title: 暑假出國省一波！越捷航空推1100萬張優惠機票全航線下殺8折

countries: 台灣 越南 法國

content_text:
(新聞中心 台北訊)

為迎接連續假期與暑期旅遊旺季，越捷航空宣布推出大規模機票優惠活動，釋出1,100萬張優惠機票，凡預訂SkyBoss及Deluxe艙等，即可享最高8折優惠，適用於全航線，吸引旅客提前規劃夏季出遊。

越捷航空促銷，SkyBoss與Deluxe艙最高打8折。越捷航空表示，本次優惠即日起開放預訂至2026年5月1日00:59止，旅客可透過官方網站或手機App訂票，並輸入優惠碼「VJ20」即可享有折扣。適用搭乘期間至2026年8月31日，涵蓋暑期旅遊高峰，預料將帶動新一波出國旅遊熱潮。

除票價優惠外，透過官方管道訂票的旅客，還可獲得「Fly Vietjet, strike gold」抽獎機會，有機會贏得999.9純金等獎項，以及多項旅遊電子折扣券，增加活動吸引力。

航線方面，越捷航空目前自台灣提供台北、台中與高雄出發航班，直飛越南熱門城市如河內、胡志明市及富國島，並可銜接至亞太地區多個國際航點，提供旅客多元旅遊選擇。

越捷航空推1100萬張優惠機票，最高享8折搶攻暑期旅遊。在機上服務部分，旅客可享用多樣熱食，包括越南河粉、越式法國麵包及越南咖啡等特色餐點，同時亦提供國際化餐飲選擇。越捷航空指出，透過現代化節能機隊與專業機組服務，致力打造兼具舒適與文化特色的飛行體驗。

越捷航空為越南主要低成本航空公司，機隊達135架並持續擴張。公司以高效率營運與彈性票價著稱，為IATA會員並通過IOSA認證，且獲國際評鑑機構評為7星安全等級與優質廉航代表。


people: 王榮德 賴清德

countries: 臺灣 台灣

title: 第七屆「總統創新獎」揭曉　每位得獎者可獲200萬獎金及獎座

content_text:
政治中心∕台北報導

兩年舉辦一次的「總統創新獎」，總統府14日公布第七屆得獎名單，預定4月28日在總統府舉行頒獎典禮，由總統賴清德親自頒獎表揚。每位得獎者均可獲得新臺幣貳佰萬元獎金、獎座。

得獎組別及名單分別為：團體組─「瑞昱半導體股份有限公司」及「社團法人台灣四十分之一移工教育文化協會」；一般個人組─「國立清華大學通識中心與人文社會學院」蕭菊貞導演暨教授及「國立成功大學醫學院」王榮德名譽講座教授；青年組─「悠由數據應用股份有限公司」吳君孝總經理。

總統府指出，「總統創新獎」是以國家元首名義頒授與鼓勵「創新」的最高榮譽，獎項的宗旨表揚在產品、技術、管理、服務、教育或文化等各領域中，其創新成就對國家經濟、社會及人民具有深遠影響的貢獻，藉由表彰得獎者，以樹立典範，帶動跨界、跨產業的創新鏈結，進而提升國家整體經濟發展、強化臺灣在國際發展競爭力之優勢。

這屆報名件數共有270件，參選者包含產、官、學、研等各界個人或團體，經過嚴謹公正的初審、複審與決審作業程序後，最終由「總統創新獎委員會」擇定得獎名單，並由經濟部呈報總統公布得獎名單。

各得獎者展現臺灣在半導體與AI車電、多元共融人才培力、產業文化影像記錄、職業醫學及AI智慧農業等領域的卓越創新力。不僅具備深刻的實踐力與前瞻視野，更藉由跨域整合，帶動產業鏈的升級與發展，堪稱國家創新價值的典範。

「總統創新獎」由經濟部主辦，中央研究院、國家發展委員會、國家科學及技術委員會、教育部、文化部等各部會共同協辦與推動，期盼促進多元、整合、跨領域等綜合發展，讓創新思維向社會擴散，更加普及與多元化。


countries: 香港 美國

title: Newmark 委任 Roy Ng 為香港研究部主管

content_text:
香港2026年4月14日 /美通社/ — Newmark 宣佈委任  圖片由 Newmark 提供：Roy Ng。

Roy 履新後，將帶領團隊進行跨辦事處、工業、零售及資本市場的市場研究、趨勢預測及思維領導，於租戶及投資動向持續變化之時，以數據主導的洞察分析為客戶提供支援。 他將與 Newmark 的地區及全球研究團隊密切合作，拓展研究範疇、加強嚴謹分析，並使本地市場資訊與全球趨勢保持一致。

香港區副主席 Rhodri James 表示：「香港是全球其中一個最複雜多變且最具活力的房地產市場。 當資本流向、租戶策略與政策動向持續變化之際，研究必須建基於本地、嚴謹縝密，方能開啟機遇之門。 在 Roy 帶領之下，讓我們更能協助客戶以清晰方向、堅定信心及長遠目光，應對不斷轉變的市場局面。」

全球研究部常務董事總經理 David Bitner 補充道：「我們在全球主要市場的研究實力日益提升，正為客戶帶來幾何級數增長的全新機遇，將地區視角與環球情報連成一線，令決策更睿智、成果更卓越，對全球房地產亦有更全面的理解。 Roy 具備深厚的地區知識、專業的研究技術及實際的顧問經驗，這樣的人才彌足珍貴。 他讓我們更能及時提供由數據驅動的洞察分析，協助客戶信心十足地順利渡過複雜環境。」

Roy 於房地產研究、租務及策略諮詢領域具備逾十載豐富經驗，其閱歷遍及商業租賃、資本市場分析及地區研究領袖職能。 他曾於多間頂尖的房地產公司出任高層職位，為香港及大珠三角地區的投資者、發展商及租戶提供市場前景、預測及顧問洞察分析。

Roy 說道：「Newmark 的研究基建於清晰透徹、嚴謹縝密，並切合客戶所需。 我很高興能夠深化我們在香港的洞察分析，同時將本地情報與影響租戶及投資決策的全球力量聯繫起來。」

關於 NewmarkNewmark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NMRK) 連同其附屬公司（「Newmark」）為全球商業房地產的翹楚，全面貫通物業生命週期的每個環節。 Newmark 提供全方位服務及產品，滿足每位客戶的獨特需要，客戶包括業主、租戶、投資者、創辦人、初創企業以至藍籌公司。 Newmark 融匯其平台的全球覆蓋能力，與成熟及新興房地產市場的市場智慧，為行業綜合各方的客戶呈獻非凡服務。 在截至 2025 年 12 月 31 日為止的十二個月內，Newmark 共錄得近 33 億美元收入。 截至 2025 年 12 月 31 日為止，Newmark 及其業務夥伴在四大洲合共設有約 175 個辦事處，專業團隊人數超過 9,300 人。 如欲了解更多資訊，請瀏覽 nmrk.com 或關注 @newmark。

Newmark 前瞻性陳述討論本文件內關於 Newmark 而並非歷史事實的陳述，均為涉及風險及不確定因素的「前瞻性陳述」，實際結果可能與該等前瞻性陳述所載內容出現差異。 此等陳述包括有關公司業務、業績、財務狀況、流動資金及前景的內容，可能構成前瞻性陳述，並存在實際影響可能與目前預期出現偏差（可能屬重大差異）的風險。 除非法律有所規定，否則 Newmark 概無義務更新任何前瞻性陳述。 有關可能導致實際結果與前瞻性陳述中所載內容不同的額外風險及不確定因素的討論，請參閱 Newmark 向美國證券交易委員會提交的文件，當中包括但不限於該等文件中載列的風險因素及前瞻性資訊特別說明，以及其後以 10-K 表格、10-Q 表格或 8-K 表格提交的報告中對該等風險因素及前瞻性資訊特別說明的任何更新。


countries: 加拿大 中國 捷克 保加利亞 瑞士 俄羅斯

title: 主賓國為加拿大，全球超3400個品牌參展—-第六屆中國國際消費品博覽會在海南啟幕

content_text:
海口2026年4月14日 /美通社/ — 4月13日，第六屆中國國際消費品博覽會在海南海口開幕。作為「十五五 」開局之年重大展會「首展 」及海南自貿港全島封關運作後「首秀 」，本屆消博會國際展品占比提升至65%，吸引60多個國家和地區超3400個品牌參展，集中展現海南面向全球的開放姿態與合作機遇。

本屆消博會展覽總面積達14.3萬平方米，較上屆增加1.3萬平方米。主賓國加拿大組織了近40家企業參展，規模為歷屆之最。瑞士、捷克等12個國家組織官方團參展，俄羅斯、保加利亞等國首次設立國家館。約6.5萬名專業採購商到會洽談，系列新品首發與供需對接活動密集舉行。

依托海南自貿港封關運作後的「零關稅 」及貿易便利化政策，境外展品實現了快速通關、即展即銷。展館內專門設立免稅品消費專區，參會人員可現場提貨。海口國家高新區組織43家企業攜超300件展品亮相，展示大健康、先進製造等領域成果，並借助展會推動投資合作。

展會上，人工智能眼鏡、分體式飛行汽車、全球首發養身椅等超200件新品亮相。華為、雅詩蘭黛、天絲集團等「老朋友 」繼續參會，眾多「新朋友 」也首次赴約，反映出全球企業對中國市場及海南開放前景的信心。

展會同期舉辦自貿港全球產業招商大會及跨國公司專場對接活動，推動「展商變投資商 」。瑞士萊蒙醫院等企業與海南現場簽約，進一步深化在醫療健康、旅遊零售等領域的投資佈局。


content_text:
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: All Taiwanese desire peace, yet peace is obtained not by agreements on sheets of paper, but our own strength, the president said.   By Chen Yun and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged service members to test the military’s strengths to the utmost in this year’s Han Kuang No. 41 virtual exercise, while urging lawmakers to pass the administration’s special defense budget without any cuts.

