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▼警察局長甘炎民高聲呼籲民眾要「孝順長輩」，不單只是滿足日常生活所需，長輩最需要的是「陪伴」，平時要多關心、陪伴家中長輩。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局）

【記者何勁陞／屏東報導】 「長輩一輩子的血汗錢，值得用心守護！」屏東縣政府警察局為讓長輩與詐騙隔絕，於9月13日分別與社會處舉辦的「LEVEL UP！銀閃閃跨界挑戰賽」活動及屏東市玉皇宮辦理「愛心物資」發送整備活動中，向年長者及社區志工媽媽們，用關心守護長輩的血汗為出發，宣傳最新的防詐觀念，與長者攜手對抗詐騙奧步，不讓辛苦錢被不法集團拿去揮霍。

警方統計，截至114年8月底為止，屏東縣「60歲以上」遭詐的族群，佔總受理詐騙案件數的9.86%，而財損比例卻高達28.49%(受詐騙損失金額高達新臺幣3億8千多萬元)，為守護長輩用一輩子換來的血汗錢，警方把握每一個與長輩相處互動的機會，在屏東玉皇宮志工們不畏辛勞頂著烈日高溫為弱勢家庭整備物資的同時，警方則化身防詐遮陽傘，希望擋住的不只是炙熱的太陽，還有層出不窮的詐騙詭計! 在縣府專為銀髮族舉辦銀閃閃系列活動中，現場用最貼近生活的語言，把防詐知識融入案例故事中，提醒長輩注意，凡網路上所傳送高獲利、穩賺不賠的「投資」訊息，「代操作、協助下單」等訊息廣告，都是鋒利的詐騙釣鈎，不要拿到小小的利益，就掏心掏肺地付出，把自己的身家財產拿給從未見過面的陌生人，警察或檢調等司法機關，如偵辦案件要調查金流，絕對不會叫你拿帳戶、提現金或購買黃金接受調查，說要線上(視訊)做筆錄的攏系假ㄟ，如果收到親友說因為車禍、住院臨時需要借錢，不要過度驚慌，ㄧ定要先掛斷電話，再打親友的「行動電話號碼」查證，要識破AI變造視訊影像，就叫對方在鏡頭前「轉轉頭、拿手在臉面前揮動」，就可看出破綻，破解詐騙詭計。

「打擊詐騙是責任，守護長輩更是使命!」警察局長甘炎民高聲呼籲民眾要「孝順長輩」，不單只是滿足日常生活所需，長輩最需要的是「陪伴」，平時要多關心、陪伴家中長輩，才不會讓長輩被詐騙鎖定，家人多一句叮嚀、多一分陪伴，就是最好的保護網，請所有鄉親朋友與警方一起用最溫暖的守護，守住長輩的血汗錢，守住平安、守住幸福。

一堂課‧兩個世代 共同守護──屏警打造有感交通安全體驗日

▼屏東縣政府警察局與屏東監理站於9月12日攜手舉辦「大型車內輪差與視野死角宣導體驗活動」。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局）

為強化校園與社區對大型車安全議題的認識，屏東縣政府警察局與屏東監理站於9月12日攜手舉辦「大型車內輪差與視野死角宣導體驗活動」，深入崁頂鄉樂齡學習中心及力社國小，結合交通安全月與新學期契機，推動世代共學、共感、共守護的交通安全教育。

此次活動透過事故影片引導高齡者與學童深入思考安全的重要，一段段真實畫面令人震撼，也喚起在場學員對於交通風險的警覺。接續的實地體驗，讓參與者輪流坐上大型客車駕駛座，親身感受所謂的「視野死角」──站在車旁的同伴竟在視線中完全消失，驚呼聲此起彼落。「原來駕駛真的看不到我！」成為不少學童與長輩最直接的反應，安全意識也在這一刻深植人心。

除了靜態影片與實境體驗，警察局亦安排互動式教學，透過簡單易懂的語言及遊戲操作，說明大型車轉彎時產生的「內輪差」效應，以及保持安全距離的重要性。這些知識不只是知識，更是能守護生命的力量。

警察局局長甘炎民指出，透過這場「一堂課、兩個世代、共同守護」的溫暖行動，不僅讓長者提升自我防護能力，也讓學童自小培養正確的交通觀念。「交通安全不是一時的宣導，而是要深耕在每一天的生活裡，從每一次的經驗、每一次的體會開始。」他強調，警察局與交通隊及各分局將持續與監理站及地方社區攜手合作，透過情境管理與溫度執法的方式，讓交通安全教育真正走入人心，走進日常。

taiwan-subdivisions: 崁頂 屏東縣

title: 屏警與長輩攜手升級防詐力　守住屏安幸福


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山本由伸最近的三場先發，都至少繳出7局10次三振，上一戰更差點投出無安打比賽，投到8.2局才挨了陽春砲失分退場。退場時道奇還有三分領先，沒想到換上的兩位後援投手崔南(Blake Treinen)和T.史考特，都沒辦法解決最後一個人次。先讓金鶯隊追平後，接著打出再見安打，搞砸山本的勝投。

此戰山本雖然在一局下就先掉一分，仍舊投完7局，飆出10K僅失1分的優質表現。但是自家打線不太給力，直到7局上康佛托(Michael Conforto)才打出陽春砲追平比分，幫山本解套敗投候選。兩隊扳平後糾纏到延長賽，10局下突破僵局，道奇再度換上崔南試圖守住比分。崔南製造滾地出局，跑者趁機上到三壘。

道奇在一人出局後再換投，換上來的T.史考特馬上投出保送。僅一出局的情況下，為了守備故意四壞填滿壘包。滿壘局面輪到貝利(Patrick Bailey)打擊，他在主場球迷面前，把小白球一棒扛出全壘打牆外，再見滿貫砲終結比賽。這已經是山本的第三場優質先發無法奪勝投，無巧不巧的是，救援失敗的後援組合都是崔南和T.史考特。

title: 影/《MLB》山本由伸再繳7局10K優質先發還是贏不了 10局下後援史考特挨再見滿貫砲


title: 合作金庫與郵局成功攔阻詐騙　枋警頒贈感謝狀表揚機警行員

taiwan-subdivisions: 成功 枋寮 屏東縣

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▼枋寮分局長盧恒隆親自前往合作金庫銀行枋寮分行與枋寮郵局頒贈感謝狀，表揚行員們積極守護民眾財產安全的精神。（圖／屏東縣枋寮警察分局）

【記者何勁陞／枋寮報導】 枋寮派出所轄區近日接連發生兩起民眾遭詐騙案件，所幸在金融機構行員的細心察覺與即時通報下，警方第一時間到場成功攔阻，避免民眾財產受損。枋寮分局長盧恒隆親自前往合作金庫銀行枋寮分行與枋寮郵局頒贈感謝狀，表揚行員們積極守護民眾財產安全的精神，並再次呼籲大家小心各類詐騙手法。

9月9日合作金庫枋寮分行發現一名民眾準備匯款350美元至國外帳戶，經行員關心詢問後，察覺其可能遭遇詐騙，行員立即通報枋寮派出所到場勸阻，發現其是在小紅書軟體看到「黃金投資買賣」的訊息，對方聲稱「保證獲利，穩賺不賠」，警方立即告知該民這就是常見的投資詐欺，成功使其打消匯款念頭，避免民眾匯款受騙。未料隔日9月10日，枋寮郵局又有一名民眾疑似遭「假交友詐騙」，欲匯款新臺幣3萬元，幸好也是服務人員警覺異常，即時通知警方前往，最終成功攔阻，讓詐騙集團無法得逞。

盧恒隆分局長表示，這兩起案例印證金融機構行員是防詐的重要守門人。行員主動關懷客戶交易動機，並勇於通報，才能讓警方即時介入，避免民眾財產遭受重大損失。詐騙集團常利用「假投資、假交友、假檢警」等話術，誘使民眾匯款，尤其長者或投資新手更容易成為目標。呼籲民眾遇到「高獲利保證」、「急需金錢協助」或「檢警要求匯款」等情境時，切勿輕易匯款或交付財物，有問題先撥165或是110查證。

自小貨車懸掛疑似他國車牌裝飾品 函請監理機關依權責認定

屏東縣政府警察局枋寮分局當下未接獲報案或檢舉，經檢視民眾提供照片，該自小貨車為監理機關核發標準牌照，且查詢該車車籍狀態皆正常。至於後方疑似懸掛他國車牌部分，將函請監理機關依權責認定。

警方呼籲，車輛如有各項異動，應依規定向監理機關申報登記，以免受罰。


taiwan-subdivisions: 內埔 屏東縣 新園 枋寮 萬丹 屏東 莒光

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【記者何勁陞／屏東報導】 「114年屏東縣縣長盃排球錦標賽，(13）日在縣立內埔國民中學排球場熱鬧開打，賽事日期自9月13日起至15日止，賽事組別分為社會男女子組(分九人制及六人制)、高中男女子組、國中男女子組、國小六年級男女童組及國小五年級男女童組共12個組別。此次共84支隊伍報名，吸引約1,026選手參賽，匯集屏東縣各排球隊伍齊聚一堂，切磋球技。

屏東縣基層學校排球隊伍發展興盛，特別是國小隊伍繁多，114年全國第54屆中華盃國小師生排球賽本縣崇蘭國小、佳義國小、萬丹國小、霧台國小均有佳績，崇蘭國小更斬獲114年全國第54屆中華盃國小師生排球賽亞軍；新園國中女子排球隊獲得113學年度國中排球甲級聯賽(JHVL)季軍的殊榮；枋寮高中女子排球隊於114年全國第61屆玉山莒光盃中等學校排球賽獲得亞軍，顯見本縣學校基層隊伍注入不少的心血發展排球運動。

