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Guidepoint 在 Claude 上推出 MCP，把可靠的專家洞察分析融入人工智能驅動的研究工作流程

2026-05-07

紐約2026年5月7日 /美通社/ — 全球專家洞察分析領域先驅 Guidepoint 今天宣佈，推出與 Anthropic 的 Claude 合作的模型情境協定 (MCP) 伺服器。 研究團隊現可將 Guidepoint 超過 10 萬份專家訪談記錄庫中的可靠知識，直接融入人工智能 (AI) 輔助的研究工作流程，每項見解都會標註出處，並連結到 Guidepoint360 內的原始記錄。

Guidepoint MCP 由自家專屬的專家見解分析庫驅動，該庫由 Guidepoint 逾 300 名內容專家團隊建立，並經過全面合規審查，符合機構級標準。 此數據集持續擴展，既可服務深入的企業層面盡職審查，亦能涵蓋跨行業、跨地域的宏大主題研究。 每月新增逾 5,000 份訪談記錄，這為人工智能輔助的研究提供別樹一格的穩固基礎，而且只會隨著時間日益壯大。

Guidepoint 創辦人兼行政總裁 Albert Sebag 說：「客戶依靠 Guidepoint 來取得值得信賴的專家見解。 Guidepoint MCP 讓客戶可將我們嚴格審核來源的專家分析庫，結合 Claude 先進的推理及代理能力。 最終的研究工作流程，較過往任何做法都更快捷、更周詳、更為強大。」

當中的實際應用價值，適用於各類客戶群。 準備業績發佈電話會議的醫療保健投資者，可在數分鐘內找到專家醫生對某類藥物的看法，所有來源皆清楚引用並可查核。 面對公開資訊有限的企業，進行盡職審查的私募股權分析師，可憑藉 Guidepoint 的專有訪談，較任何傳統研究方式更快建立投資信念。 正在探索新市場規模的諮詢團隊，只要一次搜索，便能諮詢各地營運商、前任高層管理人員及渠道夥伴，揭示傳統書面研究無法捕捉的真實原貌。

Guidepoint MCP 的主要優勢如下：

無縫整合人工智能。促成新型研究工作流程，融匯專屬的專業知識與人工智能的全部力量。完整來源標註。每個答案皆可回溯至 Guidepoint360 中的源頭記錄，並具備完整的查核蹤跡。從設計層面融入合規要求。所有內容皆經合規審查，並可因應客戶個別的控制設定而調整，包括禁止清單及主題限制。數據集持續增強。基石歷久彌堅，目前擁有逾 10 萬份記錄，且每月增添 5,000 餘份。

今日於 Claude 登場，僅為 Guidepoint 登陸其他平台的序幕。 計劃與其他頂尖平台合作，規劃更多聯繫，確保客戶在整個研究工作過程中都能獲得可靠的專家見解。

Guidepoint MCP 現已在 Claude 推出。 如需更多資訊或申請使用權限，請發送電郵至 [email protected]。

關於 GuidepointGuidepoint 致力即時連接專家洞察分析，融合人類專業與人工智能研究工具，大規模輸出情報資訊。 Guidepoint 擁有超過 180 萬名領域專家的環球網絡，能為機構投資者、顧問公司及企業提供所需的情境脈絡，涵蓋公司、市場及趨勢。 透過實時、非同步及智能代理工作流程，Guidepoint 將專家知識直接融入決策之中，於關鍵時刻將答案轉化為實際行動。


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CPC forecasts stable oil and gas supply, official says

POWER RESILIENCE:  Taiwan saved 770 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first quarter, and the government aims to further expand energy-saving measures

Domestic oil and gas supplies would remain stable through September amid tensions in the Middle East, thanks to Taiwan’s diversified procurement, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) yesterday said.

CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) has also begun planning winter procurement, and overall supply is not expected to be an issue, Lai said at an energy forum in Taipei.

CPC has built a database covering more than 180 energy products from more than 40 countries, allowing it to quickly switch procurement sources when disruptions occur and to ensure stable supply through September, he said.

Regarding broader energy policy, Taiwan is advancing a “second energy transition” centered on energy resilience, focusing on renewable energy development, diversified supply, grid upgrades, energy conservation and storage, he added.

In terms of renewable energy, Taiwan ranked third globally in newly installed offshore wind capacity last year, attracting attention from Japan, South Korea and other countries, Lai said.

In addition to ongoing zone development, the government plans to launch floating offshore wind demonstration projects by the end of this year, with installed capacity projected to increase by 8 gigawatts (GW) to 10GW by 2035, beyond the original 10.93GW target for 2030, he added.

Green electricity has mainly been supplied to industries through feed-in tariff mechanisms, limiting public awareness, but future policies would promote broader adoption through microgrids and energy storage systems to improve public acceptance and bolster grid resilience during extreme weather events or disasters, Lai said.

Taiwan saved 770 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first quarter, equivalent to about 1.6 cargoes of liquefied natural gas, underscoring the importance of efficiency in improving energy resilience, he said.

