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親中港媒「大公文匯報」今日以A12整版，三文加上圖表的專題報導方式，報導稱我內政部長劉世芳的外甥顏文群在中國投資謀利且為她提供政治獻金。（取自大公文匯報）

親中港媒「大公文匯報」今（27）日報導稱，內政部長劉世芳的外甥顏文群在中國投資謀利且為她提供政治獻金。中國國台辦隨即發出新聞稿回應表示，正在依法依規查處相關問題。不過，報導意外揭露，顏文群在江西擔任董事長的公司，中國政府僅補助人民幣10萬元，竟還被大作文章。

親中港媒「大公文匯報」今日以A12整版，三文加上圖表的專題報導方式，以「『台獨』頑固分子劉世芳大搞『雙標』 只許親屬賺紅錢 不許民眾搞交流」為該版主標題，另有兩文批評「劉世芳走極端路線，蓄意挑動兩岸神經」，並稱「台獨是絕路死路，只會給台灣帶來災難」。

報導也稱，劉世芳的外甥顏文群1986年8月出生（劉四妹之子），目前擔任台灣某公司總經理。該公司成立於2009年，主要負責鋰電池負極材料製造，在中國分別投資了江西、廣東、雲南等地3家公司。

其中，江西某公司經營情況良好，2025年實現營業收入人民幣2.95億元，現有員工130餘人，「公司在稅收、發展補貼等方面多次享受優惠政策，累計金額近人民幣10萬元」，顏文群在該公司擔任董事長。

在廣東的公司，顏文群自2024年起擔任該公司董事，2021年至2024年累計產值人民幣2.1億元，高峰期年產值近億元人民幣，不過，公司也僅曾獲得高新技術企業培育補助及稅收優惠、扶持科技發展資金、創新創業大賽獎金等累計人民幣151萬元。

雲南某公司成立於2018年，2021年至2024年營業額近億元人民幣，共獲得獎金、投資補助、稅收優惠等獎補共人民幣1664萬元，顏文群擔任公司法定代表人。

報導並稱，顏文群曾向劉世芳提供政治獻金，近年來因公司業務頻繁往來兩岸，2023年至2025年先後14次來過中國。

對此，陸委會表示，中共假借香港「大公文匯報」散佈惡劣訊息，攻擊劉世芳，並不當牽連其外甥，這是赤裸裸的假「懲治台獨」名義，對台灣政府、官員以及無辜民眾進行「跨境鎮壓」。中共一再採取毫無文明底線的做法，對兩岸良性互動造成嚴重傷害，陸委會對此予以嚴正譴責。

countries: 中國 台灣 香港

title: 親中港媒報導劉世芳外甥背景 意外揭露中國只補貼「人民幣10萬」 - 政治


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宋晟睿。（記者陳逸寬攝）

〔記者龔乃玠／台北報導〕經典賽台灣隊總教練曾豪駒宣布，宋晟睿將替補龍的位置，加入台灣隊。

曾總解釋，在一壘，我們有念庭、張育成和吉力吉撈，「選擇宋晟睿，他從開訓到這2場比賽，他的狀況維持不錯，這是我們選擇他的原因。」

journalist: 龔乃玠

title: 經典賽》曾總宣布 宋晟睿遞補龍 - 自由體育


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為慶祝 McLaren F1 車隊在 2025 年賽季同時奪得世界車隊與車手冠軍的歷史性成就，McLaren Taiwan 即日起至 3 月 3 日在 McLaren 台北展示中心舉辦期間限定特展，一次展示三款跨世代車型，致敬 2025 賽季的輝煌成就。

McLaren 2025 F1 雙冠榮耀限定特展，即日起至 3 月 3 日在 McLaren 台北展示中心舉辦。

三款跨世代車型，分別為 McLaren F1 MP4-26，為 McLaren 歷史上最成功的賽車之一，2011 年賽季征戰世界一級方程式賽場，以其獨特的 L 形側箱設計聞名，透過精密的流體力學計算，有效導引受控氣流進入後方機件並強化冷卻效率，同時大幅提升車尾穩定度。其銀色戰袍承載 McLaren 在賽場上追求極限的純粹基因，帶領觀者回味那段挑戰空氣力學極限的輝煌歲月。

McLaren F1 MP4-26

McLaren Senna

第二款為 McLaren Senna，以三屆 F1 世界冠軍 Ayrton Senna 為名，採用 Monocage III 碳纖維單體底盤，具備僅 1,198 公斤的極致輕量化表現，結合全車主動式空氣動力套件，可在高速下產生高達 800 公斤的下壓力。展現 McLaren 將頂尖賽道科技轉化為公路座駕的領先工藝。

第三款為 McLaren 750S，為 McLaren 當前量產車系中最強悍且輕盈的傑作，750S 承襲 720S 的卓越基因，搭載 4.0 升 V8 雙渦輪增壓引擎，並結合 PCC-III 第三代主動式底盤控制系統，其將源自 F1 的先進電控系統精準轉化，在提供高度感官刺激的同時，兼顧日常駕馭的流暢度，完美詮釋人車合一的極致境界。

McLaren 750S

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countries: 台灣 美國

title: F1 賽車品牌 McLaren 在台灣辦特展 秀 3 款經典車型 - 自由電子報汽車頻道


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家苑公司承租台糖首棟銀髮宅卻欠租違約，並涉嫌違法轉租、未辦理保證金信託及非法經營停車場。台南地方法院判決終止租約，並遷讓返還房地，警方提醒，若無視假處分繼續招租，恐觸刑法139條規定。（台南市政府提供）

台糖將「銀髮住宅」崇賢循環住宅租給家苑健康公司管理，但公司欠租且違規出租，收高額押金引起關注，台南地方法院判決家苑須返還房地，警方指出，會持續與台糖聯繫，若無視扣押效力招租，恐觸犯刑法妨害公務罪。

台糖前年6月與家苑公司簽約10年，年租金2500萬元，由法定代理人江承彬任連帶保證人。合約明定家苑公司享6個月免租期，但台糖指控，該公司除預繳首期租金外均未付款，經催告仍不理會。

南警一分局接獲報案，認為涉及公眾利益，家苑還疑似違約當二房東，收了約兩百萬租金，卻以各種理由未將房間出租，懷疑該公司涉吸金，但製作筆錄時，面對相關指控，負責人母親拒不回答。

台糖指控，家苑公司未經同意，私下與其他公司簽約委外經營，且未將住戶保證金存入信託帳戶。此外，家苑公司未合法取得許可，就將地下室交由另一家公司營運停車場，並違規設置看板與進行室內裝修，因此訴請家苑公司與江男賠償與返還房地。

家苑公司反駁，委外經營的公司並非轉讓租賃權，未辦信託是受台糖散布負面消息影響。停車場違規則是因台糖未給竣工圖。但法官認為，家苑公司遲付租金、委外經營、未辦信託及違規經營停車場是事實，要負違約責任，判終止合約，家苑公司須全數歸還土地與111戶房屋。

警方指出，法院公文已有假處分，禁止家苑再出租房屋，台糖曾設立告示牌提醒消費者，卻遭不明人士拆除，呼籲民眾注意，警方會持續與台糖保持聯繫，調查是否違反扣押效力命令的行為。

title: 「銀髮住宅」遭違約吸押金 法院判「二房東」還房地 - 社會


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日本火腿鬥士總教練新庄剛志。（記者陳逸寬攝）

〔記者龔乃玠／台北報導〕經典賽台灣隊今出戰日本火腿，監督新庄剛志暌違1年回到大巨蛋，他談到台灣隊外野手，獻上他奪下多屆金手套的建言，「 台灣隊的外野手在準備守備時，手都會撐著在等球，這個部分會起步慢一些，畢竟由靜到動，跟由動到動相比，一定是後者比較快。」

新庄剛志今天出場時，獲得全場熱烈歡呼聲，他表示，「選手介紹我出場時，歡呼聲這麼大，很謝謝球迷，我有起雞皮疙瘩。昨天到台灣時，就像是昨天的事情一樣，因為去年也有來過，在日本也是很期待趕快來到台灣。」

countries: 台灣 日本

title: 經典賽》在意台灣隊外野手1動作 新庄剛志提出重要的建言 - 自由體育


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彰化市「美食第一街」陳稜路小西商圈，近來路面出現神祕的黃色方格子，原來是用來提醒機汽車進入行人優先區要減速。（記者劉曉欣攝）

彰化市「美食第一街」的陳稜路小西商圈，近來在斑馬線旁出現神祕的「黃色方格子」，非常吸睛更令人好奇。縣政府交通處表示，這將打造為全縣第一條行人優先區，目前由正在進行相關標線劃設與標誌設立。彰化市長林世賢表示，行人優先是全民對於交通安全共同守則，但在推行行人優先區時，必須兼顧商圈與店家的共好共榮。

縣府交通處表示，這是依照行人交通安全設施條例來規劃設立，選定彰化市陳稜路小西商圈試辦施行，規劃路段為彰化市陳稜路的中正路2段路口到和平路，全長約270公尺，機汽車行駛於行人優先區，應減速慢行，並禁鳴喇叭，限速以不超過20公里為原則。

因此，交通處強調，行人優先區前後兩端路口，以劃設黃色方格來提醒車輛駕駛人，「行人絕對優先」，車輛行經時，必須減速停讓，預計在3月初完成。

林世賢指出，彰化市陳稜路主管機關是縣府，路權屬於市公所，曾在去年台灣設計展試辦過「行人優先區」，縣府這次規劃應該與當地充分溝通，建議能夠多辦活動來帶動行人優先區人潮，對商圈有幫助，讓「行人優先區」帶來與美食名店、店家的互贏。

彰化市陳稜路曾經一度為單行道，後來再改回雙向道，兩端銜接中正路與中山路，而人潮較多的是小西商圈段，除了造型優美的高賓閣，還有阿璋肉圓、貓鼠麵、正彰化肉圓、糯米炸等知名小吃，假日有車輛違停亂象，不少人期待改成行人優先區，終於可以解決長期以來的問題。

taiwan-subdivisions: 彰化 中山 和平 中正

title: 彰化市「美食第一街」出現神秘的「黃色方格子」真相曝光了！ - 生活


content_text:
瑞士日內瓦2026年2月28日 /美通社/ — 以下為新華社報道：

全球治理研討會暨《新時代治國理政紀實》第一卷英文版發佈會在瑞士日內瓦舉行。

Tatiana Valovaya(L), Jia Guide(R), and Fu Hua attend a seminar and the launch of the English edition of ‘China’s Governance Under Xi Jinping’s Leadership’ at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Feb. 24, 2026.(Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

