title: Civic groups back top court’s decision

content_text:
‘BACK ON TRACK’:  The court’s decision was important in reaffirming the separation of powers between the legislature and the executive, the groups’ statement said

More than 20 civic groups, 160 academics and 130 lawyers yesterday issued a joint statement supporting the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Friday that amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed last year were unconstitutional, saying it was the first step to restoring the nation’s constitutional democracy.

The Legislative Yuan on Dec. 20 last year passed amendments stipulating that at least 10 justices must take part in constitutional deliberations, and at least nine justices must agree to find a bill or law unconstitutional. The amendments took effect on Jan. 25.

Seven of the 15 justices ended their term on Oct. 31 last year. Opposition lawmakers twice rejected President William Lai’s (賴清德) nominees to fill the vacancies, first in December last year and again in July. Lai has not nominated anyone nominees since.

Five of the remaining justices on Friday found the law unconstitutional, saying its legislative process contained “obvious and significant defects,” contravened legislative procedure and breached the constitutional principle of the separation of powers.

Three justices from the eight-member court dissented and were not counted toward the total number of justices presiding over the case.

The civic groups in the statement said that the first Constitutional Court judgement made this year has brought the court back to life, ending 328 days of paralysis since the amendments were passed.

“As people who are concerned about the development of Taiwan’s constitutional democracy, we firmly support this judgement,” it said, adding that it is the first step toward “getting out of the mud” and “back on track” to solving constitutional disputes, including fundamental rights protections and the separation of powers.

The conflict between the Cabinet and the legislature has intensified in the past year, but when there was a need to clarify the separation of powers, the court, which plays the role of an objective mediator, could not make judgements, the statement said.

“More importantly, the justices cited ‘serious procedural irregularities’ in their judgement, pointing out that the Legislative Yuan violated the principles of openness and transparency when they passed the amendments, which is why they were unconstitutional,” it added.

This compels lawmakers to avoid using the “tyranny of the majority” to pass bills, ensuring the legislative process returns to the right track with transparency, open communications and thorough deliberation, it said.

Meanwhile, the statement said that by utilizing the principle of separation of powers and the procedural autonomy granted by the Constitution, the judgement also established that the court is only bound by a Constitutional Court Procedure Act that is constitutional.

It draws a clear line between judicial and legislative powers, ensuring that the Legislative Yuan could not paralyze the Constitutional Court again, it said.

“We commend the efforts made in this judgement, allowing us to look forward to a healthier, functioning constitutional democracy,” it said.

“We respect the three justices’ criticisms of this judgement based on legal theory raised through extrajudicial journal articles,” the statement said, adding that, however, “the Constitutional Court that rendered this judgement was by no means ‘illegally constituted.’”

Over the past year, the prolonged absence of these three justices from deliberations and their choice to issue public statements outside their duties have damaged public trust in the court, and so should be regarded as having recused themselves, the statement said.

Therefore, the current total number of justices for this case should be five, and the two-thirds threshold for making a judgement should be four, so the judgement made by five justices is constitutionally valid, the statement said.

Even as the Constitutional Court resumes operations, the unavoidable reality is that the court has become an unprecedentedly “divided court” through this judgement, and that the divided court might have stemmed from Taiwan’s divided society, it added.

“We sincerely hope that continued public discussion will lead us out of this constitutional dilemma as we collectively seek the ‘greatest common factor’ for a free and democratic constitutional system,” it said.


title: Events get extra security after Taipei knife attacks

content_text:
SAFETY FIRST:  Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety

Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured.

In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours.

For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives detection measures would be introduced, the Taipei City Government said.

The Taipei City Police Department’s Songshan Precinct said it has implemented multilayered security measures for events at the Taipei Arena, deploying armed patrol officers around the venue and at MRT Taipei Arena Station.

Security at the annual Taipei Marathon was heavily increased yesterday, with almost 700 armed police officers deployed along the route.

The 693 police officers assigned to the event were double the number deployed in previous years, Chiang said during his inspection of the security arrangements at Taipei Municipal Stadium, the finish line of the annual marathon.

Chiang said all the police officers were armed to protect the marathon runners and deter any disruptions.

Police presence was reinforced at 22 key intersections and road sections across the city to respond to possible emergencies, while mobile police patrols were also increased, he added.

The Taipei Marathon drew about 28,000 runners yesterday, with about 9,000 competing in the full marathon, and 19,000 participating in the half-marathon, Chiang said.

Ethiopian runner Gadise Mulu Demissie won the women’s title, setting a new course record with her time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 17 seconds. Kenyan Bethwel Kibet Chumba won the men’s race, clocking 2 hours, 9 minutes and 31 seconds.

Before the start of the race yesterday morning, the runners observed one minute of silence for the victims of Friday’s attack, while the organizers replaced the traditional starting gun with an air horn.

Meanwhile, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said the city would also work closely with the central government to boost patrol density and protective capacity to ensure that the public can participate in events “with peace of mind.”

Hsinchu City’s Police Bureau said it has increased patrols at crowded locations and major transport nodes, and has established joint hotlines with national railway service providers.

In central Taiwan, the Taichung City Government said it has established real-time reporting systems for Christmas events and the New Year’s Eve gala, while the Changhua County Police Department said it had deployed about 100 personnel to provide security at a year-end concert at Changhua County Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Chiayi City Police Department said it has raised security levels for large events and has implemented high-density patrols and guard duties at key transport hubs, including Chiayi Station, Jiabei Station and the Chiayi City Transit Center.

Cities in southern Taiwan are also stepping up security for holiday events, with the Tainan City Police Department’s 4th Precinct saying it would deploy 230 police officers and 46 civilian personnel, set up a forward command post, activate joint security mechanisms with organizers, and deploy bomb-sniffing dogs at an upcoming Christmas concert at a plaza near the Yonghua Civic Center.

In Kaohsiung, the city’s Sinsing Precinct said it has increased police deployments, enforced high-traffic area patrols, and strengthened joint security mechanisms at Central Park (中央公園), Yuzhu Shopping District, and key Kaohsiung Metro stations for the Kaohsiung Christmas Life Festival.

The heightened measures nationwide follow the incident on Friday in which a 27-year-old Taiwanese man threw smoke bombs and stabbed passersby near Taipei Main Station and MRT Zhongshan Station.

Three of the victims died, at least 11 were injured, and the attacker later jumped to his death from the sixth floor of a department store building during a police pursuit.

people: 侯友宜 蔣萬安


title: MOTC to amend road rules

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The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has previewed proposed amendments to the Road and Traffic Safety Training Regulations (道路交通安全講習辦法) and Road Traffic Safety Rules (道路交通安全規則) to tackle problems caused by people driving without a license.

The new measures are to be launched either at the end of next month or early February next year, Department of Public Transportation and Supervision Director-General Hu Ti-chi (胡迪琦) said.

The ministry proposed amendments to the two regulations after the legislature in October passed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) that raised the fines for driving a motor vehicle or riding a motorcycle without a valid license. The ministry has also adjusted the license management policy following a series of major traffic incidents, requiring drivers who repeatedly contravene traffic regulations to take defensive driving courses.

People walk across a pedestrian crossing in Taipei in an undated photograph.  Photo: Taipei Times

Under the October amendments, unlicensed motorcyclists face fines ranging from NT$18,000 to NT$36,000, while unlicensed car drivers face fines of NT$36,000 to NT$60,000.

Police would also be required to impound the vehicle on the spot.

The amendments to the regulations would require unlicensed drivers who contravene traffic regulations to take driving safety courses.

Meanwhile, repeated drunk driving offenders would be ordered to take 15 hours of driving safety courses, up from 12 hours, the ministry said, adding that the new policy is to be implemented in September next year.

The maximum number of days for driving safety courses would be extended to three days from two days, based on the amendments.

The amendments to the Road Traffic Safety Rules stipulate that people whose driver’s licenses have been revoked, canceled or suspended, or who are barred from obtaining a license for a certain period or for life, are not permitted to drive in Taiwan using licenses issued by other countries and regions, nor are they allowed to convert them to a Taiwanese license.

The measure aims to prevent drivers from circumventing regulations using reciprocal agreements on licenses signed with other countries, the ministry said.

In addition, in line with amendments promulgated by President William Lai (賴清德) last month, the ministry said it is revising pedestrian-related rules.

Pedestrians must immediately yield to emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles when their sirens are heard, and must not obstruct traffic, it said.

Those already crossing the road should finish crossing as quickly as possible without impeding vehicles, while those who have not yet started must wait, it added.


title: US seizes second oil tanker near Venezuela’s coast

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The US seized another oil tanker off Venezuela on Saturday, a move Caracas deemed a “theft and kidnapping,” in the latest salvo of a pressure campaign by Washington, the US government said.

It was the second time in two weeks that US forces have interdicted a tanker in the region, and comes days after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of “sanctioned oil vessels” heading to and leaving Venezuela.

“In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela,” US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem wrote on social media.

A US military helicopter flies over the Panama-flagged Centuries east of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday. Photo: DHS/Handout via REUTERS

The post was accompanied by a nearly eight-minute video of aerial footage that showed a helicopter hovering just above the deck of a large tanker at sea.

