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countries: 香港 日本 台灣 伊朗 巴西 丹麥 阿富汗 印度 泰國 美國 加拿大 中國 法國

people: 卓榮泰 林佳龍 鄭麗君 習近平 川普 黃仁

taiwan-subdivisions: 金門 和平 基隆

things: 油價 資安

title: 金門尚義機場 | 關鍵字新聞


countries: 泰國 美國 加拿大 中國 法國 香港 日本 台灣 伊朗 巴西 丹麥 阿富汗 印度

people: 鄭麗君 習近平 川普 黃仁 卓榮泰 林佳龍

taiwan-subdivisions: 和平 基隆 金門

things: 資安 油價

title: 小三通 | 關鍵字新聞


countries: 法國 中國 加拿大 美國 泰國 印度 阿富汗 丹麥 巴西 伊朗 台灣 日本 香港

people: 黃仁 川普 習近平 鄭麗君 林佳龍 卓榮泰

taiwan-subdivisions: 基隆 金門 和平

title: 米勒 | 關鍵字新聞


title: 小琉球民眾潛水失蹤　海巡派勤急尋搜救

taiwan-subdivisions: 琉球 東港

content_text:
▼海巡署南部分署岸際勤務部分派遣5車11人、海上勤務投入2艇14員持續搜救失蹤民眾。（圖／海巡署南部分署）

【記者何勁陞／小琉球報導】 海巡署南部分署第五岸巡隊小琉球安檢所於(23)日傍晚6點50分時，接獲民眾報案稱其妻子上午10時許，1人自行前往琉球新漁港大福西涼亭天然游泳池下水至外海自由潛水後失聯，海巡人員獲報立即協尋。

海巡人員獲報後，立即依報案民眾描述之失蹤女子外型特徵協尋，並通報琉球消防分隊、東港分局琉球分駐所、琉球海域救難協會等相關單位投入搜救，截至(24)日05時止，海巡署南部分署岸際勤務部分派遣5車11人、海上勤務投入2艇14員持續搜救失蹤民眾。

第五岸巡隊表示，民眾如於海上、岸際進行水域遊憩活動前，可先透過海洋委員會「GoOcean海洋遊憩風險資訊」APP查詢當地海域狀況，並呼籲民眾如於海上及岸際發生危難狀況時，請撥打海巡『118』報案專線，海巡署將竭誠為您服務。


title: 高雄榮家攜手布藝志工　迎新春手作傳遞溫暖與關懷

content_text:
【記者何勁陞／高雄報導】 為迎接農曆春節，營造溫馨歡樂的節慶氣氛，高雄榮家近期攜手布藝達人謝瑛娟校長，帶領14位布藝志工辦理手作布藝課公益活動，協助榮家長輩開心縫製兼具實用與美感的個性側背包及象徵吉祥喜氣的紅色「錢幣」包，讓長輩在歲末年終之際感受滿滿的年節氛圍與新春祝福。

活動過程中，布藝志工耐心講解縫紉技巧與步驟，並從旁細心給予一對一的專人協助。長輩們專注用心投入，一針一線創造出屬於自己的作品，過程中不時交流心得、分享生活點滴，現場洋溢溫馨互動與歡笑聲。透過簡易上手的布藝課程，不僅促進長輩手部靈活與腦部刺激，也提升自信心與成就感，達到寓教於樂的效果。

當完成作品之際，高雄榮家郭豫臨主任致贈感謝狀予這群謝瑛娟校長領軍的布藝志工團，表達榮家對志工們長期投入、無私付出的誠摯感謝。同時也精心準備別具意義的伴手禮，包括高雄榮家幸福桌曆、養生萊姆片及沖泡飲品等，感謝每位布藝志工其不辭辛勞自備縫紉機陪伴長輩們完成個性化且充滿創意的縫紉作品。

高雄榮家郭主任表示，布藝志工團隊不僅傳授專業技藝，更以實際行動陪伴長輩，為榮家生活注入溫暖與活力，期盼未來持續攜手合作，結合更多社會資源，為榮家長輩帶來更多驚喜且獨特的布藝體驗，讓關懷與溫情在榮家持續傳遞。未來高雄榮家將持續與布藝志工團隊合作，也歡迎更多關懷高齡族群的社會團體走入榮家，與住民長輩互動交流，共同導入歡樂、輸出健康，打造多元而豐富的高齡照顧服務內涵。


taiwan-subdivisions: 里港 屏東縣 鹽埔 仁德 潮州

title: 寒冬送暖送物資　里港警關懷弱勢家庭不遺餘力

content_text:
▼警方除肩負治安維護重任外，也主動投入社會關懷行列，親自將生活必需物資送至弱勢家庭。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局里港分局）

【記者何勁陞／潮州報導】 農曆年節將至，里港警分局新圍派出所所長張浩哲與警員唐宏昇秉持關懷弱勢、服務鄉里的精神，協同鄉民代表鄭仁德主動深入轄區，協助經濟困頓民眾及竹葉林身心障礙協會鹽埔據點發放愛心物資，將溫暖與關懷即時送達弱勢族群手中。

警方除肩負治安維護重任外，也主動投入社會關懷行列，親自將生活必需物資送至弱勢家庭，讓民眾感受到實質支持與溫情；所長張浩哲與警員唐宏昇同時也把握機會，向民眾宣導反詐騙觀念，提醒近期詐騙手法猖獗，常見類型包括假投資、假檢警、假親友及人頭戶等，如遇可疑情形，務必立即撥打110或165反詐騙專線查證。

里港警分局長邱逸樵表示，此次愛心物資發放活動不僅展現警察柔性關懷、貼近民意的一面，也有效促進警民互動與合作，傳遞正向社會能量。未來分局也將持續結合社區資源，落實為民服務精神，共同營造安全、溫馨的生活環境。


title: 國際佛光會枋寮分會贈臘八粥　感謝枋警全年守護治安

taiwan-subdivisions: 枋寮 屏東縣

content_text:
▼國際佛光會枋寮分會已連續多年於臘月期間前往枋寮分局發送臘八粥，除與警察同仁結緣。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局枋寮分局）

【記者何勁陞／枋寮報導】 臘月為一年中最後一個農曆月份，象徵歲末將至、新春在望。國際佛光會枋寮分會日前由有助法師帶領，會長陳明珠、副會長陳秀菊、督導李進輝、孫伯忠及督導長洪明明等人，前往屏東縣政府警察局枋寮分局致贈臘八粥及新年春聯，共準備200碗臘八粥，與員警們分享節慶溫暖，在寒冬中傳遞關懷與祝福。

國際佛光會枋寮分會已連續多年於臘月期間前往枋寮分局發送臘八粥，除與警察同仁結緣外，更藉由一碗熱騰騰的臘八粥，慰勞員警一年來辛勤付出，並祝福新的一年平安順利。員警們品嚐後紛紛表示「健康又好吃」、「感受到滿滿祝福」，現場氣氛溫馨融洽。

枋寮分局長盧恒隆表示，農曆年節將近，特別感謝國際佛光會枋寮分會及有助法師長期以來對警察同仁的關懷與支持，也期勉分局同仁在享用臘八粥後，能補充滿滿能量，在新的一年持續秉持服務熱忱，用心守護轄區治安，為民眾提供更優質的服務。


taiwan-subdivisions: 東港 新園 潮州 屏東縣

title: 心急兒載傷母入警所　東港警熱心救援暨東港警訊

content_text:
▼員警立即帶婦人至隔壁消防隊，經由救護人員初步止血包紮後，隨後由救護車送往鄰近醫院進行治療。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局東港分局）

【記者何勁陞／東港報導】 東港警分局新園分駐所巡佐郭俊明、警員簡政弘、李為誠日前值勤時遇李姓男子載母親尋求警方協助，表示母親右手受傷血流不止，警方立即帶至隔壁消防隊由救護人員完成初步止血並送醫救治，所幸無大礙，家屬對警方的協助非常感謝。

劉姓婦人(55年次)在住家整理花盆時，右手不慎被花盆玻璃碎片割傷，傷口當場血流如注，兒子見狀立即駕車載送欲前往醫院，行經新園分駐所時入內向警方求助，員警立即帶婦人至隔壁消防隊，經由救護人員初步止血包紮後，隨後由救護車送往鄰近醫院進行治療。

東港警分局表示，為民服務本是警察職責所在，如遇需要警方協助，也請不吝伸出援手，如需警方協助請撥打110報案，員警將到場為民眾服務。

佛光山潮州講堂臘八粥結緣東港警

▼佛光山潮州講堂東港分會特地送來臘八粥到東港警分局供警察同仁享用。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局東港分局）

佛光山潮州講堂東港分會由妙辰法師率領師兄姐們，於法寶節前夕前往東港警分局與警察同仁結緣，慰勞同仁執勤辛勞，受到警察同仁熱情的接待。

為慶祝法寶節佛陀成道日溫馨臘八情，佛光山潮州講堂東港分會特地送來臘八粥到東港警分局供警察同仁享用，除感謝警察對治安、交通的貢獻與付出外，也祝福每一位同仁在家庭及工作崗位上都能順心如意，圓圓滿滿。

東港警分局長高志正表示，感謝佛光山潮州講堂東港分會提供健康臘八粥供警察同仁們享用，也期許同仁在吃完臘八粥後，可以收穫滿滿能量，說好話、存好心、做好事，在新的一年能持續用心為轄區民眾服務，大家一起來守護轄區治安。

海外匯款險遭詐騙 東港警銀聯手阻詐

▼現場經警方與銀行人員苦口婆心講解相關案例，宣導網路陌生投資群組為典型假投資真詐騙手法。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局東港分局）

東港警分局東港派出所所長黃奕鳴、警員賴柏亦、吳享諾日前接獲新光銀行通報，稱有民眾臨櫃要設定海外香港帳號做轉帳，經行員關懷下發現疑似遇到假投資型詐騙案件，遂通報警方協助查證攔阻。