中國為加強多邊主義做出了重要貢獻。各國應共同努力，建立更公平、更包容、更有效的國際合作體系。

她還指出，自1945年以來，全球局勢發生了重大變化，但「聯合國仍然是世界各國能夠聚集在一起解決共同問題和找到共同解決辦法的唯一場所 」。

中國常駐聯合國日內瓦辦事處和瑞士其他國際組織代表賈桂德在致辭中表示，當前單邊主義、保護主義、霸權主義衝擊多邊秩序，全球治理走到新的十字路口。

他指出，中方提出全球治理倡議，旨在維護國際秩序、完善全球治理，已得到150多個國家和國際組織支持響應。中方願同各方加強溝通協調，推動構建更加公正合理的全球治理體系。

新華社社長傅華在致辭中向來賓介紹了《新時代治國理政紀實》第一卷。他表示，本書以豐富情節全景呈現了新時代治國理政的非凡實踐和傑出成就，從中可以深刻領略習近平主席的深厚情懷和人格魅力。

他說，新華社始終致力於宣介全球治理倡議等重要理念，將繼續用好媒體智庫多邊對話合作機制，加強與國際組織交流協作，在國際舞台更好講述中國推動全球治理體系建設和改革的生動故事。

在全球治理研討會上，新華社還發佈了智庫報告《堅守國際道義攜手應對世界亂局——聚焦全球治理的中國方案》。

本次活動由新華通訊社、中國常駐聯合國日內瓦辦事處共同舉辦，來自聯合國機構和國際組織的代表、多國駐聯合國使節及智庫、工商界人士等約200人參會。

title: 全球治理研討會在日內瓦舉行《新時代治國理政紀實》第一卷英文版正式發佈

countries: 中國 瑞士


title: MAC blasts PRC for oppressing minister

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REACTIONS: A KMT official called on the interior minister to subject herself to oversight, while a TPP legislator said no matter where a person works, their rights should be upheld   By Chung Li-hua, Lin Che-yuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer

The government would take every measure to defend the rights of Taiwanese against Chinese oppression, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, after a Hong Kong-based publication reported that a relative of Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) sends her political donations obtained through investments in China.

The Ta Kung Pao (大公報) yesterday alleged that Liu’s nephew, Yen Wen-chun (顏文群), who holds senior management positions in three Chinese companies, gave Liu political donations.

One company netted 295 million yuan (US$43 million) last year, and received up to 100,000 yuan in Chinese subsidies, the report said.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said it is looking into the issue.

Beijing would not allow those who support Taiwanese independence and ruin cross-strait relations to make money in China, then use those funds to undermine Beijing, the office said.

The office last month listed Liu as a “diehard Taiwanese independence separatist,” and banned her and their family from entering China and its territories.

The sanctions also ban businesses associated with “separatists” from operating in China, applicable for life.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using the state-owned Ta Kung Pao to spread fake news and attack Liu, the MAC said.

China irresponsibly implicated Liu’s nephew in a blatant attempt to oppress the Taiwan’s government, people and civil servants under the pretense of punitive action against pro-Taiwanese independence, it added.

China labeling people as “diehard Taiwanese independence separatists” and launching investigations into the businesses of their relatives shows that the CCP has no morals, it said, adding that such actions would only create fear among people who travel across the Taiwan Strait for business and would harm cross-strait interaction.

The government supports normal cross-strait interactions, as Taiwanese investors or jobseekers in China would bolster local economic development and facilitate cross-strait interactions, the MAC said.

However, constant threats leveled against these people by the CCP would only further antagonize Taiwanese against China, it added.

The council urged Taiwanese to consider the differences in political systems and risks to their personal safety if they wish to visit China for investment or business.

Vice Minister of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said the ministry condemned the CCP’s attempts to politically pressure Taiwanese officials, adding that it was an attempt to intervene in the nation’s democratically elected government.

Taiwan would not shy away from rebuffing China’s attempts to enforce “long arm” jurisdiction, and the ministry would continue to uphold and protect the government and pursue its duties in accordance with the law, Ma said.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said that the claims have yet to be verified, but that if it was true, it is not simply an extended family member involved in overseas investment and businesses.

This could have national security implications, to say nothing of the possibility of corruption and gaining political influence, he added.

The issue must be handled properly, regardless of one’s position in the government, he said, calling on Liu to issue a statement and subject herself to oversight.

Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) said that whether a person is working in Taiwan or in China, their right to work and other basic human rights should be observed.

Li called on the CCP to be more friendly toward Taiwanese, and said government officials and representatives should know their boundaries and conduct their duties within the law.

Additional reporting by CNA

people: 劉世芳 林沛祥


content_text:
Taiwan’s first domestic measles case of the year has been confirmed and more than 500 contacts are being monitored until March 17, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.

An eight-month-old infant fell ill after returning from Vietnam at the end of last month and was later diagnosed with measles, as announced on Feb. 12, the CDC said.

A man in his 40s from northern Taiwan developed symptoms 13 days after contact with the infant and was confirmed to have measles, it said.

A healthcare professional takes a person’s temperature in an undated photograph. Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times

Local health authorities traced 526 people the man was in contact with during his contagious period, including five family members who live with him, the CDC said.

Anyone who has had contact with a confirmed case should monitor their health and take protective measures, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said.

Early symptoms of measles resemble a common cold, including a cough, runny nose and fever, followed by a red rash, which typically appears about two weeks after infection.

The virus could spread through the air, respiratory droplets or direct contact with respiratory secretions four days before and after the rash appears, the CDC said.

People who develop symptoms should wear a mask and contact local medical authorities to arrange for care, rather than ignoring their condition or seeking medical help independently, Lin said.

Those who do not follow proper self-monitoring regulations could face a fine of NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 under to the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), he said.

Doctors should remain vigilant and ask patients about their travel, work and contact history to accurately diagnose cases and trace contacts, he added.

As of Thursday, there had been three cases of measles in Taiwan this year, including the infant and the man in his 40s, the CDC said, adding that the third person contracted the disease in Malaysia.

Measles outbreaks continue globally, with India, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam reporting cases since last year, the CDC said.

Japan has reported 43 measles cases so far this year, the highest figure over same period in nearly seven years, with the most cases reported in Tokyo and Osaka, it said.

In related news, the CDC on Thursday reminded doctors to be aware of dengue fever risks, as a man in northern Taiwan was diagnosed with the disease after visiting hospitals three times.

The man, who is in his 50s, traveled to the Maldives at the end of last month and developed a fever, muscle aches, joint pain and a rash after returning to Taiwan, Lin said.

He visited two different hospitals on Monday, Thursday and Friday last week, and was diagnosed with dengue fever on the third visit, he said.

If doctors had properly checked the patient’s travel, contact and work histories, they would have normally performed a dengue NS1 rapid test, he said.

The CDC issued a notice to doctors reminding them that increased travel over the Lunar New Year holiday means higher risk of imported diseases such as dengue, he added.

There had been 19 cases of dengue fever as of Wednesday, lower than the same period in 2024 and last year, the CDC said.

Among the imported cases, Indonesia accounts for the most with six cases, followed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives, it said.

title: CDC confirms the year’s first local measles case


content_text:
The Philippine, US and Japanese militaries conducted joint exercises this week over the Bashi Channel that separates the Philippines from Taiwan, officials said yesterday.

Aircraft from the three nations patrolled over the Philippines’ northernmost Batanes in drills aimed at showcasing their “ability to operate seamlessly together in complex maritime environments,” the Philippine military said.

It marks the first time that so-called “Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities” (MMCAs) involving the countries have expanded beyond the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have engaged in repeated clashes over disputed territory.

US Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey sails below an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter during a joint military exercise in the South China Sea. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Public Affairs Office / AFP

Little more than 100km separates the Philippines and Taiwan.

“Air operations were conducted within airspace over Philippine territory and its territorial sea, north of Luzon,” the Philippine military said, adding that naval vessels had stayed west of the Batanes island chain.

Philippine Armed Forces public affairs chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said it was the “first time” MMCA operations had been conducted in the “said operational box.”

That box extended “up to the northern tip of Luzon, particularly Mavulis Island,” which hosts small Philippine navy and marine detachments, the Philippine military said.

China’s military reacted angrily to the drills.

“The Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to organize the so-called joint patrols, disrupting peace and stability in the region,” a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command spokesperson said, adding that China had conducted a “routine patrol” of the South China Sea from Monday to Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November last year sent relations with Beijing into a tailspin by suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

The Japanese minister of defense upped the ante on Tuesday by saying that Tokyo planned to deploy surface-to-air missiles on one of its remote western islands near Taiwan by early 2031.

In August last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr warned that the Philippines would be dragged “kicking and screaming” into any war over Taiwan.

“I hope it doesn’t happen ... but if it does, we have to plan for it already,” he said, citing the large numbers of Filipinos working in Taiwan.

The Philippine-US-Japanese exercise took place over six days and concluded on Thursday. It included a live-fire gunnery exercise conducted by the guided missile frigate, BRP Antonio Luna.

title: Philippines-Japan-US drills conducted over Bashi Channel


content_text:
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved plans to beef up the country’s intelligence capability, a party official said yesterday, as Takaichi pushes ahead with a defense overhaul.

Takaichi has vowed to make Japan “strong and prosperous” through key policy changes including in defense and intelligence.

The proposal, agreed by the intelligence strategy headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), includes establishing an upgraded intelligence bureau and bolstering “foreign intelligence collection capabilities,” an LDP official said.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at her office in Tokyo on Wednesday last week. Photo: Reuters

It calls for a mandatory registration system for foreign agents — such as people and corporations lobbying within Japan on behalf of other governments — as part of counterintelligence measures.

The plan, which also includes a ban on the use of mobile phones in key government buildings, is expected to be submitted to Takaichi next week, the Asahi Shimbun and other local media reported.

