-Poland business forum, South Korea-Taiwan semiconductor supply chain cooperation forum, Taiwan-Japan tech summit and Taiwan-India semiconductor forum.

A CEO summit would be convened on Wednesday with IC packaging and testing services provider ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光) chief operating officer Tien Wu (吳田玉) and contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) senior vice president Cliff Hou (侯永清) to serve as moderators, SEMI said.

US-based chip designer Tenstorrent Inc CEO Jim Keller and Germany-headquartered semiconductor giant Infineon Technologies AG CEO Jochen Hanebeck are to attend the summit. They are to discuss how Taiwan can maintain its semiconductor technology lead from an international perspective, SEMI added.

Keller served two years as senior vice president of Intel Corp’s silicon engineering group and held roles as Tesla Inc vice president of autopilot and low voltage hardware, in addition to having served as corporate vice president and chief cores architect at Advanced Micro Devices Inc, SEMI said.

Executives from three leading memorychip suppliers — Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc of South Korea, as well as US-based Micron Technology Inc — are to attend this year’s event, it said.

SEMI said it would partner with the Industrial Technology Research Institute to hold a forum with representatives from Japan, Europe and the US to discuss the restructuring of the global semiconductor supply chain at a time of geopolitical unease.


content_text:
With this year’s Semicon Taiwan trade show set to kick off on Wednesday, market attention has turned to the mass production of advanced packaging technologies and capacity expansion in Taiwan and the US.

With traditional scaling reaching physical limits, heterogeneous integration and packaging technologies have emerged as key solutions.

Surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC) and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips has put technologies such as chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS), integrated fan-out (InFO), system on integrated chips (SoIC), 3D IC and fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) at the center of semiconductor innovation, making them a major focus at this year’s trade show, according to industry experts.

Semicon Taiwan signage is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of SEMI via CNA

Chipmakers are ramping up capacity to meet this demand, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which is aggressively expanding packaging capacity in both Taiwan and the US, industry sources said.

The company already operates five advanced packaging facilities in Taiwan and is planning four more, while in the US it is partnering with Amkor Technology Inc to build new CoWoS and InFO capacity in Arizona as part of its record US$165 billion global investment plan.

TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said demand for AI chips remains strong, and the company is working to narrow the gap between tight supply of CoWoS advanced packaging and robust market demand.

ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控) is likewise ramping up CoWoS lines in Kaohsiung and through subsidiary Siliconware Precision Industry Co (矽品精密) in central Taiwan, and has pledged further investment through next year.

ASE chief operating officer Tien Wu (吳田玉) said demand for advanced packaging is only just beginning, and the company plans to continue increasing investment in the segment through next year.

Market estimates suggest TSMC’s monthly CoWoS output will double to 70,000 wafers by year-end and exceed 90,000 by the end of next year, according to industry sources.

On the testing side, King Yuan Electronics Co (京元電子) is raising capital expenditure to a record NT$37 billion (US$1.21 billion) for AI chip testing.

Taiwanese firms are also investing in FOPLP, with Innolux Corp (群創光電), Powertech Technology Inc (力成科技), ASE, Hiwin Technologies Corp (上銀科技) and Utechzone Co (由田新技) expanding operations. Global players such as NXP Semiconductors NV, STMicroelectronics NV, Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Qualcomm Inc are adopting panel-level packaging for power management and radio frequency chips, with potential AI applications ahead, industry sources said.

Semicon Taiwan will run from Wednesday to Friday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1.

title: Advanced packaging in focus at Semicon Taiwan


content_text:
NEW TRADERS:  The TWSE reported that the number of trading accounts grew to a record 13.57 million, with three-quarters opened by people under 30 years old

Foreign institutional investors reported a fund outflow last month, ending three straight months of inflows despite gains in the local stock market, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said on Friday.

FSC data showed an outflow of US$1.37 billion last month, the third-highest on record for that month. Converted into New Taiwan dollars, the outflow totaled NT$41.8 billion, the third-largest for August since 2021.

The TAIEX rose 690.58 points, or 2.93 percent, last month after recovering from earlier volatility.

Analysts said the outflows indicated that foreign investors took profits and repatriated funds along with dividend income.

Despite the pullback, foreign investors posted a net inflow of US$23.38 billion in the first eight months of this year, reflecting confidence in the local market, the FSC said.

Since Taiwan lifted restrictions on foreign institutional investment at the end of 1990, cumulative inflows have reached US$306.69 billion.

From January to last month, foreign investors recorded net sales of NT$220.76 billion in shares on the main board, but net purchases of about NT$28.50 billion in the over-the-counter market, for a combined net outflow of NT$192.26 billion, the FSC added.

Separately, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) said the number of stock trading accounts rose by 47,263 last month to a record 13.57 million. Of the new accounts, 19,345 were opened by investors aged 19 or younger and 16,546 by those aged between 20 and 30, together accounting for more than three-quarters of the total.

The figures suggest that younger investors were more eager than older ones to enter the market last month, the TWSE said.

title: Foreign investors report outflow despite gains


title: Anthropic to pay US$1.5bn settlement for pirated books

content_text:
Anthropic PBC is to pay at least US$1.5 billion to settle a US class-action lawsuit over allegedly using pirated books to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models, court documents filed on Friday showed.

“This landmark settlement far surpasses any other known copyright recovery,” plaintiffs’ attorney Justin Nelson said. “It is the first of its kind in the AI era.”

The settlement stems from a class-action lawsuit filed by authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson, who accused Anthropic of illegally copying their books to train Claude, the company’s AI chatbot that rivals ChatGPT.

Anthropic PBC’s logo is seen in a photograph on May 20 last year. Photo: REUTERS

In a partial victory for Anthropic, US District Court Judge William Alsup ruled in June that the company’s training of its Claude AI models with books — whether bought or pirated — so transformed the works that it constituted “fair use” under the law.

“The technology at issue was among the most transformative many of us will see in our lifetimes,” Alsup wrote in his decision, comparing AI training to how humans learn by reading books.

However, Alsup rejected Anthropic’s bid for blanket protection, ruling that the company’s practice of downloading millions of pirated books to build a permanent digital library was not justified by fair use protections.

“We remain committed to developing safe AI systems that help people and organizations extend their capabilities, advance scientific discovery and solve complex problems,” Anthropic deputy general counsel Aparna Sridhar said.

The settlement covers about 500,000 books, translating to roughly US$3,000 per work — four times the minimum statutory damages under US copyright law, the legal filing said.

Under the agreement, Anthropic would destroy the original pirated files and any copies made, although the company retains rights to books it legally purchased and scanned.

“This settlement sends a strong message to the AI industry that there are serious consequences when they pirate authors’ works to train their AI, robbing those least able to afford it,” Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said in a statement supporting the deal.