▼縣立內埔國民中學排球場熱鬧開打，賽事日期自9月13日起至15日止。（圖／屏東縣政府）

排球運動不僅重視技術，更注團隊戰術運用、選手臨場快速反應力以及堅持到底之精神。屏東政府表示，期望透過每年辦理之縣長盃排球錦標賽，提供縣內各校排球隊交流平台，以球會友，切磋精進，期許選手在此競技舞台上展現挑戰自我、永不放棄之精神。屏東縣政府將持續秉持「深耕基層、向上銜續」的理念，推動四級五區體育人才培育政策，建構完善的訓練環境，改善訓練設施、軟硬體資源，使體育運動成為學生成長的重要力量。

屏東縣政府感謝屏東縣體育會排球委員會承辦本次賽事，以及內埔國中提供優質的比賽場域，誠摯邀請民眾到場一齊為選手吶喊加油，體驗賽事美好與感動的瞬間。

title: 114年屏東縣縣長盃排球錦標賽　內埔國中排球場開戰


title: 屏東永續治理成果獲國際肯定　勇奪傑出首長與宜居城市雙殊榮

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【記者何勁陞／屏東報導】 屏東縣以推動多元文化、綠色低碳、社會包容、安全韌性及綠色經濟為核心，持續提升居民生活品質，永續治理成果再獲國際肯定。在2025亞太永續行動獎中，屏東連續兩年衛冕「宜居城市獎」。縣長周春米同時以卓越的施政理念與落實力，首度榮獲「台灣傑出永續治理首長獎」。

▼屏東連續兩年衛冕「宜居城市獎」。（圖／屏東縣政府）

屏東縣政府近年積極推動「五箭齊發」政策，涵蓋韌性建設、全齡照顧、觀光發展、產業升級及安心生活，建立跨域合作平台，整合中央與地方資源。面對氣候變遷挑戰，屏東整合林邊溪上下游土地活化與水資源涵養策略，上游建置大潮州人工湖擷取伏流水，下游推動地層下陷區光電專案，減少地下水抽取；另與台電合作在易形成孤島的原民部落建置防災微電網，於今年颱風來臨時有效發揮作用，增強偏鄉災害的用電韌性。在產業轉型則是輔導客家聚落發展可可產業鏈，取得全國首張碳足跡標籤，開創地方產業與永續並行的典範。

在環境治理上，縣府以創新手法強化減碳與防災韌性，包括導入農漁產品氣象保險，夜鷹早鳥專案巡查畜牧場，設置水淨廠與濕地，推動農廢處理一條龍與AI監測露天燃燒，守護空氣與水資源品質；同時推動草鴞生態給付、移除外來種綠鬣蜥、禁伐補償等計畫，守護珍貴生態與多元族群文化。

屏東縣多年來已連續榮獲碳揭露領導力城市、亞太宜居城市獎、環境施政評比優等與總考核特優，周縣長亦曾於2024年榮獲天下雜誌標竿首長獎。這次更同時抱回「宜居城市」及「傑出首長」雙項殊榮，為屏東永續治理再添里程碑。

周春米縣長表示，上任以來以「安居樂業、幸福屏東」為施政願景，多年來已連續榮獲碳揭露領導力城市、亞太宜居城市獎、環境施政評比優等與總考核特優，在國際上陸續與紐西蘭羅托路亞市、美國賓州德拉瓦郡締結姊妹市及簽署備忘錄，致力與國際永續施政潮流接軌，未來將持續以多元化發展帶領縣民向前，逐步實現共融、宜居、低碳的永續幸福城市。

countries: 美國 台灣 紐西蘭

taiwan-subdivisions: 屏東 潮州 屏東縣 林邊


title: ‘Domino effect’ if Taiwan falls: Chiu

content_text:
IMPORTANT BACKER:  China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said

China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security.

In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests.

Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, he said.

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng delivers a speech at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Friday.

Photo: Screengrab from the Heritage Foundation’s YouTube channel

“Taiwan was on the front line against red China’s expansion, and Taiwan is now on the first line facing the confrontation between the democratic camp and authoritarian camp,” said Chiu, who was invited to deliver a speech at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation.

Chiu said that in pursuing “unification with Taiwan,” China — which has long refused to renounce the use of force — seeks to drive US influence out of the Indo-Pacific region and ultimately supplant Washington as the global leader, “to restore national glory and realize the so-called ‘China dream.’”

He added that Beijing “has been actively preparing for war,” citing intensified Chinese military activity around Taiwan.

“If Taiwan were to be taken over by China by force, it will trigger a domino effect, undermine the regional balance of power and directly threaten the security and prosperity of the United States,” Chiu said.

The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, and Taipei appreciates the reaffirmation of that commitment under US President Donald Trump, Chiu said.

Taiwan, as the world’s leading producer of advanced semiconductors, serves as a critical hub of the global high-tech industry, Chiu said.

“If Taiwan’s role in this were to be compromised, it would be a huge loss to the international community, especially the US and its technology industry,” he said.

Taiwan is a mature, free and democratic country whose democratic experience and achievements can “penetrate the border of China” and thus inspire people across the Taiwan Strait to “pursue freedom and a better life,” he added.

Pointing to what he described as the MAC’s “rich experience” in dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chiu said Taiwan is ready to share its research findings with the US as it seeks effective ways to address “the many challenges posed by China’s rise.”

Asked whether Beijing’s reported effort to press Washington to shift its Taiwan stance — from “not supporting” to “opposing” independence — could surface in a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) later this year, Chiu said Taiwanese authorities “have always been happy to see” the US and China engage in communication.

“We believe the exchanges can maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” he added.

The speech at the Heritage Foundation was part of Chiu’s visit to the US from Sept. 6 to today, during which he met with executive-branch officials and members of the US Congress, including those on the House of Representatives Select Committee on the CCP.

Visits by senior Taiwanese officials to the US are rare compared with visits by major US allies, and their trips are generally much lower profile.

The council said the meetings would help “explain the government’s cross-strait policy and encourage broader attention to Taiwan Strait issues.”

China’s Washington embassy said Beijing stood ready “to work with the greatest sincerity and exert utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification” with Taiwan.

“Meanwhile, China will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ separatism and external interference,” Chinese embassy in Washington spokesman Liu Pengyu (劉鵬宇) said in an e-mailed response when asked about Chiu’s remarks.


title: China distorting WWII history to support coercion

content_text:
LEGAL WARFARE: An AIT spokesperson said Beijing is twisting WWII-era documents to advance false narratives and isolate Taiwan diplomatically

China is misrepresenting the Cairo Declaration and other World War II-era documents to support its coercive actions toward Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said on Friday.

On Sept. 3, Beijing staged a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, promoting a narrative that it had “won the war” and citing the Cairo Declaration and other wartime documents to claim that Japan had returned Taiwan’s sovereignty to China.

In response to media inquiries, an AIT spokesperson said Beijing was deliberately twisting the meaning of the 1943 Cairo Declaration, the 1945 Potsdam Declaration and the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco in an effort to support its coercive actions toward Taiwan.

“Beijing’s narrative is totally wrong,” the AIT spokesperson said, adding that none of those documents determined Taiwan’s ultimate political status.

Employing such false legal narratives is part of a broader campaign to isolate Taiwan internationally and restrict other countries’ sovereign choices in how they engage with Taipei, the spokesperson added.

The remarks echoed Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) comments in a July 7 speech at a forum in Taipei, where he said that the Cairo and Potsdam declarations were political statements expressing the Allies’ wartime intentions, not binding treaties.

Lin also said that the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco — a formal agreement signed between Japan and the Allied Powers after the war — supersedes wartime declarations in legal authority, as it formally addressed the disposition of territories occupied by Japan.

The AIT’s remarks are not the first time Washington has raised such concerns. The US government has previously said that, just as Beijing has distorted UN Resolution 2758, it is again attempting to twist the meaning of WWII-era documents to justify coercion against Taiwan.

On Wednesday, US Representative Chris Smith, cochair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, introduced a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s historical revisionism and its attempt to claim credit for the Allied victory in Asia.

In Taipei, a source familiar with foreign affairs said yesterday that three points stand out in Washington’s stance on Taiwan’s unresolved international status.

First, Beijing is promoting this year as a milestone of three “80th anniversaries” — the victory of the “War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,” the establishment of the UN and what it calls “Taiwan Restoration.”

By pairing such narratives with legal warfare and military displays, China is seeking to distort the international order established by the democratic world and replace it with one defined by Beijing and other authoritarian regimes, the source said.

Second, the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at its Sept. 3 military parade showed Beijing’s intention to position itself in opposition to the democratic camp, they said.

Third, Beijing is again attempting to distort UN Resolution 2758, particularly during the UN General Assembly session, to advance the false narrative that Taiwan is part of China, the source added.

Such actions openly challenge the international order that has existed since the UN’s founding 80 years ago, making it unsurprising that Washington has chosen this moment to make clear its stance, they said.

Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed and thanked the AIT for clearly stating the US’ position on Taiwan and for denying China’s claims, calling it further evidence of Washington’s firm support for Taiwan’s international participation.

“The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China [PRC] are not subordinate to one another,” the ministry said, adding that it is an objective fact and the PRC has no right to represent Taiwan in the international community.

The Chinese government has recently launched a massive campaign of “legal warfare,” seeking to alter the regional “status quo,” legitimize its aggression, and undermine peace and stability, it said.

As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan would continue to uphold the “status quo,” while encouraging more countries to speak out against China’s false narratives, it said.