“One of the central pillars of the major policy shift [under Takaichi] is a fundamental strengthening of intelligence,” LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi said. “Simply creating an organization on paper is utterly meaningless; the question is how we can turn it into a truly living, functioning body.”

Separately, the LDP on Wednesday proposed changes to Japan’s stringent rules on exporting military equipment to enable exports of lethal weapons, local reports said.

Takaichi has also said that she plans to revise three key national security policy documents this year to reflect the changing security environment.

The prime minister has vowed that Japan would steadfastly protect its territory, waters and airspace.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) told the Munich Security Conference earlier this month that forces in Japan were seeking to “revive militarism.”

While Takaichi has said in parliament that she would not change the rules, local media have reported that the prime minister is considering allowing US nuclear weapons into Japanese territory — a revision to the country’s non-nuclear principles of not producing, possessing or permitting the introduction of such weapons into the country.

title: Japan’s LDP approves plan to bolster intelligence


title: 228 opened fight for democracy: KMT chairwoman

content_text:
TIME AND PLACE:  The KMT chairwoman sniped at the judiciary and its ‘partiality’ during a memorial for the 1947 uprising and government-ordered massacre

The 228 Incident marked Taiwan’s first major democratic movement after World War II, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said yesterday, urging people to safeguard hard-earned democracy.

Ahead of 228 Peace Memorial Day today, Cheng said that the Incident was not only a tragedy, but also the opening chapter in the struggle for democracy.

Cheng, joined by senior KMT officials and civic group representatives, laid flowers at the 228 Peace Memorial Monument in Taipei’s 228 Peace Memorial Park, and called on citizens to protect democratic rule of law, freedom of speech and judicial independence.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun visits the 228 Peace Memorial Monument in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The Incident was the result of state violence and abuse of power, leaving a painful legacy of oppression and bloodshed, she said.

Taiwan’s democratic and legal systems were forged through successive democratic movements and were intended to ensure an independent judiciary, Cheng said.

However, she criticized what she called a decline in judicial neutrality.

“Taiwan’s judiciary today has willingly debased itself by becoming a tool of those in power, serving as their claw to strike at political opponents,” she said.

Constitutional democracy requires limits on state power, Cheng said, adding that a constitution exists to restrain those in authority and prevent abuse, not to serve as a ruler’s instrument.

Deng Chu-mei (鄭竹梅) — daughter of Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), the democracy advocate who founded Freedom Era Weekly in 1984 to fight for freedom of speech — said she believed history would judge Cheng’s comments.

Any political figure must face the questions from voters, and it matters how they answer and from what perspective they give those answers, Deng Chu-mei said during a 228 march in Taipei.

She called on the KMT to sincerely understand Taiwan’s past, saying that many books on Taiwan’s history are available and should be consulted if the party still needs clarification.

Asked by reporters if Cheng needs to “touch up” on her understanding of democracy, Deng Chu-mei said she believed that KMT-leaning voters would know more about that question.

Deng Chu-mei called on the KMT to be honest about its past mistakes and actions.

The 228 Incident refers to civilian uprisings in Taiwan and the violent crackdown by the KMT government that began on Feb. 28, 1947.

Additional reporting by Lin Che-yuan


content_text:
CYBERWARFARE CONTINGENCIES: Latent malware presited in Taiwan’s electronic infrastructure could hammer services and agencies in the outbreak of a conflict

China might target Taiwan’s critical infrastructure by executing simultaneous cyberwarfare attacks with embedded malware in the case of a war, a report said.

The Presidential Office’s Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee has convened multiple meetings since last year to work on defense resilience.

A committee report cited the Ministry of Digital Affairs as saying that hostile forces might have already planted Trojan or backdoor malware in critical infrastructure.

A cybersecurity expert monitors telecommunications traffic at a network operations center in Ashburn, Virginia, on July 15, 2014. Photo: Reuters

Given the risk of all-out attacks by such malware during wars, critical systems should be constantly scanned and tested to remove hidden malware, the ministry said.

If malware cannot be fully blocked during emergencies, network connections should be cut to terminate external connections, ensuring critical data is neither leaked nor manipulated, the report said.

Critical infrastructure in Taiwan ranges from energy, water resources, telecommunications and transportation to finance, emergency rescue and hospitals, science parks and major government agencies.

Enemies might prioritize energy infrastructure for attack if such facilities are all set up within Taiwan, the report said.

Authorities should work out agreements with allied nations for energy storage and transportation, strengthening energy resilience and diversifying risk in the face of an attack, it said.

A source with knowledge of the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said the government has initiated a program to protect critical infrastructure including energy, financial and telecommunications infrastructure against non-traditional security threats, such as drones.

Submarine cables are a vulnerability for the physical and digital infrastructure of Taiwan, as they can easily be cut by enemies to shut down connections to the outside world, isolating the nation, the report said.

The government should set up diverse backups for redundancy, it said.

While maximum transmission capacity is maintained by submarine cables in peacetime, satellites or microwave links could be alternative solutions to ensuring basic connectivity if the cables are cut, it added.

Cyberattackers could launch a single-strike blackout that would lead to major damage, the report said.

Authorities are advised to examine critical infrastructure and their core functions to decide what facilities should be prioritized for maintenance and operation based on how much their dysfunction would affect society, it said.

Authorities should localize operations of data centers to ensure that domestic infrastructure can operate normally even if international connections are disrupted, the report said.

A National Security Bureau report said there are five main hacker groups commissioned by the Chinese Communist Party government to attack Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, including BlackTech (黑科技), Flax Typhoon (亞麻颱風), Mustang Panda (野馬熊貓), APT41 and UNC3886.

There were industrial control systems in the energy sector infiltrated and disrupted by latent malware, it said.

Chinese cyberattackers probed the network devices and industrial control systems of public and private energy businesses in Taiwan, including the petroleum, electricity and natural gas industries, the report said.

They attempted to install malware in systems of energy operators during software updates to spy on the operating mechanisms, resource planning and backup deployments of Taiwan’s energy sector, it said.

Chinese cyberattackers aimed for loopholes in telecom networking systems of the telecommunications sector, and attempted to infiltrate computer systems of telecoms and their contractors, the report said.

Their goal was to steal communications data and user information, and to infiltrate sensitive and backup communication links using man-in-the-middle attacks, it said, adding that such activities must be blocked, as they would affect Taiwan’s internal and external network security.

title: Chinese cyberwarfare threat serious: report


title: MOE boosts food waste education

content_text:
By Rachel Lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is stepping up efforts to integrate campus waste treatment with agrifood education and other concepts as the nation looks to ban the use of food scraps as pig feed next year as part of the government’s preventive measures against African swine fever.

Multiple schools have been using the process of handling leftover food as an educational opportunity, such as the Taipei City Ching Chiang Elementary School’s Vermiponics System project, K-12 Administration official Chiu Chiu-chan (邱秋蟬) said.

The school deposits leftovers from school lunches into boxes, feeding the earthworms inside, whose feces fertilize the vegetation planted in the boxes, Chiu said.

Students cultivate a campus garden using kitchen waste as fertilizer in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Education

By observing the process, the students gain a deeper understanding of food waste recycling, she said.

Nanlong Junior High School in Kaohsiung also encourages its students to be involved in projects involving leftovers.

This allows students to learn more about agriculture and food, the environment and science in general, and would also teach them to refrain from being wasteful, Chiu said.

Taitung County’s Fongyuan Elementary School has also been raising black soldier flies to process school food scraps.

The school said the process allows students to reflect on their food choices and how they impact sustainability, adding that the process also teaches them to cherish food and learn about recycling.

Taichung’s Huiwen High School, through careful separation and preservation, and in collaboration with organizations, turns food leftovers into food for disadvantaged families and homeless people, Chiu said.

The project allows the school to recycle and reuse about 70 percent of its leftovers, helping prevent waste while doing its part for the community, Chiu said.

The ministry would continue to share with schools how to prevent food waste, encouraging them not to buy too many supplies, to set up their purchases around a weekly schedule, to invest in better storage methods, and to share excess food with other organizations and groups, Chiu said.

The ministry said it would also praise and reward schools that have made exceptional efforts to reduce food waste and cultivate habits of cherishing food, Chiu said, adding that this would help increase school lunch quality and ensure that schools are implementing measures to help achieve a sustainable environment in line with government policies.


title: Agency launches bird call contest

content_text:
The first bird call imitation competition, to be held alongside the 16th Dasyueshan Bird Race, opened for submissions on Wednesday.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Taichung branch organized the competition in collaboration with the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation this year, with the goal of raising conservation awareness by encouraging people to “speak bird languages.”

Bird vocalization can be divided into two categories — songs and calls — which serve as a key criterion for identifying bird species and have different communicative functions in terms of alarms, social interaction, and courtship and mating, the branch said on Wednesday.

Taiwan bamboo partridges are pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of the Wild Bird Association of Taiwan

Mimicking bird voices helps enhance people’s understanding of bird behaviors and encourages support for wildlife conservation, it said, adding that listening to bird sounds is therapeutic.

The competition is open to people of all ages and nationality, with the deadline for submission for the preliminary round set at March 31.

Contestants in the preliminary round are required to submit an audio recording no longer than three minutes consisting of their self-introduction and an imitation of the call and song of the Taiwan bamboo partridge, an endemic species.

The song of the Taiwan bamboo partridge is suitable for the preliminary round, as the species is widely distributed across the nation’s plains and mid-elevation mountains, making the song one of the most familiar bird voices in Taiwan, the branch said.

The panel of judges would select up to 10 contestants for the final round based on their imitation’s timbre, rhythm and resemblance to the song.

Experts in bird vocalizations would be invited to judge the competition, the branch said.

Contestants selected for the final round would be announced on the federation’s Web site on April 10, and would be rewarded with an entrance ticket to the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area (大雪山國家森林遊樂區) in Taichung and a NT$1,500 allowance for accommodation in the recreation area, it said.

The final round of the competition is to be held at the recreation area’s visitor center on May 2.

In the final round, shortlisted contestants are expected to present the voice of the Taiwan bamboo partridge again and then choose one of the four other designated bird species for another imitation.

The four bird species are white-bellied green pigeons, Taiwan scimitar-babblers, Taiwan yuhinas and black-naped monarchs — all of which can be found in Dasyueshan (大雪山).

Contestants would be assessed based on their on-site performance, with the top three decided through both the judge panel’s evaluation and the audience’s voting results.