The government plans to further expand energy-saving measures through energy service company models, he added.

Many industries viewed last year as the beginning of Taiwan’s energy storage era, Lai said.

In addition to grid-level storage systems, the government plans to expand behind-the-meter storage, particularly as companies pursuing RE100 goals increase their purchases of renewable electricity and storage capacity, he said.

The government also aims to integrate microgrids and fuel cells into rural and community applications while supporting the development of Taiwan’s domestic energy storage industry, he added.

Electricity is not only a pillar of economic growth, but also a reflection of national strength, Lai said.

With electricity demand expected to continue growing, the government would gradually optimize the energy system through policy and market mechanisms to ensure stable, secure and affordable supplies for industries and households, he added.


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Stable Strait in US’, China’s best interests: Rubio

ALWAYS A TOPIC:  While confirming Taiwan would be on the Trump-Xi agenda, Rubio added that the US and China do not want the region to be destabilized

The US and China see maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait as being in their interests as the leaders of the two countries prepare to meet next week, with Taiwan likely to be on the agenda, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

Rubio commented on Taiwan’s role in the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at a White House news conference when asked whether Trump intended to press Beijing on its Taiwan policy.

“I’m sure Taiwan will be a topic of conversation; it always is,” Rubio said, adding that Washington and Beijing understand each other’s positions on the issue.

“I think both countries understand that it is in neither of our interests to see anything destabilizing happen in that part of the world,” he said. “We don’t need any destabilizing events to occur with regard to Taiwan or anywhere in the Indo-Pacific, and I think that’s to the mutual benefit of both the United States and China.”

Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing on Thursday and Friday next week for a summit with Xi. The meeting was postponed in March due to the Middle East conflict that started after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in Feb. 28. The visit would be Trump’s first to China in his second term.

When asked whether Taiwan was concerned about being used as a bargaining chip at the upcoming summit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) on Tuesday last week said that Taipei would closely monitor the meeting.

The Trump administration has consistently reiterated its support for Taiwan and has taken concrete actions to implement the US government’s long-standing policy toward Taiwan, Hsiao said.

The government has been in close contact with the US government and policy circles in Washington regarding issues likely to be discussed at the Trump-Xi meeting, he added.


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A former television news host and six military personnel — active and retired — have been indicted on espionage charges, Kaohsiung prosecutors said yesterday.

Lin Chen-you (林宸佑), a former CTi News host and YouTuber, last year allegedly made videos at the direction of a Chinese agent criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party’s recall campaign, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office told a news conference in Kaohsiung.

He allegedly received 4,325 tether coins for the videos from an unidentified person surnamed Huang (黃), believed to be an agent of a hostile foreign power, they said.

Former CTi News host Lin Chen-yu is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Tsai Ching-hua, Taipei Times

Lin, also known as Ma Te (馬德), has a show named Ma Te youshi ma (馬德有事嗎, What’s with Ma Te?) that is broadcast on YouTube channels associated with CTi News, prosecutors said.

He made screenshots of engagement data from his social media account as proof that he had allegedly completed the task Huang had asked him to do, they said.

Lin had used his bank accounts since 2013 to funnel bribes from Huang to military personnel in exchange for classified information, they said, adding that he was paid in cryptocurrency.

Lin allegedly produced videos featuring retired and active military personnel expressing their intention to surrender to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, prosecutors said.

The service members in the videos also made promises to hand over classified information to China, and allegedly gave a portion of the bribes they received to Lin in cryptocurrency, they said.

“Lin, as a well-known journalist, had a responsibility to hold the government to account and safeguard the public’s right to information in his reporting, but instead served a hostile foreign power for many years for personal gain,” they said.

He had “submitted stories, which were supposed to be objective for a foreign entity’s approval before broadcasting them, in an attempt at influencing public opinion, harming national security,” they said.

Lin was charged over alleged contraventions of the Anti-Infiltration (反滲透法), Anti-Money Laundering (洗錢防制法) and Anti-Corruption (貪污治罪條例) acts, they said.

Prosecutors said they demanded sentences totaling 12 years of imprisonment for Lin.

CTi TV and CTi News’ broadcast license was revoked and expired in 2020 after the National Communications Commission rejected its renewal application, citing what it called dysfunctional internal control mechanisms and repeated breaches of broadcasting regulations.

The network remains the focus of a legal dispute, as opposition parties say its license should be restored.

title: Former news host faces China espionage charges


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Ukraine yesterday said Russia is flouting a Kyiv-proposed ceasefire by carrying out dozens of battlefield assaults, air strikes and drone attacks in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as Moscow’s “obvious spurning” of peace.

Zelenskiy had floated the cessation, starting yesterday, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s own proposed ceasefire from tomorrow to Saturday to coincide with its World War II Victory Day commemorations.

Zelenskiy said in a statement that Russia, which did not confirm its adherence to Ukraine’s proposal, had committed 1,820 violations by late yesterday morning.

A woman with a dog and rescuers run during an air raid at the site of a kindergarten hit by a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

“Russia’s choice is an obvious spurning of a ceasefire and of saving lives,” he said.

