content_text:
社會中心/綜合報導

為確保第一線救災人員與志工有足夠體力投入花蓮災後復原工作，中央自9月29日起動員支援，將由農糧署每日準備便當，送至指揮中心後，再由國軍與志工協助緊急分送，確保救災前線的夥伴獲得及時補給。

經濟部在官方貼文指出，9/29起每日中午約12時30分、晚間6時，將於三處定點提供便當發放：

光復國中（大馬村）：花蓮縣光復鄉大馬村林森路200號

光復商工（大同村）：花蓮縣光復鄉大同村林森路100號

王村長（大馬村）：花蓮縣光復鄉大馬村武昌街173號

此外，光復車站出口亦將提供口糧，讓往來的志工隨時補充能量。

花蓮光復地區受洪災重創，部分村落停電停水，道路受阻，復原工作需大量人力投入。為了減輕志工與救災人員的壓力，中央透過便當與口糧的即時供應，希望讓所有投入救援的人員獲得最基本的食物，加快當地復原腳步。

title: 經濟部出手!助解災區便當分發困境  花蓮救災便當29日起定點發放

taiwan-subdivisions: 花蓮 大同 花蓮縣 光復


content_text:
記者陳木隆∕宜蘭報導

「2025蘭陽媽祖文化節」遶境隊伍，今天28日一早從羅東起駕繼續往冬山、蘇澳方向而行，上千信徒一路簇擁隨香，沿途民眾或於門前擺設香案或夾道而拜，直到傍晚時分回到南方澳進安宮舉行回鑾大典，為期3天的北臺灣迎媽祖盛會劃下句點。

遶境隊伍上午從羅東聖安宮及震安宮起駕，羅東鎮長吳秋齡率同公所團隊恭迎並陪同遶境，綿長的隊伍行抵冬螺圳橋時，由冬山鄉長林峻輔帶隊接香，並陪同媽祖巡護冬山地區。沿途信眾跪地恭迎鑽轎腳，代理縣長林茂盛發送平安符。

中午抵達冬山鄉天照宮時，信眾們紛紛帶著蓋滿紀念章的集章卡，兌換縣府準備的活動紀念品。接著來到蘇澳安永心食館，由蘇澳鎮長李明哲及公所團隊傳接香火，恭請媽祖回鑾，沿徒信眾踴躍隨行，護送媽祖及眾神尊回到南方澳進安宮，進行回鑾大典。

林茂盛表示，今年特別規劃多項專屬限定好康，如開放民眾登船加入海上遶境的行列，並策劃「集章趣」活動提供獨家限量紀念品，成功吸引各方信眾體驗宜蘭的宗教盛事與特色，亦領會宜蘭人的熱情。總計海陸遶境行經10個鄉鎮市、總里程達241.45公里，參與民眾近11萬8,000人次，規模盛大、熱鬧非凡。

title: 海陸遶境逾241公里近11.8萬人次　2025蘭陽媽祖文化節劃下句點

people: 吳秋齡 李明哲 陳木隆

taiwan-subdivisions: 宜蘭 成功 冬山 羅東 蘇澳


title: China cannot change US policy: official

people: 習近平 賴清德

content_text:
WINDOW: Xi Jinping is likely to view upcoming interactions with Trump as the best opportunity to undermine ties and weaken confidence in the Taiwan-US relationship   By Chen Yun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Attempts to exploit political transition in the US to create a “strategic gap” disregard Washington’s strategic policy on Taiwan and would not succeed, a Taiwanese national security official said yesterday.

The remarks came as a response to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article on Saturday that reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) aims to pressure Washington into explicitly opposing Taiwanese independence, following renewed high-level US-China exchanges.

The Taiwanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is unsurprising that China seizes every possible opportunity to undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between Taiwan, the US and their allies.

US President Donald Trump, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters

“Beijing once believed it could drive a wedge between Washington and Europe during tariff negotiations, weakening Europe’s stance on Russia and distracting it from Indo-Pacific security,” they said.

Instead, European nations became more alert to the complex threats posed by China and strengthened their presence in the Indo-Pacific region, they added.

“A steadily developing Taiwan is the key to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific, which in turn is a core strategic interest for the US,” the official said.

While Washington seeks to ease tensions with Beijing, it is simultaneously bolstering its security presence along the first and second island chains, evidenced by recent larger-scale multinational military exercises, they said.

Citing an unnamed source, the WSJ article said that Xi is seeking to exploit US President Donald Trump’s eagerness to secure an economic agreement with Beijing by pressing Trump to issue a formal statement that the US “opposes” Taiwanese independence.

Bringing Taiwan under China’s control has long been central to Xi’s “China Dream,” and this aspiration was frustrated during the administration of former US president Joe Biden, which reiterated the long-standing US position that Washington “does not support” Taiwanese independence, it said.

For Beijing, the difference between “does not support” and “opposes” is far from merely semantic, with the former implying neutrality, and the latter meaning the US would align itself with Beijing in rejecting Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Such a shift would mark the most significant change to Washington’s Taiwan policy since the advent of strategic ambiguity, the article said.

Beijing hoped to capitalize on a warming of relations amid a renewal of high-level exchanges and the recent TikTok deal, it added.

The report cited Evan Medeiros, a former senior Asia adviser in the administration of former US president Barack Obama and now a professor at Georgetown University, as saying that driving a wedge between Washington and Taipei is important to Beijing’s ambitions toward Taiwan.

Doing so would weaken Taiwan’s confidence and increase Beijing’s leverage, it cited him as saying, adding that Xi is likely to view upcoming interactions with Trump as the best opportunities to undermine Taiwan-US ties.

While the Trump administration’s official position remains opposed to any unilateral change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, recent actions have raised concerns in Washington and Taipei, the article said.

The US administration has delayed portions of planned military aid to Taiwan and denied President William Lai’s (賴清德) request for a US transit stop on his recent Latin America trip, prompting him to cancel the visit altogether, it said.

Yun Sun (孫韻), director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington, was quoted by the WSJ as saying that any US policy shift on Taiwan would not occur overnight.

“Beijing will persistently and repeatedly press its position step by step, gradually eroding Taiwan’s confidence in US commitments in the process,” she said.


people: 林楚茵 林佳龍

title: Foreign minister to speak at Warsaw forum

content_text:
BUILDING BRIDGES:  Lin Chia-lung said he hopes to improve European countries’ understanding of Taiwan and promote its industrial capabilities amid US-China rivalry

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has been invited to the 12th Warsaw Security Forum in Poland to deliver a keynote speech on the “Reinvention of Global Democratic Supply Chains,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

The ministry quoted Lin as saying that through the visit, he hopes to have meaningful exchanges with European partners, and show Europe the importance of Taiwan.

Lin also hopes to push for closer Taiwan-Europe cooperation, the ministry added.

Lin, who departed for Poland on Saturday, plans meet with friends and exchange ideas in Europe, share Taiwan’s values of democracy, peace and prosperity, deepen Taiwan international connections, and promote the nation’s “integrated diplomacy” foreign policy, the foreign ministry said.

In addition to having meaningful exchanges with European partners, Lin also wrote on Facebook that he also hopes to leverage the strengths of think tank diplomacy to broaden Taiwan’s international space.

Since its establishment in 2014, the Warsaw Security Forum has become the most influential dialogue platform on security and foreign policy in central and eastern Europe, he said.

The forum has become increasingly important in recent years, as the Russian authoritarian regime has been expanding, severely threatening Europe’s security, and central and eastern Europe is at the front line of the threat, he added.

Lin said he brings the public’s expectations with him on the trip, hoping to let Europe see Taiwan’s importance, including how Taiwan is protecting democracy and freedom, and contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and global prosperity.

Lin said he also looks forward to closer cooperation between Taiwan and Europe, and through Taiwanese industries’ technological capability, manufacturing capacity and flexibility, assist Europe help its reindustrialization goals amid US-China competition, and maintain the rules-based international order.

Poland has been very supportive for Taiwan in recent years, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵), chairwoman of the Taiwan-Poland inter-parliamentary amity association, said yesterday.

Poland is willing to allow Lin to make his itinerary public before his departure, she said.

While Lin’s previous visits focused on trade and culture, his attendance at the Warsaw Security Forum is more symbolic, said Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), executive director of the Institute for National Policy Research.

Lin’s trip is expected to counterbalance Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) visit to Poland earlier this month, and highlight the similar challenges faced by Taiwan and Poland when dealing with China’s and Russia’s “gray zone” tactics, he said.

This would mean the geopolitical location of the Taiwan Strait and Russia’s invasion has made European countries empathize with security issues in the Strait, said Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a researcher at the state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR).

Lin’s plan to participate in the forum as foreign minister should be treated in a normal way, he said.

The invitation for Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升), head of the ministry’s Office of the Deputy Chief of General Staff for Intelligence, to take part in the forum, represented a shift in practice, he said.

In the past, Taiwan was usually represented by military think tanks, such as the INDSR, he said.

The participation of an active high-ranking general indicated a dual-track approach that combines military and diplomatic efforts, he said, calling it a major breakthrough in Taiwan’s diplomatic space.


content_text:
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced a goal to restore basic living conditions in flood-stricken areas in Hualien County within 14 days.

Heavy rainfall brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa caused a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) to burst on Tuesday last week, flooding Guangfu Township (光復).

As of yesterday, the flood had claimed 17 lives, left seven people missing, and scattered mud and debris across a wide area.

Mud and debris cover the ground in a street in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township yesterday. Photo coutesy of the Taiwan Medical Association via CNA

Cho yesterday attended a disaster relief briefing at the coordination post set up by the Central Emergency Operations Center at Guangfu Sugar Factory and inspected disaster areas.