The Dasyueshan Bird Race is a competition to see which team can spot the most bird species in and around Dasyueshan within 24 hours.

It is an annual birdwatching event that has been organized by the branch for 15 years and is to be held this year over the weekend from May 1 to 2.

People can sign up for both competitions and find out more information provided on the agency’s Web site.


title: FEATURE: Academics hail first Taigi experimental school

content_text:
DRAWBACKS: While commendable, more government support, including teacher training and stable wages, is needed to expand Taigi education in the nation

Academics hailed the nation’s first experimental school that teaches courses in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), while calling for more teachers and state funding the support the program.

Beiling Primary School in Kaohsiung’s Lujhu District (路竹) in September last year started the experimental program for elementary students learning subjects in Hoklo.

Most Taiwanese language advocates prefer the endonym Taigi over Hoklo.

A teacher at Beiling Primary School in Kaohsiung’s Lujhu District uses Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) to teach students on Dec. 21 last year. Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times

The school, located at the intersection of Lujhu and Gangshan (岡山) districts, is near the Kaohsiung Science Park and Benjhou Industrial Park, and borders Provincial Highway No. 1 and other access roads. Despite its convenient transportation links, it almost got shut down more than a decade ago.

With an aging population and low birthrate, Beiling faced declining enrollment and government officials discussed its possible closure. It averted a shutdown after children from a baseball team in the mountain area relocated and boosted its enrollment.

In 2023, Taiwanese advocacy group TW South (台灣南社) asked Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) to set up a Taigi experimental school in the city, noting that Kaohsiung already has two experimental schools for teaching Hakka and indigenous languages, Beiling School principal Su Heng-chin (蘇恆欽) said.

Chen agreed and instructed the city’s Education Bureau to draft plans and set up preparatory works over the course of a year for Beiling to commence the new Taigi education program, he added.

The school’s name was derived from an older name for the area, called “Pak-nia-kinn” in Taigi (北嶺墘, north ridge’s margin), with Taigi being the mother tongue of residents of the local communities, Su said.

“Therefore we decided to transform this school as the first for a Taigi education program,” he said.

“However, we had to face queries by some parents who were afraid that learning in Taigi could affect their children’s academic performance,” Su said.

The program called for teaching most courses in Taigi, including math, natural sciences and arts, Su said, adding that the only exceptions are Mandarin Chinese and English-language courses.

The school currently has 66 students — more than half of them came from other elementary-school jurisdictions, indigenous children from Atayal, Paiwan, Amis, Bunun and Sediq groups, as well as students whose parents are Japanese, German and other nationalities, Su said.

“Our school staff and teachers have worked diligently to create a multilingual environment for diverse languages to coexist. As a Taigi experimental school, we encourage teachers and students to speak and discuss in Taigi,” Su said.

“However, we respect the rights of all students to speak their mother tongue,” he said, citing as an example a Sediq student who chose to learn their native tongue, with the school hiring an expert to teach in Sediq.

“Right now we have four certified teachers of Taigi, two of whom are assistant teachers. They work with the course’s main instructors to prepare lessons before class, translating materials from Mandarin to Taigi, and join them in class to assist in teaching,” Su said.

“Most teachers in our school are bilingual. They are capable of teaching in Taigi and Mandarin. All the seven major courses are being taught, and the curriculum has not been affected by teaching in Taigi,” he said.

The language used in teaching subjects such as mathematics does not affect learning outcomes, Su said, adding that the key is whether students have learned the subject matter.

The teachers use a variety of assessment methods to check students’ learning outcomes and provide timely feedback to ensure learning quality, he said.

“Our teachers support students, and use leading questions, to encourage them to speak Taigi or their mother tongue,” he said.

“We have created a special environment for teaching courses in Taigi and have adopted a multidisciplinary approach for education, being the first of its kind in Taiwan,” he added.

“First-grade enrollment this year increased by 40 percent. We have parents residing in Ciaotou District (橋頭) enroll their children in our school. As such, Beiling is bucking the trend of a declining birthrate and dwindling students. This shows that the demand is there to have more Taigi experimental schools,” he said.

While Beiling faced the twin problems of lacking qualified teachers and insufficient funding, the program was still launched due to the full support of the Kaohsiung Education Bureau, Su said.

“However, we are not sure if subsidies from the city government would continue in the future,” he added.

To encourage and promote Taigi education, the Hoat-Ki Taigi Foundation has set up a “Taiwanese Language Scholarship” at Beiling. Each semester, scholarships are awarded to the top three students in each grade and class in Taigi. In addition, rewards are given to students who placed in the top three in school, city and national Taiwanese language competitions and to those who receive outstanding scores in Taigi proficiency certifications.

“Most certified teachers of Taigi and other native languages are paid by the hour. They have no guaranteed wages, and are not paid during the summer and winter holidays,” said Chiung Wi-vun (蔣為文), the foundation’s director and professor of Taiwanese literature at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan.

A majority of elementary-school assistant teachers are paid NT$336 per hour and given the 20 hours per week cap on teaching hours, they receive about NT$26,880 for a month’s work, which is lower than the minimum wage of NT$29,500, Chiung said.

“The salary is too low, so schools cannot retain good language teachers. Moreover, assistant teachers are only given one-year contracts, so their job prospects are not steady,” Chiung said. “The government should provide more financial subsidies for the program.”

“Taigi education cannot survive on personal enthusiasm alone or short-term investment. It needs a comprehensive support system, professionally trained language teachers and long-term investment for it to succeed,” he said.

Chiung said the Ministry of Education and government officials have been negligent in implementing the Development of National Languages Act (國家語言發展法), which was promulgated in 2019, but Taiwan still has no dedicated government agency for the development and rejuvenation of Taigi.

“Under the act, all indigenous languages, Mandarin, Hakka, Taigi and sign languages are enshrined as official languages ... so Taigi speakers should not be discriminated or restricted, as it is the mother tongue or 70 to 80 percent of Taiwanese,” he said. “However, the government has provided very little funding and fewer resources for Taigi-language programs.”

taiwan-subdivisions: 岡山 橋頭 路竹


content_text:
After feasting on food and snacks that are high in oil, salt and sugar during the long Lunar New Year holiday, many people are still feeling the effects of excessive eating, ranging from bloating and constipation to a fluctuating appetite and even fatigue, nutritionist Hsieh Hsin-yi (謝欣頤) said.

People have gone back to their normal routine after the holiday, but they are discovering that their bodies, especially the digestive system, have yet to return to normal, said Hsieh, who works at Tainan Municipal Hospital.

“The key to restoring the body’s digestive and metabolic functions is to follow a balanced, high-fiber and regular diet,” Hsieh said.

Healthy lunchboxes are displayed in Hsinchu County on Dec. 28, 2022. Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times

“We have patients coming in complaining of bloating, constipation, loss of appetite or other digestive problems. Some said they gained weight during the holiday, so they have been eating less or skipping meals, but that could lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels and trigger binge eating,” she said.

“We advise people to eat at regular times, and each meal should include protein, carbohydrates and vegetables to restore the body’s energy,” she said.

Food that is high in fiber is highly recommended as it promotes satiety, improves bowel movement and makes up for the oily dishes and refined food consumed during the holiday, she said.

“Vegetables should make up half of the portion of each meal. Choose dark green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, legumes and other natural high-fiber foods,” she added.

“Some people would only eat vegetables and avoid food staples after the holiday, but this could lead to muscle loss and a slower metabolism. Each meal should include protein, such as fish, chicken, eggs, tofu or sugar-free soy milk,” Hsieh said.

“Sufficient water intake should boost the effects of eating a high-fiber diet to prevent constipation or fatigue,” she said.

“Cook food via steaming, stewing or braising, and minimize frying in oil. Cut down on starches and heavy spices to help your digestive system recover,” she added.

Hsieh recommended a dish called “braised tofu with tomatoes and seasonal vegetables,” which is easy to make.

Stir fry the tomatoes to release their juices, then add tofu and seasonal vegetables, using little oil and spices, she said.

“Tomatoes can be filling, while tofu is a good source of protein and vegetables are high in fiber, so this [dish] is a good option for people to fine-tune their digestive system,” Hsieh said.

“This is a period to ‘adjust,’ not ‘punish’ your digestive system,” she added.

People should not look for rapid changes or quick results, but should instead focus on eating regular meals, high-fiber foods and light dishes to allow their digestive system to return to its natural rhythm and feel healthy again, Hsieh said.

title: Nutritionist offers tips for recovering from holiday feasts


title: Lighting up the sky

content_text: People release paper lanterns during the Pingsi Sky Lantern Festival at Pingsi Junior High School yesterday.


title: Canopy of lights

content_text: People walk among paper lanterns as a light display shines through the trees at the opening of an event celebrating the Lantern Festival yesterday in Tainan’s Rende District.


content_text:
SHIPMENTS BOOST:  The firm expects this year’s shipments of general-purpose servers to exceed last year’s, with AI servers to account for more than half of sales

Cloud computing equipment supplier Wiwynn Corp (緯穎科技) on Thursday said it expects revenue this year to exceed last year’s level, as shipments of new servers based on application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) and graphics processing units (GPU) are set to begin in the second half of this year.

Shipments of both platforms are expected to drive growth and raise the share of artificial intelligence (AI) revenue this year, Wiwynn chairwoman Emily Hong (洪麗甯) told an online earnings conference.

Revenue from AI servers this year is expected to remain dominated by ASIC orders, while on the GPU side, the company is shifting its focus to Nvidia Corp’s next-generation servers, Hong said.

Microsoft employees in Dublin on Tuesday last week decommission server racks amid efforts to scale its infrastructure sustainably. Photo: Reuters

Wiwynn is positive about orders for its ASIC-based AI servers and general-purpose servers this quarter, as order momentum is expected to support stable year-on-year growth, company CEO and president William Lin (林威遠) said.

Meanwhile, as customers increasingly separate AI workloads from general computing due to cost considerations, demand for general-purpose servers has risen, giving Wiwynn strong visibility into shipment growth for such systems, Lin said.

Shipments of general-purpose servers this year are expected to exceed last year’s level, with year-on-year growth projected in each quarter, he said.

Last year, AI servers and general-purpose servers each accounted for about half of the company’s revenue, Lin said.