Lai visited the joint command headquarters hosting two weeks of computer-assisted tabletop simulations as part of this year’s iteration of the annual large-scale military drills, which started on Saturday.

The drills are billed as high-intensity, open-ended war games testing every level of command and type of formation in a simulated defense against an invasion by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

President William Lai, left, visits the joint command headquarters in Taipei yesterday to observe computer-assisted tabletop simulations as part of this year’s Han Kuang exercises. Photo: screen grab from William Lai’s Facebook

Lai on Facebook exhorted commanders to conduct the tabletop simulation “with their unreserved skill and strength as if fighting real battles,” so that the weaknesses and shortcomings of the military could be rectified.

The simulations must come as close to the extreme and complex conditions of warfare as possible to prepare Taiwanese forces for a real conflict, he said.

The exercise this year features a further incorporation of civilian capabilities into the war effort to implement the whole-of-society resilience concept, and an emphasis on testing new training, doctrine, equipment and technology, Lai said.

These concepts must be implemented into the armed forces for the nation to shore up its asymmetric warfare capabilities and deterrence, he said.

“All Taiwanese desire peace, yet peace is obtained not by agreements on sheets of paper, but our own strength,” he said. “It is my sincere hope that the lawmakers of the Legislative Yuan can put aside party differences to support the government’s well-thought-out plans, so that the special defense budget can be passed in its entirety with all haste.”

Polling indicates that 70 percent of Taiwanese support the defense budget, which is crucial for the proposed “T-Dome” air defense system that would defend the nation’s troops, critical infrastructure and civilians against Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles, he said.

Meanwhile, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) on the sidelines of a legislative hearing on Monday told reporters that the bureau would directly support the armed forces in the field during this year’s Han Kuang exercises.

While it is not unprecedented for NSB personnel to be attached to the Ministry of National Defense in support of training exercises, this year’s drills would see institutionalization of the practice, he said.

The NSB and the military have long conducted joint operations and established regular channels of communications to facilitate such missions, Tsai said.

A military spokesperson said that this year’s exercises would for the first time allow NSB officers to directly support military combat operations.

The armed forces are testing a model of military-intelligence cooperation based on the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s approach to intelligence gathering in support of military operations, said Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s Defense Strategy and Resource Research Institute.

The NSB would likely directly deploy officers to support the headquarters of specific combat units, with no intermediaries in the chain of command to preserve secrecy, he said.

In related news, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday put discussion of the government’s general budget — including the Ministry of National Defense annual budget — on the legislative agenda for today.

The announcement came following a day of negotiations between party caucuses, and rumors of increasingly vocal misgivings from KMT lawmakers about continuing the budget fight.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) said that Han has also indicated that he is to convene the party caucuses in another round of negotiations on the special defense budget act, after KMT lawmakers boycotted talks originally scheduled for Thursday last week.

Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan and Lin Hsin-han

people: 韓國瑜 賴清德

title: Lai urges military to fully test strengths


content_text:
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a bill governing childcare, including requiring institutions to install surveillance cameras and imposing penalties of up to NT$600,000 for childcare providers found guilty of abuse or harassment.

The Executive Yuan in May last year approved the draft Childcare Services Act (兒童托育服務法) to establish a standalone law governing childcare for children aged two or younger. The legislature yesterday passed a third reading of the act.

Key provisions of the act include adjusting qualifications for in-home childcare providers, improving management of childcare institutions, expanding childcare options and handling improper treatment.

Lawmakers hold signs marking the passage of the new Childcare Services Act at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: screen grab from Legislator Lin Shu-fen’s Facebook

The act stipulates that childcare institutions must install surveillance cameras, keep footage confidential and retain it for at least 30 days. The footage must be uploaded to an online system established by local authorities with subsidies from the central government.

If a childcare provider physically or psychologically abuses, bullies, sexually harasses or otherwise harms or mistreats a child, they would face a fine ranging from NT$60,000 to NT$600,000 and their name would be publicly disclosed, the act says.

Childcare institutions operating without a license would be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 and ordered to stop providing care, it says.

Institutions that have accumulated a certain number of contraventions within two years would be suspended from accepting new children, it says.

If they are suspended from new admissions twice within five years and commit other contraventions, their registration would be revoked, it says.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is the central authority responsible for national-level childcare policies and programs, conducting regular childcare requirement surveys and collecting data on childcare services, including fees and quotas, it says.

The act also stipulates that the central authority shall convene a childcare advisory committee to coordinate, plan and promote childcare services, and set guidelines for fees and refunds for home-based and institutional childcare services.

Qualified childcare professionals should register with the local authority and obtain a home-based childcare services certificate before providing such services, it says.

The central authority must set principles for in-home childcare fees and refunds, and local authorities must set regional standards and review them at least every two years, it says.

Home-based childcare providers must submit to inspection by local authorities and charge fees according to regional standards, it says.

They must also sign a contract with the child’s legal guardian, which would be based on a template set by the health ministry, and obtain professional liability insurance, it adds.

The Childcare Policy Alliance lauded the passage of the act, calling it a milestone that elevates infant and toddler care to a key national-level system.

The act marks a fundamental policy shift by acknowledging that childcare is a shared government responsibility rather than solely a family burden, the alliance said, adding that the final version adopted many of the alliance’s proposals.

Under the new law, the central government is mandated to expand public childcare capacity and ensure that services remain high-quality, universal, affordable and accessible, it said.

Additional reporting by Yang Yuan-ting

title: Lawmakers pass Childcare Services Act


title: Airport launches “facial recognition“ smart travel service

content_text:
Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday announced the launch of a “One ID” smart travel service, enabling international travelers to access airport services using facial recognition after completing a one-time registration.

The airport is the nation’s first and only airport offering the “One ID” service, Taipei International Airport Office director Cheng Chien-chung (鄭建中) told a news conference in Taipei.

About 2.8 million international air travelers accessed the airport last year, heading to Japan, South Korea and China.

Passengers use the new “One ID” smart travel service at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Civil Aeronautics Administration

A survey conducted by the airport office showed that more than 85 percent of air travelers hoped to pass through security clearance using self-help kiosks and biometrics, Cheng said.

The airport organized a trial of the “One ID” service in 2019 after consulting similar systems at Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport and Tokyo Haneda Airport, he said.

Results showed that the airport could significantly reduce operational costs by integrating various user interfaces after passenger check-in, he added.

The office then spent more than two years building the “One ID” service, Cheng said.

To access the service, passengers would first need to complete facial registration, he said.

“When passengers check in at either a staffed counter or a self-service kiosk, their passports would be scanned, and the chips in passports would convert the passport photograph into a biometric identifier and link it to the boarding pass,” Cheng said, adding that passengers would still have a hard copy of their boarding pass.

Once registration is complete, passengers can access the baggage drop, pass through security checks, enter the VIP lounge and board flights by simply showing their faces at cameras at each stop, he said.

Passengers who complete an online check-in before arriving at the airport could also complete facial registration before entering the security check area, he added.

Immigration agents would still be on site for passport checks, or passengers can have their passports scanned and checked by e-Gates installed by the National Immigration Agency, Cheng said.

Trial results showed that the “One ID” system could reduce passenger check-in time by 30 percent and staffing needs by 20 percent, he said.

The system failed to process faces of only about 5 percent of passengers during the trial, mainly due to significant changes in facial features caused by injuries or plastic surgery, he added.

Passenger information recorded in the system would be deleted within 24 hours of the departure of flights, he said, adding that the system was built in accordance with security regulations.

The Civil Aviation Administration said that it would monitor the effectiveness of the “One ID” system before considering making it available at other airports.


content_text:
PROMOTING PEACE: The Spanish PM said that China can play an ‘important role’ in the Middle East, while Xi Jinping spoke about a return to the ‘law of the jungle’

China yesterday accused the US of “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) vowing Beijing would play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to sink ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas after peace talks between Washington and Tehran failed over the weekend.

The blockade came into force at 2pm GMT on Monday, despite the US and Iran agreeing to a fragile two-week ceasefire days earlier.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Abu Dhabi Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing yesterday. Photo: Reuters

“The US increased military deployments and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardize safety of passage through the Strait [of Hormuz],” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) told a news conference.

“This is dangerous and irresponsible behavior,” he added.

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only vessels serving nations it deems friendly — such as China — to cross.

Speaking publicly about the war for the first time, Xi echoed those warnings, calling for the national sovereignty of nations in the Middle East and the Gulf to be “respected.”

Xi spoke as he met with Abu Dhabi Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing. He vowed China would continue to play a “constructive role” in promoting peace talks.

China also took a firm stance against Trump’s threats to impose new tariffs on Chinese products entering the US following reports Beijing was supplying or intends to supply weapons to Iran.

Trump — who is scheduled to visit Beijing next month for talks with Xi — on Sunday said that he would hit China’s goods with a 50 percent tariff if it provided military assistance to Tehran.

Guo said those reports were “completely fabricated.”

“If the US insists on using this as an excuse to impose additional tariffs on China, China will definitely take resolute countermeasures,” he said.