Taiwan would also deepen cooperation with the US and other like-minded partners to safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the region, it added.

Additional reporting by Su Yong-yao and Lee I-chia


title: Taiwan to lose 6.67m workers in two retirement waves

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By Kao Chia-he and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said.

Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed.

In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering a sharp contraction in the labor force, it said.

Workers set up a stage for a summer exhibition at the Taipei World Trade Center in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

The pressures on the economy are compounded by persistently low birthrates, which have produced no more than 1.6 million new entrants into the working-age population, leaving a shortfall of more than 2 million workers compared with the number retiring, the ministry said.

For the purposes of the study, “working-age youths” were defined as people aged 15 and older, it added.

The first wave is expected to be followed by a second wave in about 16 years, when those born in the late 1970s and early 1980s reach retirement age, with the two waves together projected to cut 6.67 million people from the working-age population, the ministry said.

Another compounding factor is the low labor force participation rate among older Taiwanese. Only 10 percent of people aged 65 or older remain employed, compared with 25 to 35 percent in South Korea, Japan and Singapore, it said.

Taiwanese also spend longer in education, delaying their entry into the workforce, with labor force participation among those aged between 15 and 29 at just 38 percent, well below the 60 percent seen in Europe and the US, it added.

Citing a separate study by the Ministry of Labor, it said that more than 196,000 Taiwanese university and college graduates have yet to register for labor insurance, excluding those serving in the military, working overseas or engaged in farming.

This indicates that a significant number of young Taiwanese are either looking and failing to find employment, or idling at home, it added.

Meanwhile, the nation continues to experience population decline.

Government data released last month showed Taiwan’s population was 23,337,936 at the end of July, the 19th consecutive month of contraction.

The figure was down 8,805 from June and 71,387 from a year earlier, the data showed.


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The widow of prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk pledged on Friday to carry on her husband’s work, after US authorities announced his alleged assassin had finally been captured.

Investigators had appeared to be making slow progress in the hunt for whoever gunned down US President Donald Trump’s close ally, until they released security camera images of a young man.

“We got him,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox told a news conference on Friday, identifying the suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, who had reportedly been confronted by his father over the pictures and then turned in.

People gather at a memorial for Charlie Kirk at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday. Kirk founded the organization in 2012.  Photo: AFP

Cox credited assistance from the alleged killer’s family.

“On the evening of Sept. 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend, who contacted the Washington County sheriff’s office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” he said.

The 31-year-old Kirk was hit by a single bullet while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University in the town of Orem on Wednesday.

Kirk was an electrifying presence on the US right, with a huge young following that helped Trump win the election in November last year.

In her first public comments since her spouse was slain, Erika Kirk vowed in a tearful, but defiant video message on Friday evening that “the movement built by my husband will not die,” but grow stronger.

Speaking from the studio of his radio-podcast show, she urged young people to join Turning Point, exalting her husband as a fallen political hero who “now and for all eternity will stand at his savior’s side wearing the glorious crown of a martyr.”

“The evil-doers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said.

Kirk’s murder has consumed the US for 48 hours, capturing almost all cable news coverage, while Trump has ordered flags to fly at half-mast.

Kirk’s hardline views on race, gender, gun ownership and other hot-button issues made him an intensely divisive figure, although even opponents praised his willingness to debate.

As details about Robinson began to trickle out on Friday, a picture emerged of a young man from a Republican family in St. George, a staunchly conservative city about four hours south of Orem.

“Who would have known that this little skinny guy getting in and out of his car would be able to commit such a heinous act?” said Heather McKnight, a former neighbor who had recently moved out.

Photographs showed the young man — who was in the third year of an electrician apprenticeship — posing with guns and dressed for Halloween in a costume in which he appears to be riding Trump’s shoulders.

Cox said in an interview with CNN broadcast later on Friday that the suspect was radicalized “in a fairly short amount of time,” without elaborating.

Robinson is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder and is expected to be formally charged in the coming days.

Utah has the death penalty for such crimes — a punishment Trump has said he would like imposed.

title: Charlie Kirk suspect caught; his widow vows to carry on


title: Nepal returns to calm as first female PM takes charge

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Newly appointed Nepalese Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki began work yesterday by visiting young protesters wounded in the deadly anti-corruption rallies that ousted her predecessor.

Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, was tasked a day earlier with restoring order and addressing protesters’ demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in six months.

She has not spoken publicly since being appointed late on Friday, but started her work to restore government by meeting some of the scores wounded in hospital.

Nepalese Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki arrives to meet people injured during the “Gen-Z” protests at Civil Hospital in Kathmandu yesterday.  Photo: EPA

Protests began on Monday and quickly escalated, with parliament and key government buildings set ablaze, as they fed into long-standing economic woes in Nepal.

At least 51 people were killed in the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

The capital, Kathmandu, took a step toward normality yesterday as a curfew was eased, with markets opening, traffic returning and families visiting temples.

Soldiers scaled back their presence on the streets, where they had been deployed in large numbers since the protests.

“We don’t know what will happen in the future now, but we are satisfied today,” said Durga Magar, a 23-year-old Kathmandu shopworker. One-fifth of people in Nepal aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed, according to the World Bank, with GDP per capita standing at just US$1,447.

The appointment of Karki, known for her independence, came after intense negotiations by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel and army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel with representatives of “Gen Z,” the loose umbrella title of the youth protest movement.

Thousands of young activists had used the Discord app to debate the next steps and to name Karki as their choice of next leader.

Parliament was dissolved and elections set for March 5, shortly after she was appointed.


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Warship transits in Strait ‘routine,’ US and UK say

BEIJING’S RESPONSE:  The Chinese military said that it tracked and monitored the transits of the US Navy’s ‘Higgins’ destroyer and the UK’s ‘Richmond’ frigate

Warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait were routine transits, the US and the UK said on Friday after China voiced its disapproval.

“On September 12, the US destroyer Higgins and the UK frigate Richmond transited the Taiwan Strait and engaged in disturbance and provocation,” Chinese Senior Colonel Shi Yi (施毅), a spokesman for the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement on Friday.

The Chinese military “organized naval and air forces to track and monitor their transit throughout the process,” Shi said, adding that “the actions ... undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”


title: MAC revokes status of absconder to China

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SUSPECT STILL WANTED:  Cancelation of Ying Chih-hung’s household registration and passport would not end the criminal proceedings against him, the MAC said

The household registration and passport of a Taiwanese man living in China who has a Chinese ID have been revoked, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a statement yesterday.

The MAC, which supervises cross-strait exchanges, said that the man, Ying Chih-hung (應志宏), claimed he held a Chinese ID and passport, and publicly displayed them during a livestream.

In the livestream, Ying cut up his Taiwanese passport, it said.

A series of screen grabs shows Ying Chih-hung cutting up a Republic of China passport in a video he posted on Chinese social media. Photo: Screen grabs from social media

An investigation by Taiwanese authorities found that Ying held a Chinese ID and passport, it said.

His household registration and Taiwanese passport were subsequently canceled by the government.

The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese are not allowed household registration in China or passports issued by the Chinese government, “except for the situations deemed necessary by the authorities,” with the penalty to “be deprived of [their] status as the people of the Taiwan Area and its rights of election, recall, initiative, referendum, serving military service or public offices, and any other rights derived from its household registration.”

Ying, a suspect in a fraud case, fled Taiwan in 2021.

The Taitung District Prosecutors’ Office has him on a wanted list.

However, cancelation of Ying’s household registration and passport would not end the criminal proceedings against him, the MAC said, citing the act.

Ying, who runs a social media account and calls himself a “Taiwanese patriotic youth” and says he loves China, said in the livestream that he would use his Chinese passport to travel to Taiwan.

MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) on Thursday told a news conference that Ying was allegedly involved in money laundering.

The public should not heed opinions of the type espoused by Ying, who fled to China and declared his love for the “homeland” because he was a criminal suspect and wanted to avoid arrest, the MAC said.

China is a common destination for Taiwanese criminals, which is expected to affect ties across the Taiwan Strait, Liang said.

Chinese authorities should repatriate him to Taiwan to face the judiciary, he added.


title: AIT’s comments criticized

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By Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan.

The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said.

The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult with China on arms sales to Taiwan, mediate between either side, revise the Taiwan Relations Act, change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty or pressure Taiwan to negotiate the issues with China.

Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen speaks at an event in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

AIT officials appointed by the administration of former US president Joe Biden are inappropriately continuing the “cliches” of the previous administration and “manipulating” UN Resolution 2758, Hsiao said, asking AIT Director Raymond Greene whether he solicited US President Donald Trump’s opinion before making the remarks, or what Trump would think about his “reckless actions” that increase cross-strait tensions.

It does not seem to be Trump’s intention for Biden-appointed officials to continue the previous administration’s policies of manipulating Taiwan’s legal status, or acting in ways contrary to the interests and security of Taiwanese, he said.

If the AIT continues to backslide into the stance that Taiwan has an indeterminate legal status, the US would be changing the “six assurances” in a way that could undermine the already fraught cross-strait relationship, he said.

Reliance on the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco by those who advocate Taiwanese independence to justify claims that Taiwan has an indeterminate legal status is contrary to the Constitution and the historical fact that Japan returned Taiwan proper, as well as the Kinmen and Penghu archipelagos to the Republic of China, he said.

The 1943 Cairo Declaration, the 1945 Potsdam Declaration and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender are legally binding documents in the eyes of international law, Hsiao said, adding that the legal effect of the documents have never been questioned by the parties named in them.


title: Pacific leaders reaffirm Taiwan’s status as a partner

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The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a major political gathering of nations in the region, concluded on Friday, with leaders reaffirming Taiwan’s involvement in its events as a “development partner.”