Within the AI segment, servers powered by ASICs made up about 90 percent of the revenue, he added.

This year, AI servers are expected to account for more than half of the company’s total revenue, Lin said.

For the second half of this year, Wiwynn has not only secured new ASIC-based server orders, but also those powered by GPUs from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc, he said.

The recent surge in memory prices has had little effect on Wiwynn’s profitability so far, despite memory accounting for about 30 percent of the bill of materials (BOMs) for its general-purpose servers — a share that could rise further if prices continue climbing, he said.

Memory accounts for a relatively small share of AI server BOM costs, as such systems are already pricy, and the company has secured sufficient memory supply through at least next quarter, Lin said.

Wiwynn is expanding production capacity in Taiwan, Malaysia, Mexico and the US, with output from its new Texas plant going online last quarter and mass production expected to begin in the first half of this year, he said.

The company’s capital expenditure this year is expected to rise significantly from NT$13 billion (US$415.99 million) last year to meet AI demand, he said.

To cope with increases in operating funds as the cost of producing server racks surges, as are costs for components such as memory chips, Wiwynn is adjusting its cash dividend distribution approach this year, Hong said.

Wiwynn’s board on Thursday approved its first dividend policy combining cash and stock payouts, with a cash dividend of NT$145 per share and a stock dividend of NT$20 per share for last year.

title: Wiwynn expects revenue to increase


title: Japanese state hands Rapidus US$1.6 billion

content_text:
The Japanese government would invest ￥250 billion (US$1.6 billion) in state-backed Rapidus Corp as part of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s pledge to boost domestic chipmaking.

The latest funding, which would be distributed over the next two financial years, brings Japan closer to its goal of providing ￥3 trillion in total support to help Rapidus mass-produce 2-nanometer logic chips and potentially challenge industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電).

Under the new arrangement, the government would initially hold only about 10 percent of Rapidus’ voting shares and own the majority of its stake in non-voting stock, Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official Tomoshige Nambu said yesterday.

The Rapidus Corp booth is pictured at the Semicon Japan exhibition in Tokyo on Dec. 17 last year. Photo: Bloomberg

However, the state retains the right to convert them into voting shares to seize majority control if the company faces financial distress.

The government would also acquire “golden shares,” granting it the ultimate veto power over major corporate changes, Nambu said.

Takaichi has doubled down on her predecessors’ semiconductor ambitions, viewing domestic production as a pillar of economic security.

The ministry is set to nearly quadruple its budgeted support for cutting-edge semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) development to about ￥1.23 trillion for the fiscal year starting in April.

The push comes as geopolitical tensions and a surge in generative AI heighten the strategic importance of high-end silicon.

On top of state support, Rapidus has also secured ￥167.6 billion from about 30 private companies to help its goal of launching mass production by March 2028.

Still, Takaichi’s government is not pinning its chipmaking ambitions on Rapidus alone. The prime minister has also secured a pledge from TSMC that it would upgrade its technology and plants in Japan.


title: New ASML machines are ready for manufacturers

content_text:
ASML Holding’s next-generation chipmaking machine is ready for manufacturers to start bringing it into use for production at high volumes, a senior executive said — a big step for the chip industry.

The Dutch company produces the world’s only commercial extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) tools, which are a critical piece of equipment for chipmakers.

The new tool would help chipmakers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and Intel produce more powerful and efficient chips by eliminating several costly and complex steps from the chip-manufacturing process, ASML data showed.

A banner flies the ASML logo outside the firm’s Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands, on Jan. 28. Photo: Bloomberg

ASML planned to release the data, which represents a key milestone, at a technical conference in San Jose, California, on Thursday, company chief technology officer Marco Pieters said on Wednesday.

It has taken ASML years to develop the next-generation tools, as chipmakers have attempted to determine at what point it makes economic sense to begin to use them for mass production.

However, given that the current generation of EUV tools is approaching the technical limit of their ability to make complex artificial intelligence (AI) chips, the next-generation machines — called High-NA EUV tools — are key for the AI industry to improve chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and help chipmakers deliver their AI chip road maps on time to meet surging demand.

The new tools cost about US$400 million, twice the cost of the original EUV machines.

The High-NA EUV tools now experience limited downtime, have produced 500,000 dinner-plate-sized silicon wafers and can draw sufficiently precise patterns that make up the circuits on the chip, the ASML data showed.

In combination, the three data points indicate the tools are ready for manufacturers.

“I think that it’s at a critical point to look at the amount of learning cycles that have happened,” Pieters said, referring to the number of tests that have been conducted on the machines by customers.

Despite their technical readiness, it would take two to three years for companies to conduct enough testing and development to integrate them into manufacturing.

Chipmakers “have all the knowledge to qualify these tools,” Pieters said.

The company has achieved about 80 percent uptime at the moment and plans to achieve 90 percent by the end of the year, he added.

The imaging data ASML was to release are enough to convince customers to replace multiple steps with the older-generation tools with a single High-NA step, Pieters said.


title: Netflix drops out of bidding for Warner

content_text:
Netflix Inc has dropped out of the fight to buy Warner Bros Discovery Inc, clearing the way for rival bidder Paramount Skydance Corp to clinch its US$111 billion deal for the historic Hollywood studio.

The streaming industry leader said that while it believed its deal would have cleared with regulators and created shareholder value, it did not want to keep bidding.

“We’ve always been disciplined and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive,” Netflix said in a statement on Thursday.

The Paramount and Netflix logos are pictured in an arranged photograph taken on Dec. 8 last year. Photo: Reuters

Instead, it would keep investing in its business, including about US$20 billion this year on films, TV shows and other entertainment offerings, it said.

Netflix inked an US$82.7 billion deal, including assumed debt, to acquire the studio and streaming businesses of Warner Bros in December last year, but repeated counteroffers from Paramount for the entire company kept the auction open.

Late on Thursday, Warner Bros deemed Paramount’s latest US$31-a-share bid the superior offer.

“Once our board votes to adopt the Paramount merger agreement, it will create tremendous value for our shareholders,” Warner Bros chief executive officer David Zaslav said in a statement. “We are excited about the potential of a combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery and can’t wait to get started working together telling the stories that move the world.”

Netflix’s decision not to raise its offer “has paved the way for shareholders to receive meaningfully more cash and a truly viable path to government approvals,” Ancora Holdings Group, an activist investor in Warner Bros, said in a separate statement. “This is a win-win for shareholders and the industry.”

The takeover fight has been contentious, in Hollywood and in Washington. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Paramount CEO David Ellison traveled to the US capital this week to meet with lawmakers.

Sarandos spent about an hour on Thursday with officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Ellison attended Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday as a guest of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina.

Graham was also seen at the White House on Thursday.

Paramount would face ongoing scrutiny for its deal. The US Senate Judiciary Committee had scheduled a hearing for March 4 to once again examine the Warner Bros sale following a hearing earlier this month.

US Senator Cory Booker once again extended an invitation for Ellison to attend.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren also weighed in on the Paramount deal.

“A Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros merger is an antitrust disaster threatening higher prices and fewer choices for American families,” Warren said in a statement. “A handful of Trump-aligned billionaires are trying to seize control of what you watch and charge you whatever price they want.”


title: Pikachu turns 30

content_text: People stand in a Pokemon store in Tokyo on Thursday. One of the world highest-grossing franchises is celebrated its 30th anniversary yesterday.


content_text:
Today marks the 79th anniversary of the 228 Incident, an anti-government protest that began on Taipei’s Dihua Street (迪化街) the morning after a Taiwanese widow — accused of selling contraband cigarettes — was assaulted by Monopoly Bureau agents. What began as public outrage over official abuse and corruption escalated into a brutal crackdown by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that left thousands dead, many more imprisoned and countless families permanently scarred.

In the weeks that followed the incident, troops dispatched from China carried out mass arrests and executions. Local elites — intellectuals, students, doctors and community leaders — were rounded up, detained or disappeared. Estimates of the total death toll range from 10,000 to 30,000, and the precise number remains contested.

However, the breadth of the repression and the climate of fear it entrenched is undisputed. For decades, the families of the victims were denied truth, recognition and justice, while those who ordered and implemented the crackdown escaped meaningful accountability.

On Thursday, the head of Academia Historica Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深) said that former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) bears the greatest responsibility for the tragedy, citing documentary evidence that he ignored dissenting voices within the government, authorized troop deployments and approved the suppression campaign.

That assessment reflects a growing consensus — while it was corruption and abuse by local officials that ignited public anger, ultimate authority rested with the central government. Decisions made at the highest level shaped the scale and severity of the government’s response.

Throughout the four decades of martial law that followed the incident, tens of thousands were imprisoned on charges of sedition or espionage, often after perfunctory or secret trials. Political dissent was criminalized, media tightly controlled and civic life constricted.

The trauma of the Incident was compounded by countless years of silence. Families were left with no choice but to whisper their grief in private, wary that even remembrance would invite suspicion.

Nearly eight decades have passed, and younger Taiwanese have no living memory of the events. Yet survivors remain, as do the children and grandchildren of those who were executed, jailed or exiled. Their stories are not abstractions from a distant past — they are lived experiences that continue to shape family histories and collective consciousness.

Speaking at a commemorative event on Thursday, President William Lai (賴清德) emphasized that a society must have the courage to face the truth of its past rather than fear it. Only by acknowledging historical wrongdoing, he said, can wounds begin to heal and trust be rebuilt.

Lai’s message warrants affirmation. Confronting uncomfortable chapters in a nation’s history is not an act of division, but rather a prerequisite for reconciliation grounded in honesty. Suppressing or distorting historical records, by contrast, risks reopening old fractures.

Taiwan’s democratic transition has been neither linear nor effortless. From the lifting of martial law in 1987 to the first direct presidential election in 1996 and successive peaceful transfers of power, the nation has undertaken a profound political transformation.

Institutions have strengthened, civil society has flourished and open debate has become a defining feature of public life. However, democracy is not self-sustaining — it requires vigilance, civic participation and a shared commitment to constitutional norms.

The legacy of the 228 Incident is both a warning of how quickly unchecked authority and institutional impunity can erode basic rights and a testament to the resilience of a society that, despite repression, ultimately reclaimed its voice.