Cho expressed gratitude to volunteers pouring into the township from around Taiwan to help with disaster relief, saying that it reflected the importance of national resilience and solidarity.

Cho also expressed gratitude to the county government for executing search and rescue tasks.

Search and rescue efforts would be stepped up to find the seven people that are still unaccounted for, and the red alert would remain in place as long as water remains in the Mataian River barrier lake, he said.

An accommodation subsidy program offers seven days of funding with an additional seven-day extension, Cho said.

The measure is expected to help affected people return to basic living conditions within 14 days, he said, adding that adjustments could be made if more time is needed.

With large numbers of volunteers pouring into the township needing proper care and management, the county government should help identify available space at private residences for them to stay, Cho said.

Comprehensive disinfection must be conducted at temporary waste disposal sites to prevent disease outbreaks, he said.

The state-funded Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief has increased the condolence payout for each death from NT$800,000 (US$26,191) to NT$1 million, while people with severe injuries due to the disaster would each receive NT$250,000, Cho said.

The government is also considering relief funds for people whose homes were affected by the flood, he said, adding that the amount could be NT$100,000 per household.

Hopefully, the central and local governments could work together to establish a resilient disaster relief model that integrates the command system, division of labor, supplies delivery, volunteer support, medical assistance and environmental management, he added.

Separately, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said he had instructed Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to dispatch more than 2,500 soldiers to support post-disaster recovery and help affected people get back to their normal lives as soon as possible.

The soldiers would rotate with the same number of personnel tomorrow, with the goal of removing all the mud in disaster areas by the Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday next week, he said.

Lai also expressed thanks to volunteers, and reminded them to ensure their own health and safety before heading to disaster sites to help.

Additional reporting by Chen Yun

people: 卓榮泰 顧立雄 賴清德

title: Government to restore flood-hit areas ‘within 14 days’


content_text:
US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the military to be deployed to Portland, Oregon, to quell protests over his immigration policy, escalating his campaign against demonstrators opposing his policies.

“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote on social media. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”

Deployments in Portland would mark the fourth US city where Trump has sent US National Guard troops for duty, assigning them to assist immigration officers, clean up streets and help fight local crime. National Guard troops have been deployed to Los Angeles, Washington and Memphis.

A person holds a sign near a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday. Photo: REUTERS

California Governor Gavin Newsom successfully challenged Trump’s deployment of troops in his state, but the White House is appealing the federal court ruling.

Trump did not specify whether he was referring to Guard troops or regular military. Governors control each state’s National Guard, although Trump was able to federalize Guard troops in the capital because it is a federal district.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek told a news conference that she was “abundantly clear” in conversations with Trump and Noem that the deployment was unnecessary.

“There is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security. There is no need or legal justification for military troops in our major city,” she said. “Our city is a far cry from the war-ravaged community that he has posted about on social media and I conveyed that directly to him.”

“Let’s not take the bait,” she told residents, adding that property damage or violence in response to the deployments “will not be tolerated.”

The Pentagon said it is poised to back the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and would provide updates when available.

“We stand ready to mobilize US military personnel in support of DHS operations in Portland at the President’s direction,” department spokesman Sean Parnell said.

Oregon officials said Trump’s actions would only inflame the situation.

“Our nation has a long memory for acts of oppression, and the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement.

US Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, urged residents in a social media post “to reject Trump’s attempt to incite violence.”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Protests outside Portland’s federal immigration detention facility have been going on since June, around the same time protests started in Los Angeles. Oregon is a “sanctuary state,” meaning that no state or local law enforcement are allowed to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to such states, although a federal judge blocked the administration from doing so. Amid escalating tensions, Oregon lawmakers have criticized what they describe as mistreatment of detainees, while the city has challenged the facility with a land-use violation. DHS deployed federal agents to Portland in response.

The protests have at times turned violent. Federal officials have condemned the actions, while protest groups continue to call for more demonstrations, including solidarity rallies in nearby cities.

On Monday last week, the Trump administration designated “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, although the order holds no force of law because terrorist designations apply only to foreign-based actors, while Antifa is not an organization.

title: Trump orders military to Portland, citing protests


title: Drone incursions prompt NATO to beef up Baltics

content_text:
NATO has “enhanced vigilance” in the Baltic after what Copenhagen called an intrusion of unwelcome drones into Danish airspace, a spokesperson for the defense alliance said.

More drones were observed over Danish military sites overnight for the second straight day, Denmark’s army said yesterday, the latest in a string of sightings across the country over the past week.

“The Armed Forces can confirm that drones have been observed at several of the Armed Forces’ locations during the night. Several capacities were deployed,” the military said in a statement.

Logos of the NATO Military Committee Conference are seen during the meeting in Riga, on Saturday. Photo: EPA

NATO’s reinforced measures “include multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms and at least one air-defense frigate” in the region to the west of Russia, alliance spokesman Martin O’Donnell told a press conference overnight on Saturday to yesterday.

O’Donnell said NATO’s top brass “have been in constant contact with Danish leaders” about the drone incidents, the latest in a series of violations of the airspace of the alliance’s member countries.

Mysterious drone sightings across Denmark and Norway since Monday last week have prompted the closure of several airports, with Denmark hinting at possible Russian involvement. Several NATO countries say Russian fighter jets and drones have violated their airspace in Europe over recent weeks, accusing Moscow of testing the alliance.

Moscow on Thursday rejected any suggestion it was behind the drones, with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov on Saturday warning NATO would risk a “decisive response” if it showed “any aggression against my country.”


title: Retired admiral resigns as adviser to security council

people: 陳政宏 賴清德

content_text:
DEFENSE:  The resignation of Huang Shu-kuang, who oversaw the early stages of the indigenous submarine program, sparked rumors about the potential impacts   By Tu Chu-wen and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Retired admiral Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光), who supervised the critical initial stages of the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program, has resigned as an adviser to the National Security Council for family reasons, the Presidential Office said yesterday.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said President William Lai (賴清德) praised Huang for his decades of service to the nation’s defense and for leading the challenging effort to build its first domestically produced submarine.

Huang joined the National Security Council in 2021, two years after he was appointed convener of the IDS program in 2019. He also briefly served as chief of the general staff from January 2020 to January 2021.

As head of the IDS program, Huang oversaw the early stages, including negotiating foreign procurement, securing restricted components and finalizing the submarine’s design.

His leadership culminated in the launch of the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine, in September 2023.

Lai described the launch as a milestone in strengthening the nation’s defense self-reliance and said that subsequent work has since advanced smoothly.

Given his central role in developing the submarine program, Huang’s resignation sparked speculation about any potential impact on the Hai Kun’s ongoing sea trials and the building of further submarines.

Naval officials said Huang had already stepped down as convener in April last year, staying on only as a consultant while Navy Commander Admiral Tang Hua (唐華) assumed responsibility for the project’s management.

A source familiar with the program said Huang remained in the advisory role at Lai’s request for more than a year, but eventually felt his contributions were limited as the project had entered a more stable phase.

The IDS program is a collective effort undertaken by the Navy and shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan; National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said.

Huang’s greatest contribution was providing direction and steering the program through its most difficult initial stage, he added.

CSBC yesterday did not elaborate on whether Huang’s resignation is to affect the Hai Kun’s sea trials or delivery schedule.

It said it had never hired Huang for any position, including director or consultant, adding that it had no comment on whether he would be hired to help matters concerning the Hai Kun.

The submarine reportedly is to conduct its fourth sea acceptance tests (SAT) by the end of this month.

The submarine, which has carried out its third SAT, has to pass surface navigation trials, submerged tests and other tests before delivery.

CSBC Corp has not announced the dates for the submarine’s sea trials.

CSBC chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said earlier this month that the company would do everything within its power to ensure that the submarine meets the delivery deadline of November.

The company must proceed step by step to ensure the submarine’s functionality meets standards before conducting submerged and other tests, said Chen, an associate professor of the Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering at National Cheng Kung University.

The company is to first perform shallow-water tests, followed by deep-sea tests, and is to also conduct torpedo launch trials, he said.

Despite variables such as sea conditions, the company would try its best to avoid penalties by meeting the contract delivery deadline, he added.


title: US drone plan behind schedule, ‘WSJ’ reports

content_text:
WORSE THAN EXPECTED:  The Pentagon’s program has faced challenges that have slowed its timeline, including unreliable weapons, the report said

The US military’s plan to deploy thousands of drones in preparation for a potential conflict with China is behind schedule, and the work has been shifted to a new organization to accelerate the timeline, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted informed sources as saying in a report on Friday.

The US Department of Defense’s goal to field thousands of artificial intelligence (AI) drones to the Indo-Pacific region by last month has fallen short, the newspaper reported.

The article, written by Shelby Holiday, Heather Somerville and Brenna Smith, said this work, called the “Replicator Program,” is being transferred to a new organization, the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), to address challenges it has faced.

Then-US deputy assistant secretary of defense for prototyping and experimentation Alexander Lovett, left, shows a drone to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, center, and US Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, right, at a display of multi-domain autonomous systems in the Pentagon courtyard in Washington on July 16. Photo: AP

The program was proposed by former US deputy secretary of defense Kathleen Hicks during the administration of former US president Joe Biden.

It aimed to buy large numbers of small, smart and affordable AI weapons for land, air and sea combat that would enable autonomous warfare, lowing costs and personal risks.

In the case of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, which US analysts predict could happen as early as 2027, these autonomous weapons would enable the US military to efficiently operate across the Pacific.

However, the program has faced challenges that have slowed its timeline, including unreliable weapons that have proven too costly or slow to produce, preventing the Pentagon from buying the large numbers required, the article said.