Caracas slammed the seizure as theft and kidnapping, saying that “those responsible for these serious events will answer to justice and to history for their criminal conduct.”

A post from the US Department of Homeland Security identified the vessel as the Centuries and said it was “suspected of carrying oil subject to US sanctions.”

Centuries is a Chinese-owned, Panama-flagged oil tanker, according to TankerTrackers, an online service monitoring oil shipments and storage.

It said that Centuries loaded 1.8 million barrels of crude oil at a Venezuelan port earlier this month before being escorted out of Venezuela’s exclusive economic zone on Thursday last week. The VesselFinder database also listed the ship’s last recorded location as off the Venezuelan coast.

An AFP review found that Centuries does not appear on the US Department of the Treasury’s list of sanctioned companies and individuals.

White House deputy spokeswoman Anna Kelly wrote on social media that the tanker “contained sanctioned PDVSA oil,” in reference to Venezuela’s state oil company, and charged the ship as being “a falsely flagged vessel operating as part of the Venezuelan shadow fleet.”

On Dec. 10, US forces seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, which the US attorney general said was involved in carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran.

The US has for months been building a major military deployment in the Caribbean with the stated goal of combating Latin American drug trafficking, taking particular aim at Venezuela.

Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez voiced defiance in comments at a public event in Caracas broadcast Saturday on state TV — although he made no mention of the interdicted ship.

“We are waging a battle against lies, manipulation, interference, military threats, and psychological warfare,” he said, adding that it “will not intimidate us.”

There are currently 11 US warships in the Caribbean: the world’s largest aircraft carrier, an amphibious assault ship, two amphibious transport dock ships, two cruisers and five destroyers.

Caracas views the operation as a campaign to push out Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — whom Washington and many nations view as an illegitimate president — and to “steal” Venezuelan oil.


title: Nine killed in South Africa bar shooting

content_text:
Nine people have died and at least 10 were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of yesterday, authorities said.

The incident occurred just before 1am in the township of Bekkersdal, 46km west of Johannesburg. It is the second mass shooting to happen in South Africa in three weeks.

About 12 unknown suspects in a white minibus and a silver sedan opened fire at pub patrons at KwaNoxolo tavern, in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal, and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene, police said.

Bystanders gather at the scene of a mass shooting in Bekkersdal, South Africa, yesterday. Photo: AP

“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” the police said.

Provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told SABC television that one of the deceased was a driver from an online car-hailing service who had been outside the pub.

A manhunt for the suspects of the shooting has been initiated by Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations in collaboration with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.

There have been several mass shootings at bars — sometimes called shebeens or taverns in South Africa — in recent years, including a mass shooting carried out by multiple suspects in an unlicensed bar near the South African capital that left at least 12 people dead and 13 injured earlier this month.

Another shooting killed 16 people in the Johannesburg township of Soweto in 2022. On the same day, four people were killed in a mass shooting at a bar in another province.

With almost 26,000 homicides last year, or more than 70 per day on average, South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.

Although the nation of 62 million has comparatively stringent gun control laws, officials said many murders are carried out using illegal firearms.


people: 吳思瑤 鍾佳濱 羅智強 黃國昌 卓榮泰 賴清德

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OVERBEARING OPPOSITION: The KMT seeks to get the impeachment proceedings under way in the name of ‘defending democracy,’ the caucus’ secretary-general said   By Liu Wan-lin, Chen Yun and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer

A motion to impeach President William Lai (賴清德) would be put forward by the Legislative Yuan’s Procedure Committee tomorrow, with the legislature convening on Friday at the earliest to draft a timetable for the process, which would include many public hearings, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said yesterday.

The KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucuses on Friday last week proposed impeaching Lai. The move came after Lai on Monday last week refused to promulgate a legislative amendment that would have allowed local governments to receive a larger share of government revenue, arguing the legislation would hurt the nation’s fiscal sustainability. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) had declined to countersign the legislation, which Lai cited as the reason for not publicly announcing the law, normally considered to be routine.

Lo said the priority is to ensure people nationwide are fully informed about the proposed impeachment, which would require more time for public hearings.

The KMT and TPP are discussing the number of hearings and venues, which would possibly be held across the country as well as at the Legislative Yuan, he said.

Lo said this is a critical moment for the nation’s constitutional democracy.

The opposition wants to ensure thorough communication with the public through hearings and other events, so people can understand that an allegedly unconstitutional president is being impeached to defend democracy, Lo said.

The Legislative Yuan plans to invite Lai to attend and provide an explanation in line with the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said.

“This is not an invitation for you to give a national intelligence report, but a request for you to attend and explain in your capacity as the person being impeached,” Huang said, addressing Lai.

The provision allowing the Legislative Yuan to request the impeached person attend a hearing was passed when Lai was a legislator, not by the current legislature, Huang said.

“I do not know if Lai would claim the provision is unconstitutional and that the Legislative Yuan has no authority to invite him,” Huang said.

The opposition wants to show people that Taiwan’s hard-earned democracy and freedom have been trampled over by the Lai administration, he said.

The formal voting would only take place after public hearings in every corner of Taiwan, as they want to make sure people understand the reasons for the impeachment, he added.

This is the first time in Taiwan’s constitutional history that the Legislative Yuan has initiated an impeachment, so the procedure for Lai’s attendance still needs to be clarified, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said.

If the opposition wants Lai to appear before the Legislative Yuan, why not let him present a national intelligence report, which would benefit national development and he is willing to do, Wu said.

The motive for the opposition inviting Lai in this way might be to create a platform to insult, abuse and politically attack the president, she said.

DPP caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said the opposition’s contradictory impeachment would make them a laughingstock, urging them to read the Constitution and recognize the Constitutional Court’s authority.

The KMT and TPP have acted with impunity since gaining the legislative majority last year, Chung said.

It is absurd that they previously advocated abolishing the Control Yuan, only to about-face and try to use it to impeach Cho, he said.

They pushed to impeach Lai while the Constitutional Court was still unable to function, and when that court ruled the amendment that paralyzed it unconstitutional, they said that ruling was invalid, he added.

Their demands are contradictory and confusing, Chung said.

The impeachment could only proceed if the opposition allows the Constitutional Court to operate and recognizes the court’s recent judgement, he said.

title: Motion to impeach Lai forthcoming: KMT


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The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said yesterday it is filing malfeasance charges against the Constitutional Court and its five justices.

The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that opposition-backed amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed by the Legislative Yuan last year were unconstitutional, as they contravene due legislative process and separation of powers.

The Legislative Yuan in December last year passed amendments stipulating that no fewer than 10 grand justices must take part in deliberations of the Constitutional Court, and at least nine grand justices must agree to declare a law unconstitutional.

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, center, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

The amendments brought the Constitutional Court, which usually has 15 justices, but currently only eight after seven stepped down on Oct. 31 last year at the end of their eight-year terms, to a standstill.

Opposition lawmakers twice rejected President William Lai’s (賴清德) grand justice nominees, first in December last year and again in July, and Lai has not nominated a new set of nominees since

Friday’s ruling to revoke the amended act is controversial, with three of the court’s eight sitting justices publicly denouncing it.

The ruling was handed down with the support of the remaining five justices, who participated in discussions on the case without the oral arguments typically featured in high-stakes deliberations or a public hearing to announce the decision.

In response, the KMT said itwould formally propose a motion in the Legislative Yuan “to give the strongest condemnation to the outrageous actions of the five justices,” and to declare the ruling invalid in a bid “to safeguard the Constitution of the Republic of China and protect constitutional litigation laws.”

The KMT caucus said that even the original version of the act stipulated at least six justices are required to convene a session.

“The Constitutional Court session was therefore held illegally, and the ruling is, of course, illegal,” it added.

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said the TPP caucus fully supports the KMT’s move to file the malfeasance charges, adding that he thinks the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office would not take any action.

The five are no longer qualified to be called justices of the Constitutional Court, Huang said, describing them as “green

judicial tyrants” and accusing them of contravening Article 124 of the Criminal Code regarding wrongful judgements.

“Now, Lai, the ‘Emperor Lai,’ has consolidated all powers in administration, judiciary, examination, and supervision, with no limits whatsoever,” Huang said.

Huang used the example of a US Supreme Court case on what happens if five out of the nine sitting justices recuse themselves, and the number of justices falls below the legal threshold of six.

The only option is to uphold the lower court’s judgement without conducting a substantive review, he said, adding that legal regulations should not be flexible, nor should they be adjusted based on specific cases.

“This is the principle of the rule of law and the ABCs of judging according to the law,” he said.

Additional reporting by CNA

title: KMT filing malfeasance against Constitutional Court

people: 賴清德 黃國昌


title: 10 KMT defendants sentenced for recall petition forgery

content_text:
Ten people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were given suspended sentences of 10 to 22 months by the Chiayi District Court on Friday for forging signatures in a drive to recall a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker.

Those sentenced include KMT Chiayi County branch

secretary-general Yang Fu-cheng (楊富程), who received a 22-month jail term suspended for five years, and the branch’s deputy chief, Kuo Shu-chiang (國恕強), who was given a 16-month sentence suspended for four years.