Anthropic competes with generative AI offerings from Google, OpenAI, Meta Platforms Inc and Microsoft Corp.

The settlement, which requires judicial approval, comes as AI companies face growing legal pressure over their training practices. A US judge in June handed Meta a victory over authors who accused the tech giant of contravening copyright law by training Llama AI on their creations without permission.

District Court Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco ruled that Meta’s use of the works to train its AI model was “transformative” enough to constitute “fair use” under copyright law.

Meanwhile, Apple Inc on Friday was targeted with a lawsuit by a pair of US authors accusing the iPhone maker of using pirated books to train generative AI built into its lineup of devices.

The tech titan’s suite of capabilities called “Apple Intelligence” is part of a move to show it is not being left behind in the AI race.

“To train the generative-AI models that are part of Apple Intelligence, Apple first amassed an enormous library of data,” the suit said. “Part of Apple’s data library includes copyrighted works — including books created by plaintiffs — that were copied without author consent, credit or compensation.”

Apple “scraped” works from sources including “shadow libraries” stocked with pirated books, the suit said.

The suit filed against Apple by Grady Hendrix, author of My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and Jennifer Roberson, whose books include Sword-Bound, seeks class action status.

companies: Google Apple


title: Fuel prices remain stable despite global increases

content_text:
Gasoline and diesel prices are to remain unchanged this week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday, despite crude oil import costs rising.

Gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to stay at NT$27.4, NT$28.9 and NT$30.9 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said.

The price of premium diesel is to remain at NT$26.4 per liter at CPC stations and NT$26.2 at Formosa pumps, they added.

CPC said that based on its weighted oil price formula of 70 percent Dubai crude and 30 percent Brent, its gasoline and diesel prices should have increased by NT$0.7 and NT$0.2 per liter this week respectively, as summer is the peak oil consumption season in Asia, which pushes the price of oil higher.

However, CPC said it would absorb the costs to comply with the government’s policy of keeping domestic fuel prices lower than in major neighboring markets.

Formosa set its prices in line with CPC after accounting for trends in the global oil market, the New Taiwan dollar exchange rate and fierce competition in the domestic market.

The companies’ announcements came after international crude oil prices last week snapped a two-week streak of gains.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week fell 2.93 percent to settle at US$65.5 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange, while West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil gauge — lost 3.34 percent to US$61.87 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


title: Intel ‘not good enough’ for Qualcomm

content_text:
Qualcomm Inc chief executive officer Cristiano Amon on Friday said Intel Corp’s production technology is not good enough for the maker of mobile phone processors to use as a supplier.

If Intel is able to advance its manufacturing techniques to produce more efficient chips, then Qualcomm would consider becoming a customer, Amon said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s Bloomberg Tech.

“Intel is not an option today,” Amon said. “We would like Intel to be an option.”

Qualcomm Inc CEO Cristiano Amon speaks at the Computex conference in Taipei on May 19. Photo: Annabelle Chih, Bloomberg

Instead, the CEO said Qualcomm would stick with current producers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co.

Qualcomm is a designer of chips that, like most of the industry, relies on outsourced production. Intel, formerly the world’s largest chipmaker, is trying to turn around its fortunes by attracting outside customers, such as Qualcomm, in addition to manufacturing its own designs.

The San Diego, California-based company, which gets the majority of its revenue from selling processors that are the heart of Android smartphones, is undergoing its own transformation, but from a stronger base than Intel, which is facing shrinking sales.

Under Amon, Qualcomm is pushing its mobile technology into new markets, such as automotive, seeking revenue growth that does not depend on a smartphone boom.

It has told investors it could secure US$22 billion in revenue from automotive and connected devices by 2029.

Earlier on Friday, the company announced it has developed a self-driving product that is going into BMW AG’s newly announced iX3 sports utility vehicle.

Unlike other chipmakers that made claims about the impending takeover of the automotive industry by autonomous systems, Qualcomm has pursued a more measured approach. The company took its time to develop a strong position in chips that support information and entertainment systems inside vehicles. It is now leveraging relationships to spread its reach into technology that would eventually take the role of the driver.

The new system going into BMW vehicles has the advantage of bringing powerful computing — as much as a data center server — yet requires relatively little power, Amon said.

The new Snapdragon Ride Pilot offering can be scaled down to basic driver assistance or up to take over most of the driving functions, Amon said.

Even powerful systems would not suck the life out of batteries needed to keep cars rolling as far as they can between recharges.

“We design all of our chips assuming there’s a battery on the other side, not plugged into the wall,” he said. “You have all the computing power and you still get incredible range.”


content_text: Adults and children look at toys, dolls and snacks displayed at a booth at a Ghost Festival ceremony in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township yesterday. The toys, dolls and snacks — among the 200 tables of sacrificial offerings at the annual ritual — were distributed to children as giveaways after the ceremony concluded at 4pm, the event’s organizer said.

title: Ghost giveaway


people: 郝龍斌 黃國昌 柯文哲 盧秀燕 朱立倫 羅智強 蔣萬安

content_text:
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has postponed its chairperson candidate registration for two weeks, and so far, nine people have announced their intention to run for chairperson, the most on record, with more expected to announce their campaign in the final days.

On the evening of Aug. 23, shortly after seven KMT lawmakers survived recall votes, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) announced he would step down and urged Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) to step in and lead the party back to power.

Lu immediately ruled herself out the following day, leaving the subject in question. In the days that followed, several party members announced their candidacies. The KMT then decided to delay the registration period from Monday to Friday last week, to Monday to Friday next week — a move many believe is to buy time for Lu to reconsider.

Unlike the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is known for frequent internal debates among factions, it is rare to see the KMT with such a crowded field for its leadership, which might be a good sign of democracy.

However, while some hopefuls had declared their candidacies as early as January, April and May, others only announced their bids after the “mass recall” attempt failed and Lu declined to run, seizing the opportunity at a moment when party morale was high.

Many KMT members and supporters have voiced concern that the party’s “A-list figures” — including Lu, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang (張善政) — have all openly refused to enter the race.

Adding to the intrigue, Chu on Thursday said he had appointed former Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) to the KMT’s central review committee chairpersons’ group. As Jaw has long been rumored to harbor ambitions for the party leadership — and membership in the committee is a prerequisite for candidacy — speculation has grown that Chu is giving him a tacit “green light.”

Unusually, some contenders have also made it clear that their ultimate goal is to pave the way for a Lu presidential bid in 2028. For example, KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) has said that if elected chairman, he would nominate Lu as the party’s presidential candidate and then hand over his post to her — prompting questions over whether some are merely running as “caretaker chairpersons” until Lu completes her mayoral term.

Another striking feature of the race is that many potential candidates are holding tight to the idea that a “blue-white” alliance with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) is the indispensable path for the KMT to return to power. Several have even pledged formal cooperation with the TPP as a guarantee of the party’s future success.