經了解，民眾孫姓婦人（50年次）向警方表示自己於網路加入不明LINE，對方介紹高級手錶，向婦人指示要設定海外匯款功能方便後續購買高級手錶投資使用，現場經警方與銀行人員苦口婆心講解相關案例，宣導網路陌生投資群組為典型假投資真詐騙手法，婦人才打消設定海外轉帳功能，放棄匯款給對方。

東港警分局呼籲，很多詐騙手法多透過社群媒體及即時通訊拉攏受害者，假借投資為名，承諾「穩賺不賠」、「高額回報」等話術必定是詐騙，民眾不要輕信來源不明投資管道或網路連結，如遇到加「LINE」進行投資必為詐騙，可撥打110或165反詐騙諮詢專線查證，以免上當。


taiwan-subdivisions: 信義區 旗山 北港 三星

title: 虎承殿北上首戰2026世貿年貨大展　出道即巔峰的台潮伴手禮

content_text:
【記者 陳玄雲／台北 報導】把傳統糕餅做得『有梗又有神』，說的就是手工烘焙名店『虎承殿』。這回品牌首次受邀揮軍北上參展，就直攻被主辦單位定位為『全台最大、室內年貨採購盛宴』的世貿年貨大展，堪稱出道即巔峰。

虎承殿從餐車起家、一路把街頭的人情味練成品牌硬實力：用在地信仰作為文化 IP，把『虎爺』的守護寓意揉進糕點裡，讓你送禮不只送好吃，還送一份『被保庇的安心感』。

虎承殿把『世貿首推』當成品牌主場秀：全新口味『金釀福虎』以旗山蜜地瓜、甜酒釀、碳烤地瓜、金鑽鳳梨為內餡搭配的，拿來送長輩有面子、送朋友有笑點、自己吃更是把新年願望先偷許一輪。2026世貿年貨大展懶人包：一站購足、還能祈福

『2026世貿年貨大展暨禮品贈品展』1/23–1/26於台北世貿一館登場，主打室內逛展不怕風雨，匯集近500家品牌、近千格攤位，從年菜、海味乾貨、異國美食到伴手禮與年節佈置，一站補齊過年採買清單。

展期並延續北港朝天宮媽祖鑾座駐駕、擲筊迎福與點燈祈願等應景活動，讓民眾邊買邊討個好彩頭；官方也整理多項預約與抽獎互動，增添逛展儀式感。

台潮烘焙新勢力 把專業做進每一口

虎承殿能在競爭激烈的食品業異軍突起，關鍵不是『喊得大聲』，而是把專業落在看得見的細節：從研發邏輯、製程控管到服務體驗，都用飯店級標準要求自己，讓產品穩定、口感到位、包裝也更有記憶點。這種『把小事做到極緻』的職人精神，最容易被消費者用回購投票。

更聰明的是品牌策略：以『台潮伴手禮』為核心，讓糕點不只屬於節慶，而是能走進日常的療癒點心～把市場從『一次性送禮』做成『可持續回購』。

把傳統糕餅做得『有梗又有神』，說的就是手工烘焙名店『虎承殿』。首次受邀揮軍北上參展，就直攻被定位為『全台最大、室內年貨採購盛宴』的世貿年貨大展，堪稱出道即巔峰。星級虎掌酥 三味三祝福，甜鹹都討喜

虎承殿招牌『虎掌酥』以虎爺為靈感，把鳳梨酥做成虎掌造型，外型吸睛、寓意守護；讓傳統糕點口感與質感都升級成星級酒店『一掌祝福』。

經典三口味各自有哏、也各自有粉：『吉時厚乳』走濃郁奶香與鳳梨餡的鹹甜平衡；『橙心可可』以巧克力搭配柑橘系果香，苦甜酸甜層次很會；『蔥麻雙喜』直接把三星蔥＋麻辣玩出鹹口新世界，越吃越涮嘴。『別出心裁，回味無窮』，而且還很適合拍照打卡，社群一發，祝福就自帶流量。

世貿首推新品『金釀福虎』金與福一口咬住

這次北上參展，虎承殿把『世貿首推』當成品牌主場秀：全新口味『金釀福虎』以旗山蜜地瓜、甜酒釀、碳烤地瓜、金鑽鳳梨為內餡搭配的，拿來送長輩有面子、送朋友有笑點、自己吃更是把新年願望先偷許一輪。

現場並推出展期限定首購價，把『只有這一檔』的稀缺感拉滿～畢竟過年買的不只是點心，是一種『討好彩頭的儀式感』。

在『伴手禮紅海』裡，虎承殿選擇不打價格戰，而是打『品牌記憶戰』：用虎爺守護的文化寓意做差異化，用創新口味做產品力，用現場互動做體驗力，再用社群分享做擴散力～這就是最實在的行銷漏斗。攤位限定互動：0元轉盤＋100元闖關，福氣不空手

虎承殿把攤位做成『可玩、可拍、可分享』的體驗場：

0元《好運轉轉來》：完成追蹤FB/IG、按讚分享指定貼文，即可免費轉盤一次，天天送好禮～路過不轉，真的等於把好運留給別人。

100元《虎氣滿滿》闖兩關：第一關抽『虎爺悄悄話』籤詩，當作新年導航；第二關『震天一響』射擊挑戰，主打『射中有獎、沒射中也有獎』，保證不讓你空手回家。

再加碼『蓋章迷別錯過』的集章亮點，讓採買行程多一點遊戲化、多一點故事感～買年貨也能很像在玩闖關RPG(而且結局還有伴手禮)。

獨家企劃｜虎承殿×台灣朝聖之路：把『蓋章』變成走春儀式感

虎承殿此次更把『台灣朝聖之路』的精神～一步一腳印、沿途以印章記錄旅程～轉譯成展場互動：用『集章』把逛展變成一趟新年小朝聖，讓每個章都像是替自己蓋下『新年願望已啟程』的認證。

台灣朝聖之路象徵常見的扇貝與沿途蓋章文化，原本就是旅人用來累積里程碑的浪漫語言；虎承殿把它變得更生活：你不必走800公里，也能在世貿用幾個章，換一份屬於自己的新春祝福。(提醒：聯名/活動內容與兌換方式以現場與品牌公告為準。)

虎承殿此次更把『台灣朝聖之路』的精神～一步一腳印、沿途以印章記錄旅程～轉譯成展場互動：用『集章』把逛展變成一趟新年小朝聖，讓每個章都像是替自己蓋下『新年願望已啟程』的認證。把台灣的守護感 做成可帶著走的世界語言

在『伴手禮紅海』裡，虎承殿選擇不打價格戰，而是打『品牌記憶戰』：用虎爺守護的文化寓意做差異化，用創新口味做產品力，用現場互動做體驗力，再用社群分享做擴散力～這就是最實在的行銷漏斗。

下一步，虎承殿也把視野放在更長遠的版圖：讓糕點不只在節慶出現，而是成為日常茶點、旅行伴手、甚至海外送禮的『台灣文化符號』。正所謂：『路遙知馬力，甜久見人心』，虎承殿要做的，是讓你每一次打開禮盒，都想起那句最可愛的祝福：虎哩好運，真的會來。

《展覽資訊》

時間：2026/1/23(五)～1/26(一)10:00-18:00

地點：台北世貿一館(台北市信義區信義路五段5號)

虎承殿攤位(D334)：現場限定首購價，錯過再等一年！

Line ID @xyg4871x

訂購表單 https://forms.gle/pupQJXhyWnAu7X7N9

(圖：虎承殿提供)

〈虎承殿北上首戰2026世貿年貨大展 出道即巔峰的台潮伴手禮〉這篇文章最早發佈於《世界觀新聞網》。


content_text:
COLLECTIVE DETERRENCE: Whether the Legislative Yuan passes the special defense budget matters to the mutual trust between Taiwan and its allies, a researcher said

Although the US Department of Defense’s newly released 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) report does not mention Taiwan like previous versions, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday emphasized that Taiwan, as a key nation in the Indo-Pacific region, would continue to increase defense investment to deter aggression and maintain peace.

Wu posted the remarks on social media in English, saying that the core objective of the US is to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region.

Wu wrote: “@DeptofWar’s #NDS sets the goal of preventing countries like #China from dominating the #IndoPacific, & erecting strong denial defense along the #1stIslandChain. #Taiwan is a key player in the region & will continue to invest in defense to deter aggression & achieve peace.”

National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu speaks at an event in Taipei on Oct. 21 last year. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

The report said the Indo-Pacific region would soon account for more than half of the global economy, which is crucial to US national interests.

According to NDS directives, the US would establish a strong denial defense along the first island chain, and would encourage and assist key regional allies and partners to take on more responsibility for collective defense.

This is aimed at bolstering “deterrence by denial,” and ensuring that countries recognize that peace and restraint best serve their own interests, it said.

The Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s Shen Ming-shih (沈明室) said the defense strategy needs to align with the White House’s National Security Strategy, which has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Taiwan and the first island chain.

The report focuses on principles and military issues, avoiding excessive diplomatic provocation, he said.

However, the strategic direction of encouraging countries along the first island chain to increase defense budgets and deepen cooperation remains unchanged, he said.

Regarding the responsibility of allies, Shen said that Taiwan’s allocation of a special defense budget of NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) over eight years demonstrates proactive action and has received praise from the US.

Whether the Legislative Yuan passes the budget matters to the mutual trust between Taiwan and its allies, as well as the progress of military modernization, he said.

title: Joseph Wu vows defense investment


content_text:
The US military would prioritize protecting its homeland and deterring China while providing “more limited” support to allies in Europe and elsewhere, a Pentagon strategy document released on Friday said. The document did not mention Taiwan.

The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) marks a significant departure from past Pentagon policy in its emphasis on allies taking on increased burdens with less backing from Washington and its softer tone on traditional foes China and Russia.