The Pentagon has also struggled to find software that can simultaneously control so many drones, especially as they come from different manufacturers, but getting them to operate together is the key to the Replicator Program, it said.

During a drill last month in California, many of the program’s technologies did not meet expectations, it said.

For example, an uncrewed boat developed by BlackSea Technologies went adrift after a steering failure, an aerial drone made by Anduril Industries had a delayed launch due to a technical issue, and the software on several uncrewed boats failed to correctly identify targets, it said.

In addition, BlackSea’s global autonomous reconnaissance craft that were not designed for long-range missions in the Pacific were bought before officials fully understood their limits, which resulted in high costs and delays, the article said.

Moreover, of about a dozen autonomous systems under consideration, three were only at the development stage when they were selected, it added.

People involved in the project said it laid the foundation for the US military to procure large-scale autonomous systems, while Hicks said the program was on track when she left office in January.

A defense official said the Replicator Program is now overseen by US Special Operations Command Vice Commander Francis Donovan, who saw many of the problems firsthand when he took charge last month.

The DAWG has less than two years to deliver the autonomous systems the Pentagon requires, highlighting how urgently US officials feel they need to be ready for a conflict, people familiar with the matter said.


title: Coast guard expels two Chinese research ships

content_text:
By Yao Yueh-hung and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) personnel yesterday expelled two Chinese research vessels from waters north of Taiwan, the CGA said in a news release.

The two vessels — the Xiang Yang Hong 18 (向陽紅18) and the Dong Fang Hong 3 (東方紅3) — were detected in waters north of Taiwan at 9:58am, sailing southeast and northeast respectively, it said.

The CGA said it dispatched patrol vessels to shadow and monitor the Chinese boats in a two-to-one formation, driving them out of Taiwan’s waters.

Coast guard staff monitor Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 18 north of Taiwan proper yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration

The research boats were detected 58 nautical miles (107km) northwest of Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), with the Xiang Yang Hong 18 heading in the direction of Taiwan proper, it said.

At 12:16pm, the CGA broadcast a warning 7.8 nautical miles west of Pengjia Islet and forced the vessel away using maneuvering techniques, it said.

Radio communication with the Xiang Yang Hong 18 confirmed that it had changed course to depart. At 3:45pm, the vessel was 25 nautical miles east of Pengjia Islet, leaving Taiwan’s waters, it said, adding that one CGA vessel continued to monitor the boat.

At 12:35pm, the Dong Fang Hong 3 was 42 nautical miles north-northwest of Cape Fugui (富貴角) (14 nautical miles outside the restricted waters), sailing northeast. The CGA vessels shadowed the boat along the boundary of Taiwan’s waters. At 4pm, it was 40 nautical miles north-northwest of Pengjia Islet, and the CGA personnel continued to monitor it to ensure it did not change course toward Taiwan’s waters, it said.

“The Chinese research vessels have blatantly ignored international maritime regulations by intruding into Taiwan’s waters,” the CGA said. “We called on China to cease such actions that undermine regional peace and stability. Such actions only stir resentment among people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”

The CGA would continue to uphold maritime law and would closely monitor the activities of Chinese vessels approaching or entering Taiwan’s waters, it said.

In other news, a recent report by three Control Yuan members on four incidents from June last year to May in which small Chinese vessels entered Taiwan’s waters in the north — one of which involved a Chinese boat entering the Tamsui River estuary undetected — said that the incidents showed a critical failure of defenses.

The report, by Control Yuan members Lai Ting-ming (賴鼎銘), Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津), and Hsiao Tzu-yu (蕭自佑), said the mouth of the Tamsui River is only about 8km from Guandu Bridge and 22km from Taiwan’s political and economic hub.

The Ministry of National Defense has long regarded the area as a key location where the People’s Liberation Army could enter Taiwan to carry out a decapitation strike, it said.

Given this vulnerability, the estuary should be heavily fortified, but a Chinese boat — 7m long, 1.97m wide, weighing 1.8 tonnes, and traveling at 18 knots (33km) — was able to easily sail all the way to Tamsui Pier 2, underscoring a serious weakness in defenses, it said.

The report recommended that the CGA conduct a thorough review of personnel training and equipment procurement.

It also said that the CGA Special Task Unit should conduct unannounced penetration tests on CGA units to improve vigilance and readiness in monitoring and surveillance.

Additional reporting by Lo Tien-pin


content_text:
WARNING CONCERNS:  Some affected residents said they were not adequately alerted and that elderly residents could not hear police broadcasts issuing evacuation orders

Evacuation alerts for major mudslides and floods, including those involving barrier lakes, are to be upgraded to a higher state of emergency at the same level as tsunami warnings, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.

The decision was announced at a Central Emergency Operation Center (CEOC) meeting, after heavy rain from Super Typhoon Ragasa on Tuesday caused a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) to burst and flood Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復), leaving 17 people dead and seven missing as of yesterday morning.

The National Fire Agency and the National Police Agency are to review their standard operating procedures and incorporate barrier lake evacuations into their alert systems, Liu said.

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) added that three alarm stations would be set up near barrier lakes, which would sound nine five-second alarms to signal evacuations in case of emergencies.

Aerial video indicated that the top of the barrier lake dam had dropped from a height of 200m to 82m, a CEOC report said.

The lake’s surface area has decreased from 140 hectares to 13.5 hectares, holding 6 million cubic meters of water — 6.6 percent of its original volume before the overflow, the report said.

The CEOC said the area remains under a “red alert,” with erosion from the lake’s outflow and continued rainfall creating unstable slopes.

Meanwhile, a judicial investigation is under way to determine possible negligence by government officials, as people affected by the flooding demanded accountability for property damage and the loss of life.

“We did not have any warning, did not hear any broadcast asking people to evacuate, nor did we hear anything from the village warden or the neighborhood contact person,” a Datong Village (大同) resident surnamed Liu (劉) said.

Liu said he lost his mother, a cousin and another relative in the disaster.

Some Guangfu residents said they heard warnings on the public address system or received an emergency alert on their cellphones on Tuesday last week.

Guangfu Township Mayor Lin Ching-shui (林清水) said that local officials reported problems with the public address system, so he coordinated with police and firefighters to drive through neighborhoods with loudspeakers broadcasting orders to evacuate on Tuesday last week at 7:30am and again at 11:30am.

Liu and other residents said that many elderly residents have difficulty hearing, adding that the announcements were difficult to hear through walls and doors.

In Dama Village (大馬), which is upstream of Mataian River, were evacuated two days prior to the lake barrier bursting.

Dama Village Warden Wang Tzu-an (王梓安) said they were in constant contact with the central government and weather bureau officials, and were warned of possible flash flooding several days earlier.

title: Flood evacuation alerts to be upgraded

taiwan-subdivisions: 光復 清水 大同


taiwan-subdivisions: 壽豐 光復 鳳林 萬榮 吉安

title: TRC takes 30,000 people to aid in flood relief

content_text:
Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) yesterday said it transported more than 30,000 people to Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) on Saturday to help with disaster relief efforts after a barrier break caused severe flooding.

Heavy rainfall from Super Typhoon Ragasa caused a barrier lake, formed by mud slides in earlier storms, to burst and flood Guangfu on Tuesday last week, killing 17 people. Seven people remain missing.

Volunteers from across the nation have traveled to Hualien with shovels and hoes, nicknamed “Shovel Supermen,” to help clear the mud.

Volunteers help people clear mud from in and around their homes in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township yesterday. Photo: Wang Chin-yi, Taipei Times

“Many ‘supermen’ traveled to and from Guangfu covered in mud in the past few days. More than 30,000 of them had done so on Saturday alone. As such, traces of mud were found in some of the train cars and seats on board,” TRC wrote on Facebook.

“We are sending more people to clean cabins of eastbound trains. We hope that these ‘supermen’ can rest while on board,” it wrote.

The traces of mud left behind on the trains reflect the kind hearts and willingness to help that the Taiwanese volunteers have embodied efforts, it said, urging passengers’ to show patience and consideration amid the extenuating circumstances.

TRC said it would add four diesel-powered trains, two sets of Tzu-chiang-class express trains and two sets of EWU commuter trains, while 15 northbound and southbound trains would begin stopping at Guangfu to facilitate the movement of volunteers.

All new Tzu-chiang-class express trains operating between Hualien and Taitung counties would allow standing passengers, it added.

The EMU No. 4124 commuter train would extend service from Hualien City to Guangfu and stop at Jian (吉安), Jhihsyue (志學), Shoufong (壽豐), Fonglin (鳳林) and Wangrong (萬榮) railway stations, it said.

The Highway Bureau yesterday began offering free shuttle bus services to volunteers from their hotels to the nearest railway stations.

Staff of the Tourism Administration’s East Longitudinal Valley National Scenic Area would be stationed at the Guangfu Railway Station daily to help volunteers find accommodation in nearby towns.

Shuttle buses would be dispatched to transport volunteers between where they are staying and the closest railway stations from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm.

The bureau said it could adjust the schedules based on demand and as progress is made in rescue and reconstruction efforts.


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Dozens of teachers yesterday urged the Ministry of Education to stop requiring schools to hold campus disciplinary meetings to curb malicious and frivolous complaints filed against them.

The National Education Rights Protection Association, which represents educators who have allegedly been unfairly treated in campus disciplinary meetings, protested in front of the ministry’s building in Taipei on Teachers’ Day, calling for national attention to what they said was an educational crisis.

The more diligent a teacher is, the more likely they are to targeted, National Federation of Education Unions deputy chairman Wu Ming-yu (吳明玉) said.