Chiayi District Court in Chiayi County is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Ting Wei-chieh, Taipei Times

The court ordered Yang and Kuo to pay NT$600,000 and NT$400,000 respectively to the public treasury.

The others — Lai Chu-huang (賴珠煌), Lee Chun-chang (李俊昌), Chuang Mei-ling (莊美玲), Wang Li-chuan (王?娟), Wu Tzu-yin (吳紫茵), Ho Po-lun (何博倫), Chiang Chiu-tien (江秋田) and Lin Cheng-lu (林正祿) — received suspended sentences of 10 to 20 months.

Some were ordered to pay fines to the public treasury and perform community service.

The court said all 10 people sentenced, including Yang, had no prior criminal records and had admitted to the offenses.

They were aware of the consequences of their actions and seem unlikely to commit further offenses, the court said.

Prosecutors raided the KMT’s Chiayi County branch on June 5 investigating allegations of faking signatures to recall DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷).

To get a recall initiative to a popular vote, those initiating the campaign need to gather a certain number of signatures from the general public to move it forward.

Workers and volunteers at the KMT Chiayi County branch took it into their own hands to create the needed signatures, prosecutors said.

The party branch held a meeting of core members on Jan. 24 and distributed about 300 blank recall petitions for them to fill out so that they could meet the required threshold of 2,204 signatures, prosecutors said in the indictment.

Between Feb. 3 and 8, the suspects asked friends to fill out petitions using the personal details of KMT members without their consent, forging signatures to push the total to 2,639, prosecutors said.

Among the petitions, 39 were in the name of dead people, and 511 contained incorrect names, addresses or ID numbers, they said.

The KMT unsuccessfully tried to mount recall campaigns against DPP lawmakers after civic groups pushed for recalls of KMT legislators, getting 31 of them to a popular vote.

All of the KMT lawmakers survived their recall votes.


title: Lishan lights Taiwan’s highest Christmas trees

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The nation’s two highest Christmas trees, situated at 1,956 meters above sea level in Taichung’s Lishan (梨山), were lit last night to mark the winter solstice, accompanied by a concert, said the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Headquarters.

To mark the opening of the light installations, the plaza in front of the Lishan Guest House hosted performances by singers Nasi (李芷婷), Abus (阿布絲), Rock Mom (肉克媽媽), and local band Mix Mountain Goats (山羊樂團).

The illuminated 28-meter-tall cedar trees -- dubbed the “Christmas Trees above the Clouds” -- are to light up with meteor-shower-like lights for three minutes every half hour each night through Jan. 25, 2026, creating what organizers described as an “enchanting alpine atmosphere,” said the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Headquarters.

Two Christmas trees are pictured at 1,956 meters above sea level in Taichung’s Lishan last night. Photo courtesy of the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Headquarters

The installations are part of the 2025 Lishan-Guguan Light Art Festival, which is being held for its fifth winter season, it said.

The Guguan part of the festival runs from Nov. 29 to Jan. 11, 2026, featuring hot springs and walkways, it added.


content_text:
METRO RAMPAGE: CIB, police probe online threats in wake of attack

PREVENTING COPYCATS:  Police have arrested three people for posts considered public threats, while the CIB urged the public to report threatening posts they find

The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday said it was coordinating with police agencies to establish a national task force to curb the spread of violent rhetoric and threats online following a mass stabbing incident in Taipei on Friday.

Twenty posts or comments on social media and online forums have been flagged for containing violent threats or suggesting that an indiscriminate attack was forthcoming.

The task force would quickly investigate and pursue legal action against those making violent threats, inciting violence or claiming they would carry out attacks, the bureau said.

As of 4pm yesterday, three people had been arrested, it said.

New Taipei City police arrested a man surnamed Chang (張) in Taichung for allegedly posting a comment on Threads saying that the original plan of the attack was to occur in a different station, the CIB said.

Similarly, police in Taichung arrested a man surnamed Tang (唐) in Taoyuan for allegedly writing on Threads that “someone really did what I wanted to do,” an apparent reference to Friday’s attack, it said.

New Taipei City police arrested a man surnamed Peng (彭) for allegedly writing on Instagram that “no one will stop the Zhongshan knife attack.”

All three incidents were flagged as threats to public safety, the bureau said.

The CIB urged people to not share, endorse or treat as jokes suspicious posts or comments advocating violence to avoid fueling panic or copycat behavior.

People who come across messages that threaten public safety should immediately save screenshots, links, account information and timestamps, and report them to the police as soon as possible by calling 110 or going to the nearest police station, it said.

In related news, a university student was released on NT$50,000 bail after being detained and questioned for reposting online a message about a potential attack on Kaohsiung Main Station that referenced the stabbings in Taipei.

The message appeared on Threads after four people, including the perpetrator, 27-year-old Chang Wen (張文), died during an indiscriminate knife attack late on Friday near Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan MRT Station, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office in Kaohsiung said yesterday.

The post claimed that a “bigger event would be carried out at Kaohsiung Main Station on Dec. 25” and that “the main character, Chang Wen, is my brother.”

Authorities later determined that the post’s Internet protocol address was suspected to be located in Vietnam.

The message was widely shared online, including by a man surnamed Chen (陳), a university student, prompting prosecutors, police and investigators to open an investigation amid fears it could inspire a copycat attack.

Investigators traced Chen’s repost and searched his residence on Saturday before detaining him for questioning, prosecutors said.

Chen told investigators that he reposted the message to “remind people to stay alert,” but failed to clearly label it as a warning, which led to misunderstanding and public panic, they said.

Prosecutors did not accept Chen’s explanation and determined his actions constituted a threat to public safety, with substantial criminal suspicion.


content_text:
METRO RAMPAGE: Taipei, Taoyuan to honor man who tried to stop attack

The Taipei and Taoyuan city governments yesterday said they would apply to enshrine at Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine a 57-year-old man who died trying to stop a knife-wielding attacker during a rampage in Taipei last week.

Twenty-seven-year-old Chang Wen (張文) on Friday evening launched a series of attacks at Taipei Main Station and near MRT Zhongshan Station, involving smoke grenades and a knife, leaving four people dead, including himself, and at least 11 others injured.

Among the victims was Yu Chia-chang (余家昶), a Taoyuan resident who tried to stop Chang’s assault near Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station. Yu was seriously wounded as a result and later died.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city would award Yu a posthumous commendation and assist his family in applying for a central government citation.

Chiang added that compensation for victims would come from multiple channels, including insurance payouts, crime victim protection funds and municipal programs.

In the days since the attack, mourners have left flowers and handwritten notes near Exit M7 and outside Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near MRT Zhongshan Station.

Some cards expressed gratitude for Yu’s courage, including one from a high-school student who wrote that his actions had brought “a gentle sense of protection” to a route students travel every day.

Friends remembered Yu as a warm, charismatic and knowledgeable family man who commuted daily between Taoyuan and Taipei and was always ready to help others.

One friend wrote on social media that Yu gave his life to protect others, and called for his bravery to be remembered.

Yu is survived by his wife and two daughters, Taoyuan Department of Social Welfare Director Chen Pao-min (陳寶民) said.

Another of those killed was a 37-year-old man who worked at Mega International Commercial Bank.

He was on the fourth floor of the department store when he encountered Chang, who attacked him with a knife, police said.

The bank said in a statement yesterday that all of its staff were deeply saddened by the death of their colleague and are assisting his family with funeral arrangements and financial matters.

Another of those killed was a 37-year-old security guard who was riding a motorcycle to work at the time of the attacks.

At first, the man was unaware of what was going on, and even kindly stopped to let Chang pass first, but when their eyes met, Chang attacked the man, police said.

Additional reporting by Wang Kuan-jen


content_text:
METRO RAMPAGE:Precinct chief addresses public concerns over stabbing response

The head of a local police precinct yesterday addressed public concerns over why some officers responding to Friday’s deadly attacks in Taipei were not armed, saying decisions were made under extreme uncertainty and time pressure.

Some officers arrived without firearms because they had just gone off duty and did not have time to collect equipment, said Zhongshan First Police Station Chief Lee Hsin- hung (李欣鴻).

Of the seven officers who pursued the attacker, three were armed, while two had just finished their shifts and two others were returning from other assignments.

Armed police keep watch at a busy shopping area yesterday in Taipei near the crime scene of Friday’s knife attack. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Despite this, the off-duty officers did not hesitate and ran to the scene on foot to help protect the public, Lee said.

The attacks occurred Friday evening at MRT Taipei Main Station and near MRT Zhongshan Station, where a 27-year- old man, Chang Wen (張文), launched a series of assaults involving smoke grenades and a knife, leaving four people dead, including himself, and at least 11 others injured.

Responding to criticism over why officers waited about 40 seconds before entering the rooftop of the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near MRT Zhongshan Station, Lee said the situation was chaotic and visibility was poor.

At the time, no one knew where the suspect was or whether he was lying in wait, Lee said. Despite the uncertainty, officers decided within 40 seconds to move outside and continue the search, worried that delaying could lead to more casualties.

“Making that kind of call in just 40 seconds takes a great deal of courage,” Lee said.