Officials in the northeastern Sumy region said two people were killed in separate Russian drone attacks on a civilian vehicle and a kindergarten where children were not present.

In major cities such as Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia — where an attack on Tuesday killed 12 people — private buildings, infrastructure and industrial sites were damaged in air attacks after midnight, officials said.

“This shows that Russia rejects peace and its fake calls for a ceasefire on May 9th have nothing to do with diplomacy,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.

“Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives,” he added.

The rival overtures come amid stalled US-backed peace talks to end the more than four-year war, and as Russia presses an offensive to capture the rest of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

Russia this week is to hold a slimmed-down version of its annual military parade in central Moscow, citing an increased threat of Ukrainian attacks.

Zelenskiy yesterday said that officials would decide on “further actions” later in the day in response to Russia’s attacks.

He had earlier said that Kyiv would act “symmetrically” if its ceasefire was violated.

The Russian Ministry of Defense on Monday said that it would respond to Ukrainian attacks during Victory Day celebrations with a “massive missile attack” on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

“We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner,” it said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Monday said that a Ukrainian drone had struck a building in Russia’s capital overnight, but had caused no casualties.

Some Ukrainians said any unilateral efforts by their military to maintain a ceasefire with Russia would likely prove fruitless while cities and frontline troops remain under attack.

“Maybe we should act the same way Russia does. That is, not to stay silent, not to observe the truce,” 52-year-old Nataliia Fomenko said in Kyiv. “We have no other choice.”

title: Russia spurning Kyiv’s ceasefire, Zelenskiy says


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Trump threatens Iran with bombing if it does not reopen Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump yesterday threatened Iran with more bombing if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz after a report that an agreement is emerging to end the war.

Trump posted on social media that the war with Iran could soon end and oil and natural gas shipments could restart, but that would depend on Iran accepting a reported agreement that the US president did not detail.

“If they don’t agree, the bombing starts,” Trump wrote.

A woman crosses a street near a billboard on the facade of a building depicting the Strait of Hormuz with a caption in Persian reading “Forever in Iran’s Hand” at Vanak Square in Tehran yesterday. Photo: AFP

Trump’s threats came after Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) called for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Iran war following a meeting with Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting Beijing for the first time since the war with the US and Israel started on Feb. 28.

Wang said his country was “deeply distressed” by the conflict.

China’s close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a unique position of influence. The Trump administration is pressing China to use that relationship to urge the Islamic republic to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump on Tuesday said that he was pausing his short-lived US effort to guide stranded commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz in hopes that a deal could be finalized.

A shaky ceasefire has been largely holding, despite exchanges of fire during the US push to reopen the strait on Monday.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, a vital waterway through which major oil and gas supplies, fertilizer and other petroleum products passed before the war, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing, rattled the global economy and put enormous economic pressure on countries, including major powers like China.

The spot price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, yesterday fell to about US$100 per barrel, easing significantly from big price jumps earlier in the week. The prices are still well above the about US$70 a barrel that crude was selling for before the war began.

Araghchi’s visit to China comes ahead of a planned visit by Trump to Beijing for a high-profile summit next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). The trip would be Trump’s first to China during his second term and the first by a US president since Trump visited in 2017.

In a televised interview with Iran’s state media from Beijing, Araghchi said his visit included discussions of the Strait of Hormuz as well as Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions imposed on Tehran.

Iran has attained “an elevated international standing” after the war, having proven its capabilities and strength, Araghchi said.


people: 韓國瑜 蔡其昌 賴清德 陳清龍

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FOURTH MEETING: The TPP asked why the DPP was unwilling to budge on its proposal, which William Lai called comprehensive and based on strategic needs

A fourth cross-caucus meeting yesterday failed to reach a consensus on budget items and amounts for a special defense budget, while Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said that the Legislative Yuan would be able to vote on the issue as soon as Friday.

There have been three previous reviews of the draft special statute for the procurement of defense resilience and asymmetric combat capability programs, with consensus reached on the name of the act, the implementation period and the implementation procedures.

The budget items and amounts are points of contention, with the Executive Yuan proposing NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.68 billion) over eight years, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) proposing NT$400 billion and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposing a NT$380 billion “+N” policy.

Han had called a 10-minute recess during the discussions in hopes that the caucuses would initiate sideline talks, but yesterday’s review ultimately failed to reach a consensus on the disputed issues.

TPP caucus convener Jacky Chen (陳清龍) said that his party’s stance on the budget remains unchanged.

Chen asked why a Ministry of National Defense report in March estimated it needed NT$137.5 billion for an item and NT$81 billion for it in a separate report last month.

He also asked why the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was unwilling to budge on its proposal.

The TPP backs defense spending, but some procurement items could be funded through regular annual budgets rather than a special budget, he said.

DPP caucus whip Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said that the ministry has repeatedly justified the need for a special budget, warning that cuts would undermine efforts to expand Taiwan’s defense industry, including opportunities for precision manufacturers in the nation’s central and southern regions.

KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said that all parties support a boost in defense, but funding should be approved only after the US issues letters of offer and acceptance.

Fu also questioned the need for emergency funding when more than NT$700 billion of weapons systems have yet to be delivered.

Separately, President William Lai (賴清德), speaking during a DPP Central Standing Committee meeting ahead of the meeting at the legislature, urged the opposition parties to back the Executive Yuan’s proposal, calling it a comprehensive plan based on strategic needs, and aligned with domestic development and US assessments.

The opposition parties’ proposals lack scale and coherence, which could hinder upgrades to defense capabilities and domestic research, particularly in drone development, Lai said.

He also rejected claims that the DPP’s budget is a “blank check,” as the ministry has already submitted two classified reports to the legislature and would continue to submit to oversight procedures.

title: No consensus reached on defense funds


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TAIPEI CONFERENCE:  German officials said that the two sides have complementary strengths, noting Taiwan’s speed in development and Germany’s manufacturing

A delegation from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, accompanied by representatives of 12 aerospace and technology firms, is visiting Taipei to pursue new business partnerships, highlighting the momentum of Taiwan-Germany cooperation in the aerospace sector.

“We are already working closely with neighboring countries, but we must also expand to other democratic partners,” Peter Harbich, a policy official in the ministry’s aerospace division, said on the sidelines of the Taiwanese-German Aerospace Conference on Tuesday. “Taiwan and Germany can work together — we are both democratic systems and we need more cooperation.”

The visit comes as Taiwan intensifies efforts to develop its aerospace industry, particularly in low Earth orbit satellites and uncrewed aerial vehicles.

Peter Harbich, a policy official in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the Taiwanese-German Aerospace Conference in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: Screen grab from Formosa News’ YouTube channel

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co recently launched its second-generation Pearl satellite, demonstrating advances in system integration and key technologies that have drawn international attention.

German officials pointed to complementary strengths of the two sides, noting Taiwan’s speed in development and Germany’s global reputation in precision manufacturing.

Some of the delegation members from firms specializing in satellite components, drone systems and aerospace materials expressed interest in potential defense-related applications.

Among the technologies showcased were thermal imaging systems capable of detecting hidden targets through subtle temperature changes, even without signal emissions.

German manufacturer Volz Servos presented actuator components essential for controlling drone flight.

“If you want to build a viable drone, the first subsystem to focus on is the actuator,” Volz Servos representative Paul Felber said. “Without engines and actuators, a drone simply cannot fly.”

Taiwan’s drone industry, valued at NT$12.9 billion (US$409.68 million) last year, is targeting NT$40 billion by 2030, with international collaboration expected to be the key to accelerating global expansion.

title: German delegation eyes aerospace deals


title: Taiwan set to benefit from Ukraine drone demand

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Over the four years that Ukraine has been fighting to repel Russian forces from its territory, its country’s battlefields have become scarred by airstrikes, pockmarked by artillery fire and littered with the wreckage of cheap aerial drones.

The conflict has transformed the economics of modern warfare — with both sides now reliant on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the battlefield, evade defenses and strike deep into enemy territory.

The fighting has so far kept Russia bogged down, trapped behind frozen frontlines, allowing Kyiv to remake the country’s industrial base to meet the needs of the war.

Drone debris is pictured at the site of a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, yesterday. Photo: EPA

Now Ukraine has a new target — to free its drone supply chains of components from China, even as it attempts to ramp up production to meet its army’s growing needs.

Despite repeated denials from Beijing, Ukraine accuses China of aiding its ally Russia with military goods.

Amid broader concerns about China’s dominance of industrial supply chains and the security risks that could entail, Ukraine — as well as Europe, the US and other countries — have increasingly turned to Taiwan as an alternative supplier.

Taiwan’s reputation for excellence in technology and particular expertise in microelectronics, navigation systems and batteries — areas in which Western suppliers have struggled to compete — make it a favored alternative source for Ukrainian drone manufacturers, said the Snake Island Institute (SII), an independent Ukrainian think tank.

Taiwan appears ready to meet the moment — with President William Lai (賴清德) promoting a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.68 billion) supplementary defense budget that includes funding for drones and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).

Taiwanese drone exports to Europe last year surged more than 40-fold annually, with Poland and the Czech Republic among the largest markets, data from the Taipei-based Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) showed.

The trend continues to grow — exports in the first quarter have already surpassed last year’s total.

Most of the drones were intended for onward transfer to Ukraine, according to interviews conducted by DSET, with the purchasing countries acting as intermediaries.

“We have components that are made in Taiwan and that is not unusual in the industry now,” said Bohdan Diorditsa, chief international alliances officer at Vyriy, one of Ukraine’s leading drone makers that has been vocal in pushing for local production and reducing reliance on Chinese components that still dominate global supply chains.

Diorditsa said he fears that China might further tighten export controls were behind the search for alternatives.

Taiwan, with world-class capabilities in semiconductors and electronics integration, is “100 percent a valuable partner,” he said.