In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday that it “welcomed” the communique issued by PIF members at the end of the five-day summit in the Solomon Islands, which reaffirmed the forum’s 1992 decision on Taiwan’s role in the annual meeting.

The ministry thanked the PIF leaders “for expressing their support for Taiwan’s continued participation in PIF affairs as a development partner,” the statement said.

The flags of Pacific island nations fly at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa on Aug. 26 last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

At a news conference on Friday, PIF Secretary-General Baron Waqa said that the Pacific island leaders had discussed the issue at the summit and would maintain the “status quo.”

“There’s nothing changed ... the 1992 decision is still in place,” Waqa said.

He declined to provide further details.

Taiwan’s status as a development partner was established by the 1992 PIF leaders’ communique and the country has participated in PIF mechanisms since 1993, the ministry said.

The events include the Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue and events usually held alongside the annual summit.

The PIF’s Forum Leaders Meeting from Monday to Friday in Honiara was attended only by the bloc’s 18 member states, including Australia and New Zealand.

Unlike in previous years, partner countries such as Taiwan, China and the US did not participate after the Solomon Islands, as the host nation, barred their attendance, citing an ongoing review of the forum’s partnership arrangements.

However, media reports since last year have suggested that the Solomon Islands, which in 2019 announced its diplomatic recognition of China, has been seeking to block Taiwan’s participation under pressure from Beijing.

China has poached several of Taiwan’s allies in the Pacific as part of its efforts to expand its presence in the region and isolate Taiwan from the international community.

Three PIF members — the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu — have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.


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The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea.

The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement.

The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said.

A Coast Guard Administration (CGA) member monitors a China Coast Guard ship near Pratas Island in the South China Sea on Thursday. Photo courtesy of the CGA Dongsha-Nansha Branch

At 6:31pm on Friday, a Chinese fishing boat was spotted 11.6 nautical miles east of Pratas, trespassing in the island’s restricted waters, it said in a separate statement.

At 11:09pm, two CGA patrol boats seized a small raft belonging to the Chinese fishing boat 2.5 nautical miles northeast of the island before expelling the fishing boat, the second statement said, adding that no other Chinese ships had been detected in the area as of yesterday.

China’s State Council on Tuesday announced the approval of a plan to create a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島), saying it was to improve marine protection.

The feature is claimed by both countries and the Philippines.

China Coast Guard ships have frequently engaged in provocative and unlawful actions against neighboring countries, the CGA said yesterday, adding that it would keep dispatching vessels to safeguard the area and defend Taiwan’s national sovereignty.

title: Chinese ships expelled from near Pratas Island


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REMOVING OBSTACLES: Public childcare services, a child-friendly work environment and sharing the burden would encourage women to have children, an alliance head said

The proportion of young women in Taiwan who do not want to have children is exceptionally high — 45.9 percent among women aged 15 to 24 — a Ministry of Health and Welfare survey showed.

As Taiwan faces low birthrates, a survey last year found that 26.6 percent of women aged 15 to 64 do not want to have children, and nearly half of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 have crossed off having children from their bucket list.

The survey showed that the proportions of women who “do not want to bear children” in different age groups had nearly all increased between 2019 and last year.

Among them, the proportion of young women aged 15 to 24 who do not want to bear children increased from 31.3 percent in 2019 to 45.9 percent last year, it found.

The proportion of women in the 25 to 34 age group and the 35 to 44 demographic who do not want children rose to 37.4 percent and 25.9 percent last year respectively, the survey showed.

The three most common reasons for not wanting children were “too much financial burden,” which accounted for 60.3 percent, followed by “unwilling to change their current lifestyle to have children” at 49.4 percent and “worried about parenting and children’s education or future development” at 34.3 percent.

A specialist said that the answers showed that it is not only a financial problem, but also a reflection of younger people caring about their quality of life and their unwillingness to bear long-term pressure of raising children.

There are now more women who work and earn an income — up to 78.6 percent of women are earning salaries, with an average monthly salary of NT$37,511, which is almost NT$6,000 higher than the average five years ago.

The survey also showed that more women are becoming their family’s primary breadwinner, and their economic statuses are almost the same as that of the men in their family. However, earning more money does not mean reduced pressure, as married women spend an average of more than four hours doing chores or taking care of family members each day — about 2.6 times longer than men.

Childcare Policy Alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶) yesterday said that although more women are economically independent, the responsibility of taking care of family members still often falls on women.

They are “burning the candle at both ends,” leading to a “low fertility trap,” which is difficult to reverse, he said.

The ideal number of children would also decrease, he added.

“From originally wanting two children to thinking one child is acceptable, they might decide not having children is even better,” Wang said.

He used a seesaw as a metaphor for women juggling family and work, and added that the government must address three main problems.

First, it must provide public childcare services that are “affordable, trustworthy and accessible in terms of time and location,” so that parents could balance working and taking care of children, he said.

Second, it should promote a “dual track” system of care, asking men to take on actual responsibility in raising children, Wang said, adding that the parental leave application rate among men in Taiwan was only about 5 percent.

He also cited as an example the Japanese government, which has set a goal of raising the rate to 85 percent by 2030.

Third, a “child-friendly” workplace environment is also necessary, such as having flexible work hours, the ability to do remote work and eliminating discrimination toward those who apply for parental leave, Wang said.

Taiwan’s birthrate has remained at about 0.9 births per woman for years, while the number of marriages and births in South Korea — where the birthrate was the lowest — have been increasing and might even exceed Taiwan’s soon, he said.

Providing monetary subsidies or assisted reproductive services might help address the nation’s low birthrate, but they are not enough to reverse the trend, Wang said.

Only by offering public childcare services, urging men to share the burden of raising children and creating a child-friendly workplace environment could women be encouraged to have children, he added.

title: More women do not want kids: survey


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The effective dispersal distance of the dengue virus-carrying mosquito Aedes aegypti, the primary vector in southern Taiwan, was found to be about 150m, supporting the 200m spraying radius around confirmed cases set by authorities, a National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) study found.

“When an outbreak occurs, we need to eliminate virus-carrying mosquitoes,” National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center assistant investigator Huang Chin-gi (黃旌集) said on Thursday. “How far they can fly is crucial, as it determines the scope of our control measures.”

More than 98 percent of local dengue fever cases occur in southern Taiwan, NHRI data showed, while the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded 12 local cases this year as of Monday, all in Kaohsiung.

From left, the National Health Research Institutes’ (NHRI) National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center head Chen Chun-hung, National Taiwan University professor Wang Hurng-yi, NHRI vice president Chen Wei-jen and center assistant investigator Huang Chin-gi pose for a photograph in Taipei on Thursday. Photo: CNA

On why Kaohsiung still saw a cluster of 12 cases if the mosquitoes’ effective dispersal distance is about 150m and spraying is done over 200m, Huang said outbreaks could persist due to factors such as insecticide selection and operator technique.

Inappropriate insecticide selection and subpar field operations could allow transmission to continue, even when the control radius is sufficient, he said.

“The control radius is only one part of a successful response,” Huang said, adding that other factors, such as the timeliness of the intervention, also determine whether an outbreak is contained.

Researchers collected Aedes aegypti eggs from ovitraps — egg-laying traps for mosquitos — set across Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, reared them to adults and analyzed their genomes to find how far closely related mosquitoes dispersed.

“For example, we can identify full-sibling relationships — offspring from the same mother and father — or half-sibling relationships, or those that share only one parent,” Huang said. “That lets us infer how far a mother might have flown to lay those eggs, or how far a father might have flown to mate with another female.”

Analyzing genomes from 192 Aedes aegypti reared from ovitrap-collected eggs, Huang’s team found that the median dispersal distance among closely related mosquitoes was 154m, with most values between 126m and 180m.

While counties and cities in Taiwan set different outdoor chemical-spraying ranges around a confirmed patient’s residence, most use a 200m minimum radius, which is sufficient to contain Aedes aegypti’s 154m spread, Huang said.

One “special” finding is that roads do not act as barriers — genomic data showed that mosquitoes cross streets freely — and administrative district boundaries within a city or county were linked to genetic differentiation among mosquito populations, he said.

“We found the separation [between administrative districts] is largely human driven,” he said, adding that control measures such as source reduction and spraying create “pressure” on mosquito populations, which pushes them apart.

Since districts carry out control measures independently and at different times, mosquitoes that cross into a neighboring district are often killed before they could reproduce, reducing gene flow across the boundary and gradually creating genetically distinct populations even over short distances, Huang added.

This genetic differentiation could lead to differing insecticide resistance among Aedes aegypti in neighboring districts, he added.

If an intercepted virus-carrying mosquito could be genomically traced to its home district, responders could look at that district’s effective chemicals and deploy those agents immediately, Huang added.

On whether districts could synchronize control measures, Huang said that administrative districts are large and it was impossible to complete all spraying and source reduction in a single day.

Huang’s team has since 2020 collected Aedes aegypti eggs and conducted the study over at least three years.

An academic article from the research, titled “The Impact of Administrative Districts and Urban Landscape on the Dispersal of Aedes aegypti via Genetic Differentiation,” was published as a cover article in the international journal Molecular Ecology in February.

title: Effective mosquito spray zone about 150m: study


title: Four measures to respond to campus pollution announced

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Air pollution inspections would be conducted at schools near 22 industrial areas nationwide by the end of this year to ensure students’ right to clean air, the Ministry of Environment said on Thursday.

Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said that a four-tiered safety net has been established in response to concerns about air quality in campuses.