Yet making “working with the TPP” a prerequisite for KMT leadership has created complications. For example, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) has long been seen as antagonistic toward TPP founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and his chairmanship could hinder the blue-white collaboration. Nevertheless, Hau surprised many last week by publicly backing Ko’s release from detention, an apparent “olive branch” to the TPP. Meanwhile, Jaw has said he would step aside if Hau were to enter the race.

This prerequisite also narrows the KMT’s own bargaining space, handing leverage to the much smaller TPP, which itself is facing major uncertainties. TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) is set to vacate his legislative seat in January to run for New Taipei City mayor, while Ko was granted bail on Friday.

With morale boosted by the failed mass recall campaign, KMT supporters expect the next chairperson to deliver victory in next year’s local elections and lead the party back to power in 2028.

However, with its “superstar” Lu unwilling to shoulder the responsibility, uncertainty is spreading, and more twists are likely to emerge.

title: EDITORIAL: Uncertainty deepens in KMT race


content_text:
Brahma Chellaney on Taiwan: Taiwan at the crossroads: Adapt or be absorbed

Taiwan stands at the epicenter of a seismic shift that will determine the Indo-Pacific’s future security architecture. Whether deterrence prevails or collapses will reverberate far beyond the Taiwan Strait, fundamentally reshaping global power dynamics.

The stakes could not be higher. Today, Taipei confronts an unprecedented convergence of threats from an increasingly muscular China that has intensified its multidimensional pressure campaign. Beijing’s strategy is comprehensive: military intimidation, diplomatic isolation, economic coercion, and sophisticated influence operations designed to fracture Taiwan’s democratic society from within.

This challenge is magnified by Taiwan’s internal political divisions, which extend to fundamental questions about the island’s identity and future relationship with China. As political polarization deepens, Taiwan’s ability to forge consensus on critical security decisions becomes increasingly constrained — precisely when unity is most essential.

For decades, Taiwan’s security rested on an implicit guarantee: that American military superiority and democratic solidarity would shield the island from Chinese aggression. That certainty has crumbled under the weight of changing geopolitical realities.

The Trump administration’s disruptive approach to Indo-Pacific partnerships — including launching what amounts to an economic war against India, America’s key strategic partner — has introduced dangerous unpredictability into Asian security calculations. Meanwhile, growing American domestic political constraints and strategic exhaustion raise uncomfortable questions about Washington’s willingness to risk direct conflict with China over Taiwan.

These doubts emerge at the worst possible moment. China’s military provocations have become routine, with fighter jets and naval vessels regularly crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait in brazen displays of force. Diplomatically, Beijing has relentlessly chipped away at Taiwan’s international space, including poaching several of its diplomatic allies. Simultaneously, China wages an unprecedented influence campaign, deploying disinformation, economic inducements, and cyber operations to undermine Taiwan’s democratic institutions and social cohesion.

Perhaps most ominously, China has embarked on the most rapid and ambitious peacetime military expansion in human history. Beijing’s defense industrial complex produces warships, missiles, combat aircraft, and drones at a pace that dwarfs Cold War arms races. Its missile arsenal — now comprising thousands of precision-guided ballistic and cruise missiles — can potentially devastate Taiwan’s military infrastructure.

The Chinese navy has become the world’s largest fleet by ship count, while China’s nuclear weapons stockpile expands at speeds unseen since the 1960s. Through such a buildup, Beijing is signaling to Taipei that absorption of Taiwan is inevitable and resistance futile. Beijing may calculate that overwhelming military superiority provides multiple pathways to absorption — either through direct invasion, economic strangulation via blockade, or gradual political capitulation under the weight of unsustainable military pressure.

Against this backdrop, Taiwan’s survival depends on abandoning outdated security assumptions and embracing harsh realities. Deterrence cannot rely solely on external guarantees; it must begin with credible self-defense capabilities that exploit Taiwan’s inherent geographic advantages.

In fact, Taiwan’s geography is its greatest asset. The island’s mountainous terrain, limited beaches suitable for amphibious landings, and rough waters around it for much of the year create natural defensive barriers — but only if Taiwan adopts the right military strategy.

This means prioritizing asymmetric capabilities over conventional big-ticket systems: mobile anti-ship missiles that can sink invasion fleets, naval mines to seal off landing zones, swarms of defensive drones, and distributed coastal defense units that can operate independently under intense missile bombardment.

Equally important is abandoning investments in vulnerable high-value targets. Advanced fighter jets and large surface ships become expensive liabilities when facing China’s missile barrages. Instead, Taiwan should focus on survivable, cost-effective systems that deny China quick victory and impose prohibitive costs on any invasion attempt.

Civilian resilience forms the other pillar of effective deterrence. Ukraine’s experience offers a lesson: resilience is as much about civilian preparedness as about frontline firepower.

Taiwan must expand reserve training programs, conduct regular civil defense drills, and establish distributed stockpiles of critical supplies including fuel, medical equipment, and communications gear. The goal is ensuring that Chinese missiles or a blockade cannot paralyze civilian infrastructure or break social cohesion.

China’s influence operations represent an equally dangerous threat that demands sophisticated countermeasures. Beijing’s strategy targets Taiwan’s democratic vulnerabilities through cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and covert political funding designed to polarize society and erode faith in democratic institutions.

Taiwan’s response must be equally comprehensive. Enhanced media literacy programs can inoculate citizens against online manipulation tactics. Electoral laws require strengthening to prevent covert Chinese financing of political candidates and parties. Cybersecurity capabilities must extend beyond government agencies to encompass private operators of critical infrastructure.

Most crucially, Taiwan’s democratic institutions must remain resilient, transparent, and trusted. The stronger its democracy, the less fertile ground exists for China’s influence operations.

While American support remains vital, Taiwan cannot afford complete dependence on Washington’s commitment. Instead, Taipei should cultivate deeper partnerships with other democracies that share interests in preventing Chinese hegemony.

Japan increasingly views Taiwan’s security as inseparable from its own national defense. India, which faces its own border pressures from China, shares an abiding interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific free from Chinese domination. Australia and Europe, too, are recognizing that Taiwan’s fate is an international concern.

Taiwan’s diplomatic strategy should operate on three levels: informal security dialogues and exercises that build cooperation habits with regional democracies; international legal frameworks emphasizing Taiwanese people’s right to chart their own future free from coercion; and expanded economic partnerships that make Taiwan’s isolation or conquest economically prohibitive for the international community.

None of these measures diminishes the importance of American deterrence, which remains the most significant counterweight to Chinese coercion. However, while continuing to deepen security ties with Washington, Taiwan must also hedge against the possibility that US intervention may be delayed, partial, or politically constrained.