“As US forces focus on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense with critical but more limited support from American forces,” the document said.

The cover of the US’ 2026 National Defense Strategy. Photo: National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu’s X account

The previous NDS — released during then-US president Joe Biden’s tenure — described China as Washington’s most consequential challenge and said that Russia posed an “acute threat.”

The new document urges “respectful relations” with Beijing — while making no mention of Taiwan — and describing the threat from Russia as a “persistent but manageable” one affecting NATO’s eastern members.

Both the Biden and Trump strategies say homeland defense is important, but their descriptions of the threats facing the US differ significantly.

US President Donald Trump’s administration’s NDS takes aim at the past administration for neglecting border security, saying this led to a “flood of illegal aliens” and widespread narcotics trafficking.

“Border security is national security,” and the Pentagon “will therefore prioritize efforts to seal our borders, repel forms of invasion, and deport illegal aliens,” it said.

Meanwhile, Biden focused on China and Russia, saying they posed “more dangerous challenges to security and safety at home” than even the threat of terrorism.

The 2026 NDS also includes no mention of the dangers of climate change — which the Biden administration had identified as an “emerging threat.”

Like Trump’s national security strategy, which was released last month, the NDS elevates Latin America to the top of the US agenda.

The Pentagon “will restore American military dominance in the Western Hemisphere. We will use it to protect our Homeland and our access to key terrain throughout the region,” the NDS said.

The document called that the “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,” a reference to the declaration two centuries ago by the then-young US that Latin America was off limits to rival powers.

Since returning to office last year, Trump has repeatedly employed the US military in Latin America, ordering a shocking raid that abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, as well as strikes on more than 30 alleged drug-smuggling boats that have killed more than 100 people.

The Trump administration has provided no definitive evidence that the sunken vessels were involved in drug trafficking, and international law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, as they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the US.

title: Pentagon document prioritizes homeland security


content_text:
Simple Mart Retail Co (三商家購), which runs supermarket chain Simple Mart (美廉社) in Taiwan, announced that it would acquire the OK Mart (OK超商) convenience store chain for NT$125 million (US$3.96 million).

A board meeting held on Friday approved a plan for Simple Mart to acquire a 100 percent stake in OK Mart and its intellectual properties from the owners, Holmsgreen Holdings Co (豐群投資控股) and Lai Lai Department Stores Co (來來百貨).

Despite the acquisition, Simple Mart, a community-based supermarket operator, said it and OK Mart would remain two separate brands.

An OK Mart convenience store is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of OK Mart

Simple Mart said the acquisition is expected to strengthen its service quality, boost operational performance, and eventually diversify products and services for consumers.

Industrial sources said the acquisition would allow Simple Mart to extend its reach into the convenience store business and integrate the large logistics resources for both.

The sources said the deal would help Simple Mart gain greater bargaining power in pricing negotiations, offsetting the challenges faced by medium-sized supermarket chains.

Simple Mart has more than 800 outlets across Taiwan, and 37 percent of its stores are operated as franchises.

The company plans to increase its number of outlets to 900 by the end of this year while raising the franchise ratio 45 to 50 percent.

OK Mart is estimated to have less than 800 stores and has been facing strong competition with other convenience store chains.

Simple Mart said after the acquisition deal is completed, it would report the sale to complete the ownership transfer.

title: Simple Mart reveals deal to buy OK Mart chain


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Two days of talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at finding a path to end the four-year war yesterday wrapped up in Abu Dhabi as Kyiv came under a massive Russian air attack.

Yesterday’s discussions ran for about three hours. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is likely to then issue comments.

Another round of trilateral talks are to be held next week, Axios reported.

A Ukrainian firefighter works to extinguish a fire at the site of an air attack in Kyiv yesterday. Photo: AFP

Kremlin forces overnight launched more than 370 drones and 21 missiles, Zelenskiy said earlier on X.

Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as parts of the Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions in Ukraine’s north came under fire, he said.

Power cuts were widespread.

Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha denounced the strikes as a “cynical” move by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“His missiles hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table,” Sybiha said on X.

At least one person was killed in Kyiv and four injured, while falling debris sparked fires across multiple districts and disrupted water and heating supplies, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in Telegram posts.

About 6,000 buildings in the capital were left without heating amid temperatures around minus-8°C. The strikes damaged critical infrastructure, much of which had only recently been reconnected following strikes earlier in the month, Klitschko said.

More than 800,000 consumers in Kyiv were without electricity, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.

In Kharkiv, a maternity hospital, a dormitory for displaced people, a medical college and residential buildings were among the buildings damaged, with dozens injured, Zelenskiy said.

At least 31 people were wounded, local authorities said.

Almost the entire city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, with a population of about 300,000, was left without electricity, and authorities called on residents to store water.

Emergency power outages were imposed in the Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernivtsi regions, according to statements from local utilities.

Kuleba separately said that the EU would give Ukraine 447 generators to help with power for schools, hospitals and shelters.

“Every such Russian strike on our energy infrastructure proves that there must be no delays in supplying air defenses,” Zelenskiy said. “No blind eye can be turned to these strikes; they must be met with a strong response. We are counting on the reaction and assistance of all our partners.”

Earlier in the week, Zelenskiy discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses with US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the Davos forum in Switzerland, and made a blistering attack on European allies for not standing up to Putin.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said its overnight strikes targeted a plant producing long-range drones and energy facilities linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. The drones hit a Roshen Confectionery chocolate and cake factory in Kyiv owned by Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko, killing an employee.

Separately, Russia reported that 75 Ukrainian drones targeted various regions overnight, with no information on damage. Most of the drones were intercepted over the Rostov and Belgorod regions.

Thousands of buildings in Kyiv and across Ukraine have been left without heating and basic amenities by frequent Russian airstrikes. The latest barrage coincided with the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.

The latest discussions followed months of US-led negotiations in pursuit of peace talks between two sides. US and Ukrainian officials earlier said they have made significant progress on a 20-point plan to end the conflict that has lasted almost four years, and spiraled into Europe’s biggest since World War II.

After Trump met Zelenskiy at Davos this week, US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son in law, traveled to Moscow to meet Putin before heading to Abu Dhabi.

The pair were yesterday set to meet in Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

title: Kyiv endures new air barrage as Abu Dhabi talks end


title: China purge could disrupt chain of command: source

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MORE FALL:  An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said   By Su Yong-yao, Lo Tien-pin and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer and AP

China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday.

If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added.

The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious violations of discipline and law.”

The Chinese Ministry of Defense made the announcement yesterday, but did not mention details of the alleged wrongdoing.

At least 13 former or serving generals with positions of power, including Zhang and Liu, in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been investigated.

The purging of Zhang and Li is believed to be part of efforts to reform the military and ensure its loyalty to Xi.

It is part of a broader “anti-corruption” drive that has punished more than 200,000 officials since Xi came to power in 2012.

Zhang is the most senior vice chairman in the commission, has long been regarded as one of Xi’s most reliable allies and was a key figure in stabilizing the political situation in China.

His absence from several high-level meetings since Jan. 1 caused suspicions about his fall.

Zhang is a “second-generation red”— a child of the first generation of CCP leaders — and has been a key Xi crony in the military, given his rich field experience, said another source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Liu has command over the PLA’s operations.

Meanwhile, the security official said Zhang’s and Liu’s removal would disrupt the chain of command, and that the PLA’s joint operational command capabilities would likely fall into confusion and require reorganization.

The possibility that external conflict could be used to unify domestic support to divert attention from internal pressures cannot be completely ruled out, they added.

National Taiwan University political science associate professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said the PLA’s command system is in a vacuum and the purges indicate Xi that has a deep mistrust of the military.

Fearing potential defections in the event of war, Xi is unlikely to take major military action against Taiwan in the short term, Chen added.

Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua


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EQUALLY PROSPEROUS:  The KMT said backer Yang Chien-kang does not aim to block military procurement, but to ensure that Taiwan’s development is balanced

Yi Kang chairman Yang Chien-kang (楊建綱), a long-time financial backer of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), during a gathering at party headquarters on Friday urged KMT lawmakers to stand firm on the party line regarding arms procurement.

A source who attended the event quoted Yang as saying that the administration’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.58 billion) special military procurement budget would incur maintenance costs of between NT$2.5 trillion and NT$3 trillion, with average annual maintenance costs of NT$300 billion.

On top of the defense spending for this year, which is expected to reach NT$949.5 billion, the total defense budget would reach NT$1.4 trillion, or half of the annual budget, he said, asking what that would leave for economic development or bettering public welfare.

The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) headquarters in Taipei are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times

The procurement budget is also not in compliance with due process, Yang was quoted as saying.

The foundations of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and its supply chains were established under former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) of the KMT, but the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is casting a pall over Hsinchu Science Park and allowing the company’s Arizona park to claim the glory, he said.

In response to Yang suggesting that the KMT “toughen up,” party caucus secretary-general Lo Chi-chiang (羅智強) said Yang was not saying the KMT should be tough on the US, but that the party should be firmer in overseeing the government, defending the public’s budget, and safeguarding Taiwan and its interests.

KMT Culture and Communications Committee head Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) said Yang does not aim to block military procurement, but to ensure that the nation’s development is more balanced, as a prosperous tourism industry, and medical and industrial sectors would also make the country safer.

DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said Yang’s message served only to put out erroneous information on national defense and stir up political strife, as is Beijing’s intent.

Taiwan’s national defense budget is patterned after the NATO standard, equal to 3 percent of the nation’s GDP, not half of the national budget, Wu said.

Taiwan National Security Institute Deputy Secretary-General Ho Cheng-hui (何澄輝) said Yang shifting from behind the scenes to the forefront and “lecturing” KMT lawmakers constitutes substantive interference in the party’s decisionmaking and operations.