The attacker eventually fell to his death from the six-story department store’s roof while being pursued by police.

Lee also asked the public and media to show understanding and support, saying police officers face unpredictable danger every day.

“Every police officer has the same courage and the same desire to protect the public,” Lee said, becoming visibly emotional and at times choking back tears.

“Respect should not be reserved only for officers who die in the line of duty. This was not the first time police - or I - have faced a knife attack, but each time, officers respond with the same courage and belief in protecting civilians.”

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency said they will review and strengthen layered security measures at locations where large crowds gather to improve coordination, response procedures and on-site protection.


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METRO RAMPAGE: Japanese tourist recounts efforts to save knife victim

Tourist Kouta Kinoshita said he felt helpless as he attempted to staunch the bleeding of a man stabbed in Taipei during a deadly rampage on Friday that left four people dead.

The Japanese writer, who previously worked as a TV news journalist, wrote on X that he was on the first floor of the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near the Zhongshan MRT Station when he saw a man holding a knife run into the building.

As the tourist joined the crowd running out of the store, he witnessed the suspect stab two people in the street, including a man on a scooter, Kinoshita said.

As he was the only person near the victim, he rushed over and used his hands to try to stop the bleeding, he said.

However, without an emergency kit, the by then unconscious rider continued to lose blood, a situation that Kinoshita said left him “heartbroken.”

The man, a 37-year-old surnamed Hsiao (蕭), was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

He was one of the four people who died, including the 27-year-old suspect, Chang Wen (張文), who carried out a series of indiscriminate stabbings inside Taipei Main Station and outside the department store.

Chang fell to his death from the six-story department store’s roof while being pursued by police.

In an interview with TVBS News on Saturday, Kinoshita said that despite the attacks, he did not believe Taiwan had become more dangerous, describing the country as still “relatively safe.”

Kinoshita said he felt guilty for not being able to do more to help the injured scooter rider.

Taipei Medical University Hospital doctor Kao Wei-feng (高偉峰) yesterday that “direct pressure to stop the bleeding” is the most important and effective way to control bleeding from an injury to the torso or neck.

In an emergency, no tools are needed, just “apply direct pressure to the wound with your hands,” Kao said.

The doctor said that when dealing with traumatic bleeding, the most feared outcome is “hemorrhagic shock,” which could be fatal.

If the knife is still in the wound, do not pull it out, as it can help limit the bleeding, increasing the chance of survival, he said.

If the knife has already been removed, or if severe bleeding from the torso or neck is caused by slashing or a similar action, the most important and effective way to stop the bleeding is by applying direct pressure, he said.

As direct pressure might involve contact with the injured person’s blood, use a piece of clothing, such as a scarf or similar item, to apply pressure, Kao said.

A tourniquet can be tied above the wound to stop blood flow when arteries are damaged, he said.

Items such as clothing or scarves can be used as substitutes for a tourniquet, but it is not suitable for wounds on the torso or neck, he added.


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METRO RAMPAGE: Father, daughter doctors helped at scene of attack

An off-duty emergency doctor and his daughter provided critical first aid during a deadly stabbing attack in Taipei on Friday.

The attack by 27-year-old suspect Chang Wen (張文) unfolded in the early evening around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later outside Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near MRT Zhongshan Station.

Chang threw smoke grenades and attacked people with a knife near the two metro hubs, killing three and leaving 11 injured.

National Taiwan University Hospital emergency department doctor Yen Jui-sheng, center, speaks to reporters as Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, left, looks on in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Chang jumped from the roof of a department store while being chased by police and was pronounced dead on Friday night.

The Taipei City Government yesterday said that one of the injured victims asked the city government to help locate the “lifesavers” who had provided emergency medical assistance at the scene.

Authorities later confirmed that Yen Jui-sheng (顏瑞昇), an attending physician in the emergency medicine department at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), and his daughter, a first-year internal medicine resident, provided critical aid at the scene.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Yen said that saving lives is a doctor’s duty.

“I just thought the scene might need someone to help,” the former head of emergency medicine at NTUH’s Yunlin branch said. “I believe any emergency physician would have done the same.”

He said that he and his daughter were arriving at a restaurant near the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi store at about 6:55pm when they saw ambulances arriving.

“Both of us are doctors, and I am an emergency physician,” he said. “I felt I should go to the scene and see if I could provide assistance.”

After a brief discussion with his daughter, they headed to the site, where police, firefighters and medical personnel had already set up an orderly triage station with flags, he said.

Upon arrival, he said he identified himself to the incident commander and began triaging victims.

Aside from one person experiencing cardiac arrest, there were not many injured people on site initially, Yen said.

However, paramedics soon evacuated more injured people from the building, he said.

Although members of the public might have found the scene shocking or chaotic, emergency physicians are accustomed to such situations, he said.

“The command system, patient triage and treatment were all conducted to a very high standard,” Yen said.

“I hope the public can feel reassured and recover from this trauma as soon as possible,” he said, offering condolences to the victims’ families and wishing a swift recovery to those injured.


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METRO RAMPAGE: Witnesses to Taipei stabbing attacks could experience trauma, psychologists warnBy Lin Chih-yi and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

People who saw a stabbing attack in Taipei on Friday, as well as people exposed to images of the incident, could experience trauma, highlighting the need for awareness and care, a psychologists’ association said yesterday.

The suspect, 27-year-old Chang Wen (張文), carried out attacks at Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan MRT Station on Friday, killing three people and leaving 11 injured.

“The incident occurred in several crowded public spaces, and while those injured and their families would require long-term recovery and support, witnesses and people exposed to images of the attack might also need care,” the National Union of Counseling Psychologists’ Associations said.

Police and emergency responders stand outside the Eslite Spectrum Nanxi store following a deadly stabbing spree on Friday. Photo: Taipei Times

“Some people might experience fear, anxiety, anger or sadness, accompanied by insomnia, appetite changes or heart palpitations,” executive board member Hu Yen-wei (胡延薇) said, adding that others may feel emotionally numb or detached.

“These are natural responses to sudden threats and should be considered normal,” Hu said.

When people perceive danger, the brain enters a heightened state of alert, chairwoman Tsai Hsiao-wen (蔡曉雯) said.

After leaving the scene of a traumatic event, it is important to gradually calm the mind and body, and reconnect with others at one’s own pace, she said, adding that social interaction can be reassuring and healing.

Union board member Chen Shao-min (陳劭旻) advised people who feel tense or easily startled to maintain regular routines, limit exposure to distressing news and remind themselves that they are safe.

Most symptoms ease over time, but if they persist for more than two weeks and interfere with daily life, professional help should be sought, he said.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that those affected can apply for up to three counseling sessions, Tsai said, urging people in need to make use of the program.

She also called on the public to remain attentive to others who might be struggling, saying that “mutual support is a vital force in collective recovery.”

Separately, psychologist Chen Chia-wei (陳家維), known online as “Mana Bear” (瑪那熊), wrote on Facebook that parents with preschool or school-aged children might feel unsure whether or how to discuss the attack.

While parents might worry that such conversations could frighten children, Chen Chia-wei said children are often more perceptive than adults assume and could notice tension, overhear conversations or hear about the incident from classmates.

When children piece together incomplete information on their own, misunderstandings can arise, potentially intensifying fear, he said.

Rather than avoiding the topic, he suggested that parents briefly explain what happened in a calm, age-appropriate way, while avoiding news footage or online videos, which can overwhelm children.

Parents should reassure children that fear is normal, discuss simple safety strategies and offer comfort based on family routines, he said.

Chen Chia-wei also reminded parents to care for their own well-being, adding that repeated exposure to distressing images can re-traumatize adults and reduce their ability to support their children.


title: Public facing

content_text: President William Lai, right, delivers a speech at a changeover ceremony for the chairperson of the northern branch of an association of former chiefs and advisers to the Republic of China Military Police reservists yesterday, speaking about new purpose for the reservists.


title: US revisits its export curbs on AI chips

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POLICY REVERSAL: The decision to allow sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China came after years of tightening controls and has drawn objections among some Republicans

US House Republicans are calling for arms-sale-style congressional oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) chip exports as US President Donald Trump’s administration moves to approve licenses for Nvidia Corp to ship its H200 processor to China.

US Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which oversees export controls, on Friday introduced a bill dubbed the AI Overwatch Act that would require the US Congress to be notified of AI chips sales to adversaries.

Any processors equal to or higher in capabilities than Nvidia’s H20 would be subject to oversight, the draft bill says.

US President Donald Trump, left, listens as Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the White House in Washington on April 30. Photo: AFP

Lawmakers would have 30 days to block proposed shipments through a joint resolution and create a way for so-called “trusted” AI companies to receive license exemptions when sending chips to US allies and neutral countries.

The measure has won support from US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party head John Moolenaar, along with other fellow Republican representatives Bill Huizenga and Darin LaHood. Moolenaar last week sent a letter to US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, requesting a briefing on Trump’s decision to allow exports to China of the H200 and comparable chips, while also challenging the administration’s rationale in granting its blessing.

A group of US House Democrats led by US Representative Gregory Meeks on Thursday introduced their own AI chip bill, which would outright block sales of advanced AI chips to China and other countries of concern while easing license requirements for US companies building data centers abroad.