China is welcoming a string of leaders from nations impacted by the Middle East conflict in Beijing this week.

Vietnamese President To Lam and Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov also touched down in the Chinese capital yesterday, hoping to boost cooperation on the conflict, as well as bilateral issues.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is also visiting Beijing this week for a trip largely focused on bilateral trade ties.

Sanchez told reporters yesterday that China can play an “important role” in the Middle East, while Xi warned against a return to the “law of the jungle” in international relations, state media reported.

“Both China and Spain are principled countries that stand for justice. They should strengthen communication, consolidate mutual trust and cooperate closely to oppose the world’s regression to the law of the jungle,” Xi said during their meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

title: US’ blockade ‘dangerous and irresponsible’: China


title: Philippines warns of ‘sabotage’ after seizure of cyanide

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The Philippines discovered cyanide on Chinese boats operating around a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, Philippine security officials said on Monday.

Authorities said laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the highly toxic substance in bottles seized by the Philippine Navy in operations at Second Thomas Shoal (Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙) last year.

Officials warned that the cyanide could have had serious consequences for marine life and weaken the reef supporting a warship that Manila grounded on the atoll to reinforce its maritime claim.

Philippine Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinida answers questions from journalists during a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, yesterday. Photo: EPA

“We wish to underscore that the use of cyanide in Ayungin Shoal is a form of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, depriving navy personnel of a vital food source,” Philippine National Security Council spokesman Cornelio Valencia told a news conference using the Philippines’ name for the atoll.

Valencia added that cyanide could damage the reef and “ultimately compromise” the warship’s stability.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the assertions, calling them a “stunt.”

“The Philippine side illegally harassed the Chinese fishing boats conducting normal fishing, grabbed the fishermen’s living supplies and staged this so-called cyanide stunt. There is no credibility whatsoever to their story,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said on Monday.

The shoal is within the Philippines’ 200 nautical mile (370km) exclusive economic zone and 1,300km off China.

The Philippines has accused China of disrupting resupply missions to troops on the vessel, including a June 17, 2024, incident that turned violent and resulted in a Filipino sailor losing a finger.

China has denied allegations of aggressive conduct during such encounters and accused the Philippines of trespassing in its waters.

The June confrontation later led to a provisional understanding for resupply missions to the grounded ship.

China and the Philippines held high-level talks last month over the South China Sea, exploring preliminary steps toward oil and gas cooperation, and confidence-building measures, including communication between their coast guards.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Monday said that the scope of the coast guard cooperation would be limited, and “does not contemplate cooperation in sensitive operational areas,” adding that there had been no discussions on joint patrols.


title: Call to impeach Lai a destabilizing tactic: DPP legislator

people: 林俊憲 吳思瑤 鄭麗文 賴清德 習近平

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By Lin Che-yuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) mobilization order for a May 19 vote to impeach President William Lai (賴清德) is aimed at creating an impression of domestic instability to benefit Beijing ahead of next month’s US-China summit, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said yesterday.

KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) issued the order on Monday, departing from the party’s usual practice of issuing such directives about a week in advance, Lin said.

An impeachment motion requires the support of two-thirds of the legislature, so even with the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party teaming up for the vote, the opposition would fall short, Lin said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi stands next to cutouts of President William Lai and Premier Cho Jung-tai dressed as despots at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Jan. 21.  Photo: CNA

Lin pointed to the timing of the planned vote, which comes days after reports that US President Donald Trump would visit China and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on May 14 and 15.

Taiwan is expected to be a key topic at the meeting, and Beijing’s strategy extends beyond military and economic pressure to include shaping narratives, Lin said.

If Taiwan appears divided ahead of the meeting, Beijing could frame the situation as internal instability rather than external pressure, he said.

Heightened internal discord would make it more difficult for the international community to respond, Lin said, adding that greater international attention to Taiwan’s situation would enhance its security.

The impeachment effort is less about securing votes than about shaping perceptions over time, he said.

The early announcement gives Beijing an opportunity to leverage perceived divisions, he said.

Separately, DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said she had never seen a top-level mobilization order issued a month in advance.

If the KMT devoted as much effort to reviewing the national budget as it does to political maneuvering, the nation would benefit, she said.

Taiwan has yet to see concrete benefits from the 10 policy incentives announced by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office following KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) meeting with Xi last week, but is already seeing attempts to sow division, Wu said.


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FIRST RULING:  Chen Ou-po was found guilty of accepting bribes from companies, inflating assistants’ salaries and misappropriating funds

The Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) to 16 years in prison for corruption and embezzlement.

His wife, Hsu Hui-yu (徐慧諭), was also found guilty of similar charges and sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

Chen and Hsu were also deprived of their civil rights for six years and three years respectively, the court said.

Former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Ou-po, second left, is led by law enforcement officers from the Taipei District Court on Sept. 30 last year. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times

The rulings can be appealed.

Chen, Hsu and 14 others were indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office in August last year on corruption and embezzlement charges, with prosecutors seeking a combined 24-year, two-month sentence for Chen.

Prosecutors said Chen, who served as a lawmaker from 2012 to 2024, accepted bribes from United Logistics International Co between January 2016 and July 2023, making NT$4.63 million (US$146,103) in illicit gains.

In return, he used his legislative position to convene meetings, question government officials and propose legislation to the benefit of the company, prosecutors said.

He also took other bribes, including a NT$500,000 payoff disguised as a donation from the chairperson of the Rentcar Quality Assurance Association to suspend a regulation governing the motor transportation industry in September 2018, the court found.

In a separate scheme, Chen was accused of inflating the salaries of multiple publicly funded assistants between February 2012 and November 2022, resulting in illicit gains of more than NT$4.11 million, the court ruling said.

The funds were allegedly used as office allowances or as directed by Chen and Hsu.

The court said Chen coveted illicit gains while holding office and undermined official ethics.

It also said that the defendant only admitted to fraudulently inflating assistant salaries and turned in the illicit gains, but denied all other charges.

The court sentenced him to nine years and six months in prison for taking bribes from United Logistics, another eight years for taking bribes from the motor transportation industry and others, and a total of 11 years and four months for abusing aides’ salaries.

The court then combined the offenses into a total prison term of 16 years.

Prosecutors said they would decide whether to appeal after receiving the written judgement.

As of press time last night, neither Chen nor his representatives had commented on the ruling.

Chiu Chun-yen (邱駿彥), head of the DPP’s Clean Governance Committee, said that the body would review the case at a meeting on Wednesday next week.

Chen could face disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to expulsion from the party, Chiu said.

title: Ex-DPP legislator gets 16 years in jail for corruption


people: 柯文哲 黃國昌

title: Li slams TPP chair over expulsion

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By Chen Chih-cheng and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislator Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) yesterday accused party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) of falsely claiming she had demanded financial compensation to resign, as prosecutors launched an investigation into allegations that Li had falsified documents related to her dual Chinese nationality to serve as a legislator.

The TPP’s Central Standing Committee on Monday unanimously voted to revoke Li’s party membership, saying she had demanded compensation to resign from her position as a legislator-at-large, severely damaging the party’s reputation.

Huang yesterday morning reiterated that Li had demanded compensation during a meeting on Tuesday last week, allegedly saying the party should be able “to afford such a small fee.”

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, back left, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

Huang told reporters that he made it clear that the party would not agree, adding that the statement was recorded in the meeting minutes, which were signed by attendees.

Li yesterday appeared in two SETN political talk shows, denying the allegations and accusing Huang of orchestrating efforts to remove her.

She said she had initially remained silent to avoid harming the party, but spoke out to prevent her silence from being interpreted as agreement.

Li said her remark — “whoever wants me gone should foot the bill” — was not a demand for payment.

She said she had no intention of accepting money from either the party or TPP founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and planned to complete her term in August before stepping down voluntarily.

Addressing the dual-citizenship controversy, Li said that TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修) had asked her to return to China last year to renounce her Chinese citizenship.

She said she questioned why she should be singled out if other legislators were not required to prove they did not hold dual citizenship.

On Dec. 8 last year, Huang, Chou and TPP caucus director Vicky Chen (陳智菡) again urged her to renounce her Chinese citizenship before the end of the year, Li said.

Prior to leaving for China, she had discussed with Chen how to respond to media inquiries about renouncing her Chinese citizenship, adding that she dared not tell anyone about the trip to China.

Li called on Huang, Chou and Chen to clearly state what had occurred.

Meanwhile, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it has formed a task force, led by the chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Division, to investigate suspected contraventions of the Criminal Code and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) by Li.

The Central Election Commission also said it has formally notified the Legislative Yuan under Paragraph 2, Article 73 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) to revoke Li’s status as a legislator.

Additional reporting by CNA


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By Chen Cheng-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Not one of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators made it to Citizen Congress Watch’s (CCW) latest list of outstanding lawmakers, the nonprofit organization said at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

The watchdog attributed the poor performance to KMT lawmakers ranking near the bottom in terms of the average number of proposals submitted, while proposals by TPP lawmakers plummeted more than 60 percent.

The TPP’s short, two-year term for its legislators-at-large could be a factor in the sharp drop in its average number of proposals from 8.6 in the previous legislative session to 2.9 this session, Citizen Congress Watch policy division head Chen Li-yi (陳利益) said.

Representatives of Citizen Congress Watch hold a news conference in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

The TPP mandates that legislators-at-large should only serve two years to allow more people on the list to rotate in and “gain experience” in the legislature.