A group of teachers protest in front of the Ministry of Education building in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

“Campus disciplinary meetings function like a supreme organization, rendering the Teachers’ Evaluation Committee and Faculty Review Committee powerless. No one is allowed to overturn or question an investigation report published by the campus disciplinary meetings,” she said.

“We are not asking people to support unqualified teachers, but instead to support those who are serious about teaching and have experienced injustice. We hope that this stigmatization of teachers would stop by abolishing campus disciplinary meetings,” she added.

A teacher who was allegedly targeted by the campus disciplinary meeting spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that while he agrees that schools should follow the law, he did not agree that frivolous complaints filed by anonymous sources should be allowed.

“If a student or parent does not feel comfortable with your teaching style, they can file complaints anonymously. Schools are required to address them. Members of the Campus Disciplinary Committees only undergo a few days of training. They determine if someone is guilty as charged simply by noting changes in speech patterns. Their professionalism is not convincing,” he said.

Protesters put forward four major demands: respecting teachers’ professionalism, and preventing anonymous complaints or vague accusations from damaging their reputation; ending opaque campus disciplinary committees, and establishing a transparent and open process; abolishing campus disciplinary meetings to rebuild a friendly school environment; and re-examining wrongful cases against teachers.

In response to a surge of complaints stemming from campus disciplinary meetings, the ministry said it convened legal experts, local governments and other organizations to discuss reforms.

The ministry aims to optimize the effectiveness of the meetings by the end of the year, ensuring teachers can teach with peace of mind and students can focus on learning, it said.

To ensure order and professionalism, the ministry has issued the Guidelines for Teacher Counseling and Student Discipline (教師輔導與管教學生辦法注意事項), which clarify the purposes, principles and legally permissible measures for teacher discipline, it said.

The guidelines also introduce a “justifiable conduct” clause, protecting teachers from punishment when acting appropriately to discipline students or maintain classroom order, it said.

title: Teachers protest education ministry’s complaint system


title: Plan to ban feeding strays sparks backlash

content_text:
Proposals to make people who feed stray animals assume responsibility for the animals would be discussed and considered based on public opinion, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday.

Some people online have proposed that people who feed strays should be responsible for the animals, which sparked a backlash from animal rights groups who on Friday protested a potential ban on feeding stray and called for stricter enforcement of laws to prevent the original owners from abandoning or losing their pets.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) said he would promote an amendment to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) to ban feeding strays in public areas, an idea Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) has expressed support for.

Stray dogs lie in the sand at a playground in Chiayi County in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of a member of the public

The proposed ban follows incidents of dog attacks, including one in June that resulted in a 76-year-old man dying while swimming off Kaohsiung’s Yongan District (永安) in June.

A person in July posted a proposal on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform calling for the enforcement of euthanasia at animal shelters and ensuring that people who feed strays are held accountable.

However, animal rights groups said that the original pet owners should bear the responsibility and be penalized for abandoning their cats or dogs instead.

Kaohsiung Concern for Stray Animals Association founder Wang Hsiao-hua (王小華) said that pet microchip registration requirements has never been fully enforced since it came into effect in 1998.

Wang said that she and Kaohsiung Animal Protection Department personnel visited the owner of dogs who were roaming without a registered microchip.

The personnel asked the owner to take corrective action instead of imposing a fine, she said.

“However, the owner two weeks later told the department that their dog was missing,” Wang said.

The NT$20,000 fine should be levied immediately when the owners of cats or dogs that are not chip registration are identified, she said.

The government should enforce microchip registration with the help of borough wardens, who are supposed to know the number of dogs kept by each household within their jurisdiction, she said, adding that free microchipping could be offered to incentivize participation.

People who abandon animals should be held accountable, she said.

However, the government appears to be afraid of offending borough wardens, pet breeders and animal sellers, Wang said.

“We would not feed stray animals if there were no stray animals,” she said.

Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) on Friday said tnhat the ministry would continue to seek a consensus the matter before proposing amendments.

The ministry does not encourage the feeding of strays or other animals, he said.

The ministry later said in a statement that the management of free-roaming and stray dogs is a complicated issue involving animal welfare, public safety and ecological conservation, and cannot be resolved with a single change.

To protect wildlife and sensitive environments, the ministry has promulgated regulations to ban public feeding in areas such as wildlife refuges and natural reserves, it said.

The ministry in April announced it would seek to enhance regulations on pet ownership, law enforcement, pet supply management and animal abuse.


content_text:
WORRIES AHEAD:  One Taiwanese working in the US said he was pessimistic about opportunities for Taiwanese in the US amid the visa changes and AI

A Taiwanese data analyst who works in Pennsylvania surnamed Ko (柯) was enjoying a vacation in Taiwan when a US policy change threatened to upend his life.

On Sept. 19, the US government announced that after 12:01am on Sept. 21, the fee for an H-1B worker visa, which enables foreign workers to stay in the US, would rise to US$100,000, up from the US$2,000 to US$5,000 employers had previously paid, according to the American Immigration Council.

Ko, who relies on an H-1B visa to work in the US, said he was dining in Taipei when he received the news, setting off a frantic 24 hours, as several large companies advised employees on H-1B visas to return to the US by Sept. 20 at midnight.

A US H-1B Visa application form is pictured in front of a US flag in an illustration photograph taken on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Ko scrambled to beat the deadline.

His friend immediately drove him to Taichung to pick up luggage his family had packed for him in Changhua County, he said.

He then headed back north to Taoyuan International Airport and boarded the earliest flight back to the US on the night of Sept. 20.

He only found out in the middle of the flight that existing visa holders would be exempt from the fee, he wrote on social media after arriving in San Francisco.

When the policy was initially announced, most media attention was focused on its impact on Indian and Chinese workers, the two biggest beneficiaries of the program.

From Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30 last year, 283,397 Indian nationals had H-1B petitions approved (both first-time applications and renewals), accounting for 71 percent of the total, while petitions for 46,680 Chinese nationals, or 11.7 percent of the total, were approved, US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ report released in April said.

The US government approved 3,099 H-1B visa petitions for Taiwanese, of which 1,854 were for new employment, it showed.

While significantly fewer than some countries, for the affected Taiwanese, the whirlwind changes to the program could have significant consequences.

Richard, a Taiwanese data engineer who works in Boston, also took the earliest flight back to the US after receiving an e-mail from his employer.

He said H-1B visa holders rushed back because US employment contracts allow either party to terminate it at any time.

With only 48 hours between the announcement and enforcement of the new regulation, “H-1B visa holders faced a high risk of losing their jobs under any circumstances,” Richard said.

A day after the White House’s initial announcement, it clarified that the US$100,000 fee would be a one-time payment and apply only to new H-1B visa petitions rather than to current H-1B visa holders and those seeking renewals.

That meant Ko, Richard and others in their position could breathe a sigh of relief, but the new policy could represent a serious blow to a specific group of Taiwanese: students in the US who want to stay and work after graduating.

For them, the H-1B visa is essentially the only immigration pathway, Richard said.

“If you want a green card, you must get an H-1B visa first,” he said.

Most companies were reluctant to sponsor H-1B visas even before the new fee, given the expense, time and uncertainties involved. Richard and Ko submitted more than 700 resumes before receiving offers.

Even with a company sponsorship, the visas are awarded through a lottery system.

In the most recent round, 339,000 people applied for 120,141 spots, the immigration report said.

Eugene Chen (陳威宇), managing attorney of Eugene Chen Law in the US, cautioned that as technology companies are expected to seek injunctions, the regulation might not be final.

Immigration attorney Cecilia Hu (胡芮萍), a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the policy might give Taiwanese students in the US an edge, depending on how the situation plays out.

The policy’s focus on “aliens’ entry” — which could imply the fee would only be applied to foreign workers being brought in from overseas — might mean that companies hiring US-based international students would not face the US$100,000 fee.

If foreign applications drop significantly, US-based international students might have better odds in the lottery system, she said.

However, as more human resources departments inquire about the risks of hiring H-1B workers, they might be more resistant to hiring them, “creating a tougher path for international students,” Hu said.

Luo Tz-yuan, an information engineering postgraduate student at Northeastern University Oakland in California said that many of his classmates were shocked and worried about their prospects of staying in the US.

Hsieh (謝), a Bay Area-based Taiwanese engineer, said he was worried about Taiwanese students in the US.

“They have been born at the worst of times,” he said. “There’s already the AI [artificial intelligence] replacement crisis, and now visa issues are adding up.”

Although Ko is safe for the time being, the chaos he faced has left him considering work in Canada, Singapore or Japan.

“I’m pessimistic about the future — US companies will prefer outsourcing jobs overseas rather than creating an immigration-friendly environment,” he said.

title: Thousands of Taiwanese face H-1B visa confusion


content_text:
Over 24,000 swimmers from 35 countries took part in the 2025 Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival in Nantou County yesterday, organizers said.

Participants in the annual event entered the water early in the morning to swim the roughly 3-kilometer distance from Chaowu Pier on the lake’s northern end to Ita Thao Pier in the south.

Now in its 43rd year, the festival for the first time allowed seniors aged 75 to 79 to participate, but required such applicants to provide health documents and be accompanied by a qualified lifeguard.

People participate in the Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival in Nantou County yesterday.  Photo: Liu Pin-chuan, Taipei Times

Two seniors met the criteria, including former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), aged 75.

Speaking at the event, Ma said it was his 12th time participating in the swimming carnival.

He said he joined the event every year “to stay fit, which is the most important purpose.”

In total, 24,736 people registered for this year’s swim, including 361 foreign nationals from 35 countries and 130 people with physical disabilities, organizers said.

Meanwhile, Nantou County Commissioner Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) encouraged the public to watch “Second Life” (突破: 三千米的泳氣), a film about seven visually impaired people challenging themselves by swimming across Sun Moon Lake. The film will premiere on Friday.

The Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival was recognized by the Olympic Committee as the largest swimming event in the world in 1995, and officially inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002, according to its official website.

title: Over 24,000 swimmers participate in Sun Moon Lake swim fest

people: 許淑華 馬英九


content_text: Taiwanese students perform during a ceremony to mark the birthday of Confucius at the Confucius Temple in Taipei yesterday.

title: Student ceremony


content_text: People release doves, symbolizing peace, in celebration of Double Ten National Day at the Irvine Civic Center in Orange County, California, on Saturday. The Republic of China flag was also raised at the event.

title: Doves for peace


content_text:
MANUFACTURING:  The US Department of Commerce would impose a tariff equal to a percentage of the estimated value of the product’s chip content, sources said

US President Donald Trump’s administration is considering imposing tariffs on foreign electronic devices based on the number of chips in each one, as it seeks to drive companies to shift manufacturing to the US, three people familiar with the matter said.

According to the plan, which has not previously been reported and could change, the US Department of Commerce would impose a tariff equal to a percentage of the estimated value of the product’s chip content.

The US commerce department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A silicon wafer is displayed at Semicon Taiwan in Taipei on Sept. 11. Photo: RITCHIE B. TONGO, EP

Asked about the details, White House spokesman Kush Desai said, “America cannot be reliant on foreign imports for the semiconductor products that are essential for our national and economic security.”

“The Trump administration is implementing a nuanced, multi-faceted approach to reshoring critical manufacturing back to the United States with tariffs, tax cuts, deregulation and energy abundance,” he said.

The plan could push up the cost of consumer goods “at a time when the US has an inflationary problem, with inflation clearly above the Fed’s target and accelerating,” American Enterprise Institute economist Michael Strain said.

The US Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate is 2 percent.

Even domestically produced items would likely become more expensive, due to new tariffs on key inputs needed to make those goods, Strain added.

Trump has deployed an array of tariffs aimed at bolstering US manufacturing, announcing on Thursday sweeping new import tariffs, including 100 percent duties on branded drugs and 25 percent levies on heavy-duty trucks, triggering fresh trade uncertainty after a period of relative calm.

In April, the Trump administration announced probes into imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors as part of a bid to impose tariffs on them, saying that extensive reliance on their foreign production poses a national security threat.

However, questions have swirled about the products containing chips that would be hit by the tariffs, the tariff rates, and whether any countries, products or companies would be exempt.

Trump said last month that the US would impose a tariff of about 100 percent on imports of semiconductors, but exempted companies that are manufacturing in the US or have committed to do so.

The biggest chipmakers outside the US include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co.

One of the sources said that the US commerce department was considering a 25 percent tariff rate for chip-related content in imported devices, with 15 percent rates for electronics from Japan and the EU, stressing the figures were preliminary.

The sources added that the department has also eyed a US dollar-for-US dollar exemption based on investment in US-based manufacturing only if a company moves half its production to the US, but it was unclear how it would work or whether it would move forward.

The investment exemption was previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The US commerce department had previously proposed to exempt chipmaking tools from the tariffs to avoid raising the cost of producing semiconductors in the US and undermining Trump’s reshoring goals, three sources said.

However, they said the White House was displeased by the carve-out, citing Trump’s general distaste for exemptions.

title: Trump mulling chip ratio tariff: source


content_text:
The US remained the largest debtor nation to Taiwan’s banking sector for the 40th consecutive quarter at the end of June, after local banks’ exposure to the US market rose more than 8 percent from three months earlier, the central bank said on Friday.

Exposure to the US climbed to US$194.87 billion, up US$14.80 billion, or 8.22 percent, from the previous quarter, central bank data showed.

Department of Financial Inspection Deputy Director-General Hsieh Jen-chun (謝人俊) attributed the increase to banks raising their deposits and interbank loans in the US, while also placing more funds into stock and bond mutual funds.

A sign outside the New York Stock Exchange marks the intersection of Wall and Broad Streets in New York on Jan. 28. Photo: AP

China rose one spot to become the second-largest debtor nation, with Taiwanese banks’ exposure up US$2.38 billion, or 5.16 percent, to US$48.50 billion, Hsieh said.

The rise in exposure to China came as banks capitalized on a stronger yuan to invest in Chinese bonds while extending more interbank loans, he said.

However, the gap between Taiwanese banks’ exposure to the US and China widened further, reaching a record US$146.4 billion at the end of June, the central bank said.

After the US and China, Luxembourg ranked third at the end of June, slipping one spot from a quarter earlier, with Taiwanese banks’ exposure rising 4.20 percent to US$48.06 billion, the central bank said.

Australia followed with US$40.22 billion and Japan with US$37.26 billion, it said.

Rounding out the top 11 debtor areas were Hong Kong with exposure of US$32.29 billion, the UK with US$22.11 billion, Singapore with US$19.02 billion, France with US$18.86 billion, Vietnam with US$16.84 billion and South Korea with US$16.29 billion, it added.

Exposure to the top 10 debtors totaled US$478 billion, or 73.75 percent of Taiwan’s total international claims of US$648.2 billion at the end of June, it said.

Overall claims rose 5.57 percent from the previous quarter, mainly due to an increase in lending to nonbank firms, the bank said.

title: US largest bank debtor for 40th consecutive quarter


content_text:
CURRENCY SWAP: ‘ It is objectively and realistically not a level we are able to handle,’ an official said, with Seoul seeking a loan and FX deal to finance the investment

South Korea cannot provide the US with US$350 billion in cash as suggested by Washington under a deal to lower tariffs, a senior official said.

“Our position is not a negotiating tactic,” South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a Channel A News television interview on Saturday evening.

“It is objectively and realistically not a level we are able to handle,” he added. “We are not able to pay US$350 billion in cash.”

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, left, speaks as US President Donald Trump, right, looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Aug. 25. Photo: Reuters

Seoul and Washington agreed in July to a US$350 billion investment pledge as part of a broader trade deal to lower US tariffs to 15 percent from 25 percent, but the two sides remain divided over how it should be structured.

South Korean officials are seeking loans and a bilateral currency swap arrangement with the US to soften the economic impact, saying that the sum represents more than 80 percent of its foreign reserves.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has reportedly told South Korean officials that Washington prefers the investment in cash rather than loans.

US President Donald Trump recently described the contribution as “up front.”

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said earlier this month that the country’s economy could fall into crisis rivaling its 1997 meltdown if his government accepted the US demands without safeguards.

Lee told US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Wednesday in New York that the Asian country needs a foreign exchange swap to make the US$350 billion investment it has pledged in the tariff talks.

Wi on Saturday said the government is exploring alternatives and hopes for progress when the two leaders meet at the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, next month.

Separately, the US has agreed that South Korea is not manipulating its currency for trade advantage, a spokesperson for Lee said yesterday.

The two allies agreed that Seoul does not fall under the manipulator designation that the US Department of the Treasury announces in reports twice a year, Kang Yu-jung told a news conference in Seoul.

The administration of former US president Joe Biden added South Korea to a manipulation monitoring list in November last year due to its large current account surplus and its sizable trade surplus with the US. The Trump administration kept Seoul on the list in June.

Under a 2015 US law, Washington can take “remedial action” against countries that do not “correct the undervaluation of their currency and trade surplus with the United States.”

Additional reporting by Reuters

title: South Korea unable to pay US$350bn under US pact


content_text:
Gasoline prices are to remain unchanged this week, despite a rise in global crude oil prices, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday.

Gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to stay at NT$27.2, NT$28.7 and NT$30.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements.

However, the price of premium diesel is to drop NT$0.1 per liter to NT$26.1 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.9 at Formosa pumps, they said.

The companies’ announcements came after international crude oil prices rebounded last week, following Ukraine’s continued attacks on Russian energy facilities and Moscow’s announcement that it would restrict some diesel exports until the end of the year and extend its gasoline export ban.

In addition, a bigger-than-expected decrease in US commercial crude oil stockpiles in the week ended on Sept. 19, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration report, also provided support to oil prices, the companies said.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week gained 5.17 percent to settle at US$70.13 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange, while West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil gauge — rose 5.32 percent to US$65.72 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

title: Gasoline prices stable despite global crude rise


content_text:
Defense start-up Auterion raises US$130m to expand drone software

Auterion LLC, a start-up that provides software to military drones, has raised US$130 million to expand its operations abroad, including in geopolitical hotspots Ukraine and Taiwan, a further sign that private investors are pouring money into defense.

Bessemer Venture Partners LP led the financing round, which includes existing Auterion investors Lakestar LP and Mosaic Venture Lab, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Auterion chief executive Lorenz Meier said the funding gives his company a valuation “north of” US$600 million, but declined to provide specific terms.

The start-up is part of a wave of small defense companies attracting record amounts of capital as investors eye windfalls from increased defense budgets across Europe. Drones have become ubiquitous in the Ukraine war, and NATO militaries are increasingly searching for ways to deploy the uncrewed vehicles in an air defense role after Russian incursions over Poland and Estonia.

A member of staff of drone software company Auterion displays a Nemyx Swarm Command and Control System during a news event before the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on Sept. 17. Photo: Chiang Ying-ying, A

Formed in Zurich in 2017, Auterion initially serviced delivery drones. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the start-up pivoted to defense, selling an operating system designed to give uncrewed aircraft better navigation and targeting capabilities.

Meier said Auterion makes drones cheaper and more effective with its autopilot and tools for “swarming,” in which multiple aircraft operate in coordination. Prominent competitors, such as Anduril Industries Inc and Helsing SE, also make drone hardware, but Meier said Auterion’s focus on software lets it work with multiple drone manufacturers and large defense contractors, likening its approach to that of Microsoft Windows.