First, 22 industrial areas with nearby schools, air pollutant emissions and reports of complaints were selected for inspection, he said, adding that

The Taichung skyline is pictured through polluted air in an undated photograph. Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times

The areas’ potential impact on the air quality at nearby schools would be checked, Peng added.

Second, more air quality maintenance zones — areas where the entry of heavily polluting vehicles are restricted — would be set up around schools, in collaboration with local authorities, Peng said.

Of the 93 zones nationwide, 38 cover schools, he added.

Third, the air pollution reporting mechanism for schools would be enhanced, with complaints from schools highlighted for follow-ups, Peng said.

Fourth, on-campus air quality management would be bolstered via measures such as setting up picture cards to clearly provide information, he said.

Illicit gains related to illegal emissions amounted to about NT$6 billion (US$198.4 million) last year, which was a record high for the past few decades, Peng said, adding that the ministry would continue to promote cross-department cooperation to improve air quality at schools.

Department of Atmospheric Environment Director Huang Wei-ming (黃偉鳴) said that most air pollution complaints nationwide from 2022 to last year were about odors, accounting for up to 88 percent of all complaints.

Some organic compounds such as thiols have low odor thresholds and could be smelled even when they are within standard levels in the air, he said.

The ministry chose to focus on people’s perspectives in its efforts to enhance the air quality at campuses, and based air pollution inspection procedures on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Next Generation Emission Measurement, Huang said.

Monitoring devices would be set up at schools to report pollution, and inspectors would enter industrial areas to identify pollution sources, he said.

Once sources are identified, authorities would ask units to make improvements and set up pollutant monitors around the sources to ensure continued improvement, he added.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yue-chin (林月琴) cited the WHO as saying that air pollution harms children more than adults, as they breathe more rapidly and are lighter.

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are even more vulnerable, as many of them live and go to school in areas that have more air pollution, she said, urging the ministry to ensure children’s environmental rights in accordance with the Implementation Act of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (兒童權利公約施行法).


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FEATURE: Beach cleanup, upcycling plan wins Ocean Challenge

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION:  The proposal involved a mobile app where people could find beaches to clean and vending machines that created items from deposited plastic

One of the award winners in the Ocean Affairs Council’s Ocean Challenge this year was a project to set up smart upcycling machines along the coastlines of Taiwan to encourage plastic recycling and beach cleanup.

The proposal, titled “Clean Beach, Clean Ocean,” was by two Taiwanese studying in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Teaming up as “Cornell Currents for Change,” Gina Chen (陳紀嘉) and Nicole Lee (李潔盈) focused on addressing marine debris and promoting sustainable tourism.

Chen said she realized how plastic waste could harm ecosystems during a beach cleanup around Sizihwan (西子灣) in Kaohsiung, her hometown.

Students Gina Chen, left, and Nicole Lee are pictured via a video conference during the Ocean Challenge award ceremony. Photo courtesy of the Ocean Affairs Council

It dawned on her that beaches could be the starting point of marine conservation, where she could apply her environmental engineering student knowledge, Chen said.

Lee said she noticed that most people are not interested in helping with beach cleanups, adding that she sought to leverage her experience in plastic upcycling to create a mechanism that encourages sustained commitment to beach cleanup.

Their proposed solution combined an interactive mobile app with smart vending machines, allowing people to locate beaches in need of cleanups via the app and collect plastic waste in exchange for points that could be redeemed for upcycled items from vending machines.

The machines could power wash and dry deposited plastics, gather the plastics into a compartment, melt them, and compress and mold them into new products. That upcycling process would be zero waste and low-cost, without using newly manufactured goods as rewards like other recycling initiatives’ reward systems.

People could use the app to track their personal cleanup progress and connect to machines to view an upcycled item’s point value. They could also use it to find recommended waterfront attractions and nearby restaurants in favor of sustainable tourism.

The duo spent three months identifying the issue, designing the app and machine, and enhancing the proposal’s feasibility and relevance to local communities, with each contributing their unique strengths.

“I focused on the technical aspects, including app design, UI/UX [user interface/user experience] and video editing, while Nicole concentrated on creativity and user engagement,” Chen said.

Sometimes, disagreements arose, as Chen sought to ensure technical feasibility while Lee cared more about user experience.

“Whenever our perspectives diverged, we returned to our shared goal: creating a solution that is both impactful and scalable,” Lee said.

Asked about the greatest highlight of their proposal, both said that the proposal would not only foster long-term behavioral change that would benefit the environment, but would also encourage community engagement and sustainable economic development.

“Our design emphasizes upcycling, rather than simple recycling,” Chen said.

“Current machines are very transactional — you drop a bottle and receive points,” Lee said, adding that their proposed system emphasizes upcycling while linking the machine to beach cleanup and sustainable tourism.

“It’s not just recycling; it’s creating a lifestyle loop,” she said.

Both said that they felt honored to receive a Silver Award in the youth category of the competition and that their biggest takeaway was their enhanced capability of turning knowledge into practical solutions.

“This experience showed me that true learning comes from practice,” Chen said. “Turning ideas into action bridges the gap between ideas and reality, transforming dreams into tangible impact.”

“Combining different perspectives and expertise allowed us to create something far stronger than what either of us could have done alone,” Lee said.

The pair also highly recommended the Ocean Challenge to other students.

“Start with a problem you truly care about, and the solution will grow naturally from that passion,” Lee said. “This experience motivated me to continue pursuing my passion for sustainability and to work toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.”

“It was incredibly inspiring to see so many creative projects from young people across Taiwan and beyond, each addressing ocean-related challenges in their own unique way,” Chen said, adding that she hoped their proposal to motivate more young people like them.

The Ocean Challenge began in 2019, and this year, it attracted 162 youth and teenage participants from 14 countries across North America, Asia, Europe and Africa, the council said.


title: Ocean tale

content_text: The Puppet & Its Double Theater troupe stage a large puppet show, “Tale of the Ocean,” at the CTCB Arts Festival’s charity performance in Taipei yesterday.


content_text: From left, Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun, Premier Cho Jung-tai, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Xavier Chang and Minister of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Chen Shu-tzu attend a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday. The officials outlined the Cabinet’s stance on jurisdictional and budgetary disputes with local governments stemming from amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures.

title: Budget disputes


content_text: Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, back row, center, poses with event organizers and promoters at the launch of the 2025 Taipei Water Dance Festival at the Rainbow Wharf in Taipei yesterday. The festival, which features a night market, daily water dances and weekly activities, is to run through Oct. 18.

title: Water, lights, action!


content_text:
The Indian gaming industry says the games rely on skill and are not gambling, while their critics say that the pastime is essentially gambling, because players stake money on contests whose outcomes they cannot control

India’s ban of online money-based games could drive addicts to unregulated apps and offshore platforms that pose new financial and social risks, fantasy-sports gaming experts say.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government banned real-money online games late last month, citing financial losses and addiction, leading to a shutdown of many apps offering paid fantasy cricket, rummy and poker games.

“Many will move to offshore platforms, because of the addictive nature — they will find alternate means to get that dopamine hit,” said Viren Hemrajani, a Mumbai-based fantasy cricket analyst.

A man checks the Dream11 app of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament on his mobile phone in New Delhi on Oct. 12, 2020. Photo: AFP

“It [also] leads to fraud and scams, because everything is now unregulated. Even if users win, there is no guarantee they get their money back,” he said, citing various apps posing as shopping platforms illegally offering coins and tokens to play.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 has shocked an industry that is backed by venture capital firms such as New York’s Tiger Global and Bengaluru, India-based Peak XV Partners and was expected to be worth US$3.6 billion by 2029.

Platforms MPL and rival Dream11 became popular over the past few years by offering financial prizes to users competing in fantasy cricket games, in which players form virtual “teams” of real-life players and earn points based on their on-field performances.

Both apps have discontinued their money games after the ban.

The industry says the games rely on skill, and therefore, are not gambling, which was already highly restricted in India.

Critics of fantasy sports and other real-money gaming apps say that the pastime is essentially gambling, because players stake money on contests whose outcomes they cannot control.

Modi’s government has repeatedly expressed its unhappiness over money-based games, saying that they caused addiction and that it had a duty to act against “social evils.”

“Families have lost their savings. Young people have fallen into addiction. In some heartbreaking cases, financial distress linked to these games has even led to suicides,” the Indian government said in a news release.

The WHO says gaming disorder is marked by a loss of control, prioritizing play over regular daily activities and continuing despite harmful consequences.

India has about 444 million gamers, including 138 million who play paid games, according to a report released last year by Eximius Ventures, a Gurugram, India-based venture capital firm.

Some users said that the ban would boost the gambling black market that has long operated in the shadows.

“More and more people will use VPNs [Virtual Private Networks] or offline bookies to access illegal and offshore games,” said Varun Sharma, who spent eight years playing fantasy games, mainly basketball, winning up to 1.2 million rupees (US$13,593) in a single game.

Sharma, 24, said he saw a sudden uptick of betting offers and schemes on messaging apps such as Telegram after the bill was passed.

Sharma described himself as “heartbroken and unable to move on” since the ban took effect.

The new law prohibits banks and payment companies from facilitating financial transactions for real-money gaming.

Determined players could find workarounds, such as depositing money into crypto wallets or using US payments firm PayPal, which are beyond India’s purview.

The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not respond to requests for comment on the ban, its potential risks and what the next moves, if any, would be.

The gaming industry said that companies would have to either downsize or shut down completely.

MPL has said it would sack about 60 percent of its local workforce.

Gaming company A23, which offers rummy and poker games, is one of several that has challenged the ban in court.

India’s top court on Monday last week said it would hear the combined petitions, but it was not immediately clear when.