The TPP had basically neutralized its own power and abandoned its duty to provide oversight, the organization said.

Although the opposition parties repeatedly extended the legislative session, they did not conduct inquiries, review legislation or propose new bills, Chen said.

The opposition parties are refusing to do the job the people have voted them in for, he said, calling it a disgrace to the nation’s representative system of government.

Citizen Congress Watch director Chang Hung-lin (張宏林) said that several opposition legislators had not taken part in legislative question-and-answer sessions.

Excluding Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the KMT and the caucus whips, independent legislator May Chin (高金素梅) came in last in terms of verbal interpellations with a 30 percent rating, Chang said.

The ratings of KMT legislators Ting Hsueh-chung (丁學忠), Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍), Yu Hao (游顥) and Huang Jen (黃仁) were also below 50 percent, Chang added.

After pushing to extend the legislative session, these lawmakers have “arrogantly” chosen not to attend meetings, “feigning diligence while shirking their duties in reality,” he added.

Citizen Congress Watch legal group convener Liao Chen-chou (廖振洲) said the organization discourages legislators from blindly copying proposals, so proposing more bills does not necessarily translate to higher scores.

KMT Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) and TPP legislators Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) and Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬) did not propose any legislation, Liao said.

Legislators receive NT$200,000 in monthly wages, and failing to propose even one measure or amendment is a betrayal of their constituents’ trust, Liao said.

title: Lawmakers from opposition parties fare poorly: CCW

people: 黃仁 丁學忠 張宏林 陳玉珍 謝龍介 游顥 江啟臣 高金素梅 韓國瑜


people: 莊競程 黃世杰

title: DPP to decide on Taoyuan, Hsinchu mayoral picks

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The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) election strategy committee yesterday recommended naming Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) as the party’s candidate for Taoyuan mayor and former legislator Chuang Ching-cheng (莊競程) to run for Hsinchu mayor, with the choices to be submitted to its Central Executive Committee for approval today.

Huang is a legal professional who has long cultivated a local presence in Taoyuan as a legislator, making him an excellent local candidate who is highly familiar with municipal affairs, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said.

Meanwhile, Chuang’s background as a former professor at National Chiao Tung University and his expertise in technology make him a highly suitable candidate for the technology hub of Hsinchu, Wu said.

Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-chieh, left, and former legislator Chuang Ching-cheng are pictured in undated photographs. Photo: Taipei Times

Chuang holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering from National Taiwan University (NTU) and served as an assistant professor at National Chiao Tung University.

He was a legislator from 2020 to 2024, and previously served as executive director of the Executive Yuan’s Central Taiwan Joint Services Center.

Huang holds a master’s degree in law from Columbia University and NTU, as well as bachelor’s degrees in law and sociology from NTU.

He served as a legislator from 2020 to 2024, an adviser to the Taoyuan City Government and chair of the Agricultural Engineering Research Center.

Regarding the party’s highly anticipated mayoral candidate for Taipei, attendees at the meeting said that the committee is still holding comprehensive discussions.

As for the Hsinchu County commissioner race, although Jhubei (竹北) Mayor Cheng Chao-fang (鄭朝方) is seen as a frontrunner, he is still considering it, meaning the party’s election plans for the constituency would require more time, sources familiar with the matter said.


title: Iran war shows Taiwan’s vulnerabilities: expert

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Tensions in the Middle East have exposed vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s energy supply, as the current energy crunch is not a global crisis, but one marked by sharp regional disparities, an expert said yesterday.

Speaking at a Taipei forum on the global impact of the conflict that broke out when the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, National Taiwan University Department of Finance adjunct professor Christina Liu (劉憶如) said the ongoing energy challenges differ from past crises, as supply and pricing gaps vary significantly across regions.

“The current situation is not a global energy crisis, but one marked by regional disparities,” she said.

National Taiwan University Department of Finance adjunct professor Christina Liu speaks at a forum in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

The disparity is particularly evident in liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets, where prices in Asia and Europe range between US$18 and US$20, compared with less than US$3 in the US, she said.

Unlike crude oil, which is often priced globally, natural gas markets show wide regional price divergence, Liu said.

The imbalance highlights the uneven impact of geopolitical disruptions, with Asian economies — heavily reliant on imported energy — bearing the brunt of supply constraints, she said.

About 80 percent of crude oil and about 90 percent of LNG exports transiting the Strait of Hormuz are shipped to Asia, according to a fact sheet issued by the International Energy Agency in February.

Such a high concentration of exports amplifies Asia’s exposure to supply disruptions, Liu said.

For Taiwan, the situation underscores the risks of depending on fossil fuels and external sources of energy, Liu said, adding that energy issues should be viewed not only through an environmental lens, but also as a matter of national security.

“Reducing reliance on fossil fuels is critical, not just for environmental reasons or carbon tariffs,” she said.

Taiwan last year imported 69.6 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East and 33.7 percent of LNG from Qatar, Energy Administration data showed.


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SUBSTANTIAL SALES: Taiwan leads the world in year-on-year increases in exports to the US as the balance of global trade finds a new center of balance

US imports from Taiwan increased by US$59.6 billion last year compared with the year before, recording the largest year-on-year growth among all nations, the US White House Council of Economic Advisers said in its Economic Report of the President released on Monday.

The report said that Taiwan-US investment and trade cooperation continues to deepen, with Taiwanese firms committing to invest at least US$250 billion in US semiconductor, energy and artificial intelligence production to enhance the US’ capacity and competitiveness in key technologies.

Taiwan’s government has committed an additional US$250 billion in financing and credit support for a semiconductor supply chain and ecosystem in the US, it said.

Shipping containers are stacked on cargo ships in the port city of Keelung on March 20, 2025. Photo: EPA

Reciprocal trade and investment agreements signed between the two nations earlier this year are helping modernize bilateral trade and facilitate entry of US products into the Taiwanese market by removing trade barriers on agricultural and industrial exports, the report added.

“Fundamentally, the integrated trade and investment deals with Taiwan will support high-value job creation, develop advanced manufacturing capabilities and reduce vulnerabilities in critical supply chains,” it said.

The report, which reviews the US federal government’s economic policies over the past year and assesses future economic conditions, said that the US imported about US$3.3 trillion in goods from foreign countries in 2024, while exporting only about US$2.1 trillion.

The resulting trade deficit represented an increase of about 40 percent from 2020 levels, it said.

The US trade deficit with Taiwan surged to US$145.01 billion last year, more than five times the US$26.94 billion deficit recorded in 2020, it added.

However, the US improved its goods trade balance with several countries last year, including China, the UK, Italy, Germany and South Korea, the report said.

The average monthly trade deficit has decreased, dropping from US$101 billion in 2024 to US$87 billion in November last year, it said.

US goods imports from China saw a significant decline last year, dropping by US$97.1 billion, leading the top five decreases that also included Canada, Germany, South Korea and Singapore.

Conversely, Taiwan saw the largest nominal increase in its exports to the US at US$59.6 billion, followed by Switzerland, Vietnam, Ireland and Mexico.

In terms of percentage growth, Switzerland led the group with a 125.3 percent increase to Taiwan’s 61.5 percent increase.

title: Taiwan leads world in increasing exports to US


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MOL reminds certain APRC holders employment insurance now mandatory

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Tuesday reminded Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC) holders covered by changes introduced at the turn of the year to make sure their employer has enrolled them in employment insurance.

“Before the change, only Taiwanese citizens and foreign spouses married to Taiwanese nationals were covered by employment insurance. Other foreign nationals could not enroll,” said Chen Mei-nu (陳美女), head of the MOL’s Department of Labor Insurance, at a news conference in Taipei.

Following a change in the law on Jan. 1, 2026, three categories of foreign professionals in Taiwan with permanent residency are now required to enroll in employment insurance, which will entitle them to certain benefits.

The government has issued 1,124 Employment Gold Cards to foreign professionals in the digital field. Photo: Screen grab from the Web site of the Administration for the Digital Industries

The three groups are “foreign professionals,” meaning those employed in white-collar jobs; “foreign specialist professionals,” referring to individuals with expertise specially needed in Taiwan, many of whom qualify for the Employment Gold Card; and “foreign senior professionals,” those recognized for outstanding achievements in the field of “excellence.”

Chen said the change was part of Taiwan’s efforts to “recruit the professional talent needed for national economic development,” adding that employment insurance benefits include unemployment benefits and parental leave allowances.

She noted that such benefits help protect workers’ basic livelihood for a certain period when they are “involuntarily unemployed” or on unpaid parental leave.

However, if people in those three categories later have their permanent residency permits revoked or nullified, they will lose their right to receive benefits from the insurance, Chen said.

With the rule having taken effect, Chen reminded employers to enroll such workers in employment insurance either upon hiring or once they obtain permanent residency.

She added that the Bureau of Labor Insurance is currently prioritizing guidance over enforcement, and no penalties are being imposed at this stage for failing to do so.

By the end of February, 1,633 such foreign professionals had been automatically enrolled in employment insurance, according to Chen.

Huang Ci-fang (黃琦鈁), a section chief in the Department of Labor Insurance, told CNA that the automatic enrollment was carried out by cross-checking data from government agencies, including the National Immigration Agency and the MOL’s Workforce Development Agency.

She added that the Bureau of Labor Insurance had received several reports that certain eligible foreign professionals had not been included in the process.

Huang said the automatic enrollment was a one-time measure and would not be carried out again, advising anyone unsure of their enrollment status to contact the bureau for confirmation.

Currently, eligible employed workers aged 15 and above but under 65 are covered by employment insurance.