“We’re software — simple, for everybody,” Meier said in an interview. “Our open approach is what the customer wants and needs.”

The company, based in Arlington, Virginia, is “close to” US$100 million in revenue and has turned cash flow positive, Meier said.

Auterion would use the fresh money for internal and external expansion, he said. The company plans to add teams and open new offices, as well as buy companies making applications that work with its drone system.

Auterion signed a US$50 million contract this year with the US Department of Defense to prototype low-cost, long-range weapons in partnership with an unnamed Ukrainian dronemaker.

In June, Auterion said it agreed to a multi-year deal to provide software to the Taiwanese military.

The company’s technology is already at work in Ukraine as a common operating platform to turn the hundreds of drone brands flying in the country into a coordinated swarm, he said, adding that the company would announce contracts with two European countries “soon,” without offering details.

Last year, Auterion announced a partnership with a German defense company Rheinmetall AG to develop software for drones. Meier declined to provide details about the partnership.

Auterion has now raised US$195 million to date, far less than some rival start-ups that build hardware.

“Right now, we’re a little company that’s growing really fast,” Meier said. “It sounds crazy, but if you look back, Windows and Android won the battle.”


content_text: People cross a bridge while others play in the creek below near Shiding Old Street in New Taipei City yesterday during the Teachers’ Day long weekend.

title: Lesson pause


content_text:
Heavy rainfall brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa on Tuesday caused a massive breach in a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in Hualien County, bringing turbulent floodwaters sweeping through Guangfu Township (光復), resulting in at least 17 deaths, dozens being injured and the town being covered in mud and debris. As most of the people who died were elderly residents found on the ground floor of their homes in the evacuation area, many questions have been raised as to why they had not been evacuated in time.

Previous landslides created a natural dam that formed a lake late last month after torrential rain brought by Tropical Storm Wipha. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency immediately launched risk evaluations and began real-time monitoring of the lake. As Ragasa approached, the agency on Sept. 21 issued a “yellow alert,” calling on the Hualien County Government to enforce pre-emptive evacuation for downstream residents. As the storm grew and neared Taiwan, it issued a mandatory evacuation at 7pm on Monday last week.

The breach occurred at 2:50pm the following day, with more than 15.4 million tonnes of water rushing down the mountain within an hour, washing away a bridge and breaking the river embankment, pouring mud water into Guangfu, where about 12,000 people live. Floodwaters reached as high as 2m in some areas, endangering residents on the ground floor.

Under the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act (災害防救法), the central government is responsible for the command, supervision and coordination of emergency services in natural disasters, but the local government is responsible for enforcing evacuations, including advising or forcing people to leave, as well as providing shelters.

While some residents said they were not told to evacuate, local government officials said that village wardens or police vehicles had driven through the streets blaring evacuation orders over loudspeakers. The forestry agency said it had sent seven evacuation warnings to cellphones between Sept. 21 and when the lake broke on Tuesday last week. However, some survivors said many victims were elderly people who had hearing issues or did not have or know how to use cellphones.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi — a former Hualien County commissioner whose wife, Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚), is the current commissioner — blamed the forestry agency for not removing the blockage and emptying the barrier lake in July. He also said the agency had assured him last month that the barrier lake posed no immediate danger. He also faulted the Central Emergency Operations Center for expanding the evacuation order from covering about 600 people to 8,000 two days before the disaster.

Hualien County officials said that the center offered them the evacuation options of seeking shelter, going to a friend or relative’s home in a safe area or moving to higher levels of a building, the latter of which the officials said caused deaths.

Center data showed that the majority (5,241 people) chose the “vertical evacuation” option and remained in their homes. After criticism of the option, the center said that “vertical evacuation” is an option in UNESCO’s tsunami evacuation guidance, as well as Hualien County’s flood disaster safety plans in 2018 and this year.

The Control Yuan and prosecutors have launched investigations to clarify whether government agencies or officials were remiss in enforcing the evacuation orders. Evacuation plans should be reassessed to be practical, regardless of the size of the evacuation area, and public disaster awareness and preparedness should be substantially improved, allowing most people to be trained and informed to become more capable of judging the risks and taking prompt action when facing potential disasters.

title: EDITORIAL: Improve evacuation preparedness


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Ryan Hass On Taiwan: Are US-Taiwan relations off track?

President William Lai (賴清德) has been handed a trifecta of setbacks in recent months. Taiwan’s trade negotiations with the United States proved inconclusive. Lai was not permitted to transit New York City as part of a broader trip. And the Democratic Progressive Party failed in its attempts to recall Kuomintang legislators. On top of this, there is concern in Taiwan that a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping (習近平) this fall could generate disadvantageous outcomes for Taiwan, such as revisions to America’s longstanding cross-Strait policies to more closely align with Beijing’s preferred framing of issues.

These are challenging times for Taiwan’s leaders. Nevertheless, Taiwan retains significant agency to shape its own future and its relations with the United States. To do so effectively, though, it may need to accept several uncomfortable truths.

First, Taiwan’s leaders need to internalize that Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng’s (邱垂正) September 12 public speech in Washington missed the mark. Chiu made several important points in his presentation. He effectively outlined the holistic nature of the threat that China poses to Taiwan. He usefully highlighted the critical role that Taiwan plays for America’s and the world’s technological advancement. He also did a good job pressing Beijing to match words with deeds. Chiu persuasively argued that if Beijing wants to be seen abroad as a champion of peace and dialogue, then it should begin by engaging directly with leaders in Taipei to address shared cross-Strait challenges such as transnational crime, pandemic prevention, and responding to extreme climate events.

Where Chiu fell short, though, was in not recognizing the changed policy landscape in Washington. Trump and his team are not swayed by arguments about democracies versus autocracies or about upholding a rules-based international order. With the world’s two other hotspots (Ukraine and the Middle East) engulfed in violence, the Trump team is counting on Taipei to pragmatically and responsibly uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. They are not interested in public warnings about Taiwan kicking off a “domino effect” that could endanger the United States homeland.

The “domino theory” is the widely discredited argument used to justify America’s entry into the Vietnam war, an inglorious chapter in American history. The Vietnam war provides a case study of the type of strategic scaremongering that produced an American military defeat that Trump abhors and has vowed never to repeat. It was shortsighted for Chiu to associate Taiwan with the logic that led America into a bloody quagmire.

Trump is not interested in dominos. He clearly wishes to keep America out of war with China and has pledged to the American people that he will do so. Against this backdrop, Taiwan’s leaders risk exposing their misalignment with the Trump administration if they continue to try to stoke discussions in the United States about prospects for major power war. Those debates are best left to American politicians and commentators.

Fairly or not, if Taiwan’s leaders want to generate positive energy for Taiwan in Washington these days, they will need to spend less time trying to scare Americans and more time presenting Taiwan as an indispensable actor for advancing America’s national goals.

The most significant benchmark for Taiwan is the conclusion of a trade deal. Some officials and experts in Taipei believe the Trump administration will be reluctant to close out a US-Taiwan trade deal until after he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to this logic, Trump will not want to make waves by finalizing a trade deal with Taiwan while he simultaneously is negotiating with Beijing. Taipei, therefore, should be patient, withhold further concessions, and wait until the time is ripe to finalize negotiations.

Members of the Trump administration are hoping for the opposite from Taipei. They would like Taiwan’s trade negotiators to show urgency and seriousness in closing out a new deal now, rather than shelving negotiations, losing momentum, and letting issues fester. America’s deals with Japan and South Korea provide a point of comparison. In both cases, Japanese and South Korean leaders took political risks to compromise on market access, in addition to making major announcements of new investments in the United States.

For example, Japan showed flexibility in increasing its rice import quota, and South Korea took the hard step of expanding access for American beef, pork, and grains. In terms of investments, Japan pledged US$550 billion in strategic sectors, while South Korea said it would invest US$350 billion in US assets and infrastructure, though the delivery of South Korean investments could be imperiled by America’s dumb immigration raid against a major South Korean battery plant in Georgia. Taiwan’s recent announcement that it will purchase US$10 billion in US agricultural products over the next four years in line with its own market demand was a smart and timely move.

Additionally, American officials also seem eager to see Taiwan move forward with plans to put money behind purchases of new asymmetric defense capabilities, such as drones, missiles, and sensors. Trump reportedly is not interested in transferring armaments through his presidential drawdown authority, as the previous administration did. He wants Taiwan to pay for its own security. Trump’s team understands that Taiwan’s politics are complicated, but they are not terribly sympathetic on this point. They feel urgency to bolster deterrence against China and believe Taiwan should as well.

None of this may feel fair. It certainly is different. The Trump administration does not view alliances and partnerships as unquestionably good things, as the Biden administration did. They do not look at the world as a contest between democracies versus autocracies. They do not take an enlightened long-term view toward building goodwill and fostering shared agendas for deepening partnerships. They pride themselves as hard-nosed dealmakers.

Taiwan’s elected leaders know best how to define and advance Taiwan’s interests. If they decide that Taiwan’s interests are served by strengthening relations with the United States, they may need to recalibrate their approach to align more closely with America’s current orientation and priorities.

Ryan Hass is a senior fellow, the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies, and the Director of the China Center at the Brookings Institution.

people: 賴清德 習近平


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When Cti TV News hosted the televised Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chair election debate on Sept. 21, former KMT legislator and host Alex Tsai (蔡正元) pressed candidates on the issue of Taiwan-China relations. Tsai’s line of questioning ended with Legislator and candidate Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) throwing out the statement: “I am Taiwanese, I am Chinese, and my China is the Republic of China [ROC].”