Remembering this day is not about perpetuating grievance. It is about safeguarding the principles that emerged in the decades that followed — accountability, political pluralism and respect for human dignity.

As Taiwan continues to navigate complex domestic debates and escalating external pressure undermining its sovereignty, unity need not mean uniformity. It calls for a collective recognition that the democratic freedoms now taken for granted — freedom of speech, of assembly, of the press and of the ballot — remain contingent upon continued vigilance.

Today is one of mourning, commemoration and appreciation. Mourning for the lives that were lost and the freedoms that were taken away, commemoration for the courage of those who resisted an oppressive political system and appreciation for the progress the nation has achieved in the 79 years since that dark chapter.

In remembering 228 with clarity and resolve, Taiwan affirms not only its past, but the democratic future it has chosen and continues to build.

title: EDITORIAL: Confronting an uncomfortable past


content_text:
For this academic year’s university admissions, more than 300 university departments are assessing applicants based on a single subject, out of which 189 departments would consider only Chinese language and literature. To respond to a declining birthrate and expand the applicant pool, this measure represents an attempt to offer greater flexibility and department-level autonomy in admissions. At the same time, it gives students more freedom and choice in their applications.

The General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT), which tests Taiwanese high-school students seeking to enroll in university, offers just six subjects. Local languages, meanwhile, have long been left out in the cold within the Taiwanese education system. Could they not also be added as a GSAT test subject?

Education is often guided by testing. Just as English emphasizes reading and writing assessments, introducing local languages into the testing system would also likely begin with literacy tests. It would provide many departments, in particular those related to Taiwanese literature, with a means to selectively differentiate between student applicants. The combination of exam results with interviews, in which students might express their interests and strengths, could then facilitate students entering their best suited departments.

High school is designed to prepare students for university, and local languages are already a mandatory subject. For students pursuing Taiwanese literature-related pathways, enabling them to exhibit their learning achievements in Hakka or indigenous languages through GSAT exams should not be overlooked. It would also help cultivate future professionals who work in frontline public service or closely within communities, including those in law and medicine. Strengthening local identities can also serve to broaden international perspectives. It would be a win-win for applicants and selection committees alike, and provide an impetus and stronger resolve for students studying local languages.

Hsiao Chia-hung is an adjunct lecturer at Tamkang University.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

title: Support local identities in schools


content_text:
According to media reports, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) has expressed interest in promoting the relocation of the Legislative Yuan, with the Grand Hotel Taipei as the preferred site. However, with regard to site location, building structure and political significance, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) is clearly the superior option.

Firstly, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is located beside an MRT station that serves as an interchange for the Red (Tamsui-Xinyi) and Green (Songshan-Xindian) lines. The Red Line notably runs through Taipei Main Station. Such connectivity would not only make it convenient for legislators from central and southern Taiwan to transfer from the high-speed rail (HSR) at Taipei Main Station, but would also facilitate access for officials attending hearings and for members of the public visiting the Legislative Yuan. By contrast, the Grand Hotel Taipei is relatively far from the nearest MRT station. Coupled with its elevated location, it could be quite difficult for the public to reach the location on foot. Compared with the current location of the Legislative Yuan, the added sense of distance could prove detrimental to shaping the new image of the legislature.

Secondly, the construction of the Grand Hotel Taipei was completed more than 50 years ago. Although it remains structurally sound, the planning for a new legislature should be measured on a centennial scale. Whether the hotel’s existing structure would be sufficient to support long-term needs, or whether it would require substantial reinforcements, remains questionable. Rather than undertaking extensive structural modifications to fit an ill-suited framework, if relocation is to occur at all, the new Legislative Yuan should be built from the ground up with the goal of presenting a renewed vision.

Lastly, the public has long held differing opinions on former president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) historical legacy. Moreover, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall’s overtly authoritarian, cult of personality design is fundamentally out of step with a modern, democratic society. If the site could be transformed for use as a new Legislative Yuan — turning this prime real estate from a space devoted to a single person to one shared by all citizens — the striking contrast would undoubtedly stand as one of the most compelling annotations to Taiwan’s democratic progress.

Viewed from all angles, the conditions offered by Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall are far superior to those of the Grand Hotel Taipei. If Han, in his capacity as legislative speaker, intends to advance the relocation of the Legislative Yuan, he should approach the matter with a broad vision and a long-term strategic perspective, rather than remaining complacent and deliberately avoiding the issue.

Huang Wei-ping works in public service.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: An ideal site for a new legislature


title: GDP growth benefits remain unequal

content_text:
Taiwan’s economy took off in the 1970s and 1980s, transforming it from a developing nation into a beautiful, developed country. National income rose and people lived and worked in peace. The poor believed that so long as you “work hard like an ox, you have nothing to fear” — that you could get a loan to buy a small home without having to worry about being unable to afford the mortgage.

Today, prices and housing costs continue to climb and salaries cannot keep up. For the past half-century, housing prices have only increased. Although the volume of transactions has decreased, prices have not fallen. In just a few decades, Taiwan’s title as one of the Asian Tigers has quietly disappeared.

Although the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has said that Taiwan’s GDP per capita would surpass US$40,000 this year, most Taiwanese feel absolutely no change. The reason for this lies in Taiwan’s uneven employment structure — of the roughly 11 million people employed, more than 7 million work in the service sector, which has little connection to exports. Semiconductor exporters, whose related employment involves only about 300,000 people, are the main beneficiaries. Even if the wider electronics industry were included, the number of employees would only be about 1 million people — a small proportion of the workforce. Other industries hardly share in these benefits.

A booming tech sector alongside stagnated traditional industries has fueled Taiwan’s economic prosperity and contributed to widening income disparities across sectors. If this were to continue, how could the gap between rich and poor not grow ever wider? Different social classes and industry trends diverge in a “K” shape, with some moving upward and others downward, creating an image of stark polarization. While the government touts a significant increase in GDP per capita, the real challenge — ensuring all citizens can share in the economic benefits — is an important issue that the government must carefully consider.

Taiwan’s GDP per capita surpassing US$40,000 can be partly attributed to negative population growth. Before 2000, Taiwan’s population grew by about 2 million people every 10 years. In the past decade, there has been no growth. Since GDP per capita is calculated by dividing GDP by the population, negative or zero population growth naturally pushes the figure higher. That Taiwan’s GDP per capita has risen from stabilizing at US$30,000 to surpassing US$40,000 in just five years highlights the strength of its economic growth.

Looking at Taiwan’s GDP per capita last year, average annual income reached about NT$1.1 million, while the median total salary was just NT$525,000. This indicates that the high average figure is largely driven by salaries in high-tech industries, such as semiconductor manufacturing, suggesting that Taiwan is experiencing industrial polarization — a phenomenon that warrants government attention and review.

As GDP growth primarily benefits the tech sector, traditional industries continue to struggle and economic gains are not being shared broadly among the population. The government must find ways to ensure that high-tech and traditional sectors share these economic benefits, so that the majority of citizens do not come to resent the government for failing to deliver on its promises.

Wang Chin-ho is retired.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


title: The two aspects of democratic maturity

content_text:
This year marks the 79th anniversary of one of the most defining and painful moments in Taiwan’s modern history. The 228 Incident carries the weight of collective memory and the long journey toward democratic transformation. As such, President William Lai’s (賴清德) annual remarks are expected to offer reflection and a sense of shared responsibility.

The president’s statement that “silence may allow those who distort history to take advantage” warrants careful consideration. His intention to emphasize the importance of historical memory is understandable, yet the phrasing is not ideal for a head of state. Language that implies internal adversaries risks deepening social division and might unintentionally politicize a historical event that should stand as a shared moral foundation.

The question is not whether Taiwan should confront its history, but how it should do so. Historical memory gains meaning only when it facilitates understanding, reconciliation and institutional learning. When framed as a battle between “distortion” and “silence,” it can provoke defensive reactions and hinder genuine dialogue.

The significance of Feb. 28 becomes even clearer when viewed alongside the following day: Military Service Day on March 1. Although less prominent in public discourse, the juxtaposition of these two dates reveals an important insight into Taiwan’s political development.

Historical reflection and national defense are not separate concerns. Together, they form two essential dimensions of democratic maturity.

Feb. 28 warns of the dangers of unchecked state power, while Military Service Day highlights a different truth — that peace requires responsibility and collective commitment.

Yet Taiwan’s public discourse has long treated these in isolation. Feb. 28 is framed almost exclusively in terms of internal reconciliation, while defense issues are framed in terms of external threats. This separation prevents the formation of a coherent national narrative. A democracy that understands its past gains clarity in navigating external uncertainty. Conversely, a society willing to assume the responsibilities of defense creates the protected space necessary for history to be discussed freely.

This linkage becomes more urgent in light of East Asia’s rapidly shifting environment today. Strategic competition between the US and China has become structural rather than cyclical. Japan and South Korea are recalibrating their defense roles. Tensions in the South China Sea are rising. China’s domestic pressures have increased uncertainty in its external behavior.

Under such conditions, Taiwan’s internal cohesion and external predictability hold regional significance. Stability in the Taiwan Strait is no longer merely a bilateral matter — it is a key element in Indo-Pacific security. Political leaders must adopt language that reassures rather than divides.

Feb. 28 symbolizes democratic reflection, institutional humility and historical honesty.

Military Service Day symbolizes responsibility, preparedness and the safeguarding of peace.

Viewed together, these two days offer a clear insight: Peace is sustained not only through goodwill, but through the collective capacity to protect it.

As East Asia faces mounting geopolitical uncertainty, Taiwan has an opportunity to demonstrate political maturity: Confronting history without weaponizing it, and strengthening national defense without inflaming internal division.

A Taiwan that is historically honest and socially cohesive would not only enhance its democratic resilience, but also serve as a stabilizing force in the region.

Leonard Fong-sheng Wang is an honorary chair professor at National University of Kaohsiung.


content_text:
While the world would remain addicted to fossil fuels, renewables — solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other green sources — would drive energy growth

In diplomacy, words matter. When the world’s richest nations got together in 2022 for their biennial energy meeting, their communique mentioned “net zero” 13 times; in 2024, the references went up to 15. After last week’s gathering? Just one occurrence — and that was to underline the lack of universal support. The word-count collapse is illustrative of the direction of global energy policy: Net zero is, effectively, dead.