While there is no evidence of Yang receiving instructions from the Chinese Communist Party, if he “knowingly and actively” panders to Beijing’s political ambitions, he would, under the standards of Australia and other countries, be considered a “foreign agent,” he said.

Yang, 80, is a retired soldier and, while not an official KMT member, has been an avid supporter of the party.

He was also rumored to be KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) backer during last year’s chairperson election.

Additional reporting by Chen Cheng-yu

people: 鄭麗文 吳宗憲 羅智強 吳思瑤

title: KMT backer calls for firm defense spending stance


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Taiwan, US collaborating on systems to boost resilience of nation’s supply chainBy Fang Wei-li and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience.

Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units.

The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said.

Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus, third left, and GTOC general manager Chung Yu-hsin, right, pose for a photograph with Firestorm Labs, Aerkomm Inc and GTOC officials at a new conference in Taipei on Friday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said xCell’s integrated industrial-grade 3D printers and container units could be transported by almost any vehicle and go online within 24 hours of being deployed.

Combined with GTOC’s capabilities, the systems would enable Taiwan to speedily modify and manufacture uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to suit shifting operational needs, he said.

Firestorm CEO Dan Magy said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of drones in modern warfare.

China and Russia could each produce up to 300,000 UAVs a month, compared with 30,000 a year for the US, which has long and vulnerable supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.

Taiwan’s strategic reserve of military supplies have insufficient depth, as stockpiles could run out after anywhere from six hours to 30 days of continuous combat without resupply, Magy said.

Firestorm’s technology is capable of boosting drone production, and furnishing badly-needed parts and components, he said, adding that US Marines have already used xCell to repair GPS devices.

GTOC general manager Chung Yu-hsin (鍾又新) said the three groups are in the process of integrating their capabilities to establish self-sufficient supply chains.

Two facilities that produce glass-based antenna technology are under construction in Miaoli County, he said.

Applying the technology on drone wings could significantly reduce drag, increasing airspeed and battlefield survivability, he said.


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Former legislative speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) on Friday took over as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and said that cross-strait relations should be based on mutual understanding rather than confrontation.

Su assumed the post in a special board meeting of the SEF, a semi-official body tasked with handling technical matters involving China.

He succeeded Frank Wu (吳豊山), who announced his resignation on Dec. 18 last year and stepped down on Dec. 31.

Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Su Jia-chyuan speaks during a foundation meeting in Taipei on Friday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

The foundation’s 35th anniversary is this year, Su said, adding that regardless of cross-strait developments, its core mission remains to serve the people, promote exchanges and build conditions for peace.

The SEF would continue to focus on the people, with an emphasis on cross-strait dialogue and exchanges, he said, saying he hoped that China would do the same.

The foundation would also continue to express goodwill that promotes understanding and exchanges, efforts that aim to prevent conflicts and create opportunities to resolve problems, Su said.

SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said he hoped that the SEF and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits could engage in normal exchanges.

Communication between the SEF and the association has been suspended since former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected in 2016.

The association said negotiations and communications with the SEF could only continue if the latter was authorized to confirm adherence to the so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted to making up in 2000.

It refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and China that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

people: 蔡英文 羅文嘉 蘇嘉全

title: Taiwan and China must rather focus on dialogues: SEF


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CORRELATION? While some questioned whether the drop was due to the declining birthrate, experts said that childbirth has become safer, reducing accidents even more

Childbirth accident relief cases in 2024 reached their lowest annual number in seven years, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s latest report showed yesterday.

The decline in cases is not surprising due to the nation’s continuous birthrate drop, and the ministry said it would continue enhancing the quality of perinatal care, supporting women and families, and strengthening social responsibility.

From 2016, when the Childbirth Accident Emergency Relief Act (生產事故救濟條例) was promulgated, until the end of 2024, there were 2,308 approved cases granting more than NT$1.45 billion (US$46.2 million) in aid, the report said.

A plaque bearing the name and logo of the Ministry of Health and Welfare is pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

There were 260 cases approved in 2024, the lowest annual number in seven years, as well as the first decline in three consecutive years, the report said.

Department of Medical Affairs Director-General Liu Yueh-ping (劉越萍) yesterday said it is “indeed possible” that the number of cases dropped because the number of births has been reducing, but it could also to some extent reflect that childbirth has become safer.

In the past few years, the policy focus has shifted from “post-event compensation” to “proactive prevention,” including perinatal medical networks, enhancing risk management for postpartum hemorrhage and embolism, and collaborating with obstetrics and pediatrics associations to identify areas for improvement and reduce risks for mothers and infants by reviewing cases, she said.

The report showed that amniotic fluid embolism remains the leading cause of maternal deaths and cases resulting in moderate-to-severe disabilities, while most neonatal deaths and major injuries were related to brain abnormalities, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and cerebral hemorrhage.

Data from all years shows that the three leading causes of maternal deaths were postpartum hemorrhage, followed by vascular or pulmonary embolism and amniotic fluid embolism.

In response to high-risk factors such as postpartum hemorrhage and thrombosis, the ministry has implemented an integrated care model, along with venous and pulmonary embolism prevention programs, Liu said.

Giving an example of enhanced cooperation between hospitals and clinics under the perinatal medical system, she said in an emergency such as postpartum hemorrhage, hospitals would provide immediate support to nearby clinics through blood transfusions and referrals, improving the efficiency of emergency response.

The ministry is also collaborating with medical associations to implement alert mechanisms for high-risk pregnancies, increasing awareness of postpartum venous thrombosis risks by promoting habits that can reduce the risks, such as avoiding prolonged bed rest and wearing compression stockings, Liu said.

Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology secretary-general Huang Jian-pei (黃建霈) said if the decline in cases was only due to reduced childbirth, the number would not have dropped so significantly, suggesting that the efforts by the government and healthcare providers are beginning to yield results.

However, Taiwan’s maternal mortality rate in 2023 was approximately 12 per 100,000 live births, higher than Japan’s 3.6 and slightly higher than South Korea’s 10.

Huang said it could be because some primary care clinics tend to retain patients for financial or operational reasons as the nation’s birthrates decline, but if high-risk expectant mothers are not promptly referred to a hospital, the window for effective intervention could be missed.

Moreover, the low birthrate has caused some obstetric clinics to close down, with rural and remote areas being hit the hardest, he said, adding that with these clinics gone, pregnancy risks in the area increase, so the government should offer more comprehensive referral incentives to ensure high-risk mothers are well protected, rather than granting post-event remediation.

Fetal death accounts for more than half of all childbirth relief cases, and aside from uncontrollable factors such as umbilical cord accidents, delayed intervention for conditions like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia can significantly increase the risks, Huang said.

Conceiving a baby at a suitable age and maintaining a healthy physical condition during pregnancy are the primary keys to reducing overall risk, he said.

title: Childbirth accidents drop to 7-year low


content_text:
EXPLOITATION: The civil servant allegedly used access to the household registration system to pass on information allowing developers to forge property deed transfers

Lay judges are to take part in a corruption trial involving a civil servant in New Taipei City who allegedly colluded with businesses suspected of operating inheritance scams to profiteer from property development, the Ministry of Justice said on Friday.

Taipei prosecutors indicted Wang Tzu-yi (王子誼), a clerk at the Household Registration Office of New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店), on charges of contravening the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) by allegedly taking bribes, leaking classified information and laundering money.

It is the first time that lay judges would adjudicate a corruption case involving a civil servant since the promulgation of the Citizen Judges Act (國民法官法) in August 2020 and its implementation in 2023, the ministry said.

Wang allegedly received NT$11.15 million (US$373,545) in bribes over 12 years, using her job’s access to pass on household registration, personal IDs, property deeds, ownership documents and personal seal information to 16 real-estate development firms, the indictment said.

Wang allegedly accessed the information using the local government’s household registration database, checking the inheritance information for registered property owners and passing the information to the real-estate firms, the indictment said.

The real-estate companies would then allegedly use the information to fraudulently claim ownership of the properties through forged wills and property deed transfers, it said.

The Taipei District Court in July last year convicted 44 people in the wider real-estate scam, including Chuan Rong Real Estate Co owner Tsai Shang-yue (蔡尚岳) and attorney Tsai Hung-shen (蔡鴻燊), who received 14-year and 25-year sentences respectively.

Investigators later uncovered the alleged involvement of Wang and others in the scam ring, the ministry said.

The other defendants would be tried in regular courts, it said, adding that their cases were not suitable for lay judges.

The alleged scam operation defrauded 12 people, mostly older people living on their own, for a profit of about NT$149.25 million, the indictment said.

title: Lay judges to feature in civil servant corruption trial


title: Passenger accident turns into ad hoc airport art

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By Liu Hsin-te and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

What might have started as an incidental act by random travelers has become a piece of spontaneous installation art in the C6 lounge area at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The area features four electric outlets, each with its own table, and an acrylic sheet between the wall and the passenger, allowing passengers to charge their cellphones, tablets, or laptops before boarding their flight.

Some passengers one day, whether deliberately or accidentally, dropped a coin between the acrylic sheet and the wall, which created a ripple effect, with many other passengers copying the act.

A charging area in the C6 lounge area at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is pictured on Friday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times

As people of varying nationalities passed through the C6 lounge, the acrylic boards began to amass coins and bills from different countries, turning what used to be a charging station into a multinational currency expo.

The phenomenon was first mentioned online in a Threads post by user chiu_te_yen, who asked: “How did the recharging stall become a temple donation box?”

Some users responded by saying that the original act was due to someone accidentally dropping their coins between the wall and the sheet while charging their phone, while others predicted that the site, now brought to the attention of the Internet, would become a new fad.

As for whether the feature would be kept or if Taoyuan International Airport Corp intends to remove it, the company said on Friday that the space is still reserved for passenger rest and device charging.

However, it would keep tabs on public comments and suggestions for future reference, it added.