Efforts by lawmakers to gain more say over sales of advanced chips to China come a little more than a week after the H200 decision, which marked a significant reversal from several years of tightening US export controls.

The H200 is about six times more powerful than the H20, the most powerful US chip that existing rules allow China to purchase, an Institute for Progress report said.

The draft would allow members of foreign affairs committee and US Senate Banking panels to see the number of chips up for export as well as the end-users buying them, as part of the oversight.

The legislation would also require a certification that the chips would not be used for military, intelligence or surveillances purposes. There is also a required certification that sales to adversarial nations do not create a supply shortage for US customers.

Since the US first restricted sales of advanced AI chips in 2022, the idea of intentionally selling advanced chips to China has found scant support in Washington. Trump’s willingness to sell more advanced chips such as the H200 in China has drawn objections among some Republicans in the US Congress, although they remain measured in their criticism of the administration.

US Senator Dave McCormick, treaded carefully at a security forum last week, saying: “I’m concerned... I’m not clear on why that is the right path for us. I want to be convinced because I keep asking the question.”

McCormick questioned the Trump administration’s argument that selling AI chips to China would slow the ability of Chinese chipmakers to gain in product performance and quality.

“It’s not clear to me how that would in any way slow their advances, and it seems more likely that it would accelerate them,” he said. “You can count on China to be doing everything in its power to develop its own independent capacity, and that America’s position should be, in my opinion, doing everything we can to maintain a lead.”


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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) last week recorded an increase in the number of shareholders to the highest in almost eight months, despite its share price falling 3.38 percent from the previous week, Taiwan Stock Exchange data released on Saturday showed.

As of Friday, TSMC had 1.88 million shareholders, the most since the week of April 25 and an increase of 31,870 from the previous week, the data showed.

The number of shareholders jumped despite a drop of NT$50 (US$1.59), or 3.38 percent, in TSMC’s share price from a week earlier to NT$1,430, as investors took profits from their earlier gains amid volatility among tech stocks in the US.

A smartphone displaying Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s logo is pictured at a brokerage in Taipei on Monday last week. Photo: CNA

The fall pushed down TSMC’s market capitalization by NT$1.29 trillion to NT$37.08 trillion in one week, the exchange’s data showed.

However, the lower stock price prompted buying by retail investors who hold odd lots, sending the number soaring over the past week by 25,217 to about 1.4 million as of Friday, the data showed.

Odd-lot trading typically makes it easier for retail investors to buy high-priced stocks such as TSMC in quantities of fewer than 1,000 shares. This week, the number of investors who held 1,000 to 5,000 TSMC shares rose by 5,839 to 376,597 as of Friday, while the number of investors who held 1 million or more of TSMC shares increased by 12 to 1,541.

TSMC, the most heavily weighted stock on the local main board, is expected to continue to benefit from strong global demand for its high-end processes, including 3-nanometer node technology and sophisticated 3D chip-on-wafer-on-substrate integrated chip packaging services, to meet strong global demand for artificial intelligence applications, market analysts said.

title: TSMC shareholders increase after share price drop


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Google, Apple warn staff on US visas not to travel abroad

Alphabet Inc’s Google and Apple Inc have advised some employees on US work visas to avoid international travel due to delays of up to 12 months for visa stamping appointments at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing internal memos.

Immigration law firms representing the companies said the delays stem from new social media screening requirements and warned that staff risk being stranded outside the US if appointments are postponed, the report said.

The advisory applies to holders of H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas, and some US embassies and consulates face appointment delays of up to a year, the report cited Google’s memo as saying.

Google’s logo at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, is pictured on May 13. Photo: Reuters

Google and Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The administration of US President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts.

The H-1B visa program, widely used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Trump administration imposed a US$100,000 fee for new applications this year.

In September, Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the US, according to an e-mail seen by Reuters.

companies: Apple Google


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Gasoline, diesel prices to drop by NT$0.4 per liter

Gasoline and diesel prices at domestic fuel stations are to fall NT$0.4 per liter this week, after international crude oil prices last week fell for the second consecutive week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced yesterday.

Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to drop to NT$26.4, NT$27.9 and NT$29.9 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements.

The price of premium diesel is to fall to NT$24.8 per liter at CPC stations and NT$24.6 at Formosa pumps, they said.

International oil prices moved lower last week as ongoing talks to end the war in Ukraine continued to weigh on market sentiment, the companies said.

The release of weak economic data from China also added pressure to oil prices, they said, adding that concerns about excess supply continue to cloud the market’s outlook after oil prices had fallen more than 20 percent this year.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week fell 1.06 percent to settle at US$60.47 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange.

Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil gauge — dropped 1.36 percent to US$56.66 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


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Court reverses earlier ruling to clear way for Musk’s US$56bn pay package

A Delaware appeals court on Friday cleared the way for businessman Elon Musk to receive a long-contested US$56 billion Tesla Inc pay package, reversing an earlier judgement in the protracted case.

The decision by the Delaware Supreme Court rejected a pair of judgments by Delaware Court of Chancery Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick and sets the stage for the world’s richest person to get another windfall.

In a pair of rulings last year, McCormick invalidated the 2018 package, which once loomed as historically large, but have since been eclipsed by the tech tycoon’s most recent Tesla package.

Businessman Elon Musk attends the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington on Nov. 19. Photo: Reuters

The five-judge appeals panel determined that McCormick ruled improperly in ordering a rescission, the tossing out of Musk’s package in its entirety.

“It is undisputed that Musk fully performed under the 2018 grant, and Tesla and its stockholders were rewarded for his work,” the ruling said as it reversed the rescission.

Although it was approved by a majority of Tesla’s shareholders, the 2018 package ended up in court when Tesla shareholder Richard Tornetta challenged the award as excessive.

In a statement posted online on Friday, attorneys representing Tesla shareholders said they were considering next steps.

The court struck down the award in January last year following a five-day trial, calling the process “deeply flawed.”

The board proved vulnerable to manipulation by Musk, “the paradigmatic ‘Superstar CEO,’” wrote McCormick, who upheld her determination in December last year following an appeal.

Tesla’s board has staunchly supported Musk throughout the legal saga, approving an “interim” compensation award in August worth about US$29 billion for him and then unveiling another pay package worth as much as US$1 trillion.

Tesla shareholders on Nov. 6 easily approved the latest package, which is tied to a number of performance and valuation targets.


content_text: Glutinous rice balls, or tangyuan, are pictured at a traditional market in Taichung yesterday, on the day of the winter solstice. Traditionally, Taiwanese eat hot, glutinous rice ball soup on the winter solstice, called Dongzi in Taiwan, representing family reunion and the joy of spending the winter together. It also symbolizes a fulfilling and fruitful year.

title: Winter treat


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A stabbing attack inside and near two busy Taipei MRT stations on Friday evening shocked the nation and made headlines in many foreign and local news media, as such indiscriminate attacks are rare in Taiwan. Four people died, including the 27-year-old suspect, and 11 people sustained injuries.

At Taipei Main Station, the suspect threw smoke grenades near two exits and fatally stabbed one person who tried to stop him. He later made his way to Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near Zhongshan MRT Station, where he threw more smoke grenades and fatally stabbed a person on a scooter by the roadside. He then ran into the store and wounded others, before jumping from the building’s sixth floor, the National Police Agency said on Saturday.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the attack was premeditated, but his motive remains unclear, the agency said.

Following the incident, bystanders posted videos of the attack on social media, which were broadcast by news media. That sparked a wide discussion about the responses of bystanders — the photographers, or the people who stood by or walked past the suspect in the videos — as many said their reaction implied a “general lack of crisis awareness” among the public.

In a video taken in Taipei Main Station, when the suspect stabbed a man, another man walks by the suspect without pausing, while others continue on their way past a smoke grenade without stopping or fleeing and several people peek at the suspect from a nearby cafe only steps away.

Meanwhile, videos taken outside the department store show pedestrians walking by, not noticing or even pausing to look at the suspect throwing smoke grenades on the road.

Many comments on the videos showed concern about the general lack of situational awareness and effective emergency response, especially as few people were seen fleeing from danger and some even paused to take videos. Some people online attributed it to Taiwan’s good public security, which has led to complacency and a decline in emergency response readiness, while a few local media accused the government of inadequate warning and failing to boost “societal resilience.”

A person who said they were outside the department store posted a “self-reflection” online about how they thought it was a flash mob performance even after the suspect took out a knife, and only realized something was wrong when he began chasing people.

On the other hand, some said the comments showing those concerns were “victim blaming” and that they were being too harsh on the bystanders, whose view might have been blocked or who might have frozen due to the sudden overwhelming incident. Some added that the comments were made in hindsight, watching the videos from “God’s perspective.”

Many specialists, including doctors and mental health specialists, have spoken out about the issue, saying “freezing up” is normal when people perceive overwhelming danger and feel unable to fight or flee. They shared tips on how to avoid becoming traumatized and urged them to seek assistance. Emergency responders also offered personal safety tips for handling crisis situations, while academics urged people not to spread excessive and unconfirmed reports about the incident to prevent copycat crimes.