Ultimately, localization remains Ukraine’s primary focus, said Artur Savchii, an analyst at SII.

Each year of the war has pushed production further inward: from mainly importing Chinese finished drones to assembling them almost entirely domestically.

By last year, Ukraine had more than 100 manufacturers of components on its shores, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said.

Ukrainian companies are also tailoring systems specifically for frontline combat in ways that mass-market Chinese suppliers often cannot, Savchii said.

However, even as domestic assembly expands, Ukraine is unlikely to scale up drone production without any Chinese components in the near term, largely because Chinese-made parts remain significantly cheaper and more widely available. Even components produced elsewhere, including lithium batteries and rare earth magnets, often still rely on Chinese materials.

Taiwan is also hardly free from the same dependency problem. China is its biggest source of drone imports, although the customs figures include civilian and commercial models rather than solely military systems.

Taipei has pledged to build a fully “non-red” drone industry by next year and wants to produce one-third of the rare earth magnets it needs by 2030.

However, those transitions are a work in progress.

The scale of what Taiwan can offer remains a limitation as well. Ukraine’s wartime needs are vast, with demand measured in millions of drones a year.

Taiwan’s output is far smaller, still in the hundreds of thousands, Customs Administration data showed.

Chinese products also have a clear advantage in price, with some models costing only a fraction of their Taiwanese equivalents, said Gene Su (蘇聖傑), general manager of Thunder Tiger, one of Taiwan’s biggest drone makers.

Su’s company has sent drone systems to Ukraine for field testing.

“They test it, they like it, but they don’t buy it because it’s still too expensive,” he said.

Geopolitics is another obstacle. Ukraine does not formally recognize Taiwan and has official diplomatic ties with China, its largest trading partner. As a result, much of the cooperation appears to flow indirectly through intermediaries in Poland, the Czech Republic and the US.

There is little sign of formal government-level coordination, with most of the engagement taking place business-to-business.

Taiwanese companies are nimble, though. Some drone companies have established local facilities in Lithuania and Poland to better serve Ukraine, while a government body to promote the industry has signed memoranda of understanding with five European countries.

As demand for AI-driven drones grows on the front line, experts and suppliers see potential for deeper Taiwan-Ukraine cooperation.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has pledged to support seven high-tech companies with about NT$326 million to develop drone-specific chips.

For Ukrainian manufacturers such as Vyriy, the decision of where to source components comes down to wherever is best for the military. It is a combination of strategic thinking about supplier countries and considerations of efficiency.

“We build weapons not under market pressure or energy pressure,” Diorditsa said. “We’re under pressure to survive.”


title: Minister sets date for TPass rebates

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TPass customers can expect cash rebates to be credited on May 25 after a three-month delay caused by a stalled central government budget in the Legislative Yuan, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told lawmakers in Taipei yesterday.

About NT$27.04 million (US$858,740) in rebates would be distributed once local governments submit applications for funding to the Highway Bureau, Chen told reporters before a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

Yesterday, the legislature passed a motion to mobilize NT$71.8 billion of the delayed budget for 38 projects, including funding for the TPass public transport program.

Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai speaks during a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Bureau data showed that NT$8,542,378 in reimbursements is owed to 79,098 customers for January, NT$6,848,599 to 89,602 customers for February and NT$11,647,465 million to 91,905 customers for March.

Under the TPass program, people can purchase regional public transit passes for 30 days, loaded onto standard cards such as EasyCard, iPASS or icash.

The TPass gives users unlimited rides on the MRT, Taiwan Railways, city and intercity buses, light rail and shared public bicycles within designated geographic zones.

Also at the meeting, former Taipei deputy mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) mayoral candidate for New Taipei City, proposed incorporating high-speed rail (HSR) tickets into the TPass program using a surcharge system.

Chen said that the HSR system has a different role and function from the services offered under TPass.

The HSR is already crowded in terms of capacity and ridership, he said, adding that the ministry has not yet discussed the issue.


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A man who on social media called for the decapitation of President William Lai (賴清德) was sentenced by the Taipei District Court on Monday last week to two months in prison, suspended for two years.

The man, a 42-year-old Taipei resident surnamed Hsu (許), was charged with threatening the public under the Criminal Code. His sentence is commutable to a fine of NT$1,000 per day of the prison sentence.

He was also fined NT$50,000, which would go to the National Treasury Administration.

The entrance to the Taipei District Court is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

The court said it showed leniency in its sentencing, as Hsu confessed and had no prior criminal record.

Discontented with last year’s recall movement and the state of cross-strait relations, Hsu posted three threats on his Threads account, ra_bosh_91, on March 4 last year while using a virtual private network, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in its indictment.

“Kill the Green bird toads first, then behead President Lai and there will be peace in East Asia,” the indictment quoted the post as saying.

“Green birds” is a derogatory term for supporters of Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party.

“Decapitate President Lai, save Taiwan! Your turn to step up,” Hsu wrote on March 14.

“Kill the Green birds, one bullet per person, then decapitate Lai — it’s our responsibility!” a third post said.