Some proponents of online gaming said regulations, such as setting limits on game time, money a user spends or on the ratio between entry fees and prize money could have curbed the risks of addiction and financial hardship.

Nandan Kamath, a lawyer in Bengaluru with expertise in sports and gaming law, said more discourse on users’ rights and how they choose to spend their money and time in digital domains was needed.

“A clear argument can be made that entirely limiting the expression of skill-gaming through a ban is an unreasonable restraint on both expression and profession,” he said.

Kamath urged the Indian government to promote healthy alternatives that might satisfy gamers’ urges and needs, de-addiction support through digital health programs and better enforcement of the unregulated market to prevent user harm.

Gaming companies could evolve with growing tech, artificial intelligence and sizeable user databases, he said.

“Some of these companies might have another inning, using a new playbook,” he added.

title: India’s online gaming ban might drive addicts underground


content_text:
Kemeriya Mehammed Abduraheman set her sights on an electric car four months ago, joining more than 100,000 Ethiopians who have made the green switch.

While electric vehicle (EV) sales in Africa accounted for only 1 percent of the global market last year, according to the International Energy Agency, Ethiopia wants to change that.

In a world first, the Ethiopian government last year banned the import of gasoline and diesel vehicles, partly for green reasons, but also to help wean the country off increasingly expensive fuel.

A delegate stands between electric vehicles (EVs) on display at an EV expo during the Second Africa Climate Summit at the Addis International Convention Center in Addis Ababa on Monday last week. Photo: AFP

Many welcomed the shift.

“I was tired of waiting in line to fill up,” Abduraheman, a 36-year-old development consultant, said in Addis Ababa, where gasoline queues can stretch for hundreds of meters and eat up half of a day.

Bareo Hassen Bareo, head of the Ethiopian Department of Transport and Logistics’ green mobility division, said there were already 115,000 EVs — 7 percent of vehicles — on the road.

“In 10 years, we will have more than 500,000,” he said.

However, the vehicles remain hugely expensive, especially in a country where about 40 percent of the population lives on less than US$3 a day, according to the World Bank.

Abduraheman paid about US$34,000 to buy a model from Chinese brand BYD, describing it as a “long-term” decision.

“I’ve been able to save on costs, I’ve been able to save on time, in terms of not lining up for gas,” she said.

The landlocked country depends on the ports of neighboring Djibouti and often faces fuel shortages. Abduraheman used to spend about 4,000 birr (US$27) each month on fuel, but now spends the equivalent of US$4 on charging.

EVs are increasingly visible in the capital, mostly Chinese brands.

Ethiopians have even glimpsed an outlandish Tesla Cybertruck, which retails for over US$100,000, crawling through Addis Ababa’s streets.

The city’s buses are also electric.

Economic analyst Samson Berhane said the EV transition had been “more successful than initially anticipated.”

“This can be attributed to the country’s rapidly growing middle class and the surging demand for new vehicles,” he said.

While charging stations have mushroomed across the capital, he said, “many consumers have taken the initiative to install chargers at home and at work.”

The rapid transition has not come without challenges.

There are reports of shortages of EV parts and qualified mechanics. There are only about 100 charging stations in the whole country, meaning drivers cannot plan long journeys outside the capital.

“We need more than 2,300,” Bareo said.

High prices for EVs are also a pressing issue, which the Ethiopian government hopes to counter by tempting foreign manufacturers to produce locally.

The unreliable electricity supply is also a worry, although the Ethiopian government hopes the inauguration of a massive mega-dam last week — expected to double the country’s electrical capacity — would facilitate the green transition.

It cannot come soon enough: Near Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, dozens of EV drivers wait to use chargers operated by the national operator Ethio Telecom.

“It has been four days since the power went out in my area, so I am charging it here,” said one customer, Semagn Getnet.

“Electric cars are good and pleasing, but there are some problems,” he added.

title: Ethiopians dream of an electric vehicle future


content_text:
‘Why not?’ Europeans warming up to Chinese vehicles

Checking out an electric vehicle (EV) made by China’s BYD at the IAA Mobility car show in Munich, Germany, German designer Tayo Osobu was impressed by the interior and said she would consider buying one.

“And why not?” asked the 59-year-old from Frankfurt, Germany, in a country where domestic titans Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long dominated.

“If they are sold here, it means they meet European standards,” she said.

At the auto fair last week, Chinese EV makers were out in force, highlighting the determination of the country’s fast-growing car giants to make inroads into Europe.

About 100 Chinese auto companies flocked to Munich, out of a total 700 exhibitors at the show hosted once every two years, ranging from big-name manufacturers to smaller suppliers and start-ups.

While they still lag far behind Europe’s long-established carmakers in terms of market share on the continent, firms from the world’s No. 2 economy have been gaining ground with their technology-packed EVs.

Leading the pack is giant BYD, whose sales in Europe surged by 250 percent in the first half of the year. In Munich, the manufacturer was showcasing flagship models such as the Dolphin Surf, a small EV with a starting price of about 20,000 euros (US$23,463) — cheaper than many offerings from European carmakers.

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest automaker, in contrast has seen sales and profits fall in the face of fierce competition and weak demand, prompting it to announce plans for mass layoffs in Germany. US EV pioneer Tesla, which was not present at the show in Munich, has also seen its market share drop — in part because many consumers have been put off by its boss Elon Musk’s support for far-right political parties.

Chinese carmakers have grown rapidly as they have benefited from lower labor costs, generous government support and strong consumer demand for their high-tech models in the world’s biggest auto market, experts said.

“What has changed in five years is that, at a lower price, the Chinese are now on par in terms of technology and quality in many respects,” said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management in Germany.

To combat the influx of Chinese cars and protect European manufacturers, the EU last year slapped hefty new tariffs on Chinese-made EVs over what the bloc said were unfair state subsidies.

However, sales of Chinese electric cars have continued to grow, and BYD looks set to skirt the levies — its first European factory, in Hungary, would start production later this year.

However, Bratzel said it was “too early” to talk about an invasion.

Chinese carmakers still need to establish “a relationship of trust” with European consumers, and build up networks of dealerships and after-sales services, he said.

There was skepticism about Chinese cars among some of those attending the Munich fair.

“If you drive a Chinese car, which garage would you go to if there are problems?” said Pamina Lohrmann, a 22-year-old German woman, at the Volkswagen stand where an old model of the popular Polo was on display.

“I grew up with German brands, they appeal to me more,” Lohrmann said.

Despite such concerns, some Chinese carmakers, such as Xpeng, are hoping to attract a tech-savvy, younger demographic.

XPeng president Brian Gu said the manufacturer was aiming for “the first wave of tech enthusiasts.”

Europe’s storied carmakers are fighting back, hoping their trustworthy reputations, built over many decades, would stand them in good stead.

Among a series of more affordable EVs unveiled by Volkswagen in Munich last week was one named “ID.Polo,” aiming to capitalize on the popularity of its classic small car.

European carmakers are also adopting new battery technology and looking at using more Chinese components in their vehicles, industry expert Matthias Schmidt said.

They aim to focus on their “heritage, legacy and DNA,” Schmidt said, adding that these are characteristics that “Chinese new market entrants simply don’t have.”


content_text:
A large part of the discourse about Taiwan as a sovereign, independent nation has centered on conventions of international law and international agreements between outside powers — such as between the US, UK, Russia, the Republic of China (ROC) and Japan at the end of World War II, and between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since recognition of the PRC as the sole representative of China at the UN.

Internationally, the narrative on the PRC and Taiwan has changed considerably since the days of the first term of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic Progressive Party, when then-US president George Bush was rumored to have referred to Chen as a “troublemaker” for standing up for Taiwanese sovereignty. Historians would view the COVID-19 pandemic as a watershed moment in which the international community stopped seeing Taiwan as a troublemaker and woke up to the dangerous actions of the Chinese Communist Party.

This narrative arc was traveling in a direction beneficial to Taiwan from that point until recently, when tectonic changes in the international order and the coalition of democratic allies began to make Taiwan’s situation feel once more precarious and uncertain.

The problem with narrative arcs is that they do not always continue on a predictable trajectory. The same thing is happening within Taiwan. What until recently could be perceived as a discernible line from post-World War II majority association with China as the “motherland” to what has been termed “natural independence” — an increased identification among ROC citizens with Taiwan, and a corresponding decline in identification with China.

This process has everything to do with generational transitions, the family environment in which Taiwanese have been raised and changes in the education system. It is the story of how a nation developed an awareness of its own ability to seek to improve its circumstances, and realized the importance of struggling against the system to fight for principles such as freedom, democracy and autonomy.

Until recently, the assumption was that this process of “natural independence” would eventually reach its logical conclusion: All Taiwanese would identify with Taiwan as home, the place in which they and their parents were born, and the ties of older generations with the wave of Chinese who came over from China with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) after the war would fade away.

Just as generational change has placed ties with China further in the past, so is it now consigning the will for freedom so evident among the generation that fought for democracy in Taiwan to a distant past.

In “Youth, democracy and identities” (Sept. 11, page 8), Taiwan NextGen Foundation chief officer of operation Elaine Ko (柯亮羽) wrote a thoughtful piece on what she called a “subtle but significant change ... in the normalization of Taiwanese identity.”

One could argue that the overwhelming presence of “natural independence” has diluted the sense of urgency that once sustained it. As Ko wrote: “For those born after democratization, being Taiwanese is simply natural... If identity no longer feels at risk, the motivation to safeguard it may weaken... Democracy is not static; it must be renewed by each generation.”

This drive is diluted, but has not disappeared. Fifteen years ago, the discourse was that the younger generation that would later give rise to the Sunflower movement was politically unengaged. This year, we have seen the “Bluebird movement” and civic participation in the mass recall movement.