The challenge is maximizing partnership while avoiding dependence. If Taiwan shows genuine resolve and capability, it strengthens the case for international support. Conversely, complacency will breed doubts about Taiwan’s commitment, undermining others’ willingness to take risks on its behalf.

China’s goal to absorb Taiwan is undeniable. What remains uncertain is whether Taiwan will take sufficient steps to ensure this ambition never succeeds. A strategy of layered deterrence — combining robust self-defense, democratic resilience, and expanded global partnerships — can make Chinese aggression far costlier and significantly less likely to achieve its objectives.

Brahma Chellaney, professor of strategic studies at the independent Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, is the author of nine books, including the award-winning Water: Asia’s New Battleground (Georgetown University Press).


title: Defining a country’s military might

content_text:
On Wednesday last week, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held a military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Following the event, many supporters of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) praised the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers’ goose-stepping, saying that their skilled marching indicated that the military has strong combat capabilities — some even went so far as to question how Taiwan could possibly fight back against it. The arguments were spouted with great fervor, despite being entirely nonsensical.

If decent goose-stepping equals strong combat capabilities, then North Korea’s military should be ranked first in the world — after all, its goose-stepping surpasses China’s. On the other hand, the US — the world’s top military force — has never goose-stepped. By those standards, the US would not even make it onto the list. That alone illustrates the absurdity of using goose-stepping to measure military strength.

The US military is the strongest in the world, demonstrated by its contributions to defeating the Axis powers during WWII. Throughout the war, the US served as the arsenal and food supply for the Allied powers. Without US support, the Axis powers likely would have conquered the world. Today, the US is even more powerful — and its military still does not goose-step.

During the war, CCP forces fought little against Japan. Yet today, the CCP shamelessly claims credit for victory. The KMT — also fond of military parades — is no different. Throughout the war, the CCP and KMT continued fighting among themselves and scrambling for territory, but they never recovered the lost land. If the US had not dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, which country would dare claim that it defeated Japan on its own?

Twenty-five years ago, the West was already discussing the “third wave” of the military affairs revolution — the modernization of warfare through advances in information technology, precision weapons and the exploitation of networks. Now, rapid developments in artificial intelligence are being hailed as the fourth wave. However, the blue and white camps are still lost in their nostalgia for goose-stepping and bayonet drills — truly behind the times. No matter how well your army marches, if it cannot handle combat, it is ultimately useless.

Teng Hon-yuan is a university professor.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


content_text:
At the beginning of this semester, Taiwan is experiencing something of a “teacher drought,” which is affecting schools at all levels, rural and urban, from elementary to high-school level.

This is not only a staffing problem; it is due to a structural flaw in the education system. The gradual exodus of teachers would have a serious effect on the future of the country.

There are several underlying reasons behind the teacher shortage. First, the profession is no longer attractive. Teaching used to be considered an “iron rice bowl” occupation, but it is no more due to major pension reforms, salary stagnation and loss of social status. Teachers find themselves reported for trivial reasons, and overblown media reports and criticism from the public have forced passionate educational talents to quit.

Then there are misplaced policies. In the past few years, education authorities have repeatedly pushed for “highlight policies” that are often disconnected with the educational climate. While ostensibly caring about students’ well-being, they have only served to increase the administrative burden.

Temporary remedies have caused a vicious cycle to develop. To ensure that schools can open, education authorities have lowered the hiring threshold, allowing those without teacher training to enter the profession, rehiring retired teachers and even forcing current teachers to work overtime on a regular basis.

Another problem is the imbalance between supply and demand. There is a serious teacher shortage in some subjects — especially in more specialist fields such as physics, chemistry and information technology — as many potential teachers would rather turn to the high-paying technology industry. However, supply exceeds demand in other subjects, thus forcing many to give up after trying hard for years to pass the teacher exams.

However, within any crisis lies opportunity, and the combined impact of the declining birthrate and the teacher shortage might force society to rethink the nature of education. If we seize the chance to adjust education policies, it is still possible to reverse the unfavorable situation.

First, it is necessary to rebuild the status of teachers. Respecting professionalism is not a slogan, but to build institutional protection to prevent teachers from being sued recklessly and to evade unnecessary government intervention. If the Ministry of Education could emphasize the irreplaceability of the teaching profession restore respect for teachers, it would allow outstanding talents to return to schools.

The administrative workload should be reduced, so they can devote their energy to teaching. This means that it is necessary to thoroughly review the “highlight policies” that appear glamorous, but do little to help, minimizing administrative duties and the need to endlessly fill out forms. If teachers could devote more energy to curriculum design and student care, the quality of education would improve.

The teacher training and selection system should be amended to achieve a balance between supply and demand. Data analysis should be employed to predict teacher demand, and flexible channels for further education and job transfers should also be provided. Meanwhile, the monthly salary of “supply teachers” should be raised equal to others, and their seniority should be counted, so the large amount of supply teachers who have long supported the educational scene could have stable careers, too.

Education should return to neutrality and professionalism, and politics should, as much as possible, be kept away. Education should not be a stage for political grandstanding. Only by adhering to professional governance could the education ministry regain trust.

Chang Ruay-shiung is the president of National Taipei University of Business.

Translated by Eddy Chang

title: Changes needed in the teaching industry


content_text:
A response to my article (“Invite ‘will-bes,’ not has-beens,” Aug. 12, page 8) mischaracterizes my arguments, as well as a speech by former British prime minister Boris Johnson at the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei early last month.Tseng Yueh-ying (曾月英) in the response (“A misreading of Johnson’s speech,” Aug. 24, page 8) does not dispute that Johnson referred repeatedly to Taiwan as “a segment of the Chinese population,” but asserts that the phrase challenged Beijing by questioning whether parts of “the Chinese population” could be “differently Chinese.”This is essentially a confirmation of Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formulation, which says that

By Sasha B.Chhabra

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


content_text:
Bird’s-eye and worm’s-eye views suggest thatthe Trump administration has no plan for the Palestinians, except to let Netanyahu do whatever he wants

Can this be serious? When US President Donald Trump mused in February that he could turn the wretched rubble of the Gaza Strip into a glittering Riviera, those familiar with the torturous conflict between Palestinians and Israelis rolled their eyes and hoped that this figment too would pass. Now, although the Riviera idea is back, apparently on the advice of people such as Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, and former British prime minister Tony Blair.

It is circulating in Washington in the form of a presentation in the style that you would expect in the world of real-estate development, the natural habitat of Kushner, Trump and Steve Witkoff, the president’s “special envoy” to the Middle East and other places. In a draft seen by the Washington Post, the Gaza Strip would pass into an Orwellian-sounding GREAT Trust (for Gaza Reconstruction, Economic Acceleration and Transformation). The trust would beautify the land of misery into a gleaming hub for tourism, technology and commerce.