Prosecutors indicted Hsu in February on suspicion of endangering public safety and threatening the public, and requested a heavy sentence to serve as a warning to others.

title: Court sentences man over threats against president


title: Taoyuan airport touts its family-friendly facilities

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Air passengers traveling with young children are encouraged to access play areas and nursing facilities at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s terminal, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said yesterday.

The airport operator said it has enhanced its facilities for families traveling with young children at the nation’s largest international airport — from check-in and security screening to boarding gates.

Taoyuan airport has 53 nursing and baby care rooms, it said.

A composite image shows play areas and nursing facilities at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Photo courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

The children’s play area near the C5 boarding area in Terminal 2 has a slide, a building block wall and interactive play wall, as well as English-Chinese bilingual picture books, the company said.

Nursing and baby care rooms are next to the play areas, where parents can use free lotion and diapers, it said.

The areas feature Formosan black bears and cartoon characters of Japan’s Sanrio Co — which makes Hello Kitty merchandise — with the play area near the A5 boarding gate in Terminal 1 featuring a padded Shimajiro-themed bus, a favorite of many children, TIAC said.

The play area next to the D1 boarding gate in Terminal 2 features an ocean-themed interactive digital wall, combining large interactive installations and projection, as well as imaging technology that allows people to explore and move through a virtual deep-sea world, the company said.

To celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, duty-free shops at the airport are offering discounts and interactive activities, it said.

Skytrax, a London-based nonprofit airline and airport review Web site, ranked Taoyuan airport 24th among the world’s top 100 international airports and 10th among the top 10 most family-friendly airports.

The family-friendly ranking evaluates airports’ facilities for families in passenger processing areas, as well as their play areas and nursing facilities.

Separately, Emirates Airline yesterday said that it has restored 96 percent of its global network following disruptions caused by the US-Israel war against Iran.

More than 1,300 flights are being dispatched weekly, representing 75 percent of pre-disruption capacity, the Dubai-based airline said.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, sparking Iranian disruptions to fuel transportation through the Strait of Hormuz.

A round-trip flight between Taipei and Dubai operates daily, it said.

Prior to the war, there were two round-trip services daily.

People would be given more flexibility to change tickets and transfer through the airlines’ 137 destinations around the world, the company said.


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Lai awards top honor to Michael Fonte for advancing Taiwan-U.S. ties

President William Lai (賴清德) has conferred one of Taiwan’s highest honors for foreign nationals on Michael J. Fonte, a former head of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) mission in the United States, for his contributions to Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Fonte received the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office yesterday.

According to the citation, he was recognized for his key role and “exceptional contributions” to promoting Taiwan- U.S. ties.

President William Lai, right, applauds after conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on Michael Fonte, left, at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office yesterday. Photo: CNA

Lai, the chairman of the ruling DPP, described Fonte as “a friend who has fought alongside the Taiwanese people” and expressed the hope that Fonte would continue mentoring younger generations and supporting Taiwan’s democracy, peace and prosperity.

Lai said Fonte, a New York native, graduated from seminary in 1967 and was initially interested in serving in major cities such as Tokyo, Caracas, or Santiago, but was instead assigned to rural Taiwan, where he worked with farmers in Taichung, Changhua, and Miaoli.

Fonte spent six hours a day learning Taiwanese tones and became highly proficient, Lai said, adding that Fonte has often said Taiwan “stole his heart.”

Lai credited Fonte with promoting human rights and social justice during the martial law period and later lobbying for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress through the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, helping secure U.S. support during times of diplomatic uncertainty.

Fonte recalled arriving in Taiwan in 1967 as a missionary in central Taiwan, where he witnessed repression under martial law.

He recalled later meeting Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) at the University of Michigan. Peng co-drafted the Declaration of Formosan Self-Salvation and was arrested for it.

Fonte also remembered the founding of Formosa Magazine, which led to the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979.

He said the subsequent decision to open the trial of eight detained activists to the public under international pressure marked a “tipping point” in Taiwan’s democratic development.

Had someone told him then that Taiwan would become a democracy within two decades, Fonte said, invoking a Taiwanese idiom, he would have told them to “keep on dreaming.”

Despite those challenges, Taiwan’s pro-democracy activists persevered, he said.

“Dreams, they say, die hard, but in Taiwanese hearts, dreams never die,” Fonte said, adding that the world should continue to support Taiwan in the face of ongoing threats from China.

people: 賴清德 彭明敏


content_text:
EVA Air Secures 11th Consecutive Five-Star Rating from Skytrax

EVA Air has once again been awarded a five-star rating by Skytrax this year, extending its streak to 11 consecutive years. It remains the Taiwanese carrier with the most five-star recognitions.

Skytrax’s latest assessment pointed to consistently solid performance across areas such as flight safety, cabin service, aircraft cleanliness, and business class amenities. The airline also scored well in ground operations, including check-in efficiency, baggage handling, transfer processes, and lounge facilities.