Premiums are calculated based on an insured worker’s monthly salary, using a 1 percent premium rate, with workers paying 20 percent, employers 70 percent and the government covering 10 percent.


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AI UNCERTAINTY: While more than 30 percent of financial institutions have already adopted AI, they are still facing obstacles in integrating the technology

Taiwan’s financial sector is entering a more volatile period as geopolitical tensions, currency and interest-rate pressures, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) reshape the industry’s outlook, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Taiwan said yesterday, citing interviews with local financial leaders.

Despite strong momentum in capital markets — with the TAIEX surpassing 30,000 points in early January and yesterday climbing above 36,000 on the back of the AI boom — underlying structural risks are building, the consultancy firm said.

“Structural risks are increasing beneath the surface despite the stock rallies,” PwC Taiwan vice chairman and financial services leader Richard Watanabe (吳偉臺) said.

Watanabe cited several growing uncertainties, including energy security concerns stemming from conflicts in the Middle East, the combined impact of interest-rate and exchange-rate volatility, and policy uncertainty from the US Federal Reserve.

Another concern is the increasing concentration of Taiwan’s economy in AI and technology sectors, which could amplify risks if the global tech cycle weakens, he said.

The insurance sector in particular faces what PwC Taiwan described as an unprecedented “double-rate risk,” referring to simultaneous fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates that could complicate insurers’ asset-liability management.

At the same time, AI is emerging as a major opportunity and a new operational challenge for financial institutions, PwC Taiwan said.

More than 30 percent of financial institutions in Taiwan have already adopted AI technologies, while nearly half have begun deploying generative AI tools, it said.

About 12 percent reported that AI adoption has increased revenue and reduced costs.

Financial institutions face obstacles in integrating AI due to incomplete data infrastructure, limited workforce readiness to apply AI tools and the need to protect sensitive financial data, PwC Taiwan chief operating officer for financial services Ellen Kuo (郭柏如) said.

“Financial services are fundamentally about risk management, and the highest level of risk management is creating certainty amid uncertainty,” Kuo said.

PwC Taiwan also examined the government’s effort to develop Taiwan into a regional asset management hub. Authorities are testing regulatory reforms in a pilot financial zone in Kaohsiung aimed at expanding financial products and easing financing restrictions to attract global capital.

Financial leaders said Taiwan’s wealth management sector benefits from structural advantages, including a strong manufacturing base led by semiconductors, emerging industries such as drones and low Earth orbit satellites, and high domestic savings.

Unlike regional hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore, which position themselves as gateways for global capital, Taiwan’s financial institutions maintain deep ties with local family businesses and high-net-worth individuals.

That strength could create opportunities to serve domestic entrepreneurs and facilitate intergenerational wealth transfer, giving Taiwan a distinctive niche in the Asia-Pacific wealth management market, Kuo said.

title: Finance sector entering volatile period, PwC says


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The founder of Chinese property giant Evergrande Group (恆大集團) has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, a court said yesterday, the latest blow for what was once the country’s leading developer.

Evergrande’s rise was propelled by decades of rapid urbanization and rising living standards, but in 2020, its access to credit dramatically narrowed when the government introduced curbs on excessive borrowing and speculation. The company defaulted in 2021 after struggling to repay creditors.

Founder Xu Jiayin (許家印), 67, known as Hui Ka Yan in Cantonese, was reportedly held by police in 2023, with Evergrande saying he had been subjected to measures “due to suspicion of illegal crimes.”

Xu Jiayin, then-chairman of Guangzhou Evergrande, a Chinese soccer team later known as Guangzhou FC before its disbandment, attends a signing ceremony in Guangzhou, China, on May 17, 2012. Xu, the founder of embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group, pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, a Chinese court said yesterday. Photo: AFP

A public hearing was held on Monday and yesterday on a case against Xu for “illegally absorbing public deposits, fundraising fraud, illegally issuing loans, illegally using funds, fraudulently issuing securities, disclosing important information in violation of regulations, embezzlement and [corporate] bribery,” a court statement said.

“Xu Jiayin pleaded guilty and expressed remorse in court,” the statement from the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court in Guangdong Province said, without elaborating further.

Evergrande and its real-estate arm also stood trial this week. The company is accused of a list of crimes including fraud, bribery and illegally issuing loans. Its real-estate arm faces a charge of fraudulently issuing securities.

The court said it would announce a verdict at a later date.

Listed in Hong Kong in 2009, Evergrande surged to a peak market value of more than US$50 billion under Xu. The company’s fortunes reversed in 2020 under new borrowing regulations from Beijing.

A Hong Kong court issued a winding-up order in January 2024, ruling that the company had failed to come up with a suitable debt repayment plan. Evergrande delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange in August last year.

The company’s saga — and similar issues faced by other property giants including Country Garden Holdings Co (碧桂園) and Vanke Co (萬科) — have been closely followed by observers assessing the health of the world’s second-largest economy.

The crisis has also dampened consumer sentiment as Chinese officials push for a new growth model driven more by domestic spending rather than investment.

New home prices in China have been contracting for nearly three years.

title: China’s Evergrande founder pleads guilty to fraud


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China’s state-run Xinhua news agency on Sunday unveiled 10 new “incentive measures” for Taiwan, following a landmark meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in Beijing on Friday last week. The measures largely focus on cross-strait exchanges in terms of infrastructure, travel and trade to “enhance the kinship and well-being of compatriots across the Strait,” Xinhua said.

The proposed policies include the resumption of individual travel by residents of Shanghai and China’s Fujian Province to Taiwan; a push for the “full normalization” of direct cross-strait passenger flights; closer infrastructure links between China’s Fujian Province, and Taiwan’s Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties; supporting Kinmen’s shared use of Xiamen Xiangan International Airport; and easier access for Taiwanese agricultural, fishery and food products to the Chinese market.

“The policy package demonstrates the mainland’s sincerity, goodwill and firm resolve in promoting the peaceful and integrated development of cross-strait relations,” Xinhua quoted a Chinese academic as saying.

Pro-China media in Taiwan echoed Beijing’s rhetoric, widely promoting the measures as a generous “gift” for Taiwanese. The tourism sector also welcomed the proposals, urging the government to consider “practical needs” and make policy adjustments so that the industry could benefit from the new measures.

However, it is unlikely that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is so altruistic that it is willing to make economic “concessions,” offer policy convenience and even share infrastructure just to improve the welfare of Taiwanese. Everything comes with a price. The CCP made it clear that “atop” all the initiatives is a regular communication mechanism between it and the KMT, which would be based on the “common political foundation” of adhering to the so-called “1992 consensus” and opposing Taiwanese independence.

That would not only mean that cross-strait exchanges would be internalized into a “one China” framework, but also that the KMT would be representing Taiwanese to “communicate” with the CCP when negotiating matters that involve national security and public authority.

When a democratically elected government is bypassed by an opposition party to deal with matters that should be negotiated between governments, the government’s public authority is undermined, and the nation and its people are represented without consent.

The KMT has already bowed to the CCP during the Cheng-Xi meeting. Cheng said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should build sustainable avenues for dialogue and mechanisms for cooperation underpinned by a “shared political foundation characterized by a firm adherence to the 1992 consensus and opposition to Taiwanese independence.”

It bowed again shortly after the initiatives were announced. Cheng told reporters she was “very thankful” for the “preferential” measures, and she had instructed the KMT’s vice chairs to form a task force to follow up on implementing the measures and establish points of contact with the Chinese side.

KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) called the policies a concrete result of the party’s efforts and a successful outcome of the Cheng-Xi meeting.

With the nine-in-one elections scheduled for November, a government official warned that “the CCP is setting the stage for the KMT.”

The collusion between the KMT and the CCP is apparent. Beijing has never stopped its carrot-and-stick tactics. A day before the Cheng-Xi meeting, China announced live-fire drills were being held in the northern Yellow Sea. Meanwhile, China has not ceased its military harassment of Taiwan.

The KMT has been playing along. On the day of the exercises, Cheng said peace was the “greatest gift” she hoped to take back to Taiwan. Fu on Sunday said that there is no reason for the Taiwan Strait to become a flashpoint for conflict, adding that “in this moment, the true desire of all industries and Taiwanese is simple: a stable life and economic growth.”

The CCP’s message to Taiwan is clear: Shut up and take the money, which is, by the way, at the mercy of the CCP.

If the KMT is allowed to bow to the CCP on behalf of Taiwanese, the price would be paid by the whole nation, with the price being the nation’s hard-earned democracy and freedom.

Any “peaceful” integration would mean giving away Taiwan’s autonomy and sovereignty.

people: 習近平 鄭麗文

title: EDITORIAL: No free lunches


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The US Department of State late last month issued an “orange” travel advisory for Hong Kong and Macau. According to the latest amendments to the implementation rules for Hong Kong’s National Security Law, police have the authority to require travelers to provide passwords for their mobile phones and laptops. If a visitor were to refuse, it would constitute a criminal offense, and might result in fines or imprisonment.

As early as one year and 10 months ago, Taipei issued the same alert, taking proactive measures. Washington is following suit.

In June 2024, in response to the issuance by Beijing authorities of the 22 Article Guidelines on Imposing Criminal Punishments on Diehard Taiwan Independence Separatists for Conducting or Inciting Secession, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) elevated the travel advisory for China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to “orange,” urging the public to carefully consider whether such travel is necessary.

Within less than a week, China’s new counterespionage law officially came into effect on July 1, 2024, granting authorities the power to check travelers’ electronic devices.