However, as indiscriminate attacks by lone actors are increasing globally, the shocking incident in Taipei underscored the pressing need to improve personal safety preparedness.

While the government and law enforcement focus on enhancing systematic detection and prevention of attacks and disasters, and share safety information with the public, such as through the National Public Safety Guide distributed this year, people also play a critical role in their own safety.

They should start by enhancing their situational awareness in normal life.

For example, specialists said people should minimize distractions in crowded or risky environments — such as by putting away phones and not using headphones — pay attention to what is “normal” in specific environments to more easily notice irregularities, and scan areas they visit for exits and potential obstacles to escape to form a habit of awareness.

Emergency responders and the US Department of Homeland Security recommend the “Run, Hide, Fight” strategy in mass casualty incidents, which prioritizes fleeing the area of risk, finding a place to hide if escape is not possible and fighting as the last resort.

Some suggest learning basic first aid, which could be vital before professional help arrives.

However, as there could be a gap between declarative knowledge (knowing what) and procedural knowledge (knowing how), real emergency response drills at different levels — nationwide civil defense disaster drills, workplace fire or disaster drills, community drills and having a household security plan — are equally important to building muscle memory for an effective response in actual emergencies. They should not be conveniently skipped.

title: EDITORIAL: Taiwanese need better readiness


content_text:
Michael Mazza On Taiwan: Secret Diplomacy? Mr. Wu Goes to Israel

Is a new foreign partner for Taiwan emerging in the Middle East? Last week, Taiwanese media reported that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) secretly visited Israel, a country with whom Taiwan has long shared unofficial relations but which has approached those relations cautiously. In the wake of China’s implicit but clear support for Hamas and Iran in the wake of the October 2023 assault on Israel, Jerusalem’s calculus may be changing. Both small countries facing literal existential threats, Israel and Taiwan have much to gain from closer ties.

In his recent op-ed for the Washington Post, President William Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced his intention to quicken “the development of ‘T-Dome,’ a multilayered, integrated defense system designed to protect Taiwan from People’s Republic of China (PRC) missiles, rockets, drones and combat aircraft.” T-Dome takes its inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, which protects Israel from short-range projectiles, and which effectively neutered the rocket threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, and other nearby enemies.

Taiwan has a similar vision for securing itself from aerial attacks, though T-Dome must counter a much wider, more sophisticated range of threats. A wholesale export of the Iron Dome system, even if it were possible, would not make much sense. It would not, on its own, solve the dilemma for Taiwan, which faces cruise and ballistic missiles of varying ranges, artillery, rockets, and munitions delivered by aircraft.

But Israel has unique experience in overcoming problems thought to be unsolvable; integrating monitoring, tracking, targeting, and strike systems; and employing them effectively and efficiently. There is much for Taiwan to learn and much Israeli technology that could be applied in Taiwan’s circumstances.

Importantly, Israel has an interest in making that expertise and that technology available. Taiwan’s chip manufacturing prowess has played an important part in the rise of the Israeli tech industry. Although Israel has seen advancements in chip R&D and design, it lags in fabrication. Conflict in the Taiwan Strait and the advanced chip shortage that would inevitably result are not in Israel’s interests. Should Taiwan succeed in developing T-Dome, it will meaningfully contribute to deterring China and to protecting foundries should fighting break out.

But cooperation should extend beyond the realm of defense tech. Few countries understand the PRC or its political system better than Taiwan. As Beijing deepens its influence in the Middle East — both with Israel’s adversaries and with countries with whom Israel has friendlier relations — Jerusalem would benefit from deeper knowledge of China. Sharing intelligence is highly sensitive and likely to be difficult, but both countries have something to gain. Taipei can help Jerusalem understand how China operates and what it hopes to achieve. Jerusalem may be able to provide Taipei with early warning of developments in the Middle East pertinent to Taiwan.

Both countries have also struggled to win battles in the information space. China has successfully advanced specious historical and legal arguments regarding Taiwan’s status that threaten to leave Taipei increasingly isolated. Since it was attacked by Hamas two years ago, Israel has found itself consistently on the losing end of a contest to define its conduct in the eyes of foreign observers. Importantly, there exists a nexus between these two battles. Nongovernmental elements, witting and unwitting, of a Chinese political warfare network have operated in both spaces, pushing narratives critical of Israel and Taiwan. Exchanges on lessons learned and effective tactics are worthwhile.

To deepen their partnership, Israel and Taiwan should consider establishing a fusion center where both countries would share information on narratives circulating in their respective regions that pertain to the other country. Such a center would enable both nations to proactively address misinformation and could serve as an expandable platform through which a growing number of like-minded countries could cooperate in the information space.

Israel is likely to proceed carefully. China is an important economic partner and is securing growing diplomatic heft in the Middle East. But Beijing has also revealed itself to be aligned with the anti-civilizational forces that seek to destroy the Jewish State. This has presented an opening for Taiwan. The Lai administration is rightly taking advantage of the opportunity.

Michael Mazza is senior director for research at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security (formerly the Project 2049 Institute) and a senior non-resident fellow at the Global Taiwan Institute.


title: China extending Tibetan repression

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An Indian woman named Prema Wangjom Thongdok on Nov. 21 was detained and deported, with her birthplace of Arunachal Pradesh, India, cited as the primary point of contention during her engagement with immigration officers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Nov. 25 issued a statement condemning the incident, saying: “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this undisputed reality.”

On Dec. 1, Tashi — an Indian citizen from Chamba, India — was detained, harassed and denied entry into China after arriving on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Delhi to Shanghai with a valid visa issued by the Chinese embassy.

Chinese immigration authorities said that his documentation was “not proper.”

The arbitrary detention and subsequent deportation of two Indian citizens with Tibetan identity markers at Shanghai airport has generated considerable discussion across India. However, the discourse has failed to address the underlying causes of their detention, with the coverage largely focused on how the incidents unfolded rather than why they occurred.

Many said that Prema’s detention stemmed the fact that she was born in Arunachal Pradesh, a region claimed by China. That explanation fails to account for the detention of Tashi, who has no connection to that state.

Moreover, Prema said in an interview with NDTV that “I had flown this route before, and I was well aware that one can transit for less than 24 hours [or 12 hours] without a transit visa, which is why I undertook this journey.”

Given that she had previously traveled this route without incident, the peculiarity of her detention on this occasion warrants closer examination. It also raises the question of why Tashi was singled out while other Indians were not targeted.

The cause of their detention is not limited to their place of birth, but is shaped by their cultural affinities.

In Beijing’s repression of Tibetans in occupied Tibet and in exile, it extends its coercive practices to anyone bearing Tibetan cultural markers, regardless of citizenship. Such incidents fall squarely within China’s established architectonic of “transnational cultural repression.”

Transnational cultural repression refers to repression based on culture, identity, language or religion that targets people within and beyond the borders of the repressive state, regardless of their citizenship. Mere cultural affinity becomes grounds for repression, even in the absence of committing any political activity that could threaten or subvert the state.

While such repression of Tibetans has been well documented — including by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy — transnational cultural repression of people with affinities to Tibetan identity is becoming increasingly applied to Indians.

The cases of Prema and Tashi demonstrate that even possessing a name associated with Tibetan culture could trigger suspicion. Such incidents might compel Tibetans and other people with cultural ties to Tibet to disassociate from their identities if travel to China becomes necessary. That constitutes a form of transnational cultural repression not limited to Tibetans, and extends to those perceived to be associated with Tibetan culture, even when they are legal citizens of sovereign states.

The practices represent an extension of China’s assimilationist policies beyond the geographical boundaries of Tibet.

Within Tibet, efforts to erode Tibetan cultural identity have included the establishment of colonial boarding schools aimed at severing children from their language, culture and traditions.

While name changes in many societies are undertaken to improve social mobility, in this context, they are increasingly driven by the need to avoid cultural repression.

During interrogation, Tashi was reportedly questioned about his association with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and asked whether he had connections to Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Such practices likely result in self-censorship among the Himalayan Indian community, forcing them to distance themselves from their cultural identity and disassociate with the Dalai Lama. All of that might lead to the silencing of their devotion to the Dalai Lama and restrain them from voicing opinions against China regarding the selection of the next Dalai Lama.

Tenzing Dhamdul is a senior researcher at the Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives in New Delhi. Gyatso is a doctoral candidate in New Delhi.


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Former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying (梁振英) has chosen a curious moment to speak candidly. Days after the Hong Kong court delivered its 855-page verdict against pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai (黎智英), Leung wrote a lengthy post on Facebook explaining — without embarrassment and with a hint of pride — how he spent years privately summoning major corporations to squeeze the advertising lifeblood out of the Apple Daily until it was “compressed to near zero.”

When he was still in office, Leung denied doing this, but with Lai convicted and the newspaper dead, he called it reflection.

It is an extraordinary confession because it confirms what Hong Kong officials spent a decade dismissing as paranoia: The territory’s most outspoken newspaper was not defeated by the market, readers, nor law alone, but by deliberate political pressure from the very top.