It is imperative to foster civic awareness of external threats and a national identity. In a democracy, the dilemma is to do this in a way respecting individual agency and choice, as opposed to ideological indoctrination. That distinction appears clear in principle. In practice, in the era of social media, propaganda and polarization, the line can be blurred.

title: EDITORIAL: ‘Natural independence’ eats itself


title: Cultural integration of Hong Kong

content_text:
As the new academic year begins in Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) — widely regarded as the territory’s most prestigious institution — marked the first day of classes on Monday last week with an astonishing notice: A sign taped to a library trash bin read: “Please do not defecate in the trash can.”

Founded in 1911, the university had never seen anything like it. The announcement instantly sparked a firestorm.

The signage was first exposed by online news outlet HK01, which has also sent a letter to the university seeking an explanation on the matter. The university’s response seemed to imply silent acquiescence and an inclination to steer clear of further discussion.

The notice is printed in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese and English — an ostensibly egalitarian gesture that strategically avoids charges of racial discrimination — but it only added fuel to the fire.

One person wrote online: “Use traditional Chinese or English by all means, but please don’t use simplified characters to imply that the perpetrator was someone from the Chinese mainland.”

Most online users assume the culprit to be a Chinese from the mainland. Considering Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese seem to attribute cultural differences to genetic varieties in their respective communities, maybe the only solution would be to conduct DNA testing on the feces.

After all, Chinese call themselves the “descendants of the Yan and Yellow Emperor” (炎黃子孫), Hong Kongers are derisively considered “remnants of southern barbarians” (南蠻餘孽), while Westerners are gweilo, a derogatory term loosely translated as “foreign devil.” Case closed, they claim, with little need for forensic nuance.

Hong Kong welcomes many overseas talents, including those from the mainland. However, investigators are now uncovering a counterfeit industry focused on creating fraudulent academic degrees, with the manufacturing bridging across the mainland and Hong Kong.

Although Hong Kongers still make up the bulk of the university body, the surge in mainland enrollees — particularly among research postgraduate students — is telling. Non-locals account for 87.1 percent of them and 72.9 percent of postgraduate students.

No wonder Hong Kongers are not taking this “crap” sitting down, the distinction between “us” and “them” becoming ever more important. Fortunately — or perhaps conveniently — the vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor are from mainland China, making the matter less delicate to handle internally.

Conversely, perhaps it was a tourist’s doing. Hong Kong, eager to expand its tourism economy, remains a magnet for mainland visitors. When nature calls, such as in the library — where bathrooms are apparently hard to find — one would instinctively resort to relieving themselves at the nearest trash can. At least this avenue avoids public peeing or pooping. Which, in a twisted way, would then preserve the spirit of “Chinese civilization.” After all, incidents such as a tourist allowing their child to pee in a bottle by a dining table occur even at Din Tai Fung in Taiwan.

Ironically, the Chinese Communist Party had loudly denounced Shanghai-born Japanese Legislator Hei Seki (石平) — who is already a naturalized citizen in Japan — as a “21st century Hanjian” (漢奸), a pejorative term for those deemed traitors to the Chinese state and the Han Chinese identity.

Following this logic, could a university restroom become a site where defecation is pragmatically adapted to circumstances? Is this not, as they claim, a uniquely communist-educated expression of civilization?

One person online wrote: “One dump in HKU — and the integration is with us. The SAR [Special Administrative Region] is truly returned; westernization must end.”

The Hong Kong government’s urgings for Hong Kong-China integration triggered the comment.

Similarly, Beijing continues to urge Taipei to “integrate” with it through cognitive warfare. Could Taiwanese truly “integrate” with such a communist civilization? Would they be able to align with the behavior of those who smuggle bulks of Taiwanese insurance-covered medicines back to China, consigning our welfare system to overload? Standing firmly with Taiwanese sovereignty is, for now, the most effective antidote to this campaign of unification.

Paul Lin is a Taipei-based political commentator.

Translated by Lenna Veronica Suminski


content_text:
Taiwan and India face the same environmental threats — cyclones and typhoons, heavier floods and rising water stress. Typhoon Haikui brought torrential rain to Taiwan in 2023, while severe cyclones and repeated monsoon floods have battered the coastal cities of India over the past few years. These disasters are not isolated events, but part of a wider pattern of climate risk. Both countries’ governments have set ambitious climate goals: India targets net zero emissions by 2070, Taiwan by 2050. However, pledges mean little without real action. Practical cooperation that delivers results on the ground is needed.

The two countries possess complementary strengths. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has decades of records on the South Asian monsoon. Taiwan operates one of the region’s densest radar and satellite systems. If these assets are linked, forecasts could become more accurate and warnings timelier. A good starting point would be a data-sharing agreement between the IMD and the Central Weather Administration. This could expand into joint simulations, coastal evacuation planning and public awareness campaigns. Such steps are simple, avoid political sensitivities and, most importantly, save lives. They also show people on both sides the real value of cooperation.

Flood risks can be reduced with technology. Cameras, artificial intelligence (AI) and live maps track which streets are underwater in real time. That allows authorities to send alerts to pump operators, traffic police and emergency responders. Indian cities such as Chennai, Kochi and Mumbai already maintain large CCTV networks for traffic. Taiwan’s flood-mapping technology could help cities act quickly, ease traffic jams and lower economic costs. The resulting data would also help insurers and banks design new financial products for climate resilience. Pilot projects in Indian cities could offer blueprints for Jakarta; Manila; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; where rapid urban growth meets increasing climate threats.

Water management is another area of concern. Across Asia, wastewater is often dumped instead of being reused. Taiwan has promoted recycling, turning wastewater into a resource for cooling, landscaping and industry. This approach saves water, reduces pollution and lowers energy demand. Taiwan and India have already held water forums. Building on that, pilot projects in Indian industrial parks could reuse treated wastewater, capture nutrients for fertilizers and generate energy from sludge. These steps bolster water security while also helping utilities reduce costs. Such projects would show how climate resilience and financial viability can go hand in hand. Climate action also needs finance. India is working on a climate finance taxonomy to guide banks and investors.

Taiwan has started a carbon fee and tightened corporate sustainability rules. If both frameworks are aligned, they can unlock larger pools of green finance and attract global environmental, social and corporate governance investors. Joint Indo-Taiwan projects would then find it easier to raise affordable funding. If positioned as benchmarks for the wider region, these tools could also help ASEAN and Pacific island nations gain better access to capital for clean energy and adaptation.

Research cooperation adds another layer. The Indo-Taiwan Joint Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning is already in place. It has studied flood forecasts, crop stress, air pollution and energy demand, but more is needed. Research should not stay in academic journals. It must deliver usable tools for cities: open dashboards, open-source code and simple training kits. Otherwise, millions spent on studies bring little benefit to ordinary people.

The fourth annual Asia-Pacific Forum and Exposition for Sustainability was held from Thursday to yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center. It is a major stage to showcase results. India could use such platforms to make announcements on joint AI flood sensors, wastewater pilots and early-warning protocols to show commitment. Public demonstrations could send strong signals to investors, banks and city leaders that cooperation delivers.

A clear roadmap would sustain the momentum. In the first year, one coastal city and one industrial park could test AI-based flood alerts and wastewater reuse. In the next two years, standards for open data, procurement and training could be codified. Within five years, blended finance — combining green bonds, international grants and local budgets — could scale these projects across multiple cities. By then, pilots would have become part of mainstream urban planning.

These steps produce tangible results: faster storm warnings, fewer lives lost, less flood damage and millions of liters of water saved each year. They make use of Taiwan’s precision technology and India’s operational scale, a natural fit that can be replicated across the Indo-Pacific region. Importantly, such local projects do not need to wait for grand political deals. Mayors and municipal leaders can act first.

Public debate on Taiwan-India ties often revolves around semiconductors, supply chains and critical minerals. These are important, but climate change is already here. Typhoons and floods do not wait for diplomatic breakthroughs. Cooperation on early warnings, resilient drainage and water reuse makes the relationship concrete, visible and valuable to citizens. It turns diplomacy into action that saves lives.

If pilot projects are launched this year and scaled up over five years, Taiwan and India could position themselves as leaders in Asia’s resilience economy. Benefits would go far beyond bilateral ties. Coastal disasters could cause fewer casualties, millions of liters of water could be reclaimed and new models for adaptation could be shared across the Indo-Pacific. The message would be simple: Taiwan and India can turn shared risks into shared solutions.

These efforts focus on practical outcomes, bringing tangible benefits where they are needed most. They strengthen trust, attract finance and build public goods for the wider region. This is exactly the kind of practical cooperation the Indo-Pacific needs today.

Sutandra Singha is an independent researcher with a doctorate in international studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, specializing in climate change.

title: Climate cooperation is necessary


title: Education should move beyond test-taking skills

content_text:
Walk into almost any classroom in Taiwan and you could see students bent over worksheets, memorizing facts, drilling formulas and preparing for tests. On paper, many succeed. The truth is that passing exams is different from preparing for life.

Taiwanese students are bright, hardworking and resilient. However, when a system prizes test scores above all else, it risks leaving students unprepared for the challenges of the 21st century. Employers today do not just want high scorers; they want problem solvers, team players and creative thinkers.

The future would not reward the best test takers. It would reward those who can adapt, collaborate and apply knowledge in unpredictable situations.

Exams measure content knowledge, but they do not reward curiosity, creativity or emotional intelligence. They cannot capture resilience, empathy or intercultural understanding — all skills that help students thrive in fast-changing societies.

What is missing is balance. Students need space to grow not only intellectually, but also emotionally and socially. They need to practice communication, teamwork, leadership and self-awareness. These skills are as essential as math and science.