The MAC said that to avoid unreasonable searches, seizures or detentions upon entering China, Hong Kong or Macau, travelers should consider using new electronic devices and mobile phone numbers, or back up data before deleting potentially sensitive files.

At the time, the MAC was criticized by some for “making a big fuss over a minor issue.”

With the weakening of Hong Kong’s power monitoring mechanism and the regression in its press freedom and transparency, whether an issue is “minor” is unilaterally determined by Hong Kong authorities, and whether to make a “big” fuss over it lies entirely in the hands of law enforcement personnel. That high degree of uncertainty and rather vague maneuverability are the greatest sources of risks.

Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be “ordinary people,” naively believing that Chinese national security laws are unrelated to them, thus mistakenly applying Taiwan’s democracy and freedom to Hong Kong while forgetting that it is no longer the place it once was.

Hong Kong police raided independent bookstore Book Punch (一拳書館) not long ago, and arrested the owner and staff on the charge of “knowingly selling seditious publications,” with evidence including the display and sale of a book about Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英).

Such modern literary persecution with blurred boundaries has left everyone in fear.

According to the US travel advisory, the alert applies to people entering or transiting through Hong Kong. Transits and layovers are particularly worrisome, because people often overlook the risks of brief stays at an airport. They might forget that contact with Hong Kong customs could put them in danger.

The Taiwan-Hong Kong route is the world’s busiest international route — with more than 27,000 round-trip flights per year between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport, totaling nearly 6.83 million seats yearly. Hong Kong airport serves more than 200 global destinations, offering great convenience at competitive prices. While the MAC is right to issue warnings, alternative travel options are needed to reduce the incentives to transit via Hong Kong, keeping Taiwanese from walking into China’s trap.

Chen Yung-chang is a freelance writer based in Taipei.

Translated by Eddy Chang

title: The risks of travel across the Strait


title: Lessons for region from Iran crisis

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The Iran crisis has demonstrated how deeply interconnected regional conflicts have become in an era of globalized security. What might appear as a geographically separated confrontation in the Middle East has tangible consequences for the Indo-Pacific region, particularly for deterrence, diplomatic cohesion and economic stability.

Is the US underprepared for eventualities in the Indo-Pacific region? Is strategic distraction in one theater eroding credibility and capability in another? Certainly, no consultation with its friends in the Indo-Pacific region took place while it launched its war on Iran or when it sought a peace agreement.

At the core of the concern lies the apprehension of strategic overstretch. The US, the principal security provider in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region, finds itself juggling competing demands on finite military and political resources. The Iran crisis has demanded renewed deployments, attention and logistical support in the Middle East, inevitably drawing focus away from the rest of Asia. For partners in the Indo-Pacific region, that is not merely an abstract concern, but a concrete risk. Deterrence in the region depends heavily on the understanding of sustained US presence and preparedness. Any weakening of such perception, even temporarily, introduces uncertainty into the regional balance, particularly at a time when China is steadily expanding its military and economic influence.

The uncertainty directly affects the credibility of alliances. The security architecture of the Indo-Pacific region is built on a network of partnerships, with the US at its center.

However, alliances are sustained not merely by formal commitments, but by confidence in their efficacy, consistency and prioritization. The Iran crisis raises difficult queries among key allies such as Japan and Australia. In Japan, where constitutional constraints and public opinion impose limits on military engagement, there is visible discomfort with being drawn into conflicts that lie outside its immediate regional context. The crisis has reinforced an abiding anxiety in Tokyo that external involvement could diminish the US’ ability to maintain its commitments in the Indo-Pacific region.

Australia, traditionally among Washington’s most steadfast allies, has responded with a more strategic recalibration. Canberra is increasingly aware that reliance on a single external guarantor carries risks, particularly when that partner is distracted by simultaneous challenges across sectors. The Iran crisis has strengthened views within Australia that sovereign defense capabilities and regional partnerships should be enhanced, including with Japan and India. That would not manifest a rupture in alliances, but an evolution toward a rebalanced distribution of perceived responsibilities. A planned visit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to Australia during Japan’s annual “Golden Week” is evocative of that.

In this evolving context, the role of regional powers is more pronounced. The crisis has underscored the need for countries such as Japan, Australia and India to assume greater agency in shaping their security environments. Japan’s gradual shift toward increased defense spending and expanded operational capability, as well as Australia’s investments in long-range capabilities and strategic infrastructure, reflect a recognition that regional stability cannot rest indefinitely on external intervention.

For India, the implications are equally significant. The long-standing doctrine of strategic autonomy gains renewed relevance in a context in which great-power attention might waver. India’s ability to act autonomously while maintaining flexible relationships is a critical aspect of resilience in the Indo-Pacific region.

These are all important aspects, especially as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the US has lost momentum, and Quad partners in the region need to act in cohesion without awaiting US concurrence or participation.

Another element of the crisis is the strategic opportunity it creates for China. Beijing has always sought to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific, and moments of US distraction provide avenues to seize gains. Even a temporary diversion of US attention can amend the strategic calculus, emboldening assertive behavior in areas of rivalry such as the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait. China is adept at leveraging economic and diplomatic tools to deepen its regional influence, particularly when uncertainty surrounding US commitments prevails.

The Iran crisis is not just a test of US resolve, but a potential inflection point in the broader balance of power.

Energy security emerges as another critical lesson, particularly for countries such as Japan and India. While they have grappled with “China+1” solutions for rare earths and supply chains for other items, they are now seeking a “Middle East+1” solution to reduce dependence on oil and gas. The Indo-Pacific region remains heavily dependent on energy flows from the Persian Gulf and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has immediate economic repercussions. Rising oil prices, supply uncertainties and shipping vulnerabilities could easily lead to domestic economic pressures and geopolitical anxieties. Japan’s acute sensitivity to such disruptions emphasizes the importance of securing diversified energy sources and maintaining open sea lines of communication.

For India, with its substantial reliance on Gulf energy imports, the stakes are equally high, reinforcing the need for strategic reserves and alternative supply chains.

The Iran crisis exposes a deeper structural issue in global strategic evolution: the persistence of compartmentalized thinking. The tendency to treat the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region as separate theaters no longer serves the realities of interconnected geoeconomics. Military deployments, energy markets, alliance dynamics and strategic signaling are intertwined. A crisis in one region reverberates across others, altering perceptions and influencing decisions well beyond its immediate vicinity. The warning that the US is underprepared for the Indo-Pacific region is, in this sense, not merely about military capability, but shows the absence of an integrated, cross-theater approach to strategy.

For the Indo-Pacific region, the lessons are premonitory and precipitate. They caution against overdependence on a single partner emphasize the weaknesses ingrained in a system stretched across multiple sectors. At the same time, they catalyze a turn toward enhanced regional responsibility, deeper collaboration among similar-minded countries and a broader understanding of security.

The responses of Japan and Australia illustrate the transition, while India’s strategic posture positions it as a key pillar in a more distributed and resilient regional order.

The Iran crisis serves as a reminder that stability cannot be insulated from global developments. It emphasizes the necessity for adaptability, diversification and strategic realization in an increasingly complex international environment.

Gurjit Singh is a former Indian ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, ASEAN, Ethiopia and the African Union. He is the author of The Durian Flavour: India and its Act East Policy.


title: Exports must not be reliant on China

people: 鄭麗文 賴清德 習近平

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Following last week’s meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced 10 incentive measures for Taiwan, including imports of agricultural, fishery and food products, but tied them to the political preconditions of accepting the so-called “1992 consensus” and opposing Taiwanese independence.

That design clearly goes beyond the scope of normal economic and trade arrangements, and should be identified as a conditional market access mechanism, the essence of which is the exchange of economic benefits for a specific political stance.

When export eligibility comes at the cost of a political commitment, the so-called “benefits” for Taiwan not only erode the legal principles of free trade, but constitute economic coercion. Further examination of the CCP’s operational logic makes it clear that its policies toward Taiwan’s agricultural and fishery products are not grounded in risk management, but are highly selective and politically driven tools of its “united front” operations.

Such measures — beginning in 2021 with China’s suspension of imports of Taiwanese pineapples on administrative grounds, followed by the 2022 suspension of imports on Taiwanese citrus fruits and extending to the successive exclusion of Taiwan-grown custard apples, wax apples and some processed food products — exhibit three consistent characteristics:

First, they failed to provide a designated period for improvement or opportunities for technical consultation in accordance with international practices; second, their inspection standards lacked consistency and predictability; and third, the timing of the decisions corresponded with developments in cross-strait political interactions.

China went even further in 2024, directly revoking preferential tariffs for Taiwanese imports, blaming Taiwan’s “refusal to acknowledge the 1992 consensus” and claiming that the administration of President William Lai (賴清德) had “blatantly spread fallacies to promote Taiwanese independence and separatism, and incited division and economic decoupling across the Taiwan Strait” — effectively escalating trade measures into political sanctions.

Following the recent political interactions, China has restored the preferential measures. Taken together, the developments are sufficient to conclude that the goal of the measures is not food safety management, but to use market access as a means of political pressure.

The effects on Taiwan’s farmers and fishers should not be viewed solely in terms of short-term price fluctuations, but rather as a structural risk. When market access lacks predictability, production decisions lose their basis and investment risks are improperly shifted onto the production end. In other words, farmers are not bearing competitive risks under normal market mechanisms, but are instead passively suffering losses caused by political uncertainty.