The wrinkle is that most of the about 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, one way or another, would have to leave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some of his right-wing Cabinet members have already bandied about the idea, as they prepare another military onslaught to occupy most or all of the strip.

The Israeli government has apparently considered deporting Palestinians to such places as Libya, South Sudan and Somaliland, none of which has been called a Riviera. Some of the historical echoes are disturbing.

The GREAT draft emphasizes that any relocations would be “voluntary,” an adjective it deploys liberally. The Palestinians, the plan suggests, would not be forced but encouraged to depart, with incentives such as US$5,000 in cash and promises of food for a year. Palestinian landowners might get a “digital token,” whatever that might turn out to be.

I ran the proposal by Shibley Telhami, an expert at the University of Maryland on American policy in the Middle East who has advised Republican and Democratic administrations.

“This particular and insane Riviera idea sounds like a glitzy way to sell ethnic cleansing,” he said.

He added that as he analyzes the US’ overall policy in the region, he is for the first time in his career “scratching my head, honestly.”

If there is a coherent US strategy somewhere, it is well hidden.

Trump “doesn’t know much about much,” Telhami said, which invites people to mess with his mind.

Those range from Mike Huckabee, the Evangelical and theologically pro-Israel US ambassador to Jerusalem, to Netanyahu, who appears to have mastered the art of simultaneously flattering, ignoring and manipulating Trump.

“Netanyahu is getting what he wants with him, just as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is getting what he wants with him,” Telhami said.

That has already been evident in contiguous conflicts, such as those in Syria and Iran. For example, Trump wanted to avoid bombing Iran while negotiations, led by Witkoff, to limit Iran’s nuclear program were ongoing. Then Netanyahu went ahead anyway. When the Israeli strikes proved successful as well as telegenic, Trump ordered his B-2 bombers and other aircraft to drop US ordnance, too.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel has restricted food supplies for much of the year, either creating or allowing a situation which a professional body backed by the UN officially calls a “famine.” Trump seems to agree: He has called the situation “real starvation stuff ... and you can’t fake that.”

However, Huckabee hews to the Israeli government’s line and blames everything on Hamas. The net effect on US policy is to keep Washington aligned with Jerusalem: Breaking with other members of the UN Security Council, the US has rejected the famine label.

In the same way, the Trump administration resists the label “genocide,” even as more politicians (even among Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base) as well as jurists and academics adopt it — most notably the International Association of Genocide Scholars itself. Whereas more of the US’ allies — from Australia and Canada to France, Malta, Portugal, the UK and possibly Belgium — plan, at this month’s UN gathering, to join the 145 nations that already recognize Palestinian statehood, the US is heading in the opposite direction, denying or revoking visas to keep Palestinian leaders away from the UN General Assembly.

In July, Washington boycotted a UN gathering of dozens of nations that renewed the call for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with a two-state solution.

The signaling by Washington should in theory be puzzling, because the two-state solution has been the official US policy goal for decades, and the Trump administration has technically not dropped it. (It admittedly came close when Huckabee mumbled something to that effect.) Nor has it gone unnoticed, of course, that several members of Netanyahu’s Cabinet believe in annexing Gaza and the West Bank, and that Netanyahu has consistently done whatever you would do to make a Palestinian state impossible. The US seems to be letting him get on with it.

The resulting policy vacuum is causing no end of confusion and distress throughout the executive branch, Shahed Ghoreishi said.

He was a press officer in the US Department of State and in January, after Trump took his second oath of office, became the point person for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From that moment on, he tried to issue statements that reflected the administration’s policy and put it in its best light, even drafting X posts on behalf of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

His best efforts finally broke down on three consecutive days last month. It started on a Sunday, when Ghoreishi was planning to offer simple “condolences” after an Israeli airstrike killed four journalists from al-Jazeera. During the clearance review, that statement was deleted, which seemed “odd to me.”

The next day, he was drafting a reply to a question from the press about those Israeli plans to deport Palestinians to Africa. Ghoreishi wanted to say that “we do not support forced displacement.” That line too was deleted, which was bizarre. Is the US now in favor of forced displacement?

The following day, Ghoreishi was working on a statement about an earlier trip by US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson to the West Bank, as the territory is called in international law. Then he saw one of Huckabee’s advisers in Jerusalem editing the shared document and changing “West Bank” to “Judea and Samaria,” a biblical name used by Israeli settlers. With backing from his colleagues at Foggy Bottom, Ghoreishi cut the line out.

A few days later, just like that, Ghoreishi was fired, without explanation.

Although he refused to side with Israelis or Palestinians in the underlying matter, he stressed his worry about morale at the State Department, where he and his colleagues kept hearing during the clearance processes that they should defer questions to the government of Israel. In effect, US policy “became that we no longer answer the question” and instead “green-light every Israeli policy,” he said.

As Israel prepares another massive incursion into Gaza for the purpose of seizing and holding essentially all of it — with a goal of removing the Palestinians in ways yet to be explained — the US stance is no longer tenable. Trump promised his base to make “peace through strength,” not to let rogue allies make wastelands and call them peace. If Trump has a policy, and strength, the Gaza Strip right now is a good place and time to prove it.

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for The Economist. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

title: The US has outsourced its Gaza policy to Israel


content_text:
BMW, the anti-Tesla, is playing the long game on EVs

It is easy to be gloomy about European automakers facing intense competition from technologically sophisticated and lower-cost rivals such as BYD Co (比亞迪) and Xiaomi Corp (小米), but at least one Western manufacturer, is aiming to convince customers and investors it can compete with the best that China or Tesla Inc offer — and BMW AG might have found a sweet spot.

On Friday, the German automaker unveiled the electric iX3 sport utility vehicle. Car launches are generally overhyped and quickly forgotten, but this one mattered: It showcased the advanced hardware and software that would underpin future BMW models, both battery-driven and gasoline-powered.

Dubbed Neue Klasse, in homage to the midrange models that saved BMW from financial ruin in the 1960s, its new technological building blocks would enable greater battery driving range, faster charging and a much better user experience. The company said the iX3 can be driven as far as 800km before plugging in; a 10-minute charge delivers a range of more than 350km.

Representing more than 10 billion euros (US$11.72 billion) of investment and about five years in the making, BMW’s big reset looks to have been well calibrated for an era in which vehicles are evaluated more for their software chops than horsepower.

Journalists who tested prototypes have been impressed by the responsive driving dynamics and futuristic cabin — instead of the usual instrument cluster, a panoramic display stretches across the entire windscreen.

BMW also appears to have adopted a cleaner exterior design language: There is no sign of the hideously oversized grilles that blighted some recent models, thank goodness.