Taiwan’s 12-Year Basic Education Curriculum already aims to move beyond exams, but implementation has been uneven. Some schools still cling to old models, while others experiment with project-based learning, bilingual education and character education. Consistency is needed.

The same pattern could be observed globally. Countries that focus only on standardized testing might achieve high rankings in the short term, but they often struggle with creativity, entrepreneurship and mental health in the long run. Conversely, systems that balance academic and non-cognitive skills — such as Finland’s emphasis on creativity and social development — produce students who are capable and confident.

Education is not just about producing workers for the economy. It is about shaping human beings. When schools ignore emotional intelligence, they risk graduating students who can calculate equations, but cannot manage stress, resolve conflict or collaborate effectively.

Emotional well-being is not a luxury. It is the foundation for learning. Students who feel safe, respected and valued learn better. When classrooms encourage empathy, creativity and resilience, they prepare students not only for tests, but for relationships, leadership and citizenship.

Teachers should lend project-based learning into core subjects. Use role-plays, reflections and group work to explicitly teach emotional intelligence. Celebrate diverse achievements, not just high scores.

Schools need to revive creative and technical subjects.

Integrate cultural learning into lessons, showing students the strengths of different traditions. Assess portfolios, projects and teamwork alongside exams.

Policymakers should provide funding that allows schools to diversify curricula. Train teachers in emotional literacy and culturally responsive teaching. Partner with industries and communities to keep curricula relevant to real life.

Taiwanese students deserve an education that prepares them for the full complexity of life. By balancing cognitive and non-cognitive learning, and valuing character as much as test scores, Taiwan can build a generation that is intellectually sharp and emotionally strong.

Curriculum is power. It shapes not just what students know, but who they become. If Taiwan wants its young people to thrive, then the time has come to move beyond exams.

Casper J. H. Keller is an educator with experience in Asia and Africa. He holds a master’s degree in education and an MBA, and is teaching English and drama at Yuemei Elementary School in Taitung County.


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text: 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


title: Trump is upsetting the US allies needed to counter China

content_text:
Treaty allies are developing fallback options in case the US disengages from the region, an analyst said

US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade and immigration policies are undermining relationships that have been cornerstones of US foreign policy to counter China’s growing influence, eroding years of diplomatic investments spanning administrations.

The latest fracture came on Friday, when hundreds of South Korean workers were detained at a Hyundai manufacturing plant in Georgia, a facility that had been a showcase for closer economic ties between the two countries. Some of the workers, who were being investigated for visa issues, were shackled.

Administration officials insist that trade will not be impacted, but foreign-policy analysts have watched deteriorating relationships with alarm. Instead of following the conventional wisdom of building coalitions as a bulwark against China, Trump has reveled in turning the screws on friend and foe alike.

“Treaty allies are developing fallback options if the United States disengages from the region,” said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute, where he studies US strategy in Asia. “Some partners are hedging by cultivating better relationships with China.”

Ties with India have also cooled despite a previously cordial friendship between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump, a Republican, imposed tariffs on India as punishment for buying Russian oil during the war in Ukraine and he has grown closer with Pakistan, a bordering rival.

Modi was recently photographed with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a security summit in Tianjin, China, prompting a social media jab from Trump.

“Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China,” he wrote. “May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

It is possible that recent spats could blow over. Trump called Modi “my very good friend” when announcing trade talks between the two countries would continue in a Truth Social post.

“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries,” he wrote.

Modi responded by calling the two countries “close friends and natural partners” and said he was “confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.”

However, concerns among Asian nations might not be temporary, especially if there is a sense that Trump’s skeptical view of foreign engagement will linger after he is no longer in office.

“Most countries in the region believe that Washington’s protectionist policies, unilateral tendencies and greater skepticism of overseas engagement will outlast the Trump administration,” Cooper said.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Washington said that the country never engages “in zero-sum games or geopolitical confrontations where one wins and the other loses,” but “is committed to maintaining world peace, stability and development, sharing development opportunities with countries around the world.”

Trump has occasionally talked tough toward China, and he risked a trade war between the world’s first and second-largest economies by announcing steep tariffs.

However, both sides have stepped back from that confrontation and Trump has been focused on seeking a summit with Xi.

After a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) over the summer, the US Department of State said that both sides “agreed to explore areas of potential cooperation, while seeking to manage differences.”

The tension between Trump and Modi has been particularly surprising given their closeness during Trump’s first term.

However, Modi has declined to indulge Trump’s attempt to claim credit for brokering a recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, although Pakistan has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize that he covets.

In addition, India has been caught in the crossfire of Trump’s efforts to resolve the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To put indirect pressure on Moscow, Trump increased tariffs on India for buying Russian oil during the war.

Eric Garcetti, who served as US ambassador to India under former US president Joe Biden, said that years of diplomacy would not be reversed, but said “a lot of damage can be done,” and he warned that it would be a “very lonely world” if India and US are not on the same page.

“This is one of the most critical relationships for our success and for the world,” he said.

Rick Rossow, a senior adviser focused on India and emerging Asia economics at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the US-India relationship is at “a low point,” but “such moments always feel like they are more significant than they actually are.”

However, tensions could jeopardize a planned visit by Trump to India to attend a summit that would also include leaders from Japan and Australia. The strategic grouping, known as the Quad, is viewed as a mechanism to counter Beijing’s military and political influences in the region.

The raid at the Hyundai facility stands out as a highly public display of the Trump administration’s willingness to enforce its aggressive immigration policy, even if it also comes at an economic cost, sparking anger and a sense of betrayal in South Korea, less than two weeks after a White House meeting between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

“Damage has already been done as anti-American sentiment is clearly on the rise,” said Bong Youngshik, a professor at Seoul’s Yonsei University, citing public shock in South Korea over the detentions and US authorities releasing video showing the workers being chained and taken away.

Trump has pushed Seoul to expand US industrial investments, but without a visa system to support enough skilled workers to establish new manufacturing facilities.

“There’s a growing perception among South Koreans that the United States is engaging in bullying behavior, not only about this case but also with their aggressive push to increase tariffs,” Bong said. “There’s a widespread feeling that it is taking things too far.”

The issue would remain a “ticking time bomb” and “it will become extremely difficult for South Korean companies to send their employees to the United States,” Bong said.


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If a priority-seat holder makes a wrong call, it is only half as embarrassing as a standard-seat holder who does the same

It is easy to jump to conclusions, especially about human nature, particularly when your verdict is negative, but now and then, all is not as it seems.

For example, in the case of Celia Imrie, who recently hosted the 80th-anniversary VJ Day commemoration at the Armed Forces Memorial in the English county of Staffordshire, near Birmingham in the UK.

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla were in attendance, and she described the day as “extraordinary.”

Unfortunately, the experience was dampened somewhat by Imrie’s journey home to London.

“Now, I never make a fuss, but I had to stand all the way back for two-and-a-half hours because nobody decided to give up their seat,” the 73-year-old told a recent interviewer.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said, attributing it to being invisible to younger generations, who have no respect for their elders.

“So if you’re asking me, do people not really notice you as you get older, I’m afraid I do notice that,” Imrie said. “Even just walking on the street, you’re not envisioned. It’s really weird. I wear a bright coat.”

Never mind the coat, Imrie also has an extremely recognizable face, which has been gracing screens big and small for decades. So fame opens doors, but does not provide seating?

This is not a tale of young people lacking esteem for the more mature members of society, though. It is a matter of potential awkwardness. The etiquette of when to offer your seat on public transport is some of the most complicated we are forced to navigate — probably worldwide, but definitely in Britain, where most of us are easily mortified and could then be trapped together, at least until the next stop, to endure the aftermath. When you factor in that it must be done in full view of numerous spectators, no wonder so many commuters pretend not to notice who is standing near them. Make a mistaken offer and you have insulted a stranger, to their face, in front of a live audience.

You will carry the shame with you for ever, on some level, as anybody who has had their Good Samaritan moment ruined by the reply: “I’m not actually pregnant, thank you very much” can attest.

Let us agree that those who choose priority seats (the ones clearly marked for people with a greater need to sit down) and then fall asleep or become engrossed in their phone/book/thoughts are the absolute worst. If you sit there, you are entering into a moral contract. With great comfort comes great responsibility. You are duty-bound to monitor your surroundings and leap up if the need arises.

If a priority-seat holder makes a wrong call and offers their seat to someone who did not actually need it, it is only half as embarrassing as a standard-seat holder doing it; they will still be self-conscious and scarlet-cheeked, of course, but consoled by being inherently noble and on the right side of public transport history.

Recently, I saw a man give up his seat in an extremely misguided attempt at a meet-cute. He was clearly trying to be chivalrous because the woman in question was very attractive and obviously nowhere near seat-requiring age, but she was visibly horrified. She did accept, but probably only so she could have her hands free to Google “facelifts.”

As a dating strategy, this was imaginative and brave, but should be avoided at all costs — even by a real standup guy, in either or both senses.

Opinion varies on how many birthdays a fellow passenger must have celebrated to be deemed seat-worthy, but short of asking to see their ID, there is no way of being certain that they have reached that milestone and the possibility of offending is high. The train track to hell is laid with good intentions — you might genuinely mean: “Please do sit down, I care about your well-being,” but they will hear: “You are ancient, or overweight, or perhaps both.”

In a nutshell, you have to be pretty confident of the facts before you dare open your mouth. If Imrie is bothered by aging, she should take the lack of offers she received as a compliment, albeit an uncomfortable one.

Polly Hudson is a freelance writer.

title: Awkwardness in giving up a seat on a commute