EVA Air President Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said the result reflects long-term effort. “Since 2016, EVA Air has been honored with the Skytrax five-star airline rating for 11 consecutive years. This accomplishment has not come easily,” he said in a statement .

“We are grateful to travelers around the world and professional judges for their recognition. This honor belongs to all EVA Air employees.”

In addition to the Skytrax rating, the airline has also ranked eighth in global airline safety for 13 consecutive years according to AirlineRatings.com.

Operationally, EVA Air is continuing to expand. A new Taipei–Washington, DC route is scheduled to begin on June 26 with four flights per week using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It is also adjusting capacity on several regional routes from Kaohsiung to Tokyo, Macau, and Shanghai by deploying larger Airbus A330-300 aircraft starting May 20.


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GLOWING GOOD: It could lead to environmentally-positive materials that mimic Matsu’s bioluminescence for fashion or safety, researchers said of the new material

A Taiwanese-Japanese joint research team has created a fluorescent silicone that glows using chemical principles similar to the bioluminescence behind the famous “blue tears” of the Matsu Islands.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in a news release said a team of university researchers, in collaboration with the Japanese Osaka Institute of Technology, used silicone to suspend nanoglass vessels containing fluorescent solutions.

This non-toxic substance is free of heavy metals and could potentially be utilized for a wide range of applications, including display, sensing and wearable technology, the university said.

The discovery came as an accident after a student lab technician made an experimental silicone material glow through compression and stretching, the university cited NYCU biotechnology associate professor and study coauthor Lee Ming-chia (李明家) as saying.

Researchers made the association between the material’s unusual properties and bioluminescent phenomenon, leading to investigations that showed comparable principles, he said.

Unlike conventional substances utilized for illumination, the silicone itself did not glow, but the molecules contained in the flexible material would create light if they came into close proximity with each other, Lee said.

When the molecules move together, they rotate and move in a coordinated, waltz-like pattern that allows light to emerge and travel through the substance, he was cited as saying.

The research team, using molecular design, synthesis technology and high-temperature furnaces, were able to bind fluorescent molecules with a suspension, then placed them inside nanometer-sized helical quartz cells, the university said.

The minuscule glass vessels were then inserted into silicone, creating the material, it said.

“The mechanism represents an entirely new strategy for producing light, opening the door to flexible, environmentally friendly optical materials,” it said. “One of the material’s most significant features is its ability to generate circularly polarized light, a key technology widely regarded as critical for next-generation 3D imaging and advanced display systems.”

The research was published in the ACS Materials Au Journal in 2023, and was featured on the publication’s “hot article” list in November last year, it said.

Additional reporting by Yang Mien-chieh

title: Scientists invent new glowing blue stuff


title: Resident files suit against Taoyuan airport project

content_text:
A resident whose property is subject to expropriation under the Taoyuan Aerotropolis development project yesterday along with civic groups filed a petition for constitutional review of relevant regulations.

The project is an urban development project initiated by the central government more than a decade ago to facilitate industrial and economic development around Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The first phase of the zone expropriation plan was approved by the Ministry of the Interior in 2020, with the Civil Aviation Administration and the Taoyuan City Government being the land acquisition agencies.

Residents affected by the Taoyuan Aerotropolis development project protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Taipei yesterday.  Photo: Yang Hisn-hui, Taipei Times

Chen Chien-ho (陳健和), a local resident who acts as the petitioner for the constitutional review, said much of the farmland around where he lives has been expropriated.

His property in the city’s Jhuwei Borough (竹圍) falls within the project’s designated area for use by the airport.

The borough was excluded from the zone appropriation in the ministry’s Urban Planning Commission No. 818 meeting in 2013.

However, it was included around the beginning of 2021 as a priority relocation area due to the construction of the airport’s third runway.

Chen said more than 4,000 hectares of land is being expropriated while only about 700 hectares are designated as aviation land.

Many residents like Chen were forced into a difficult situation as the government failed to fulfil its pledge to build relocation housing before demolishing their present residences, he said.

Chen is seeking constitutional review of relevant regulations as his case was dismissed by the Supreme Administrative Court in its final and binding judgement.

Civic groups said such zone expropriation might be unconstitutional as part of the expropriated land is not used specifically for public infrastructure construction and would be sold to private businesses via tender calls.

Litigation team attorney Lin Hsu-feng (林旭峰) said Paragraph 1, Article 4 of the Land Expropriation Act (土地徵收條例) might be unconstitutional as it allows zone expropriation that benefits private businesses without specifying reasons.

Such a mechanism does not align with the Constitution’s requirement that land expropriation should serve a significant public interest, he said.

Litigation team attorney Hsiung Yi-ling (熊依翎) said the act’s Paragraph 2, Article 4 might also be unconstitutional, as it allows zone expropriation before announcing its urban planning project.

Regulations governing the implementation of zone expropriation also include provisions that might be unconstitutional for similar reasons, she said.

National Chengchi University land economics professor Hsu Shih-jung (徐世榮) said Taiwan’s zone expropriation mechanism can be traced back to the excess condemnation approach adopted by some European countries in the 19th century.