It is rare for BMW to make such a big splash; the company prioritizes long-term thinking while its executives try to avoid controversy or theatrics. Almost half of BMW’s shares are controlled by the billionaire Quandt family, whose calmness and low profile could not be more different from Elon Musk’s grandstanding; his outlandish promises and ever-evolving “master plans” fuel Tesla’s stock price, while BMW remains overlooked by many investors and occasionally scorned.

The Munich-based company was criticized a few years ago for refusing to join the stampede for electric vehicles (EVs) even as European rivals were vowing to go all-electric by the end of the decade. BMW’s management insisted that providing customers with a choice of electric, hybrid, gasoline or hydrogen-powered vehicles would be essential for years to come because the transition would happen gradually and at different speeds globally.

BMW learned this lesson the hard way: It was an early leader in EVs, but demand for its quirky i3 hatchback, launched in 2013, proved disappointing.

Its factories were duly equipped to produce several powertrain variants on the same production line, while its current EVs are styled to look similar to their combustion engine equivalents to avoid putting off customers.

“A dependency on a single technology can be damaging to an industry,” chief executive officer Oliver Zipse told investors in July. “Putting all your eggs in one basket is just poor asset allocation.”

BMW’s stubbornness has been proven right: While Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Porsche AG and Volvo Car AB have watered down their electrification ambitions amid several high-profile EV flops, BMW has stuck to its philosophy of technological openness and continues to expect EVs to contribute more than 50 percent of its sales in 2030.

It offers EVs in all key segments and these have proven a hit — even before the arrival of the latest Neue Klasse tech. In the first half of this year, EVs made up one-quarter of BMW’s deliveries in Europe, where its battery-powered models were outsold only by Volkswagen AG and Tesla.

Admittedly, BMW is struggling in China, where it is downsizing its dealer network following a loss of market share. It is also facing a financial hit from US tariffs, albeit one it can offset by exporting vehicles more cheaply from its US factory to Europe (as these are expected to be subject to zero tariffs instead of 10 percent).

Nevertheless, BMW has coped far better with these headaches than some of its peers. While Porsche has repeatedly cut earnings guidance this year and is poised to be ejected from Germany’s blue-chip DAX index, BMW has stuck by its forecast for its automotive activities to achieve an operating margin of 5 to 7 percent this year — not bad under the circumstances, although below its usual target of 8 to 10 percent.

With the heavy investments for Neue Klasse now behind it, and the batteries in its upcoming EVs set to cost far less than prior models, BMW’s margins should improve in coming years.

Yet this resilience and its entreaties that investors differentiate among European automakers (rather than tar them with the same brush) have received only a lukewarm response from investors.

While the company’s shares have outperformed its peers this year, BMW’s 56 billion-euro market capitalization is not much higher than its 45 billion euros of automotive-related net financial assets; and it is just a sliver of Tesla’s more than US$1 trillion valuation. That probably would not change until BMW proves it can still charge premium prices for its new products when high-tech models such as Xiaomi’s YU7 sport utility vehicles cost comparatively little.

Nevertheless, BMW has earned the right to take a big risk with the Neue Klasse and has clearly thought carefully about it. Europe’s auto industry cannot avoid a reckoning — but BMW can.

Chris Bryant is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Europe. Previously, he was a reporter for the Financial Times. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


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‘OK, RESET’:  Aryna Sabalenka had to steady her nerves to beat Anisimova and secure back-to-back US Open titles, avoiding a third straight Grand Slam final defeat

Aryna Sabalenka was two points away from what eventually would be a second consecutive US Open title when she had what should have been a routine — easy, even — overhead smash. Instead, while backpedaling, she dumped the ball into the net, giving her opponent, Amanda Anisimova, a break chance.

After that excruciating miss on Saturday, Sabalenka dropped her racket on the blue court and smiled ruefully. She began to feel the sort of emotions that got the better of her during losses in the finals at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in June bubble up. She tried to compose herself.

“I just let the doubt get into my head,” Sabalenka said, “but then I turned around and I took a deep breath in, and I was like, ‘OK. It happens. It’s in the past. Let’s focus on the next one.’”

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus kisses the champions trophy after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the US during their women’s singles US Open final at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Saturday. Photo: EPA

So everything was fine from there? Well, no. “She broke me,” Sabalenka said with a loud laugh. “I was like, ‘OK. Reset.’”

It took another 15 minutes to complete the job, but the No. 1-seeded Sabalenka did reset, unlike at those earlier title matches this year, and was able to kneel on Arthur Ashe Stadium’s court while covering her face with her hands after beating Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). That made Sabalenka the first woman to earn the trophy at Flushing Meadows in consecutive years since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014.

“I truly really admire her,” said No. 8 seed Anisimova, a 24-year-old American who heard raucous support from the 24,000 or so spectators. “She puts in a lot of work, and that’s why she’s where she is.”

title: Sabalenka wins consecutive US Open


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Japan and Mexico drew 0-0 on Saturday in a friendly at Oakland Coliseum as both countries prepare for the World Cup next year.

A lively Japanese side could not break through against a Mexico team who lost captain Edson Alvarez when he hobbled out with an injury in the first half and had Cesar Montes sent off in second-half injury time.

Japan threatened in the opening minutes, but Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo’s shot from the center of the box was wide, and moments later, Ayase Ueda’s attempt from the left side of the area was blocked.

Mexico’s Jorge Sanchez, left, and Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma fight for the ball during their friendly match at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Saturday. Photo: AFP

The best chance of the first half came in the 11th minute, when Kubo unleashed a long-range blast toward the heart of the Mexico goal that was gathered in by goalkeeper Angel Malagon.

After Japan’s Takumi Minamino volleyed over the crossbar from inside the box in the 53rd minute, Mexico responded swiftly with a shot by Roberto Alvarado that sailed over the bar.

Mexico finally forced a save from Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who deflected a header by Erik Lira in the 67th minute, and Hirving Lozano had a last real chance for El Tri with a shot from the center of the area that was blocked.

The large contingent of Mexican fans was frustrated by the outcome and booed their team as the match ended.

However, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, who managed Japan from July 2014 to January 2015, said he thought the result was “fair.”

“In my opinion, it was a very even match,” Aguirre said. “The first half was theirs, and we were a bit better in the second half.”

“Their speed and intensity surprised us,” he said. “I knew they were very intense. I met their coach when I was over there. He made them run, commit and be very competitive — 90 percent of them play in Europe, so they have a different level of training.”

Mexico, who are guaranteed a place in the World Cup finals as co-hosts with the US and Canada, were floundering when Aguirre was brought back in July last year, but have had a solid campaign this year, which included triumphs in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League.

title: Japan and Mexico finish 0-0 in Oakland friendly


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There is something about Sept. 6 at Camden Yards.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto came within an out of a no-hitter, only to allow a home run to Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday. Then the Orioles turned that solo shot into the start of a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 on Saturday night.