More importantly, Taiwan’s agricultural and fishery sectors have demonstrated through tangible results that such a structure of dependency is unnecessary. As exports have shifted toward mature markets such as Japan, South Korea, the US and Canada, not only has overall exports reached new highs, but reliance on the Chinese market has significantly declined. Taiwan’s policy choices for its agricultural and fishery sectors must not return to the old path of dependence on a single market, but should instead deepen a diversified and predictable market strategy.

Market openings that come with political preconditions constitute a high-risk source — not a genuine benefit.

Yeh Yu-cheng is a secretary at the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


title: Leeds defeat Manchester United 2-1

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BITTER RIVALS: Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card early in the second half after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair

Leeds United’s Noah Okafor on Monday scored twice as his side grabbed a morale-boosting 2-1 English Premier League away win over bitter rivals Manchester United, who had Lisandro Martinez sent off in the 56th minute for pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Manchester United remain third in the table on 55 points, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, while 15th-placed Leeds put some more daylight between them and the teams battling relegation by moving up to 36 points, six ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in 18th.

The home side were returning to action after a long period of inactivity due to the recent international break, but instead of looking fresh and rested, they looked rusty as Leeds pressed them hard, repeatedly winning the ball high up the pitch en route to a well-deserved win.

Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, right, fouls Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert Lewin during their English Premier League game at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Leeds striker Calvert-Lewin had an early chance only to see his close-range first-time shot hit the home side’s goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Manchester United failed to heed that warning as the visitors took the lead shortly afterward, Okafor side-footing home from a cross.

Okafor added a second in the 29th minute as United spurned several chances to clear the ball before the midfielder thumped a shot from just outside the box that deflected off Leny Yoro and into the net.

Only a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Martinez prevented the home side from going into the break three goals down as Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka snapped up yet another loose pass and bore down on goal, but the Argentine defender swooped in to prevent the ball from crossing the line.

Martinez was then shown a straight red card early in the second half after he was adjudged to have pulled Calvert-Lewin’s hair in a video assistant referee review.

Despite going down to 10 men, Casemiro threw his side a lifeline by pulling a goal back in the 69th minute as Bruno Fernandes sent a deep cross to the back post, and the Brazilian headed it back across the goal to score.

Casemiro went close again in the 85th minute, but this time his effort cleared off the line, and a follow-up from Manuel Ugarte was also blocked as the Leeds rearguard held firm to secure the three points.


title: Byfield scores twice and Kings secure playoff spot

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Quinton Byfield scored twice, Anton Forsberg made 28 saves and the Los Angeles Kings secured a playoff spot with Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken.

Trevor Moore, Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings, who won their fifth straight and are playoff-bound for the fifth consecutive season.

With two games left, Los Angeles are in position for the second Western Conference wild card and fourth in the Pacific Division, just two points behind second-place Edmonton.

Los Angeles Kings center Samuel Helenius, right, punches Seattle Kraken right wing Jacob Melanson during their NHL game in Seattle on Monday. Photo: AP

The Kings’ victory, combined with Nashville’s loss to San Jose earlier Monday night, wrapped up their playoff spot and eliminated the Predators and the Sharks.

Adam Larsson, Frederick Gaudreau and Bobby McMann scored for Seattle, all in the third period. Nikke Kokko stopped 25 shots in his second career start. Matty Beniers had two assists.

Los Angeles’ Samuel Helenius and Seattle’s Jacob Melanson dropped the gloves with 7:57 to go in the first, and both earned five-minute majors. Their fight occurred just after the forwards finished serving matching roughing minors for an attempted altercation earlier in the period.

Byfield opened the scoring when a failed pinch by Ryan Lindgren allowed him to take off on a two-on-one. He added his 22nd goal later in the first period when a pass jumped Lindgren’s stick at the Kings’ blue line, leading to a breakaway that Byfield converted.

Moore scored on a rebound 7:13 into the second. The Kraken twice got within one goal in the third, but Laferriere’s empty-netter in the closing seconds ended their hopes.

Already eliminated from the playoffs, Seattle lost to Los Angeles for the first time this season and have not won three straight games since January.


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Maradona’s birthplace repurposed as soup kitchen amid austerity policies

Diego Maradona would be happy, his fans say. The childhood home of the late Argentine soccer legend has been transformed into a soup kitchen for people squeezed by Argentine President Javier Milei’s austerity policies.

The needy can also ask for clothing at 523 Amazor street in the Buenos Aires suburb of Fiorito, where the player dubbed Argentina’s “Golden Boy” grew up in grinding poverty.

In this neighborhood of about 50,000 people living in modest brick homes, dozens of murals depict key moments in the career of the illustrious No. 10, who died in 2020 at the age of 60.

Argentina captain Diego Maradona kisses the FIFA World Cup trophy after his team’s 3-2 victory against West Germany in the final at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 29, 1986. Photo: AFP

Yesterday, a new trial for criminal negligence would begin of the seven-strong medical team that was caring for Maradona in his final days as he was recovering from brain surgery.

In Fiorito, neighbors come and go to “Diego’s house,” as they call it, lugging containers which volunteers fill with chicken stew or other meals cooked in giant cauldrons in the yard.

Cumbia music — Maradona’s favorite genre — blares from speakers.

If he were alive “Diego would say there is a lot of hunger, and we have to help, because the need is so great,” said Diego Gavilan, one of the kitchen’s beneficiaries.

Gavilan collects cardboard and scrap metal for a living but it no longer puts food on the table.

He started coming to the soup kitchen after Milei was elected in December 2023 and embarked on a radical free-market agenda of deregulation and steep cuts to public spending.

“You can’t make ends meet,” Gavilan said.

Although statistics show a decrease in poverty under Milei, mainly due to a sharp drop in inflation, family finances are in crisis, Central Bank reports say.

A surge in imports and a collapse in consumption have resulted in the closure of more than 20,000 businesses, official reports show.

Gavilan said he was glad to accept help from Maradona’s old home.

“He suffered so much hunger here as a child. For the people of the neighborhood to receive a plate of food is special,” he said.

There are no tables or chairs for diners at this establishment.

The food prepared by volunteers over open fires in the yard is handed out in bags to people queueing at the door.

Maradona often spoke of his humble beginnings in a community that lacked running water and paved streets.

Sixty-six years after his birth, hardship is etched in the faces of those queueing for food.

“People are going hungry,” Maria Torres, one of the center’s cooks, said, adding that she was convinced Maradona would be very happy at the sight of his old home being used for a charitable cause.

Father Leonardo Torres is one of the driving forces behind the soup kitchen.

He said he recalls Maradona recounting how his mother, Dalma “Tota” Franco, would go without food so he could eat his fill.

“Diego said that his mother would pretend her stomach hurt so he could eat,” he said.

“We want many ‘Totas’ and many ‘Diegos’ to leave here with a full stomach,” he added.


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CANADA BY-ELECTIONS: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the Liberals won through ‘backroom deals,’ and floor-crossers had betrayed people who voted for them

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party secured a majority in parliament on Monday after winning all three by-election seats up for grabs, boosting his Liberals as they work to bolster a nation shaken by threats from the US.

Carney’s Liberals won the most seats in elections a year ago, but fell just short of a majority.

Canadians voted in three districts on Monday to fill vacated seats, and the Liberals easily won two Toronto areas where the party had dominated previous votes.

Liberal Party candidate Tatiana Auguste, second right, speaks at an election night event in Quebec’s Terrebonne District on Monday. Photo: Bloomberg

The Liberal candidate also narrowly cinched victory in Quebec’s Terrebonne District against the Bloc Quebecois separatist candidate.

Securing 174 seats, the by-election wins give Liberals full control of parliament.

Carney congratulated the new Liberal lawmakers — Tatiana Auguste, Danielle Martin and Doly Begum — in a statement on social media early yesterday.

“Tonight, voters have placed their trust in our new government’s plan,” Carney said. “This is a time to come together so we can build a strong Canada for all.”

Carney has improved his party’s fortunes since last year’s election by sticking firmly to a message focused on US President Donald Trump, arguing the US leader has upended the world order and Canada needs to take bold action in response.

He has announced massive increases in military spending — insisting that Canada can no longer rely on Washington for security — and has traveled the globe seeking new trade deals in Asia and Europe.

Liberal poll numbers are higher than they were a year ago, and the party has pulled off a stunning set of defections from the opposition benches — poaching four Conservatives and one left-wing New Democratic lawmaker into the Liberal caucus.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Monday on social media said that the Liberals had won their majority through “backroom deals,” and that the floor-crossers “betrayed the people who voted for them.”

The by-election results give Carney Canada’s first majority government since 2019, when the Liberals led by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau controlled parliament.

Canadians have been rattled by Trump’s return to power.

The US president’s tariffs in key sectors have forced job losses in Canada and slowed growth, even if the majority of bilateral trade remains tariff-free.

Trump has threatened to annex Canada, and mocked both Carney and Trudeau as the “governor” of a US state.

For University of Ottawa political scientist Genevieve Tellier, Carney has built momentum by “emphasizing the historic moment we are living through.”

“We’ve rarely seen popularity ratings this high one year after coming to power,” Tellier said, adding that Carney was working to build “a broad national coalition” to respond to the unprecedented geopolitical moment.

On a warm afternoon in central Toronto, Jeyaram Duraisingam said that he volunteered for the Liberal campaign partly because he was impressed by the local candidate Martin, but he also praised Carney for asserting that Canada is “a sovereign nation” in response to Trump’s taunts.