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By Chen Kuan-pei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

House pets can provide a sense of companionship and stability for some people, but this is predicated on the owner having sufficient self-care skills and emotional stability, a therapist said, adding that otherwise, pet-keeping might become a source of pressure.

Tsai Yu-chien (蔡雨芊), an occupational therapist in Changhua Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, made the remarks earlier this week in the wake of a recent case in which a 24-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), with a history of psychiatric illness, adopted a cat, hoping that raising a pet would improve his condition, but instead suffered an emotional outburst and killed the cat by dashing it against the floor.

Owners must be able to interpret pets’ natural reactions to certain behaviors, and some with bipolar disorders or borderline personality traits have relatively low tolerance for setbacks, meaning that when pets exhibit behaviors of aloofness, resistance, or bite the owner, these people might interpret such signs as an act of rejection and could experience an explosive emotional reaction, Tsai said.

A person strokes a cat in New Taipei City in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office

People must first be able to care for themselves before caring for other life forms, she said.

While keeping pets as a therapeutic measure is a good beginning, people diagnosed with these symptoms should have family help them through the initial stages, she said.

Tsai also suggested growing plants as a substitute and a gauge of whether one has the emotional wherewithal to shoulder responsibility by watering them or inspecting them for pests.

Tsai shared previous cases in which a schizophrenic person whose symptoms had stabilized had successfully raised a kitten, adding, however, that patients must be considered stable, have systemic support and be willing to take things slow for such acts to have a positive outcome.

If patients experience signs of self-harm, harming others, or have a tendency to lose control, they should consult doctors and accept treatment, and not raise pets, she said.

Counseling psychologist Chou Hsin-yi (周欣儀) said that Chen had atypical bipolar disorder and has also been diagnosed with borderline personality traits, making his emotional attenuation capabilities chronically fragile.

Raising a cat might seem helpful when one is feeling empty or emotionally down, but when the pet’s instincts or reactions kick in, the owner’s mind might interpret the act as a threat or betrayal, which might result in violence, she said.

Chen had attempted to create an idealistic bond with the cat for a sense of security, but when that period of reliance ended, the cat would be seen as an enemy and no longer a savior, Chou said.

Actual therapy must be established when one is psychologically stable, and other life forms should not be treated as a therapeutic tool, Chou said.

title: Expert warns of risks of adopting pets as therapy


content_text:
Research by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Taiwan Livestock Research Institute (TLRI) found that interplanting Napier grass with sunn hemp can effectively increase carbon storage of forage fields without causing soil acidification such as in using nitrogen fertilizers.

Napier grass is a perennial forage crop that has become commonly adopted in Taiwan since it was introduced from the Philippines in 1961.

TLRI director-general Huang Jeng-fang (黃振芳) said on Wednesday that the institute conducted research on applying carbon-negative farming to Napier grass fields from 2023 to last year.

Napier grasses are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Livestock Research Institute

Carbon-negative farming refers to an eco-friendly agricultural approach that aims to remove atmospheric carbon dioxide rather than releasing it during cultivation.

Research showed that only using nitrogen fertilizers in cultivating Napier grass still yielded the most production with the highest crude protein content in the forage crop, showing that nitrogen fertilizers remain more capable of stabilizing the crop’s production and quality, Huang said.

However, interplanting Napier grass with sunn hemp — combined with reduced amounts of nitrogen fertilizers — showed a better ability to prevent soil acidification and increase soil carbon storage, he said, adding that the application of cow dung fertilizers had similar effects.

Both approaches boosted soil organic carbon content by 3.6 percent to 5.5 percent after three years of experimentation, higher than the 2.4 percent increase from adopting only nitrogen fertilizers, Huang said.

Interplanting sunn hemp or using cow dung as fertilizers also demonstrated no significant change in soil pH values, he said.

This shows that the use of organic fertilizers and environmentally friendly farming practices can not only protect soils from acidification, but can also enhance carbon sink benefits of perennial forage fields, he added.

Meanwhile, the ministry’s Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station has conducted carbon footprint assessments of bok choy produced by an organic farm in Taoyuan’s Longtan District (龍潭).

The assessments were performed in accordance with the carbon footprint product category rules for vegetables and grains promulgated by the Ministry of Environment, the station said on Wednesday.

The assessment results showed that each 250g package of bok choy produced by the farm has about 0.35kg of carbon dioxide equivalent in carbon emissions, it said, adding that most emissions were generated during production, accounting for 30.4 percent of total emissions.

Fertilizers and growing media were carbon emission hotspots in the raw material acquisition stage, particularly as fertilizers can release greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide when they interact with microorganisms in soils, the station said.

The extraction and long-distance transportation of imported materials such as peat soil could also add to agricultural activities’ carbon emissions, it said.

Such carbon hotspots reflect low-efficiency points of the production process, the station said, which can be identified via carbon footprint assessments and improved through low-cost measures.

For example, applying a precision fertilization method on soil test results can prevent excessive fertilizer from generating too much nitrogen — which could turn into nitrous oxide — while replacing imported materials with local materials can reduce the transportation carbon footprint, it said.

title: Plants ‘greener’ than fertilizers: research


content_text:
ENTERTAINMENT

Climb of 101 postponed

Poor weather yesterday forced US climber Alex Honnold to postpone his “free solo” rope and harness-free ascent of the outside of Taipei 101, one of the world’s tallest buildings. The climb, organized by Netflix for live broadcast, has been rescheduled for this morning, the streamer said on social media. “Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding,” it added. The top of Taipei 101 was obscured by cloud yesterday morning, with intermittent rain showers. In 2004, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed “Spider-man” for his ropeless ascents of some of the world’s highest skyscrapers, climbed the building, in a time of four hours with a safety rope.

SAFETY

Rubbish truck tragedy

A recycling truck driver reportedly lost consciousness on Friday evening, causing the vehicle to crash into a crowd of people throwing trash into a garbage truck, killing a 78-year-old woman, according to local authorities. The incident occurred at about 6pm in Taoyuan’s Gueishan District (龜山), and left six others injured, including the 52-year-old driver, who were all taken to hospital, the city’s fire department said. The 78-year-old woman, surnamed Chiu (邱), was trapped underneath the truck and reportedly had no vital signs at the scene. She was rushed to hospital, but later pronounced dead. According to authorities, the casualties include an 83-year-old woman surnamed Ting (丁), who sustained an open fracture to her right leg, and a 39-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃), who sustained a wound to his leg and reported abdominal pain. Wu has no significant health problems and passed a mandatory breath alcohol test before his shift began, authorities said, adding that the exact cause of the incident remains under investigation.

SPORTS

Badminton bow-out

Chi Yu-jen (戚又仁), the only Taiwanese badminton player remaining in the men’s singles at this year’s Indonesia Masters, was eliminated after losing in straight games in the semi-finals yesterday. World No. 27 Chi was defeated by Indonesia’s world No. 18 Alwi Farhan 21-11, 21-12 in 35 minutes. Alwi confounded Chi with his precise smashes that repeatedly landed deep in the corners or just inside the sidelines, while Chi struggled with unforced errors and led only twice in the match, both times in the second game. Despite the loss, the semi-final run in Jakarta was the 28-year-old Taiwanese’s best result in a Super 500-level tournament or higher.

ECONOMY

Overtime work steady

About 24.6 percent of employees in Taiwan said they had been asked to work outside of scheduled hours, down by 0.9 percentage points from 2024, the Ministry of Labor said on Friday. The latest survey garnered 4,029 valid responses and found that these workers received orders from their companies to do tasks for their employers outside of scheduled hours by phone, over the Internet, or on messaging apps like Line. The ministry said that 36.6 percent of respondents worked overtime last year, little changed from 36.3 percent in 2024. While 88.1 percent of those who worked overtime said they were compensated with overtime pay or additional leave, 21.8 percent of the “other category” in the service sector, such as laundry, beauty treatment, funeral services and housework services, said they did not receive compensation. More than 20 percent in the real estate, video/audio publication, and information and communications industry also said so.

title: Taiwan News Quick Take


title: Cat conductor

content_text: Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp’s mascot, Mikan, poses for photographs with a light rail train yesterday. The company has collaborated with Beigang Chaotian Temple to launch the cobranded train, which is to carry the branding through April 30.


content_text: Representatives from a coalition of pro-localization groups during an event at National Taipei University of Technology yesterday hold up signs calling for the removal of authoritarian symbols from educational institutions. The signs read: “We have only our courage,” a quote from last year’s historical drama about the White Terror, “A Foggy Tale.”

title: Revamp call


title: Teaser

content_text: Lanterns in various styles are pictured at an event hosted by New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District Office at the plaza in front of the Sinjhuang Cultural and Arts Center yesterday to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year and Lantern Festival.


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Madrid has emerged as a coveted global luxury housing destination as Latin American and US investors fuel a real-estate boom, seduced by competitive prices and high living standards.

The Spanish capital “is on fire,” said Edoardo Corda, founder of estate agency Mi Piso en Madrid, which specializes in high-end properties.

Madrid has become “a leading city to invest and live in,” and house hunters with deep pockets want “to be a part of this boom,” Corda said.

Buildings in Madrid’s Jeronimos neighborhood tower behind a couple in a picture taken on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

The city has topped for the second year running an annual index by the real estate firm Barnes, considered a reference to measure investor appetite in luxury properties.

“Cosmopolitan, joyful and vibrant,” Madrid “has emerged as one of the leading destinations” for the world’s “ultra-high net worth individuals,” those possessing at least US$30 million of wealth, Barnes wrote in a report released on Thursday.

“No other European capital offers such easy daily life,” with quick access to an international airport, security, “a pleasant climate, efficient public services, first-class health services, quality education and an excellent transport system,” Barnes said.

A “large share” of luxury house purchasers are foreign, among whom 60 percent are South American, followed by British, French and US investors, it added.