The Dodgers have lost five straight, wasting a chance to pull away in the NL West from second-place San Diego, who are also slumping.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

“It’s hard to recount a game like this where there’s so many things you feel like you can get a little bit of momentum, build off a great outing by Yoshinobu and take that into tomorrow,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said, adding that “obviously it completely flipped.”

It was unquestionably the win of the year for the last-place Orioles, who have been a disappointment pretty much all season. They were celebrating the 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,131st consecutive game, which broke Lou Gehrig’s record on Sept. 6, 1995.

On Sept. 6, 1996, at Camden Yards, Eddie Murray hit his 500th home run. For a while, it looked like Yamamoto would be adding another memorable moment to the ballpark’s history on this date. Instead, it was the Orioles who made the night special.

“We’ve been in a bit of a rut lately,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “We got to overcome this little hard time.”

There still has not been a no-hitter in the major leagues this year.

Yamamoto came close. The 27-year-old right-hander from Japan allowed only two baserunners — both on third-inning walks — until the ninth. By the eighth, Holliday could do the math and game out who might make the final out if Yamamoto completed his gem.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, it’s going to come down to me,’” Holliday said. “I was definitely thinking about it, and kind of nervous because it’s kind of a big thing. It was fun to be able to break it up. He threw the ball really great.”

Camden Yards has hosted only one no-hitter since opening in 1992, and it was by another Japanese star. Hideo Nomo threw one on April 4, 2001, for the Boston Red Sox against the Orioles.

Holliday’s drive just cleared the fence in right. Then Roberts took out Yamamoto, who had tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and set one with 112 pitches.

“The game doesn’t end until the final out is made,” Emmanuel Rivera, whose two-run single ultimately won it, said through a translator.

Blake Treinen relieved Yamamoto, and that is when everything went sideways for the Dodgers. He gave up a double to Jeremiah Jackson, hit Gunnar Henderson and walked Ryan Mountcastle and Colton Cowser to make it 3-2.

Then Tanner Scott came in with the bases loaded and gave up Rivera’s single to center.

“It doesn’t work when you walk a guy, and then you hit someone and then walk another guy and all of a sudden the winning run’s on second and we put someone in a position they shouldn’t have to be in,” Treinen said. “I had to get one flippin’ out. I didn’t do it.”

Ripken was honored before the game in a ceremony that included Hall of Famers Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Mike Mussina, Eddie Murray and Ken Griffey Jr.

title: Orioles spoil Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s near no-hitter


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Son Heung-min scored one goal and set up another to spark South Korea’s 2-0 victory over the US in an international soccer friendly on Saturday.

The matchup between two clubs bound for the FIFA World Cup world cup next year was played at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey — the home stadium of MLS’ New York Red Bulls.

The South Koreans advanced through Asian qualifying to next year’s World Cup, to be cohosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

The US’ Maximilian Arfsten, right, tackles South Korea’s Son Heung-min during their international friendly match at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, on Saturday. Photo: AP

Son scored in the 18th minute and Lee Dong-gyeong added another in the 43rd to secure South Korea’s triumph against a US side coached by Mauricio Pochettino — Son’s former coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

Son joined Los Angeles FC in a blockbuster move last month that has energized Korean soccer fans in the US.

They were out in force, prompting South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo to say the fixture was “like a home match.”

South Korea improved to 4-2 with two draws in the all-time rivalry against the US men, winning their first meeting since a US home triumph in 2014.

The US, coming off a 2-1 loss to Mexico in July’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final, welcomed back Christian Pulisic.

However, it was another dispiriting setback for a team that has failed to gain momentum with the World Cup looming.

“It’s a team that’s coming together,” US midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said. “For us it’s about keep going and keep building that team chemistry,” he said.

Son opened the scoring in the 18th minute, staying just onside and taking a pass from Lee Jae-sung, then rushing to the goal and firing a left-footed blast from a tough angle past US goalkeeper Matt Freese into the far right side of the net.

South Korea doubled the lead in the 43rd minute when Son worked a give-and-go play, took the return pass in the heart of the penalty area, then quickly flicked the ball to Lee Dong-gyeong, who back-heeled the ball with his left foot into the goal to give the visitors a 2-0 edge at halftime.

“They are a good team that’s playing really well together,” Berhalter said. “They know each other really well and they have quality. If you make little mistakes, they are going to punish you.”

Son was replaced by Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 63rd minute as both sides made multiple lineup changes.

Jo Hyeon-woo saved a close-range shot by Richards and denied Folarin Balogun in the fourth minute of stoppage time to preserve the clean sheet.

“We were better than South Korea, but if we don’t finish the plays, it’s complicated,” Pochettino said. “We created chances, controlled the game, but conceded goals in ways that shouldn’t have happened.”

Ream stressed bonding and teamwork.

“We just need to continue to gel and to build,” Ream said. “We have to work on everything. We have to keep going... raise the standard and work on things for the next game.”

That would come against Japan in Columbus, Ohio, tomorrow, while Mexico would take on South Korea in Nashville, Tennessee.

title: Son’s South Korea defeat hosts USA 2-0


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SOCCER

Dembele and Doue injured

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele faces about six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while winger Desire Doue would be out of action for about four weeks due to a calf problem, the European champions said. They sustained the injuries during France’s 2-0 victory over Ukraine in their FIFA World Cup qualifiers match in Poland on Friday. Doue was replaced by Dembele at halftime, only for the 28-year-old to later limp off in the 81st minute. Dembele, one of the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, was instrumental in PSG’s treble-winning campaign last season, which included their first UEFA Champions League title, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup triumphs. He bagged 35 goals and registered 16 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions for PSG last season.

France’s Ousmane Dembele reacts after incurring an injury against Ukraine during their FIFA World Cup qualifiers Europe zone Group D match at Wroclaw Stadium in Poland on Friday. Photo: AFP

RUGBY

Japan beat US 47-21

The US’ path to the 2027 Rugby World Cup now leads through a play-off match against Samoa at the weekend after they lost 47-21 to Japan on Saturday in the final pool match in the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC). Japan finished at the top and the US at the bottom of Pool B in the six-team tournament. Fiji beat Samoa 29-15 earlier on Saturday to finish atop Pool A. Fiji are to play Canada, and Japan are to face Tonga in semi-finals at the weekend in Denver, Colorado, while the US would play Samoa for fifth and sixth places. The top five teams qualify for the World Cup in Australia. Japan and Fiji had qualified prior to the PNC. The other semi-finalists and the winner of the playoff for fifth would also qualify, while the sixth-placed team would go into a regional playoff against a South American team. The US, ranked 18th, faced almost a mission impossible to beat Japan with a bonus point and by a wide margin to displace Canada from the semi-finals. Canada beat the US in the first round of the tournament.