Apparently making a stab at reconciling a deep-seated cultural-historical contradiction, the reality of Lo’s political context meant that he instead appeared trapped within the outdated framework of equating the ROC with China. Such ideas are, ultimately, entirely divorced from the mainstream self-conception of modern Taiwanese.

Commentary from Yeh Yao-yuan (葉耀元), professor and chair of the International Studies Department at the University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas, hit the nail on the head. He described the candidates’ rhetoric, with Lo on Chinese identity, Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) on unification and Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) on the legality of the Constitution, as being stuck in the previous century.

Most people already identify as Taiwanese and have drawn a clear boundary with China. However, the KMT continues with its self-deluding rhetoric to insist on preserving its own conceptualization — or imagination — of China. As a result, it finds itself struggling to capture the public imagination and walking an increasingly lonely path.

It is ironic that the KMT has held up the fairness, justice and openness of its chair elections as an example of internal party democracy, all the while falling back on an attachment to and identification with China in its core discussions. These elections are not just a six-way race, but are a window into exactly how far removed the KMT has become from Taiwanese society.

While mainstream public opinion in Taiwan is concerned with security, the economy and the nation’s international standing, the KMT continues to hold China as both its point of origin and point of return. This is a blunder, a mislocation of priorities at the root of its waning public support.

It is not the KMT’s dedication to reform that has come through in these debates, but rather its inability to free itself from the shackles of history. Continuing to cling to the “China dream” would mean not only falling short of the public’s expectations, but also facing increasing political marginalization.

Elliot Yao is a reviewer.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: KMT’s outdated ‘Chinese dream’

people: 蔡正元 鄭麗文 羅智強


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

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Before the break of dawn, the streets are full of countless teens rushing to class with backpacks in hand — a scene that has long been part of Taiwan’s educational landscape. Recently, a citizen-initiated petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for delaying junior-high and high-school class starting times to 10am and ending at 4pm has once again drawn society’s attention to students’ health and daily routines, triggering debate over topics from sleep and biological clocks to the pressures of the academic system.Supporters and opponents of the petition have their own perspectives, but what is truly worth reflecting on

By Chang Ruay-shiung 張瑞雄

The Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake burst into Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) on Tuesday, causing floodwaters to pour onto Dunhou Road, Fozu Street and other areas of the town, resulting in a major tragedy.Before the disaster struck, the central government had issued several alerts for Hualien County — four “red” landslide alerts, 102 “yellow” landslide alerts and four “yellow” alerts for large-scale collapses — through the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the Central Weather Administration and the Water Resources Agency. Data from the Central Emergency Operations Center showed an abnormal rise in water levels at the Mataian River barrier

By Shih Wen-yi 施文儀

Under the ancient education system, individualized instruction was the ideal method of teaching: In private schools, for example, there was a relatively small number of students, which allowed teachers to provide differentiated instruction tailored to each student’s learning situation. However, under the current education system post-industrialization, students enroll in schools to acquire knowledge and receive relatively standardized instruction.However, with the rapid development of technology, sources of learning are no longer limited to the knowledge imparted in schools. The new generation of students are digital natives, who are increasingly drawing their knowledge from the Internet — including knowledge shared on platforms

By Stan Shih 施振榮


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The next big financial crisis may be brewing; warning signs are already there

US job creation has stalled and, despite the curbs on migration, unemployment is rising. Tariffs are pushing up the cost of imports, and US President Donald Trump is at war with the head of his own central bank and wants him out.

However, traders on Wall Street are not bothered that inflation is above the target or that growth is slowing. Share prices are testing new record levels on an almost daily basis. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the man Trump wants to be rid of, says stocks are “fairly highly valued,” which is an understatement if ever there was one. By historical standards, stocks are quite highly valued. There is trouble — perhaps big trouble — ahead.

Recessions happen rarely and the same goes for financial crashes. Both are predicted more often than they materialize. Leaving to one side the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been 17 years since there was a prolonged fall in share prices. Memories of the slump that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers 17 years ago this month have dimmed. Traders in their 20s and 30s have little or no experience of what a genuine financial market panic feels like.

That is the first warning sign: The longer the period between crises, the greater the complacency, the sense that the good times would go on forever. Those who note that all previous booms have ended in painful busts are ignored. The old lie — it is different this time — is trotted out.

The belief that the party is going to continue has pushed share prices ever higher in New York and London, even though the reasons for the optimism are tenuous. In the UK, the economy is barely growing while inflation is running at almost double the Bank of England’s 2 percent target. As was the case last year, constant speculation about tax rises to be announced in the budget is hitting consumer and business confidence.

The record-breaking run of share prices on Wall Street is the result of a bet that artificial intelligence can raise the economy’s growth rate. That might happen, but it might be years before the impact is felt. The same was said of the information technology boom that propelled share prices to dizzying heights in the late 1990s. It was not different that time either.

No two market crashes are alike. The current state of affairs feels different from 2008, when the crash was caused by the overexposure of banks to the US housing market, avnd turbocharged by the widespread use of new financial instruments that were supposed to reduce risk, but did the opposite. If there are parallels, they are with the recession-triggered stock market setbacks of the 1970s and early 1980s, when downturns were deliberately engineered to combat high inflation.

All of which makes the power struggle between Trump and Powell pivotal. Despite what the president might say, the performance of the US economy is mediocre at best, although the weaknesses have been disguised by the fact that the better-off have been doing just fine. The top 10 percent of earners account for almost half of consumer spending — the highest level since the late 1980s.

The bias toward the rich is nothing new but creates its own risks. Exposure to the stock market has never been higher, with 30 percent of the wealth of Americans accounted for by shares. Since share ownership is concentrated among the better-off, the US economy is relying on the Wall Street boom continuing, and for the rich to carry on spending their gains.

Americans trying to get by on low and middle incomes are not so fortunate. Since the end of the pandemic, they have seen their real incomes pretty much flatline. Wall Street analyst Mark Zandi said the fate of the US economy lies in the hands of the well-to-do: “As long as they keep spending, the economy should avoid recession, but if they turn more cautious, for whatever reason, the economy has a big problem.”

One obvious reason for the rich to turn more cautious would be a fall in share prices. If that happened, their wealth would take a hit and they would spend less. Growth would slow. Add in the negative impact of tariffs and there would be a genuine threat of recession next year. In those circumstances, Powell and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve would be expected to support share prices by cutting interest rates. Indeed, it is Wall Street’s certainty that the US central bank is going to bow to Trump’s pressure to do so that is preventing share prices from falling.

Since the 1970s, central banks have prized low inflation over full employment, which has been good for owners of capital but not so good for labor. As TS Lombard analyst Dario Perkins puts it, just as trade unions were the custodians of full employment immediately after World War II, so central banks were the custodians of neoliberalism. While ostensibly independent, they made sure that capital triumphed in the fight against labor — and carried on winning. In both the global financial crisis of 2008 and the pandemic, central banks took aggressive action to put a floor under share prices.

Powell might deliver, but he might not. The Federal Reserve has twin targets: to keep inflation at 2 percent over time and to support employment. Inflation is running at just under 3 percent so there is a choice: Keep interest rates higher than the markets expect in order to tame inflation, or ditch the inflation target to justify interest rate cuts.

Either way, the prospects are not good. If the Fed resists the pressure for cheaper borrowing, it increases the chances of the US economy falling into recession. If it bows to the pressure, it might keep the stock market bubble inflated but at the risk of higher inflation. That could trigger a backlash from the bond markets, which in effect set the interest rates for mortgages and servicing the US national debt, currently 124 percent of GDP.

It is always easier to be wise after the event and identify the causes of stock market crashes with the benefit of hindsight. There should be no such problem this time. In the months to come, we shall see whether the bull market can survive Trump’s attempt to set US interest rates from the White House. Wall Street seems untroubled by this. It should not be.

Larry Elliott is a Guardian columnist.


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As a feminist activist and human-rights advocate, I have spent more than two decades fighting for democracy and justice in Nicaragua, long ruled by a brutal dictatorship. Because of my activism, I was abducted from my home in 2021 during a government crackdown, illegally detained and held in solitary confinement for 606 days. Later, along with 221 other political prisoners, I was deported, stripped of my citizenship and removed from the national civil registry.

My story, sadly, is not unique. Countless women’s rights activists and feminist organizers around the world have endured similar persecution. Still, in the face of relentless attacks on their rights and freedoms, they have continued to mobilize in extraordinary ways: building underground networks, coordinating protests, forming peace coalitions, documenting atrocities and boldly fighting for more inclusive societies.

This leadership is critical at a time when democratic freedoms and values are coming under attack worldwide and women’s political leadership is stagnating. Global freedom declined for the 19th consecutive year since 2006, and more than 75 percent of the world’s population now lives in countries where political rights are restricted — the highest share in a quarter-century.

The erosion of democratic institutions has accelerated in the past few years. In the US, for example, voting rights have been rolled back, press freedoms undermined, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs shut down. In Turkey, protests have been violently suppressed and political opponents imprisoned, and in Hungary, civil society and independent media have faced systematic repression.

It is no coincidence that a global backlash against gender equality is unfolding alongside the rise of anti-democratic forces. Feminist activists have long been at the forefront of democratic resistance, defending not only women’s rights, but the civic space that allows all citizens to demand justice and dignity. That is why they are often among the first to be targeted by regimes seeking to silence dissent, avoid accountability and restrict basic freedoms.

Nicaragua offers a stark example. One of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s first actions upon returning to power in 2007 was to crack down on feminist and progressive movements that opposed him. Vilified as “imperialist enemies,” these organizations were increasingly regulated and criminalized, while their funding pipelines were systematically attacked. In 2008, several prominent women’s rights organizations and feminist networks were accused of “money laundering” and “subversion of the constitutional order.”