RICHARD GERE EFFECT

PresVip CEO Martha Lucia Pereira has witnessed the influx of foreign capital at first hand, saying that 99 percent of her clients are Latin American.

Droves of Latin Americans have arrived in the past decade to invest, starting with Venezuelans and Colombians, joined later by Argentines and Mexicans, Pereira said.

Colliers managing director Antonio de la Fuente said political upheaval back home explained why Madrid has leapfrogged Miami as the No. 1 destination for Latin American wealth.

“Whenever there was a movement with populist tendencies in their countries, people with the highest purchasing power sought to leave their country, fearing for their savings,” he said.

An increase in US investment is another standout trend in recent times, which De la Fuente called the “Richard Gere effect.”

The Hollywood star moved to Madrid with his Spanish wife, Alejandra Silva, in 2024 and has lavished praised on the city in interviews.

Barnes said purchasers seek “large apartments with beautiful high ceilings, on upper floors,” particularly in the select Salamanca District, defined by broad avenues and stately buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries that host luxury stores and restaurants.

Other central neighborhoods in high demand include Jeronimos, surrounding the UNESCO-listed Paseo del Prado thoroughfare and Retiro Park, as well as the emblematic Puerta del Sol square.

OASIS OF STABILITY

The average price per square meter in the most sought-after blocks lies between 23,000 and 25,000 euros, De la Fuente said, meaning that a 100m2 home typically costs at least 2.3 million euros (US$2.7 million).

Although an eye-watering sum for most Spaniards, who struggle to rent or buy in a housing crisis that is consistently a top concern for the population, the numbers attract luxury capital.

The price per square meter in other European capitals such as Paris or London could exceed 30,000 euros, real-estate agents said.

The Spanish capital has benefited from the pro-investment stance of Community of Madrid President Isabel Diaz Ayuso, who seeks to make the city “the Florida of Europe.”

De la Fuente said “Madrid is an oasis of social and regulatory stability,” even as the leftist government strives to solve the housing crisis with measures targeting the wealthiest.

The Spanish government has scrapped the so-called “Golden Visa,” which granted residency to non-Europeans who invested at least 500,000 euros in real estate, and proposed a 100 percent tax on all purchases of homes by non-EU citizens who do not live in Spain.

As the minority coalition struggles to pass legislation in parliament, the latter proposal is unlikely to become law — “fortunately for this country and for Madrid,” De la Fuente said.

title: Madrid emerges as housing destination for the rich


title: Drugmakers take hit from the US’ anti-vax changes

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Sweeping policy changes under US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr are having a chilling effect on vaccine makers as anti-vaccine rhetoric has turned into concrete changes in inoculation schedules and recommendations, investors and executives said.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has in the past year upended vaccine recommendations, with the country last month ending its longstanding guidance that all children receive inoculations against flu, hepatitis A and other diseases.

The unprecedented changes have led to diminished vaccine usage, hurt the investment case for some biotechs, and created a drag that would likely dent revenues and raise costs for companies in the coming years, investors and analysts said.

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr gestures as he speaks during the inaugural Make America Healthy Again summit in Washington on Nov. 12 last year. Photo: Reuters

“Vaccines will not be a growth area under the current administration,” ING global pharma and healthcare lead Stephen Farrelly said, signaling a potential drag on the sector through 2028.

Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence, has moved quickly since taking over the health department.

He fired a panel of independent expert advisers, replacing them with members who share his anti-vaccine views, and dropped broad COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children.

He also revived research into a long-ago debunked claim linking vaccines to autism, and adopted new reduced childhood vaccine schedules without the long-standing practice of involving a broad group of outside experts.

Investors are concerned the impact of Kennedy’s policies would be hard to reverse, echoing public health experts’ worries, who also said they would lead to preventable illnesses and deaths.

Kennedy said the changes aim to improve safety and bring US vaccine policy in line with other peer nations.

The striking policy changes have begun to prompt some rare public rebukes from industry leaders.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson criticized Kennedy’s rhetoric at a major healthcare conference last week, with Hudson citing “all the... misinformation that is going around.”

Bourla told reporters it was driving down vaccination rates and increasing disease risk.

“I’m seriously frustrated,” he said. “What is happening has zero scientific merit and is just serving an agenda which is political and antivax.”

The long-term prospects for vaccine makers remains robust, as vaccines are still the most effective tool for preventing disease, investors said, but added that companies were now more beholden to the whims of political leaders.

“Unfortunately, success and failure will rest on the opinions of a few people. It’s not enough to have good science and commercial opportunity,” Clear Street analyst Bill Maughan said. “If you’re a biotech investor, it just seems tough to really get conviction in a vaccine name right now.”

Investors said they would stick by large-cap drugmakers less dependent on vaccine revenue such as GSK, Sanofi, Pfizer and Merck. Smaller players such as Moderna, BioNTech and Novavax face sharper risks.

The effect of US changes are already starting to take hold. GSK and Sanofi reported lower US flu vaccine sales in the third quarter, despite a more severe flu season.

In October last year, Australia’s CSL postponed separating its vaccine unit Seqirus, citing “heightened volatility” and falling US vaccination rates.

Some investors said demand for vaccines and disease prevention would likely rebound.

Outbreaks such as the rising measles cases in South Carolina, or an extended severe flu season, could drive renewed vaccine usage, they said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the 2025-2026 flu season had seen at least 11 million cases and 5,000 deaths reported so far, nearly double last year’s toll.

Medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have challenged Kennedy’s policies in court and it remains to be seen how that would play out.

Investors “often focus on shorter-term time frames, while companies clearly take a far longer-term view,” Candriam senior portfolio manager Linden Thomson said.

“These businesses have been around for decades. They don’t invest on a one- or two-year horizon,” said Matthew Masucci, an analyst for Callodine Capital, which owns GSK and Sanofi shares.

For now, investors might be more cautious.


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Prosecutors on Wednesday launched an investigation into Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌). Huang has found himself subject of a string of allegations in recent months, mostly accusations of behavior considered below the level of an elected representative, and definitely which a political party leader is expected to remain above.

These behaviors betray a troubling pattern, as do his responses to them: denial, obfuscation, distraction, blame-shifting and accusations of political persecution.

If proved, Wednesday’s allegations are very serious indeed. While the investigation continues, no conclusions can be drawn, but we can look at an emerging pattern of behavior.

Political commentator Chang Ming-yu (張銘祐) filed a complaint on Tuesday accusing Huang of contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Criminal Code.

The complaint refers to allegations that Huang had removed classified documents from a confidential meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee in which Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) provided details of the NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.6 billion) special defense budget involving US arms procurement and Taiwan’s weapons development and production.

Huang does not deny removing the documents. According to his account, he had accidentally mixed them together with other documents and that, as soon as he realized his error, within 30 seconds of leaving, went back to the room to return them.

Huang’s account of events was later questioned after surveillance footage showed that Huang had been outside of the room in possession of the confidential documents for over a minute and that part of the time had been in an area not covered by the cameras.

Other accounts say that, rather than Huang returning on his own initiative, a military officer was sent after him to fetch the documents when the committee chair realized they were missing.

All of this could be put down to partisan accusations, bred by a lack of trust between the parties. The issue is that Huang has a history of pushing the boundaries of legality and acceptable behavior and of providing accounts that are easily refuted.

In June last year, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office launched an investigation into an incident in which Huang played a recording during a hearing of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, purporting to be of a prosecutor harshly interrogating a suspect. When accused of having played confidential material in public, Huang said that he had never said the recording was from an actual interrogation and that it was just meant to be an “illustrative example” of a “threatening tone and insulting language.”

In September of last year, Huang was questioned by Taipei City police after a rally he had organized resulted in injuries to eight police officers, during which he had been seen with his arm around the neck of police officer Chen Yu-chien (陳育健). Huang produced a photograph of Chen smiling at the time as evidence that harm was neither meant nor done. It was later revealed that the photograph had been manufactured using artificial intelligence.

In November last year, Huang was involved in allegations that he had orchestrated a “paparazzi network” to dig up dirt on political rivals following a report by Mirror Media. His response was to divert attention and accuse the prosecutors’ office of colluding with media affiliated with the pan-green camp.

Blame shifting is another arrow in Huang’s quiver when responding to allegations of questionable behavior. During a livestream on Wednesday, talking of his “careless” removal of the confidential documents, he said that the committee staff “should have retrieved all the documents in front of legislators when we left the room.”

It is possible that Huang had made a genuine mistake when he removed the documents. Unfortunately, his past form of forced errors and flimsy conceits make it difficult to take him at his word and his consistent modus operandi of shifting blame and shouting persecution does not encourage trust.

Beyond the allegations of removing confidential materials involving national defense, Huang is seeking election for New Taipei city mayor. This should set off alarm bells, as a stint as mayor is generally regarded as a stepping stone for a shot at the presidency.

If he is willing to resort to such underhanded tactics and obfuscations when called out as the leader of a minor opposition party, what would he be capable of with his hands on the state machinery?

title: EDITORIAL: A history of unreliability

people: 顧立雄 黃國昌


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Last year’s film A Foggy Tale (大濛) is an ode to years past, capturing the anguish of 1950s Taiwan. It does not roar, it carries the blood and tears of the era around every corner and with every sigh. The narrative stays human and grounded, capturing not the heights of the raging political storm, but the texture of life of those who are caught in its floods.

At the center of the film are two siblings, A-yueh (阿月) and A-yun (阿雲), struggling to hold together a little order in their lives. Under a creeping dread, they live day to day as if on a knife’s edge. In each character, we see the excruciating tension between a compulsion to step in and help those around them and the fear of the consequences of becoming embroiled in further trouble. A simple and universal humanity of neighbors covering for one another shines through nonetheless. For the audience, this warmth and simultaneous atmosphere of weighty repression are palpable. It captures the weight of the fog that engulfed Taiwan after the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) government first took hold and the White Terror began.