Leung framed the action as necessary — even admirable. Lai, in his view, was simply too influential, too dangerous and too effective to be left to the market. Therefore, his punishment should be understood not in narrow legal terms, but in the grander logic of political impact. In other words, guilt was measured not by statute, but by usefulness to the cause.

What makes the confession remarkable is not its cruelty, but its timing. Leung waited until the defendant was already convicted, long imprisoned, old and sick. Only then did he feel safe enough to explain how power really worked. Only then could he say aloud that law was never the main instrument — that economic strangulation, intimidation of advertisers and “early struggle” were preferable to courts, and that relying on legislation alone was never enough.

It is not the language of a former leader reflecting on mistakes, it is the language of someone reassuring the system that it had been right all along.

The irony is inescapable. For years, the territory was told that its decline began in 2020, with the implementation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Before that, some thought there was still rule of law, press freedom and a functioning version of “one country, two systems.” Leung’s post blew up that comforting fiction.

He described actions taken years earlier, when the Basic Law was supposedly intact, courts were still trusted and the system was still being sold to the world — and to Taiwan — as proof that freedom and authoritarianism could coexist.

Leung’s confession reveals that even at the height of Hong Kong’s supposed autonomy, its leader saw nothing wrong with using executive influence to punish a newspaper for its stance, or in redefining patriotism as loyalty not to the country, but to the ruling party.

He now urges society to learn the “lesson” of Lai: Next time, do not wait for trials; crush dissent earlier, more decisively and more creatively. Law, in this telling, is not a shield, but a finishing touch.

This shows Taiwan what the “successful” version of “one country, two systems” looked like, even before its formal burial: a territory where media could be suffocated without a single court order, where a chief executive could deny such conduct while in office and boast of it afterward and where a publisher’s crime was not what he did, but how much influence he had.

Leung has done something rare. In trying to justify the destruction of Lai and Apple Daily, he has stripped away the last illusion. Hong Kong did not lose its freedoms suddenly in 2020. It lost them gradually, methodically and with the quiet approval of leaders who believed that law existed to serve power, not restrain it.

If this is the system some still urge Taiwan to trust, then Leung’s “confession” should be required reading, not as history, but as warning.

John Cheng is a retired businessman from Hong Kong now living in Taiwan.

title: Ex-HK head confession a warning for Taiwan


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text:
The image was oddly quiet. No speeches, no flags, no dramatic announcements — just a Chinese cargo ship cutting through arctic ice and arriving in Britain in October. The Istanbul Bridge completed a journey that once existed only in theory, shaving weeks off traditional shipping routes.On paper, it was a story about efficiency. In strategic terms, it was about timing.Much like politics, arriving early matters. Especially when the route, the rules and the traffic are still undefined.For years, global politics has trained us to watch the loud moments: warships in the Taiwan Strait, sanctions announced at news conferences, leaders trading

By BonnieYushih Liao 廖雨詩


title: How Mexico is doing  the US’ dirty work for it

content_text:
The trade war will be a wild adventure in unintended consequences on a global scale

When the Mexican Senate voted last week to approve a 50 percent tariff rate on a broad swathe of countries — China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan among them — politicians from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party pretended they did it for their own reasons. Nobody in Asia believes that this is a bold declaration of economic independence. It is seen instead as opening an unexpected front in US President Donald Trump’s trade war on the world.

The vote waived the senators’ usual right to discuss amendments in committees, and it passed 76-5, with the opposition abstaining. Officials grandly delivered the usual lines that accompany measures cutting off trade: It would protect local industry, that revenue would increase by almost US$3 billion, that there would be more money to spend on supporting the unemployed.

But the real reason is that Sheinbaum is spooked by the deadline, six months away, for reviewing the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The speed with which she pushed the legislation through and its timing are no coincidence: Trump said earlier this month that he might let the North American Free Trade Agreement’s successor expire, or “maybe work out another deal” that ensured the US was not “taken advantage of.” Nobody wants that can of worms reopened.

About 80 percent of Mexico’s exports cross its northern border, and more than 80 percent of those are tariff-free under USMCA. The country depends upon US markets for 30 percent or so of its output. Mexican politicians are clearly scared enough that even acts of economic self-harm, such as 50 percent tariffs, seem worth trying.

For the countries affected by the new rates out of Mexico City, this is a sobering reminder that they have more than just the US president to deal with. Trade is a complicated, disaggregated affair, which is why we have multilateral arrangements such as the WTO. For much of 2025, we could pretend that was not the case, with everyone scrambling to conclude their own bilateral deal with the US. But Sheinbaum shows that the trade conflicts Trump has launched are a cascading war, not some controlled confrontation.

Some are going to be hit particularly hard. One of the few industries in India that has carved out a successful export niche for itself is auto components. New tariffs could render them uncompetitive inputs for the giant factories along the US border serving the insatiable US appetite for cars.

But a significant proportion of Indian exports to Mexico are not about the US at all. It is consistently among the top three or four destinations in the world for small, fuel-efficient cars, for example. These are not meant for Americans, but they have been hit with tariffs anyway. Sheinbaum is paying Trump protection money, but she has taken it from the pockets of Indian producers.

And from her own citizens, of course. Opposition lawmakers pointed out that official modelers had given up on trying to estimate the effects of such a drastic change to Mexican trade policy. Citgroup’s economists think that this could keep domestic inflation above 4 percent next year. All the other downstream, predictable effects of tariffs should apply: loss of competitive advantage, factories that face supply crunches and retaliation in fields where you do not expect it.

And what happens if Trump decides that he does not care about such expensive professions of loyalty, and shuts down USMCA anyway? Mexico City is going to have to rebuild trade relations with the rest of the world from scratch, but capitals from Brasilia to Beijing might not be particularly warmly disposed toward them at that point.

Many countries in Asia had hoped that US-first trade policy — even if disruptive — might end up forging a united front against Chinese dominance of manufacturing. Sheinbaum’s surrender shows us a different path. In this alternative world, some countries might quietly enact the US president’s policies for him. Others, perhaps with China in the lead, might try to find a multilateral path to isolate collaborators.

Countries across Asia and beyond know that it is not just their relationship with the US that is threatened, but with multiple other nations as Trump tries to push everyone into his dream, high-tariff world. He has already asked the EU to impose 100 percent tariffs on China and India. It is unlikely to agree. Some countries might raise high and unpredictable trade barriers against each other and the world, while the rest could seek security and prosperity by integrating faster and further. Sheinbaum might have picked the wrong side.

In his first term, Trump promised to have Mexico pay for his wall. In his second term, he has succeeded. So what if the wall is one of tariffs, and not bricks?

Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, he is author of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


title: Social ossification is killing India’s economic growth

content_text:
China made good on its economic shift, but India’s economy has stagnated

In 1980, neither China nor India had much representation in the global middle class — people who neither belong to the bottom half of the income distribution nor rank among the top 10 percent worldwide. Almost a half-century later, things have changed — but in very different ways. China accounts for a sizable share of the more affluent middle-income earners, while India seems to have faded in relative importance.

This finding, nestled in the annual World Inequality Report, is a puzzle. After all, the only two countries with billion-plus populations are believed to have done well by embracing capitalism and opening their economies after the collapse of the Soviet Union. China became the factory to the world; India became its back office. So why should the outcomes for their citizens be so different?

To unpack this puzzle, start with Indians who are outside the middle class. The top of the pyramid is made up of what Marcellus Investment Managers in Mumbai has termed as the “Octopus Class,” the 1 million super-wealthy individuals whose affluence and disposable incomes are close to first-world levels. This tiny group has earned high returns from financial markets, and grown rich by serving each other and affluent customers around the world as corporate honchos, bankers, lawyers and other top professionals. The bottom is bursting at the seams, particularly since the pandemic when 800 million people came to survive on free food grains from the government. They still do.

Between the bookends of wealth and welfare lies the problematic domain: work and wages.

In China and India, surplus labor in agriculture followed the textbook model of development: It provided the ballast for industrialization, urbanization and creation of a middle class. Unlike in China, where young people of all genders migrated to cities, in India mostly men went; women from landless peasant families found seasonal work at brick kilns and construction sites. Most others stayed back, leaving the most-populous nation with one of the worst rates of female labor force participation in the developing world. After the pandemic, this ratio began to rise, largely because of an increase in work on the farm and self-employment. Those do not pay enough.

The opportunities for men who came to cities were limited by the reach of their caste, a birth-based social identity unique to South Asia. Although upward mobility at the lower end of the hierarchy has improved somewhat, it is still severely restricted. State jobs, where historically discriminated groups could get the benefit of affirmative action, have become rare. Like their fathers before them, a majority of male workers remain trapped in low-productivity, low-income occupations, such as guards, chauffeurs, gardeners and handymen.

Most of these findings are drawn from the State of Working India 2023 report by Amit Basole and his team at the Bengaluru-based Azim Premji University. As the economists have said, India missed out on the expected transfer of labor from subsistence-oriented occupations to profit-led activity. Three out of four nonfarm workers are stuck in the informal sector.