The campaign to undermine civil society has accelerated Nicaragua’s descent into dictatorship. In 2018, brutal crackdowns on anti-government protests killed more than 350 people. Since then, over 2,090 activists have been imprisoned, with many reporting horrific torture. Meanwhile, 5,500 civil-society organizations, 61 independent media outlets and 27 private universities have been shut down. Hundreds of feminists, movement leaders, religious figures, political leaders and journalists now live in exile, and about 12 percent of the population has fled the country.

One of the key lessons from the dismantling of Nicaraguan democracy is that the vital work of women’s movements cannot be sustained without consistent support and sufficient resources. New research from Equal Measures 2030 and the Alliance for Feminist Movements shows what happens when these organizations are neglected, underfunded or actively repressed. In Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Turkey and Zimbabwe, basic freedoms have been curtailed, civic space has eroded and broader reforms to promote economic inclusion have been blocked.

While increased funding alone cannot solve these challenges, it is crucial. Yet despite the proven track record of women’s rights organizations, just 0.2 percent of international aid funding reaches them. And the situation is set to worsen, as eight major donor countries — once champions of gender equality — have recently announced more than US$17.2 billion in aid cuts over the next five years.

As funding becomes increasingly scarce, these organizations’ political influence has eroded. Starved of resources, they are forced to rely on short-term, donor-driven projects that address only the symptoms of democratic decline, rather than enabling the sustained advocacy required to achieve lasting change.

When women’s rights organizations are sidelined, accountability falters, and those in power escape scrutiny. This is evident in the four increasingly authoritarian countries studied by Equal Measures 2030, all of which scored “poor” or “very poor” on key gender-equality indicators.

Given the stakes, the international community must help to ensure that women in the global south — especially those from historically marginalized communities — are effectively represented. What is needed is not tokenism, but real decisionmaking power.

Given the challenges we face, those who are committed to gender equality must adopt a more strategic approach that recognizes women’s rights and leadership as indispensable to democracy, sustainable development, and peace. As feminist movements put themselves in the crosshairs of repressive regimes, we must use every tool at our disposal to enable them to continue fighting for our shared freedoms.

Suyen Barahona, executive director of the Colmena Fund, is a former president of Nicaragua’s UNAMOS party.

title: The high cost of defunding women’s organizations


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‘RAUCOUS’: Insults and making sounds when the players are trying to hit or going into their routine crosses a line, Europe captain Luke Donald said

Walking the fairway on the second hole at Bethpage Black, a US fan in a flag-inspired suit and a red, white and blue chain around his neck with a cocktail in hand found a moment of clarity at the Ryder Cup.

“Nobody’s got any spirit right now,” he said to anyone around who would listen. “Maybe we need to be the bigger people and cheer a little bit more.”

That spirit was gone nearly an hour before the final match finished on Saturday.

Europe’s Shane Lowry, right, reacts as Rory McIlroy looks on after their match win on the 18th hole during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black golf course in Farmingdale, New York, on Saturday. Photo: AP

Americans streamed to the exits early as Europe piled on for an 11-1/2 to 4-1/2 lead. Before calling it, fans tried anything and everything into the afternoon to will the home team into the tournament with “U-S-A” chants and even an off-key, a cappella rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Alongside that energy came some unsavory interactions with Rory McIlroy. Lots of not-safe-for-work language. Even a couple of ejections. New York crowds have a reputation for being a difference-maker, but that was uncertain heading into the final day yesterday, as ticket prices for the last round plummeted.

“I thought the fans were passionate — their home team is absolutely getting beat bad,” US captain Keegan Bradley said. “Part of it is our fault. We’re not playing up to the standards that they want to see, and they’re angry and they should be.”

Law enforcement bulked up security specifically around McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s match against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in afternoon fourballs. McIlroy and Lowry had several exchanges with fans, and Lowry asked for at least one to be ejected.

“When you play an away Ryder Cup, it’s really, really challenging,” McIlroy said. “People can be their own judge of whether [fans] took it too far or not. I’m just proud of us for being able to win today with what we had to go through.”

Two spectators in the grandstand around the first and 18th holes were ejected following a verbal altercation, New York State police spokesperson Beau Duffy said, adding that there were no arrests or charges related to the incident.

Duffy said those were the only fans removed by police.

“The fans of New York, all I’ve seen have been pretty good,” Bradley said. “You’re always going to have a few people that cross the line, and that’s unfortunate.”

The PGA of America said in a statement that it added security and New York State police to McIlroy’s match as well as the other afternoon sessions.

It also increased the frequency of fan behavior messages on video boards.

“We will continue to closely monitor fan behavior and take appropriate action,” it said.

Cans of beer and hard seltzer lined the ropes on several holes. Fans jeered players from each team, with one asking Xander Schauffele to “wake up” and another offering to pay Jon Rahm to take a vacation if he was feeling tired.

Most of the vitriol was directed toward the visitors, who by Saturday evening sounded like the hosts with European fans partying and singing.

“Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole,” rang around the grounds, with a McIlroy-themed version of The Cranberries’ Zombie and other tunes mixed in.

“I want to go celebrate with them,” Matt Fitzpatrick said after he and Tyrrell Hatton won their fourballs match. “The atmosphere is out of this world.”

Even when the cup seemed lost, fans tried to support Bradley as he walked from the 16th green to the tee at No. 17. Bradley’s group had to pick up 10 of the 12 points available from singles matches to erase the largest deficit since the Ryder Cup went to this format.

A big question is who would make the trek to Farmingdale to watch. Face value for tickets was US$750 and surged to nearly double that on secondary markets for Friday’s opening sessions.

However, Saturday evening and yesterday’s tickets were available for less than US$300 on StubHub and TickPick.

Yelling — a lot of it — at Europe’s players was a theme on Saturday. Fans counted down Robert MacIntyre before he attempted a shot on No. 17 in morning foursomes, and one called him “a big bag of milk.” Sepp Straka was on the receiving end of at least one septic tank joke.

Europe captain Luke Donald praised his team’s “anti-fragile mentality” and players’ “ability to take the punches and come back even stronger.”

He said the energy of the crowd might have been a motivating force for Europe, even if he was not totally pleased with some of the behavior.

“It was raucous,” Donald said. “What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they’re trying to hit, on their backswings or very close to when they’re trying to go into their routines. That did happen a little bit. It’s happened at other Ryder Cups, too. It’s something we prepared for, and you can see, I think, how well they’ve dealt with it.”

title: Unruly crowd mars Bethpage


title: McIlroy gives as good as he gets at the Ryder Cup

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About six hours after Rory McIlroy turned to a row of hecklers standing outside the ropes and told them to “Shut the [expletive] up,” he must have loved what he witnessed at the Ryder Cup.

It was hundreds of people who paid US$750 or more for the hottest ticket in town, streaming for the exits as he walked up the 18th fairway.

Those fans were in no mood to see McIlroy wrap up his second win of a touchy, toxic Saturday at Bethpage Black.

Europe’s Rory McIlroy, left, celebrates after a putt on the 14th hole as Cameron Young of the US turns away during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black golf course in Farmingdale, New York, on Saturday. Photo: AP

It was a day in which tournament organizers brought in extra security for McIlroy and others, while flashing reminders about their “zero-tolerance” policy on the scoreboard for fans.

With the help of McIlroy’s 3-1/2 points over his first four matches, Europe all but wrapped up this year’s edition of an event that seems to grow more combustible each year.

The Europeans closed with a 11-1/2 to 4-1/2 lead — needing only 2-1/2 out of 12 points heading to yesterday’s singles to capture their first cup on opposing turf since 2014.

The moment that crystalized what this year’s contest has become — a European beatdown in front of a fired-up New York crowd reduced to hurling insults at the other guys instead of cheering their own — came during McIlroy’s first match.

Standing in the rough on No. 16, McIlroy sized up his shot, then quickly turned around and used the curse word to tell the fans to quiet down. He then nailed the shot to 5 foot — barely more than a tap-in for partner Tommy Fleetwood — to wrap up the 3-and-2 victory over Harris English and Collin Morikawa.

“I don’t mind them having a go at us,” McIlroy said afterward. “Like, that’s to be expected. I mean, that’s what an away Ryder Cup is. Whenever they are still doing it while you are over the ball and trying to hit your shot, that’s the tough thing.”

Word of that confrontation spread quickly.

His second match — in which McIlroy paired with Shane Lowry for a 2-up win over Justin Thomas and Cameron Young — was a foul-mouthed medley of over-the-top, fist-pumping celebrations punctuated by a steady stream of insults and chants of “Ror-reeee, Ror-reeee, Ror-reeee” coming from every corner of the golf course.

When McIlroy was lining up a putt on No. 6, the invective got so intense that he stepped away and, with boos raining down, told the rules official he would not putt “until they shut up.” They did. Then, he did, and drained an 11-foot putt to halve the hole after Young had hit his approach to 2 feet.

“It was loud. It was raucous. What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are tryiong to go into their routines,” European captain Luke Donald said.

The fans shouted insults about the buttons on his shirt and the protein bars he eats. They called him a crybaby. They made comments about his wife, his ex-fiancee and other aspects of his love life.

He gave as good as he got, letting out a too-loud yell as he glared at the grandstand and pumped his fists after sinking a 9-foot putt on No. 14 that gave him and Lowry a lead they would not relinquish. Thomas, his American opponent, got fired up himself at times, but he also spent a lot of the match raising his hands and shushing the crowd.

Overheard late on Saturday was a fan yelling, “You’re not that good, Rory.”

McIlroy replied with a new twist on a theme that dominated the day: “I’m [expletive] very good.”