For me, it brought back memories of serving as a police officer in 1989 and the “yellow books.” Back then, the Taiwan Garrison Command would issue classified yellow-covered folders containing the records of suspected rebels to police patrol areas. After completing their prison sentences, these people were placed under police surveillance, supervision and assessment.

Not every beat had them; not every officer came across the books. Perhaps, in a perverse sense, I was “fortunate” to have the insight. There were two such cases within my jurisdiction. As I reviewed the records and conducted visits with the people in question and their families, it became clear that most of the evidence on offer was simply accusations fabricated by the authorities to suppress intellectuals.

A Foggy Tale captures not just the form and feeling of Taiwan under martial law, but, through the subtleties of language and accent, brings out the diversity of society and cultural identities under latent power structures. In that era of generational change and political upheaval, language was linked to boundary lines of power. The film’s characters sounded out these differences, from the stiff intonation of standard Mandarin to the particular blend of its Taiwanese variation and through switching into Taiwanese for private conversations. These nuances were able to convey the era’s complexity more convincingly than set design alone ever could. “Taiwanese Mandarin” is a kind of functional linguistic bridge, but is also a product of compromise and struggle by which a new language is learned while retaining the traces of one’s mother tongue. The mixed accent itself is an expression of the struggles and fears of Taiwanese trying to survive under their new system.

The interplaying elements of cloud and fog throughout the film deserve a closer interpretation. A-yun’s fate seems to be shrouded in a thick fog: No matter how hard he struggles, he remains unable to see where he should go. This sense of disorientation is evocative of that feeling of helplessness of the White Terror. When the world feels inherently unstable and new rules are continually emerging, people are forced to keep adapting, morphing and concealing themselves to survive. Ultimately, one’s own sense of self can become hazy and as hard to pin down as the clouds.

The plot did not concern itself with raising political banners. Its focus traveled closer to the soil, following ordinary people who had been washed upon the Taiwan’s shores. Each stood burdened with trepidation and fueled by simple goodness, doing their best to withstand the storm. This feeling of the pursuit of survival captured the essence of Taiwan during that era. It restrained each person’s words and actions and lay behind every moment of warmth, hiding a fear of the unknown and anxiety over enforced silence.

These themes are equally relevant to the question of Taiwanese identity. The obscuring nature of fog hints at how we still struggle to clearly define the boundaries of our self-identity. Clouds, meanwhile, are ever-changing in form and shape — not unlike how the soul of Taiwan is pushed, pulled and remolded at the behest of shifting regimes and cultural tides.

There is a sense that we want to become something, but, under the heavy hand of history, are not quite able to materialize as we would like. By the end of the film, A-yue’s daughter is no longer speaking Taiwanese. She speaks freely and happily, but the change nonetheless feels like something has ruptured. Much more than a generational shift, it is the image of a stifled culture.

The significance of losing our mother tongue, after all, is less about words and more about the cultural memory and connection to the land held within them.

Perhaps the most painful thing about A Foggy Tale is that it captures a piece of how the Taiwanese have been forced to face a recurring displacement of identity and spiritual uprooting. Even today, after Taiwan has finally begun to reach a place of international recognition, the blue and white camps seem to be hell-bent on plunging our hard-won stability back into the fog.

Chen Hsueh-chiang is a police squad leader.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: ‘A Foggy Tale’ grounded and human


title: Taiwan could use more food diplomacy

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Taiwan is leaving a profound footprint on the Arizona landscape. In the state capital, Phoenix, Taiwan’s leading light Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is creating jobs and spurring growth in the US metropolis, and the repercussions are profound. The Taiwan-Arizona connection is a case study in sub-state diplomacy from Arizona to Taiwan, and a masterclass in business-to-business public diplomacy.

It is fascinating to watch the business and civic ties develop, with municipal delegation visits from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and her partners to Taipei. Only weeks ago, the first direct flights between Taipei and Phoenix began, bringing the cities closer.

Taiwan is slowly carving out a footprint with the appearance of Taiwanese restaurants around the TSMC campus, growing a “Tiny Taipei” in the desert. As developments grow around the sprawling semiconductor campus, a culinary and cultural blossoming is slowly taking off in its orbit.

The huge investments, and civic and business ties are profound, but not enough to cement the Arizona-Taiwan relationship in a people-to-people setting. In part, that is because cultural differences between Taiwanese companies and American workers have created workplace tensions. Taiwan needs to make a further strategic investment in Taiwanese public and cultural diplomacy to Arizona.

Public diplomacy understands that you do not reach audiences through rational information alone, but rather through emotional, trans-rational ties that come through music, art, culture, dance and food. Gastrodiplomacy is a technique of public and cultural diplomacy that enhances a nation’s soft power through sharing history, culture and cuisine. Often, this is would be a cooperative campaign between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Tourism Administration.

The best gastrodiplomacy campaigns are a public-private hybrid partnership between the government and the culinary sector. While there has been some organic mushrooming of Taiwanese restaurants in Phoenix’s western suburbs, we have yet to see a full on gastrodiplomacy push from Taiwan. Phoenix is a foodie town, and yet there is no strategy from Taiwan.

Although Taiwan has been an early adopter of gastrodiplomacy, it has not, in this case, married it to cultural diplomacy as a public diplomacy force multiplier.

Taiwan has tied cultural diplomacy and gastrodiplomacy in the past. It sent a leading Taiwanese beef noodle chef to the California State Legislature to cook for state representatives; it sent the chef to the Sackler Gallery in Washington for a food fair alongside the screening of Taiwanese director Ang Lee’s (李安) Eat Drink Man Woman (飲食男女).

Taiwan could send versions of its night markets to the Phoenix area to showcase the joys of Taiwanese culture and cuisine. Combined, cultural diplomacy and gastrodiplomacy are profound ways to make connections.

Through TSMC, Taiwan is changing the landscape of Arizona — and moving it forward with dynamic growth. Taiwan has the opportunity to innovate with a more profound public diplomacy strategy that centers on gastrodiplomacy, cultural diplomacy and personal connections.

Given some of the cross-cultural miscommunications, Taiwan is well-advised to strengthen its public and cultural diplomacy outreach to drive this new dynamic. Taiwan has long innovated in the public diplomacy space, and has an opportunity to do so again in Arizona.

Paul Rockower is a former visiting fellow at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. He is the executive director of Levantine Public Diplomacy, an independent public diplomacy organization. He has worked with a variety of foreign ministries and the US Department of State on public and cultural diplomacy projects all over the globe.


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As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Here are a few key questions that could spill over into Taiwan in the year ahead.WILL THE AI BUBBLE POP?The global AI boom supported Taiwan’s significant economic expansion in 2025. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. There is a brewing debate among investors about whether the AI boom will carry forward into 2026. Skeptics warn that AI-led global equity markets are overvalued and overleveraged

An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands

By Jimmy Hsu 徐正雄

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security.Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military. As one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors, a boost in Japan’s defense capabilities would serve as a strong deterrent to China in acting unilaterally in the

By Rath Wang 王健智

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


title: The authoritarian illusion

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Social and economic uncertainty under democracies cannot be compared to the perceived order and prosperity of authoritarian regimes

At virtually every historical turning point over the past century and a half, liberal democracy has been declared moribund. That was the case in the 1930s, when supposedly “efficient” fascist regimes proliferated, and in the late 20th century, when state capitalism propelled the success of the “Four Asian Tigers” (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan), and then, most remarkably, China. The same can be said today about the rise of authoritarian leaders who seem capable of quick decisions and forceful action, if not long-term planning.

For many people, democracy has become a slow luxury in a fast world — an ideal that is difficult to deliver in a world beset with anxiety, division and violence. The question is no longer whether democracy is just, but whether it remains useful.

Not since the late Cold War era have so many people lived under autocratic or illiberal regimes. The erosion of democracy has, for the most part, been gradual, proceeding through the weakening of checks and balances, the capture of media and the judiciary and the manipulation of elections. This legalistic retreat is portrayed as a correction, not a wholesale rejection, but it reflects plummeting confidence in democracy’s ability to deliver security and prosperity.

In a world of instantaneous comparison, every slow or clumsy response from a democratic government is measured against the speed and efficiency of authoritarian execution. Every compromise is contrasted with vertical decision-making. The debate and uncertainty that are intrinsic to democracies can begin to look like weaknesses when viewed alongside the order and continuity promised by authoritarian regimes.

China, where President Xi Jinping (習近平) has steadily consolidated power, has done the most to advance this authoritarian illusion. The government’s long-term planning, infrastructure investments and supply-chain dominance in strategic sectors such as rare earths, batteries and renewables create the impression of an omniscient strategic state that looks far into the future and prioritizes the greater good over particular interests.

However, this impression assumes that information is never distorted, that errors are openly acknowledged without political sanction and that truth always prevails over loyalty. This could not be further from reality. Single-party systems that suppress debate and accountability invariably end up confusing discipline and obedience with intelligence and insight. Authoritarians know how to execute, which creates efficiencies in the short term, but their unwillingness to brook dissent comes with long-term costs.

Dictatorships give the impression of producing fewer inequalities than democracies, when in fact they conceal them. What is portrayed as greater social justice is often nothing more than opacity. Democracies expose societal fractures, whereas authoritarian regimes bury them. The former suffer from telling the truth; the latter survive by making the truth unspeakable.

Likewise, authoritarian regimes can produce technically competent leaders, but those leaders are never fully accountable to society. As a result, their competence eventually becomes arrogance, and then blindness. The absence of popular sanction prevents systemic correction.

Some people explain away these differences as culturally determined, claiming that certain societies are not ready for democracy. But democracy is a social consequence, not a cultural tradition. It emerges when individuals become more mobile, educated and autonomous. It is produced, not imported.