“He’s willing to go out there and connect with Europe, connect with different countries and make those relationships stronger. I think that matters,” he said.

Opposition parties have argued that Carney’s soaring rhetoric about economic transformation has failed to make lives more affordable.

The Angus Reid Institute last month found that “concerns over the high cost of living are higher than they have been in recent memory for lower-income Canadians.”

Grocery prices are up more than 20 percent since 2022 and unemployment is at 6.7 percent.

“We will continue to fight for people to afford homes, food and fuel,” Poilievre said after Monday’s votes.

title: Carney’s Liberals secure a majority


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Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV over Iran war could hurt him in November

PAPAL RETORT: Pope Leo told reporters that he has ‘no fear, neither of the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel’

US President Donald Trump has feuded with Pope Leo XIV over the Iran conflict — setting off an unholy row that could have serious political implications for the Republican leader back in the US.

Trump has drawn barbs even from some allies over the attacks on the US-born pontiff, who has criticized the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown, the intervention in Venezuela and the Iran war.

The president risks alienating the religious right in November’s crucial US midterm elections.

A post on Sunday on US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account depicts an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself apparently as Jesus. Photo: Reuters

So far the unprecedented clash between the leader of the most powerful military on Earth and the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics shows no signs of abating.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. He’s wrong,” 79-year-old Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.

In the post on Sunday, Trump called the pontiff “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” suggesting that Leo was elected pope in May last year only because he was American and a possible bridge to the Trump administration.

Trump then posted an artificial intelligence-generated image seemingly depicting himself as a figure like Jesus Christ, which he later deleted. He insisted on Monday that he believed the image showed himself as a doctor.

For his part, Pope Leo told reporters on the papal plane en route to Africa earlier on Monday that he has “no fear, neither of the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”

Leo had earlier this month branded Trump’s threat to destroy a “whole civilization” in Iran as “truly unacceptable.”

The pope has also previously criticized Trump’s mass deportation campaign as “inhuman.”

Three-time-married billionaire Trump has long reached out to the US’ evangelical Christians with his conservative, nativist vision.

They backed him in his election wins in 2016 and 2024, despite a series of scandals and an ambiguous personal relationship with religion, but Trump, who has previously hawked US$60 Bibles branded with his name, appeared to have had something of an awakening during his second term.

At his inauguration last year he said that he had been “saved by God” after a 2024 assassination attempt on the campaign trail and has taken a more explicitly religious tone.

Yet over the Easter period, which is sacred to Christians, Trump has made a series of eye-opening posts when it comes to religion.

On the morning of Easter Sunday, as Christians were celebrating around the world, Trump posted a profanity-laced warning to the “crazy bastards” of Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or else — bizarrely signing off: “Praise be to Allah.”

Then, amid what appeared to be increasing frustration after talks with Iran produced no breakthrough, came Sunday’s attacks on Pope Leo.

“I am disheartened that the president chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father,” head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, said in a statement.

At least one prominent Catholic in Trump’s administration backed the US president over the pontiff. US Vice President J.D. Vance, a recent convert, told Fox News on Monday, “in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality ... and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.”

There was no immediate reaction from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic.

Perhaps more worrying for the White House is the ire on the religious right, particularly among former allies.

Any slackening of support for Trump would add to concerns among Republicans that they could lose control of the US Congress in November’s midterm elections, with the economy already a worry amid high oil prices caused by the Iran war.

“On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus,” one-time ally and former US representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene said. “This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it.”

Conservative commentator Riley Gaines also railed against the apparent Jesus image.

“Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this,” Gaines said on social media, urging Trump to show humility and adding: “God shall not be mocked.”


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US teenager charged with assaulting and killing his stepsister

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.

Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on March 10, but the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted on Friday last week, weeks after US District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami said that he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November last year with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teenagers, including the younger stepbrother.

The cause of Kepner’s Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Anna Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement, saying that the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”

“At the same time, we are deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody... The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Christopher Kepner said.

E-mails seeking comment from Hudson’s attorneys about the charges were not immediately returned on Monday.

Hudson has remained free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February.

“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” US Attorney Jason Reding Quinones said in a written statement. “A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.”

Anna Kepner was a cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 65km east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November last year, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

Teenagers are rarely prosecuted in federal court. Hudson pleaded not guilty when he was initially charged in February, although the proceedings were not public because of his age, and neither were court documents. He was seen at the courthouse wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face.

A judge on Feb. 6 said that Hudson must wear an electronic tether while living with an uncle. The order was changed to allow him to join his father for a few days last week at a landscaping business, newly unsealed court records showed.

Prosecutors objected to Hudson’s release, citing dangerousness, and asked a judge to revisit that order now that he has been charged as an adult. Defense lawyers have a week to respond.

“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” Assistant US Attorney Alejandra Lopez said in a court filing.


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Passed down for generations and nearly discarded, a battered wooden trunk from rural Pennsylvania yielded a lost Georges Melies film and an unexpected link to the earliest days of cinema

The battered wooden trunk had been in the family for a century — shifted from attic to barn to garage as it was handed down through the generations. No one knew a cinematic treasure was inside.

That was until retired high school teacher Bill McFarland’s curiosity got the better of him. For the past 20 years, McFarland, 76, had been the keeper of the trunk, which originally belonged to his late great-grandfather who showed silent movies to audiences in rural Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20th century.

“It was just this trunk of films that seemed too good to throw away. But I had no idea what they were or how to show them,” McFarland said.

Bill McFarland last month holds his great-grandfather William DeLyle Frisbee’s magic lantern slide projector at his home in Jenison, Michigan. Photo: AFP

He offered them to museums and even tried to sell them through an antique store, whose owner soon told him to take them away after learning vintage nitrate film reels were highly combustible and could explode.

Then last summer, McFarland drove from his home in the northern state of Michigan to the US Library of Congress’ National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper in the southern state of Virginia.

He was in for a surprise — a pleasant one.

PIONEERING SHORT FILM

Spliced in the middle of one of the 10 reels was a lost short film by Georges Melies, a French cinema pioneer — the first to experiment with fictional narratives and special effects at the very dawn of moving pictures.

The 45-second film, Gugusse and the Automaton, was made in 1897 — just two years after the Lumiere Brothers staged the world’s first public screening of a movie in Paris.

Nitrate Film vault technician, Courtney Holschuh, using a viewing loupe, on April 2 views the actual film of Georges Melies’s 1897 French short silent film Gugusse et l’Automate in a workspace at the Nitrate Film vault at the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpepper, Virginia. Photo: AFP

Melies, a theatrical showman and magician, attended that screening and was inspired to make films of his own. He is most famous for A Trip to the Moon (1902) with its iconic scene of a rocket landing in the eye of the man in the Moon.

By a decade later, his filmmaking had fallen out of vogue as the center of the movie world shifted from Europe to America.

Melies ended up as a toy seller in Paris’ Gare Montparnasse train station — a story that was dramatized in Martin Scorsese’s 2011 film, Hugo. But his legacy endured.

“He was one of the first filmmakers,” said George Willeman, leader of the congressional library’s nitrate film vault, who said the recovered reel was likely a third-generation copy of the Melies original. “And one of the first to experience film piracy.”

MIRACULOUS SURVIVAL

In retrospect, piracy was a salvation for film historians as it means that Melies’ work lives on.

Reputedly, he destroyed hundreds of his own negatives, and the celluloid was melted down — and some of it used as raw material to make soldiers’ boots during World War I.

While Gugusse and the Automaton was known to be in Melies’ back catalog, no one had seen it until McFarland delivered it to the library in his Toyota sedan last September.

It features a magician — played by Melies — cranking up an automaton that grows in size and then beats the magician on the head with a stick. The magician retaliates by bashing the automaton with a sledgehammer until it disappears, shrinking through a surprisingly slick series of jump cuts.

“These single frame cuts are really precise for a movie this old, and the gags are timeless,” said Jason Evans Groth, curator of the library’s moving image section, who recounted McFarland popping the trunk of his car with the film reels inside when he arrived in Culpeper.

The film’s discovery has taken McFarland on another journey — learning about the life of his great-grandfather William DeLyle Frisbee.

‘TICKING TIME BOMB’

Born in 1860 in the rural northwest of Pennsylvania, Frisbee was a stocky, mustached man with many strings to his bow. He grew potatoes, kept bees, made maple syrup and taught school three months each year. In his downtime he would travel by horse and buggy across Pennsylvania and neighboring states with what he called his “exhibition”: a new-fangled Edison phonograph, a magic lantern slide projector and later on, movies.

Well-thumbed pocket diaries describe Frisbee’s travels. “Gave the exhibition at Garland, US$5 receipts, rough crowd,” reads one entry, referring to a community in northwestern Pennsylvania.

“I can only imagine Saturday night, they might have been liquored up a little bit,” observed McFarland. “I wonder if there were disappointed customers, or if they were just rowdy? Maybe they were excited at seeing these pictures.”

A century on, and the archivists at the Library of Congress were excited too.

An alarmed McFarland watched specialists whisk the precious reels to a refrigerated vault, already home to tens of thousands of films from the golden age of Hollywood — and specially designed to prevent a nitrate-fueled fire.

“It finally really registered that I had been...carrying a ticking time bomb,” McFarland said.

Library film preservation specialists spent a week restoring the film reel frame-by-frame and digitizing it. The reel was shrunken through age and frayed, but otherwise in remarkable condition for something stashed in sun-heated attics for years.

It’s now a piece of cinema history, viewable on the library’s Web site.

title: The trunk that held a piece of movie history