A stunted middle class might be a direct result of this extreme inequality. Folks at the top of the ladder do not see the teeming masses as a meaningful market, except for utilities, soap, short videos and personal loans. Those at the bottom of the pyramid lack the education and skills to manufacture things for the wealthy at home and overseas. A rapidly digitizing economy needs young internal migrants for gig work — like deliveries for 10-minute quick commerce. While it is no stepping stone to a middle-class life, it is all there is for the youth: The return on an additional year of schooling is lower than not just China, but Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Inequality Report.

At the top of society, mobility is limited globally. Many in today’s Chinese elite are descendants of those who had prominent roles during the Communist revolution of 1949. India’s business tycoons are mostly a leftover of the mercantile interests that had thrived under pre-1947 British colonial rule. They are guided by short-term returns. Instead of replicating their Chinese counterparts’ aggressive investment in technology, their one brilliant idea for scaling up manufacturing is to lobby for relaxed labor laws — so they can extract a 12-hour workday.

The top 1 percent of Indians own 40 percent of overall personal wealth, but Gen-Z billionaires are bored with business. They would rather park their fortunes in family offices than start new enterprises. In the Soviet-styled planned economy that extended up to the 1980s, their grandparents scrambled for licenses. Nowadays, their parents just fight each other for a favorable government policy and haggle with private-credit firms for refinancing.

An unambitious elite spoiled by finance — plus a working class held back by inadequate education and inequities of caste and gender — are stymying the emergence of a global middle class in India. The social change that can fill the gap is nowhere on the horizon.

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. Previously, he worked for Reuters, the Straits Times and Bloomberg News. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


title: Mbappe equals Ronaldo record in Madrid’s win

content_text:
Kylian Mbappe on Saturday equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid with a late penalty in his side’s 2-0 home win over Sevilla in Spanish La Liga, with the French forward celebrating his 27th birthday in style.

Mbappe missed several earlier chances before getting his opportunity from the spot four minutes from time, and he made no mistake to net his 59th goal in as many games across all competitions this year to level Ronaldo’s 2013 haul.

Jude Bellingham put Real in front in the opening half and Sevilla went down to 10 men with 22 minutes remaining after Marcao received a second booking, but the hosts had keeper Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping them ahead.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, right, vies for the ball against Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez during their La Liga match in Madrid on Saturday. Photo: AP

Real are second in the La Liga standings on 42 points, one behind Barcelona who were away to third-placed Villarreal last night, while Sevilla are ninth on 20 points.

Xabi Alonso’s side were looking to end the year on a high note after losing top spot last month with three consecutive draws, and they saw it out with three successive wins in all competitions, but it was far from a straightforward success.

Sevilla created plenty of problems early on, with Isaac Romero chipping a shot narrowly wide when sent through on goal, bringing whistles from the home crowd with Real under pressure.

Mbappe sent a snap shot wide, as the hosts struggled to find a clear-cut chance, and Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume put another strike wide for the visitors before Real went in front seven minutes before the break.

Rodrygo put a free-kick into the box, and Bellingham rose to power a header into the far corner to settle Real’s nerves at the break.

Mbappe sent an effort straight at the keeper and dragged another shot wide, while at the other end Courtois twice denied Alexis Sanchez and Romero with Real all too easy to open up at the back.

From a corner, Mbappe hit the crossbar with a header and after Marcao’s sending-off Rodrygo struck a beautiful shot on the turn, but Sevilla keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos touched it onto the bar.

Real were hanging on for the win with Mbappe still laboring to find the net when Juanlu Sanchez fouled Rodrygo in the box, and the birthday boy stepped up to score before pulling out Ronaldo’s celebration.

Mbappe thought he had been gifted the perfect chance to score again when the referee pointed to the spot two minutes later, but the official changed his mind after a video assistant referee check, and the Frenchman had to settle for a share of the record.


title: Africa Cup of Nations now to be every four years

content_text:
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) would in future be held every four years instead of every two years, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Saturday.

The surprise decision was made at the body’s executive committee meeting in Rabat and announced at a news conference by CAF president Patrice Motsepe.

The tournament, which brings in an estimated 80 percent of CAF’s revenue, has traditionally been held every two years since its inception in 1957.

Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe attends a news conference in Rabat on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Yesterday marked the start of the 35th edition, hosted in Morocco with the home team taking on Comoros.

Motsepe said the next AFCON finals, scheduled for 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, would go ahead and then another tournament would be held in 2028, but after that it would be hosted every four years.

Motsepe announced the launch of an African Nations League annually from 2029 to fill the gap, following the example of Europe which holds its championship every four years.

“Historically the Nations Cup was the prime resource for us, but now we will get financial resources every year,” he said.

“It is an exciting new structure which will contribute to sustainable financial independence and ensure more synchronization with the FIFA calendar,” he added.

Holding the AFCON every four years had been previously proposed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino but this had been rebuffed by CAF because of its reliance on the revenues that the tournament generates.

The timing of AFCON has long courted controversy, because it has usually been hosted in the middle of the European season, forcing clubs to release their African players.

This tug of loyalty was supposed to be solved by moving the AFCON to mid-year from 2019, but later tournaments in Cameroon in 2022 and Ivory Coast last year were again hosted at the start of the year.

This year’s tournament in Morocco was moved back six months when FIFA introduced a new-look Club World Cup, which was hosted in the US in June and July.


title: Jake Paul reports double broken jaw and on liquids

content_text:
Jake Paul’s jaw was broken in two places in his loss to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami on Friday.

Joshua scored a sixth-round knockout victory over Paul, who posted on Saturday an X-ray of his damaged jaw.

“Double broken jaw,” the YouTuber wrote on Instagram. “Give me Canelo in 10 days.”

Referee Christopher Young, right, counts over US boxer and influencer Jake Paul, center, as he sits on the floor during his fight against British boxer Anthony Joshua in a non-title heavyweight bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on Friday. Photo: AFP

In a separate post from what appeared to be a hospital room, he added: “thanks for all the support I’m OK.”

Paul later posted that “everything went smooth” during surgery.

“Lots of pain and stiffness,” he wrote. “Gotta eat liquids for 7 days.”

Joshua ended the heavyweight bout with a powerful punch to Paul’s jaw, sending the American to the canvas for the fourth and final time. Paul was counted out as he struggled to get to his feet.

Concerns were raised in the buildup due to the mismatch in size and skills. Paul weighed in at 98kg, and Joshua at 110kg. The Englishman, a two-time heavyweight champion, is one of the sport’s elite power punchers.


content_text:
OVERLOOKED:  One of the alleged gunmen was investigated by intelligence services for possible radicalization in 2019, but at the time was deemed not to be a threat

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday said that he has ordered a review into the police and intelligence services after two gunmen shot and killed 15 people at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach.

A father and his son are accused of spraying bullets into the family-thronged Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s most famous beach on Sunday last week, allegedly inspired by “Islamic State ideology.”

Albanese said his government would examine whether police and spy services have the powers, structures and sharing arrangements “to keep Australians safe.”

People mourn near floral tributes for victims and survivors of a deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney yesterday. Photo: REUTERS

“The ISIS-inspired atrocity last Sunday reinforces the rapidly changing security environment in our nation,” he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State group. “Our security agencies must be in the best position to respond.”

Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the Bondi attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.

His 24-year-old son, Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in hospital under police guard and faces multiple charges, including terrorism and 15 murders.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, center, and other guests participate in a ceremony to mark the National Day of Reflection for victims and survivors at Bondi Beach in Sydney yesterday. Photo: AP

The son was investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in 2019 for possible radicalization, but was found at the time not to pose a threat, according to Australian authorities.

His father was also questioned by the intelligence service as part of that review, but he managed to obtain a gun license that allowed him to own six firearms.

A few weeks before the Bondi Beach attack, the pair returned to Sydney from a four-week trip to the southern Philippines that is now under investigation by detectives there and in Australia.

Albanese said there were “real issues” with Australia’s intelligence service in light of the attack.

“We need to examine exactly the way that systems work. We need to look back at what happened in 2019 when this person was looked at, the assessment that was made,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

Asked in a separate interview about the alleged gunmen’s stay at a hotel in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, Albanese said their radicalization was under investigation.

“But it is also the case that they were not seen to be persons of interest, and that is why this is such a shocking event,” he said.

There is a long history of Islamist insurgencies in the Mindanao region, but authorities there say there is no evidence to suggest the Philippines is being used to coach extremists.

The staff of Davao City’s GV Hotel have told reporters that the two men stayed holed up in their small room for most of their 28-day stay.

They would usually leave their rooms only for two or three hours, with the longest excursion lasting eight hours, the Philippine national security service said.

Regional police, who have trawled through CCTV images to retrace the pair’s steps and discover who they met, said the father had visited a gun shop.

Clarke Jones, an Australian National University criminologist, said it was “very, very unusual” to have a father and son as suspected perpetrators.

Once in the Philippines, the pair could have easily travelled to Mindanao without raising any flags, he said.

Jones, who has worked with violent offenders in the Philippines, said the alleged gunmen’s radicalization had apparently gone “under the radar” for years after the Australian intelligence probe.

“I think we would really need to look at what happened, and whether that kid, when he was first detected, should have been put through some sort of support program to prevent this potential thing happening,” he said.

title: Australia to review police after shooting