The structural links between free markets and democracy are more illuminating. The market produces an individual who weighs their options, makes their selection and often changes their mind. What is true of their purchases applies to political opinions. In the long run, no power can sustainably control a free consumer accustomed to choosing.

Wherever the market advances, closed structures — from the patriarchal family to the clan to the caste — retreat. Even in Confucian societies, individual autonomy begins to surpass filial piety. This shift might be slow, but it is irreversible, transforming attitudes toward authority, upending entrenched social roles and broadening existential aspirations.

Dictators’ true enemy is the desire for freedom, which is why they highlight democracy’s flaws, amplify its divisions and present its failure as inevitable. It is also why the US under President Donald Trump would do everything it can to weaken European leaders, who are more frightening to the US’ wannabe dictator than the Russian and Chinese autocrats he often praises.

Democracies would likely experience further setbacks over the next five years, with some societies settling into hybrid regimes combining market mechanisms and prosperity with control and surveillance by mid-century. New and existing technologies would enable these regimes to curb freedom through digital monitoring, algorithms and predictive analytics.

However, these setbacks need not be definitive. An educated, connected, mobile, aging, complex society cannot be governed sustainably through fear. It might submit for a time, it might consent out of exhaustion, but it always ends by demanding choice and responsibility.

Democracy never triumphs once and for all. It returns, in different forms, with different institutions, whenever individual freedom becomes an economic and existential necessity. Even if the path is not linear, and even if violence erupts along the way, it will ultimately prevail, because no other system can sustainably govern free individuals. Democracy is always simultaneously obsolete and ahead of its time.

Jacques Attali, founding president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, was a special adviser to former French president Francois Mitterrand and is the author of 86 books.

Copyright: Project Syndicate


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Oil investors are looking to return to North Africa after years of instability in the region, with bidding in Libya being awarded next month

An oil-rich country is starting to emerge from years of economic devastation. It sits atop of one of the world’s largest petroleum reserves. And Big Oil is ready to take on the investment risk. Sound familiar? It is not Venezuela, but Libya.

For the first time in almost two decades, the North African nation is reopening its oil industry to foreign investors. It is not alone in the region: Algeria awarded its first oil licenses in a decade last year, and plans to hold another bidding round this year; Egypt and Tunisia are also wooing foreign companies.

These developments signal the return of North Africa to the international energy map. The timing is exquisite: The major oil companies are on the lookout for opportunities to replenish their reserves, aiming for projects that might come on stream in the 2030s. All else being equal, more oil means lower prices — another headache-in-the-making for Saudi Arabia and the OPEC+ cartel.

With more than 50 percent of Africa’s oil reserves, the region’s geology offers high-quality crude that is cheap to produce, plus significant gas fields. The financial equation, particularly in Libya, looks attractive enough, encouraging companies to overlook challenging politics and legal uncertainty. The list of oil companies that have pre-qualified for the Libyan bidding round, which is scheduled to be awarded next month, features all of the major players: Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corp, Shell PLC, TotalEnergies SE, BP PLC, and a long etcetera that adds another 30 names.

“There’s good reason to be excited,” says Tom Richards, at energy consultant Enverus. “There’s plenty of low-cost barrels, the fiscal terms have improved, and there’s a hell of a lot of oil and gas still in the ground.”

For now, North Africa is a shadow of its former self in the energy industry. Back in 2007, before the start of the Arab Spring, the region reached a record output of almost 4.7 million barrels a day; last year, it pumped an average of 3.3 million barrels a day. The decline is down to two factors — an on-and-off civil war in Libya since the 2011 uprising that killed former leader Muammar Qaddafi, and a decade of underinvestment in Algeria as the country effectively closed its industry to foreign capital.

If the region is to reverse its decline, the key is Libya. One number symbolizes the opportunity: Its oilfields may breakeven even with oil prices as low as US$27 a barrel, says Enverus.

Libya holds the largest hydrocarbon reserves in Africa, significantly more than much better-known names on the continent such as Nigeria and Angola. The country has long attracted foreign companies, and today several still operate there, including Repsol SA of Spain, ENI SpA of Italy, ConocoPhillips of the US and TotalEnergies of France. However, activity has been minimal for the past decade. After the 2011 civil war, the country split into eastern and western regions, with competing governments backed by warlords and militias. The chaos that followed deterred investment; last year, only 30 new wells were drilled, down from pre-war levels of between 100 and 200 wells per year.

This year’s bidding round is the clearest sign that the sector is starting to turn around, but there are additional indications: Foreign operators are also in talks with the national oil company to revive wells that have been idle for years. Here and there, projects to repair existing oilfields are emerging.

Libya needs all the help it can get to boost production. Last year, it pumped about 1.3 million barrels a day, well above its post-civil war low point but still below the most recent peak of 1.8 million barrels a day set in 2008. Even if the North African country meets its ambitious target of increasing daily output to 2 million barrels by 2030, that would still leave the country well below its all-time record of 3.5 million barrels set in 1970, when Libya pumped nearly as much as Saudi Arabia.

For now, all is opportunity. Only time will confirm whether oil companies can find new reserves and manage to develop them into commercial oil and gas fields. On top of the bidding rounds, both Libya and Algeria are negotiating directly with foreign investors, including Exxon, Chevron and Total, for additional deals. BP and Shell have also signed preliminary deals in Libya to help the country expand output in three of its largest oilfields currently in operation.

The opportunity has an additional twist: Until now, much of the oil and gas exploration in Libya has focused on conventional onshore reservoirs, but foreign investors believe it has two additional attractions. First, going offshore into the Mediterranean, where energy companies have already found significant hydrocarbons in the waters of Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. Second, drill the shale-like geological formations straddling the border between Libya and Algeria, a basin known as Ghadames-Berkine.

Few in the oil market are pricing the untapped potential of North Africa, having written off the region since 2011. As with Venezuela, the obstacles for production recovery, and perhaps even a boom, are all aboveground in Libya and Algeria — political uncertainty, the risk of violent disruptions and the aftermath of years of economic neglect. Below, there is a sea of oil and gas waiting to be tapped.

Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. He is coauthor of The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources. 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: Big Oil is seeking riches in another thorny country


title: Europe has to solve its collective defense problem

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The Greenland dispute with the US has uncovered a weakness in European defense — the EU has to unite its defense industry, and fast

If anyone had any doubt, US leaders made it abundantly clear in Davos this week: Wherever things go with Greenland, Europe cannot rely on US security guarantees anymore. To defend their common interests, European nations urgently need to ramp up their military and financial cooperation.

European leaders talk as if they recognize this new reality. Yet, their actions fall far short of what is needed.

The task at hand is daunting, requiring a level of solidarity that the EU is ill-equipped to achieve. Its defining treaties leave defense and fiscal matters largely to individual member states, vastly complicating efforts to rearm rapidly.

Major European nations each have their own military industries: France buys mostly French, Germany buys mostly German. The result is a costly proliferation of incompatible weapons systems that are not produced at scale. Europe builds 50 main battle tanks a year, while Russia produces more than 1,500. A new German Leopard 2A8 costs an estimated 29 million euros (US$34.3 million); a Russian T-90, about 4 million euros. For big so-called strategic enablers such as satellite intelligence and airlift capacity, Europe is heavily dependent on the US.

Financing is similarly fragmented. Each EU country’s contribution to the common defense depends on its fiscal capacity and its individual threat assessment. Inequity and free riding abound. Germany can afford an added 500 billion euros; France, not so much. Poland, on the eastern flank, spends nearly 5 percent of GDP on defense; Spain, just 2 percent. European nations have no mutual sovereign borrowing mechanism that would allow them to fund rearmament collectively, quickly and cheaply.

Certainly, there is no shortage of solutions. A coalition of willing nations, preferably including the UK, could form a common European defense mechanism, with the authority to issue jointly backed sovereign debt and procure what is needed, without national favoritism and insufficient quantities. For a start, the effort could focus on next-generation technologies such as robotics and cyber capabilities, where entrenched national champions have not yet formed and the benefit to overall productivity might be greatest. The more nations that took part, the better the chances of creating a pan-European safe asset that could compete with US Treasuries, jump-starting the unified capital market desperately needed to attract private investment and accelerate growth.

Instead, Europe is trying to muddle through, with little success. More than a tenth of the EU’s already inadequate 150 billion euros Security Action for Europe fund, intended to encourage joint procurement, would likely go to Hungary’s Russia-friendly government — effectively a bribe to achieve the unanimity that EU rules require. The EU and UK could not even agree on terms for the latter’s participation. Northeastern European nations have made some progress in pooling resources, but they cannot and should not carry the whole defense burden on their own.

The region’s leaders must overcome such dysfunction and mount a more serious and coherent effort. More than seven decades ago, European nations came together in the hopes of ensuring peace and prosperity after the horrors of two world wars — a monumental experiment in the power of mutual benefit and shared values to triumph over narrow self-interest and ancient rivalry. It is worth defending.


title: Heat triggers Melbourne suspensions

content_text:
OSAKA, STAN OUT:  Taylor Fritz beat Swiss veteran Stanislas Wawrinka, while Naomi Osaka pulled out of the tournament ahead of her match against Maddison Inglis

Extreme heat yesterday triggered the suspension of matches on outside courts at the Australian Open and briefly held up champion Jannik Sinner of Italy before he battled into the last 16.

Players and spectators roasted on day seven at Melbourne Park, where temperatures were forecast to soar to 40°C.

The tournament has a Heat Stress Scale of one to five, with five the highest.

Jannik Sinner of Italy drinks during a break in his third-round men’s singles match against Eliot Spizzirri of the US at the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday. Photo: AP

It hit five in the early afternoon, when it was about 36°C, prompting the suspension.

The third-round meeting between Sinner and American Eliot Spizzirri at Rod Laver Arena stopped for about 10 minutes, allowing time for the roof to close.

It helped save Sinner, who was experience cramp and wilting in the heat.