SOCCER

Western United hibernated

Former A-League champions Western United apologized to players and staff after the club was placed into hibernation on Saturday but vowed to return following a season of enforced inactivity due to their ongoing financial issues. The Melbourne-based club, who won the league title for the first time in 2022, would not field teams in either the men’s or women’s leagues in the upcoming campaign due to financial difficulties that saw the club’s playing license revoked last month. An appeal against that decision, which was made after the club struggled to pay players and the Australian tax authorities, is expected to be heard this week. “Western United acknowledges today’s update from the Australian Professional Leagues confirming that the club’s participation agreement will be placed into hibernation for the 2025-26 A-Leagues season,” the statement said. “To our A-Leagues players, coaches and staff, we say simply and sincerely: we are sorry. The uncertainty you have faced is not what you deserved. We acknowledge this has been an incredibly difficult period,” it said. The move means the new season of the men’s league would start on Oct. 17 with 12 teams, while the women’s competition would feature 11 clubs. The decision allows players from both teams to find alternative employers before the registration period for the new campaign closes.

title: SPORTS BRIEFS


title: Famine-stricken Gazans told to flee

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‘NO SAFE PLACE’:  The Israeli army called on Palestinians to flee to southern Gaza, but it has previously bombed tent encampments designated as humanitarian zones

The Israeli army on Saturday issued evacuation orders and targeted high-rise buildings in Gaza City, urging Palestinians to flee south ahead of an escalating offensive to seize the city of nearly 1 million.

Aid groups warned that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, which the world’s leading hunger watchdog announced last month was officially suffering from famine as a result of Israeli restrictions on food aid.

Most Palestinian families have been repeatedly displaced in the nearly two-year-long war and say they have nowhere left to go.

People search for salvage on the mound of rubble at the site of the collapsed Sousi Tower, which was destroyed earlier by Israeli bombardment, in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: AFP

The Israeli military has previously bombed tent encampments designated as humanitarian zones.

“There is no safe tent, no safe house, no safe place, no safety at all,” said Nadia Marouf, who fled Israel’s offensive in the north with her children and resettled in Gaza City — only to see her tent destroyed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that wiped out a 15-story building and surrounding encampment.

“Where do I go? We went to the south, there is no space in the south, where can we go?” she asked.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee called on Palestinians to flee to southern Gaza, announcing on social media that the Israeli army had redrawn the borders of a humanitarian zone to encompass the overcrowded encampment of Muwasi and parts of the southern city of Khan Younis.

Aid groups have raised alarm about woefully inadequate shelter, sanitation, water and food in Muwasi.

Months of Israeli bombardment have decimated civilian infrastructure in Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said it would work to provide field hospitals, water pipelines and food supplies within its humanitarian zone.

Hamas urged Palestinians to stay put in defiance of the latest evacuation orders.

Exhausted and despairing, many Palestinians had their own reasons for refusing to pack up and uproot themselves again.

“I can’t walk, I am in pain, and I do not know what to do or where to go,” said Ala Alfarani, whose tent was crushed beneath a pile of rubble in Israel’s strike on a high-rise in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of south Gaza City.

Israel on Saturday issued evacuation warnings for two high-rises in Gaza City, with Adraee accusing Hamas of operating inside or near the towers.

Soon after, Adraee said that the military had struck one of them.

Hamas rejected the allegations, insisting the high-rises were residential towers.

Residents of Sousi Tower, a prominent 15-story building, said that the Israeli army gave them about 20 minutes to grab their belongings and flee before warplanes razed the building.

“We were sitting at home and people started shouting,” resident Aida Abu Kas said. “Some said it was a lie and other said it was real. We went out and didn’t know what to do.”

It was not immediately clear if people had been killed or wounded in the strike.

Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz posted a video of the Sousi Tower collapsing in an enormous cloud of smoke along with the words: “We continue.”


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DIVERSITY?  Currently, ‘a lot of obstacles remain,’ especially for couples who want the Catholic Church’s blessing for same-sex marriages, a pilgrim said

In a first for the Vatican, more than a thousand LGBTQ+ Catholics and their supporters at the weekend held a pilgrimage, in what they were promoting as an important sign of diversity in the Catholic Church.

The gathering of about 1,400 people from around 20 countries was part of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee holy year. It was organized by La Tenda di Gionata (The Tent of Jonathon), an Italian association lobbying for greater inclusivity among the faithful.

While those taking part did not have a private audience scheduled with Pope Leo XIV, this was the first time such a pilgrimage has featured on the official Jubilee program, although LGBTQ+ groups have gone to the Vatican before.

Yveline Behets, a 68-year-old transgender woman from Brussels, walked 130km with 30 LGBTQ+ people along part of the ancient Via Francigena pilgrimage route to get to Rome.

She said she expected more “plurality” from the church after experiencing difficulties with other Catholics, among whom, she said, she did “not always feel acknowledged.”

“One should not misuse the word ‘welcome.’ We are not just some outsiders who are welcomed sometimes, or more regularly — we are part of the same family,” she said, wearing a T-shirt with the rainbow of the LGBTQ+ community.

Just as millions of other pilgrims have done before, those who took part in Saturday’s LGBTQ+ pilgrimage walked up the main road to the Vatican. Carrying a cross in rainbow colors before them, they stepped through the Holy Door into St Peter’s Basilica.

Hugo, a 35-year-old from Quebec who declined to give his last name, said he believed the LGBTQ+ pilgrimage was “a really important signal for us to feel more included.”

He said he hoped it would “let people who are on the fence to allow themselves to be more welcoming towards homosexuals in the church.”

However, in a religious institution that for two millennia has viewed homosexual acts as going against its tenet of procreative sex and gay couples “intrinsically disordered,” the road to acceptance is still long.

“There are fears and a sort of misunderstanding when it comes to the life that homosexuals lead,” Hugo said. “If everybody got to know everyone else, I think a lot of barriers would come down.”

Currently “a lot of obstacles remain,” especially for couples who want the church’s blessing for same-sex marriages, he said.

Pope Francis, who died in April, had sought to make the Catholic Church open to all, and he made many overtures to the LGBTQ+ community — without changing the doctrine.

His 2023 decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples triggered fierce opposition from conservative branches of the church, particularly in Africa.

His successor, Pope Leo XIV, has said that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, but he would not change Francis’ decision.

Beatrice Sarti, an Italian accompanying her gay son on the weekend pilgrimage, said there “is still a long way to go,” starting with shifting mindsets among Catholics.

“Many of our children no longer go to church... Because they are made to feel that they are wrong,” said the 60-year-old from Bologna, Italy, who is a member of La Tenda di Gionata. “That absolutely needs to change.”

“The first thing to do is train educators, the seminarians, the priests and the bishops, starting at grassroots,” she said, adding that “it is a very long process.”

title: The Vatican receives its first LGBTQ+ pilgrimage