The movement was designed to cut carbon emissions to a residual amount by 2050, so total emissions would be equal to those removed either naturally by forests or artificially by carbon sequestration projects. On a net basis, the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would drop to zero.

Even at the peak of its popularity, net zero looked far-fetched. One had to believe, as a matter of a faith, that consumption of oil, natural gas and coal would drop following stylized cliff-like curves. With current energy-related annual carbon emissions running above 35 billion tonnes, reducing them to something that would equal to net zero was an impossible task. On current trends, emissions are likely to remain close to current levels for the next 25 years. Even if countries adopt most of the energy policies they have announced — a big if — they would remain above 25 billion tonnes a year until the middle of the century.

Despite the enormity of the challenge, industrialized countries put net zero as their lodestar — not just for energy and climate, but for industrial and economic policy, too. In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published an influential report listing more than 400 milestones across multiple sectors needed to “transform the global economy from one dominated by fossil fuels into one powered predominantly by renewable energy like solar and wind.”

For a while, ideology rather than economic or technical realities was the driving force. Climate change was seen as the world’s most important problem, with everything else subordinated. Renewable projects got green lighted even when the grid was not ready, inflating the costs of transforming the system. At times, European nations shut down energy production — say, nuclear power reactors in Germany — when renewables had not yet matured. The idea that trillions of US dollars’ worth of fossil-fuel reserves would be left stranded became pervasive, prompting investors to offload their stakes in oil and gas companies.

However, here we are in 2026 with global demand for oil, natural gas and coal at an all-time high and likely to climb further, a far cry from the trajectory required to achieve net zero. When rich nations got together last week to debate their energy policy, ministers were more worried about the security of energy supplies — and prices. Climate change remains important, but no longer dominates the agenda. IEA executive director Fatih Birol, a longtime cheerleader of the net-zero movement, was paradigmatic of the shift. In his opening speech at the IEA ministerial meeting last week in Paris, he mentioned “energy security” eight times; “affordability” got four citations; “climate,” two. And what about “net zero”? Well, ahem, zero.

Economic needs are driving the shift in emphasis. When I asked then-outgoing Dutch deputy prime minister Sophie Hermans, who chaired the meeting, what was happening, she was blunt: “We see our heavy industry struggling. We don’t want them to simply relocate to produce elsewhere.”

A few nations insisted on keeping the net-zero idea alive — notably the UK and Spain — some merely acknowledged it as a concept, while others basically ignored it. And then there was Chris Wright, the outspoken oil executive turned US energy secretary. He put the probability that the world would hit the target of net zero emissions by 2050 at exactly “zero point zero.”

It would be a mistake to dismiss his comment as just another outburst from US President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel administration. The data back Wright’s view. On oil, for example, the original net zero scenario called for demand to drop to little more than 70 million barrels a day by 2030, and to about 25 million barrels by 2050. With consumption currently running near 105 million barrels a day and set to hit about 106 million next year, it is clear the world has no chance of hitting the interim 2030 target.

Words, meantime, are trickling into policies — and quickly. Days after the IEA meeting, the Danish government, once one of the leaders of the green movement in Europe, said it was considering extending oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

The justification given by Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard for contemplating keeping fossil fuel development ongoing until, precisely, 2050 is worth reading: “I would have preferred that Europe could make do with green energy, but the reality is different, and I fundamentally believe that it is better for Europe to get gas from Denmark than from countries outside our continent.”

“I don’t think the reality is different from what it truly was five years ago; what’s changed today is the political perception of how costly the energy transition will be,” he added.

However, do not mistake the death of net zero for the end of renewable energy. The latter is very much alive. For the foreseeable future, electricity would be the fastest growing form of energy — and renewables would cover a significant chunk of the increase. The world would remain addicted to fossil fuels, but more of its additional power needs would be covered by solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and other green sources.

While renewables would erode the market share of fossil fuels, it would take a long time. By 2050, global energy-related carbon emissions would remain well above the amount envisaged by net zero, but increasingly it looks like emissions would soon peak as the growth in demand for coal flattens out. Bending the annual curve down toward 30,000 million tonnes — and perhaps even to 25,000 tonnes — looks increasingly realistic. But, at risk of stating the very obvious, that is well above zero.

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: Net zero is dead, long live renewable energy


title: Five US policy shifts could reshape financial markets

content_text:
Amid the chaos and uncertainty unleashed by tariff wars and foreign adventurism, it is easy to overlook US President Donald Trump’s administration’s five domestic policy initiatives that could fundamentally reshape financial markets and, by extension, the broader global economy. Although it remains unclear how (or even if) these changes will be implemented, investors, corporate leaders and policymakers cannot afford to ignore them.

First, proposed changes to the US Internal Revenue Service’s guidelines could enable the government to tax sovereign wealth funds on direct lending and equity stakes in private companies. Currently, these funds enjoy tax-free status on their US investments, much like most institutional investors. Eliminating this exemption would likely prompt them to divest affected holdings and reassess their overall exposure to the US, as higher tax liabilities would reduce after-tax profitability and raise the minimum performance threshold required to justify investing in US assets.

The economic implications could be far-reaching. Last year, sovereign wealth and public pension funds poured US$132 billion into the US, with sovereign wealth funds accounting for two-thirds of that total. Given the scale of these flows, even modest reallocations would have significant consequences for private markets and credit conditions.

The second potential change is Trump’s proposed 10 percent cap on credit card annual percentage rates (APRs), which could materially affect the consumer credit landscape. While the stated goal of the one-year cap is to lower borrowing costs, it might prompt lenders to tighten standards and restrict access for borrowers with lower credit ratings. Those shut out of mainstream lending would then be forced to seek higher-cost alternatives, including payday lenders, whose annual APRs can reach 500 percent and are banned in six states and the District of Columbia.

Banks would also feel the impact, as credit-card issuers would earn less interest per customer. Estimates suggest that such a cap could cause a 20 to 25 percent decline in net income for JPMorgan, the largest credit-card issuer in the US. At the same time, it remains unclear whether lower interest rates alone would meaningfully reduce default risk among already distressed borrowers.

Third, Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing large institutional investors’ purchases of single-family homes. This measure has been positioned as a response to the US affordability crisis, marked by elevated prices, persistent shortages and sales approaching historic lows. By restricting institutional ownership, Trump aims to ease competition for would-be homeowners, who are increasingly priced out of the market.

However, large institutional investors control only 2 percent of the US single-family housing market. While Trump’s restrictions could ease demand pressures in certain metropolitan areas where institutional investors own more than 20 percent of single-family rentals, such as Atlanta, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, reduced demand could also put downward pressure on home prices, hurting existing homeowners and dampening local economic activity.

Fourth, the Trump administration is seeking to limit the influence of proxy advisory firms, particularly Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services, over corporate governance and shareholder voting. In December last year, Trump signed an executive order instructing the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Labor to review and potentially revise the regulatory framework governing the industry, citing concerns about the firms’ role in shaping votes on shareholder proposals, board elections and executive compensation.

Reducing the influence of proxy advisers could make the outcome of shareholder votes less predictable and require asset managers to rely heavily on their own analysis. The move would also likely weaken the firms’ ability to influence how other shareholders, including smaller and retail investors, vote on issues such as executive pay, environmental proposals and social policies. JPMorgan Asset Management has already severed ties with major proxy advisory firms and replaced them with an in-house, artificial intelligence-powered platform.

However, building internal capabilities requires resources. While this might be manageable for large companies, smaller firms would face higher costs, which they would ultimately pass on to investors. Activist shareholders, who often rely on proxy advisers, could also find it more difficult to gain traction.

Lastly, the SEC is considering a shift to a semi-annual reporting regime for publicly traded companies. After more than five decades of quarterly disclosures, the proposal is framed as an effort to curb short-termism and ease compliance burdens.

While semi-annual reporting is common in parts of Europe, reducing the frequency of required disclosures could weaken market transparency. Quarterly reports provide investors with regular updates on sales, margins and costs, and they serve a useful disciplining function within large organizations. Fewer synchronized disclosures could increase information asymmetry, benefiting well-resourced institutional investors over smaller market participants.

Beyond these policy initiatives, broader monetary developments could also transform the financial landscape. While markets have responded positively to Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as US Federal Reserve chair, there remain concerns about the future of central bank independence.

At the same time, the Fed has resumed its purchases of Treasury bills, currently buying roughly US$40 billion per month in T-bills and other short-term government bonds to maintain adequate reserves in the banking system. Trump has also ordered the housing-finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase US$200 billion in mortgage bonds, claiming that this would lower mortgage interest rates and counter the “lock-in effect” constraining housing supply.

Moreover, among institutional and retail investors the GENIUS Act, which allows private companies to issue US dollar-backed stablecoins, has reinforced the sense that policymakers are more willing to accommodate financial innovation. By signaling a more permissive regulatory environment, the legislation has helped bolster investors’ risk appetite.

The clear takeaway is that the US policy and regulatory environment is changing rapidly, potentially altering valuation dynamics, capital flows and the overall architecture of financial markets. Investors and companies that underestimate the impact of these shifts do so at their peril.

Dambisa Moyo, an international economist, is the author of Edge of Chaos: Why Democracy Is Failing to Deliver Economic Growth — and How to Fix It.

Copyright: Project Syndicate


content_text:
DIFFERING CLAIMS: Kabul said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several had been captured, while Islamabad said two of its fighters died and denied any were captured

Pakistani Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif early yesterday said that his country had run out of “patience” and now considers itself in an “open war” with Afghanistan, after both sides launched strikes following what Islamabad described as an Afghan cross-border attack.

Asif wrote on X that Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces, and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of Afghans and regional stability.

Instead, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan “into a colony of India,” gathered militants from around the world and begun “exporting terrorism,” he said.

Taliban security personnel operate an anti-aircraft gun near the Durand Line in Gurbuz District, Afghanistan, yesterday. Photo: AFP

“Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said.

Pakistan has frequently accused India of backing the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban, allegations New Delhi denies.

His remarks came hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia Province.

Pakistan said the strikes were in retaliation for Afghan cross-border attacks.

The escalation comes months after Qatar and Turkey mediated a ceasefire between the two sides.

Both governments have issued sharply differing casualty claims and said they inflicted heavy losses on the other. The claims could not be independently verified.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense said 55 Pakistani soldiers had been killed, including some whose bodies were taken into Afghanistan, and that “several others were captured alive.”

Eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded, it said, adding that it destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases.

The fighting ended around midnight, about four hours after it began on Thursday, it said.

Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded.

Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied that any Pakistani soldiers had been captured, and said at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded.

Twenty-seven Afghan posts were destroyed and nine fighters captured, he added.

In Islamabad, two senior security officials said Afghan forces at some border posts had raised white flags, a gesture typically interpreted as a request to halt firing.

Pakistani forces were continuing what they described as a strong retaliatory response to “unprovoked aggression” by the Afghan Taliban and had destroyed several key Taliban posts along the border, the officials said, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asif accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam, without providing details or evidence.

Pakistan had tried to maintain stability directly and through friendly countries, he said.

“Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response,” he said.

title: Pakistan in ‘open war’ with Afghanistan


content_text:
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has been forced to rein in an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer service assistant after users reported it had been rambling about its mother.

The AI assistant, who goes by Olive, offers around-the-clock help with everything from tracking orders to finding products.

However, people reported that Olive has gone slightly off-message while on the phone.

People shop at a Woolworths supermarket in Sydney on March 17, 2020. Photo: AFP

“It asked me for my date of birth and when I gave it, it started rambling about how its mother was born in the same year,” one person wrote on Reddit.

Another user said Olive had attempted “fake banter,” talked about its relatives and made “fake typing sounds” while looking something up.

“The ick cringe factor whilst wasting completely unnecessary time was enough to make me hate Olive and wish her harm,” they wrote.

One user on X said their mother had contacted Olive and received the same kind of response.

Olive “kept claiming to be a real person and started talking about its memories of its mother and her angry voice,” they said.

A Woolworths spokesperson said the responses about birthdays had been written by a human employee.

“Olive has been around since 2018. Over this time, customer feedback for Olive has been very positive, with many noting its personality,” they said. “A number of responses about birthdays were written for Olive by a team member several years ago as a more personal way for Olive to connect with customers.”

“As a result of customer feedback, we recently removed this particular scripting,” they added.

Woolworths is far from the only company to have employed AI-powered customer service assistants.

The company last month said it had teamed up with Google to make Olive capable of doing more tasks for customers, including meal planning.

AI agents are increasingly widespread, but experts have warned that they could “hallucinate” non-existent events.

title: Supermarket giant reins in AI assistant acting like a human


content_text:
The biggest exhibition ever devoted to the decades-spanning career of provocative British artist Tracey Emin opened yesterday at London’s Tate Modern, celebrating her ability to transform “life’s trauma” into visceral art.

One of the best-known contemporary artists in the world, Emin, 62, nearly died in 2020 due to an aggressive cancer and has since undergone multiple major surgeries to treat the disease. Those harrowing years have heavily influenced the showcase, “Tracey Emin: A Second Life,” which runs at the famous London gallery until Aug. 31.

“[It] looks at Tracey’s whole career from the perspective of the second life that she is now living — a life that is very different,” said Tate director Maria Balshaw, who cocurated the exhibition.

Artist Tracey Emin on Monday poses with her artwork titled My Bed during a photocall for her exhibition, “Tracey Emin: A Second Life,” at the Tate Modern. Photo: EPA

Emin’s ability to use “the female body to explore passion, pain and healing” would be on full display in the approximately 100 works included, some showing publicly for the first time, the Tate Modern said.

Emin — who hails from a working-class background in Margate, England, and left school at 13 — called the showcase “the biggest moment of my career.”

“I keep telling myself it doesn’t matter how I look, it’s just so good I didn’t die, that I’m here to witness it, enjoy it,” she said.

The retrospective takes visitors, piece by piece, through the highs and lows that have shaped Emin’s life and remarkable career — from sexual violence in her teens to abortions and illness in later life.

“She is known internationally for her unapologetic, fearless use of everything from her personal experience, from life’s trauma to love to heartbreak, as the very raw material of art,” cocurator Alvin Li said.

Photographs hanging along a gallery corridor show her body after the myriad operations she has undergone to remove, among other things, her bladder, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and urethra.

Some picture the urostomy bag Emin wears daily.

Photos on the opposite wall, dating back to 2001, are jarring, depicting her healthier body from that period.

Meanwhile, the 1995 short film Why I Never Became a Dancer provides a further contrast, capturing her dancing joyfully.

The film was made in response to “a vile and misogynistic experience that she had, being sex-shamed and taunted in Margate when she was a teenager,” Balshaw said.

A leading figure in the provocative late 1980s and 1990s Young British Artists movement alongside figures such as Damien Hirst and Chris Ofili, the exhibition reveals the full range of mediums Emin has used.

They include everything from embroidery on gigantic blankets and neon creations to sculptures and installations.

Her best-known work, My Bed — an unmade bed surrounded by intimate debris including empty vodka bottles, cigarette packets and condoms, which caused a sensation when it was unveiled in 1998 — takes center stage at the Tate Modern.

Despite her troubled upbringing, Emin returned to live there after her mother’s death in 2016 and while she was sick herself, beginning what she has called her “second life.”

Emin, who was honored by King Charles III with a damehood last year, now focuses on large-scale paintings, has given up smoking and alcohol, and devotes her time to mentoring and financially supporting young artists.

Her recent canvases have a more spiritual, poetic dimension, spotlighting how art could prove regenerative for its practitioners, although the works also remain dark in tone.

“Tracey has always been fearless in engaging a lot of subjects from her personal experience, such as rape, abortion,” Li said. “She received criticism for it back then when she was doing it, but from the standpoint of today, we can see how progressive Tracey has been in pushing contemporary art and engaging with these subjects.”

title: Artist Tracey Emin opens exhibition at Tate Modern


title: India closer to dengue vaccine as final trial underway

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PROMISING:  DengiAll would become one of the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccines, and could become an affordable dengue vaccine for lower-income countries

As dengue surges globally, an Indian vaccine candidate has entered the final stage of testing, raising hopes for one of the world’s first single-dose shots against the deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue, which causes severe flu-like symptoms and debilitating body aches, has exploded globally, fueled by rising temperatures and densely populated cities.

The WHO said that almost half of the world’s population is now at risk, with 100 million to 400 million infections every year. India alone has recorded more than 1 million cases and at least 1,500 deaths since 2021.

A researcher carries samples at the vaccine laboratory of Panacea Biotec in New Delhi on Jan. 29. Photo: AFP

Hoping to stem the global epidemic, Panacea Biotec has begun the final and third phase of trials for its vaccine, DengiAll, which it has been pursuing for nearly 15 years. More than 10,000 volunteers across the country are enrolled in the study, overseen by the Indian Council of Medical Research, with the vaccine on track for rollout as early as next year if the trial results are favorable.

“We will try to get this vaccine out there as soon as possible,” Panacea chief scientific officer Syed Khalid Ali said.

Monsoon outbreaks regularly push Indian hospitals to their limits, crowding urban wards and leaving rural regions grappling with late diagnoses and poor access to care.

Higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns create ideal conditions for Aedes mosquitoes — the vectors of dengue — to reproduce and spread the virus.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the more severe form, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, as they are more likely to suffer low platelet counts and shock.

Participants in the phase three trials, which started in 2024, were randomly assigned to receive either the vaccine or a placebo, with the results expected later this year.

Vaccines against all four dengue serotypes have long posed a scientific challenge. Immunity to one strain does not protect against others, and secondary infections could be more severe. Most existing candidates require multiple doses.

If approved, DengiAll would become one of the world’s first single-dose dengue vaccines, following Brazil’s approval of a similar shot last year. It would also be the first such vaccine available in India, where no dengue shot is licensed for public use.

Inside the Panacea’s research labs, doctor Priyanka Priyadarsiny, head of biological research and development, said vaccine development involves several steps, from proof-of-concept studies to regulatory checks.

“We are extremely cautious about purity, safety and adverse effects,” she said. “Only after meeting regulatory specifications can a product be considered safe for public use.”

The WHO recommends only one dengue vaccine, Qdenga, produced by Japan’s Takeda for children aged six to 16 in high-transmission settings. Qdenga, which requires two doses administered three months apart, is not available in India.

Ali said DengiAll could be given to people aged one to 60 and is expected to offer long-term protection.

In India, final approval would come from the Drugs Controller General of India, while WHO prequalification would be required for large-scale international use.

Experts said a successful Indian vaccine could be key to affordability and mass rollout in lower-income countries.

Virologist and Oxford University fellow Shahid Jameel — who is not connected with the trial — warned that dengue incidence could rise by 50 percent to 75 percent by 2050 given climate change trends.

Still, he cautioned that only phase three results would determine whether a candidate meets the criteria for a safe and effective dengue vaccine.

“Phase III testing and follow-up are needed to show if the above conditions are met,” he said. “Only then can we have a useful dengue vaccine. It is still early days, but there is hope for the future.”


title: Elephant Gym’s Math Rock journey from  Kaohsiung to the world

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The documentary ‘More Real Than Dreams’ follows the Kaohsiung trio as they turn intricate, lyric-free sound into a global phenomenon — proving that vulnerability, democracy and devotion can carry strange music across continents

Since its formation almost 15 years ago, Kaohsiung rock band Elephant Gym (大象體操) has shattered every assumption about contemporary popular music, and their story is now on screen in a documentary titled More Real Than Dreams.

It’s an unlikely success story that says a lot about young people in Taiwan — and beyond.

For a start, their sound is analog. In the film, guitarist Tell Chang (張凱翔) proudly says: “There is no AI in our sound.”

His sister, bass player KT Chang (張凱婷) is the true frontwoman — less for her singing abilities than for her thunderous sound on the instrument. Fast like The Who’s John Entwistle and agile like a jazz heroine, she is no binary boombox.

Their friend, drummer Tu Chia-Chin (涂嘉欽), sounds closer to what one might hear from jazz-fusion bands like Weather Report or Return to Forever in the 1970s than to the basic beats of saccharine pop.

Elephant Gym is classified as math rock, a mostly instrumental genre. In the film, it is defined as “complicated music that sounds simple,” with Tu explaining that it relies on strange time signatures, driven mostly by muscle memory and unconstrained by lyrics. Later, we hear KT Chang describing it as “thinking not in words.”