The approach would excessively expropriate land around a project site and then sell the land at rising prices to compensate for costs of public infrastructure construction, he said.

Such approaches were already rejected by many US state supreme courts and abandoned by European countries, he added.


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Suspending the trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) program would lead to proliferation of free-roaming dogs, the Taiwan One Ecology Coalition (TOEC) said yesterday following calls for freezing the government’s neutering budget.

The coalition yesterday held a news conference calling for using verifiable statistics in discussing management of free-roaming dogs.

Taiwan Walk for Wildlife (TWW) on Wednesday last week urged the legislature to freeze the budget for the scheme of managing free-roaming dogs via the TNVR approach.

Stray dogs in Changhua County’s Hsienhsi Town are pictured on March 10. Photo courtesy of Lai Ching-mei

It said at the time that 42 people died and 14,030 people were injured in traffic accidents caused by animal collisions over the past five years, resulting in NT$3.64 billion (US$115.6 million) in costs to society every year.

The figure includes about NT$3.47 billion in traffic accident-induced costs, such as medical costs, lost income, funeral and support expenses, and compensation for emotional distress.

It includes NT$30.8 million in estimated nationwide agricultural losses and NT$140 million in ecological losses.

The traffic accident-induced costs were calculated based on the deaths and injuries from a five-year period, with assigned values of NT$15.72 million and NT$1.19 million per person, TWW data showed.

The nationwide agricultural losses were estimated based on Changhua County’s 113 incidents of agricultural losses caused by free-roaming dogs in 2024, it showed.

The ecological losses were calculated based on the 70 documented pangolin deaths last year, with NT$2 million in forest eco-benefits from pangolins feeding on termites, TWW data showed.

The TOEC yesterday cited data from the National Police Agency as showing that traffic accidents caused by animal collisions amounted to only 28 deaths from 2020 to last year.

Most of the 28 cases did not indicate free-roaming dogs as a cause, while one case was confirmed to be caused by a deer, another by a cat, and three by pet dogs, it said.

Other factors played a role, including negligent driving behaviors such as speeding or driving under the influence, it added.

The TOEC said that the variety of factors leading to a crash should be made clear given that other non-canine animals and human factors were included in the losses attributed to dogs.

It said the estimated figures for agricultural and ecological losses provided by TWW were not based on reliable data.

Freezing the TNVR budget is not a rational, practical solution to stray dog management and would instead let the dog population proliferate, the TOEC said.

From 2011 to 2017, there were 46 pangolin vehicle collisions, but 334 incidents from 2018 to last year, it said.

The post-2018 surge reflected the increased roadkill risk for wildlife due to road construction and habitat fragmentation, the TOEC said.

Free-roaming dogs should not be scapegoats for dysfunctional management by humans, it said,

TWW yesterday said that it used “free-roaming dog” to refer to both stray dogs and unrestrained pet dogs.

Agricultural losses were extrapolated based on the county’s data because a comprehensive nationwide figure does not exist, it said, adding others are welcome to propose an alternative estimation method.

The 70 pangolins factored for in calculating ecological losses were all hospitalized due to dog attack, TWW said.

Wildlife rescue units, including the Wildlife Rescue and Research Center, confirmed that dog attack is the main cause of pangolin injuries or deaths, it said.

Saying that wildlife is facing other risks such as vehicle collisions is unhelpful in solving the stray dog problem, it added.

TWW said that it pulled the wildlife collision death data from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, but the exact number should be clarified with the ministry.

The ministry has said free-roaming dogs were the main animal that caused traffic injuries or fatalities, it said.

TWW did not answer the question about whether the 42 deaths were all caused by free-roaming dogs.

title: Neutering halt would not help stray dogs: group


content_text: Coast Guard Administration personnel and experts from the Taiwan Cetacean Society yesterday release four melon-headed whales stranded near Bali beach in New Taipei City back to sea after assessing their condition.

title: Homeward bound


title: Japanese visit

content_text: From top left, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen, DPP Secretary-General Hsu Kuo-yung and DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting pose for a selfie with members of the youth division of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party at the DPP headquarters in Taipei yesterday. The delegation is in Taiwan for a five-day visit.


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ACROSS THE BOARD RISE: The company saw growth across its core subsidiaries, with fee income driving banking growth and securities profit more than doubling

E.Sun Financial Holding Co (玉山金控) yesterday reported record first-quarter earnings, fueled by strong fee income, solid loan growth and buoyant capital markets activity, as the group accelerated expansions in wealth management and cross-border businesses.

The Taipei-based company posted a net income of NT$10.06 billion (US$319.49 million) for the January-to-March period, up 14.2 percent from a year earlier, or earnings per share of NT$0.62.

Growth was broad-based across its core subsidiaries, led by banking and securities operations.

The E.Sun Financial Holding Co logo is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Kelson Wang, Taipei Times

E.Sun Commercial Bank Ltd (玉山銀行) contributed NT$8.76 billion in net income, while E.Sun Securities Co (玉山證券) reported profit of NT$1.05 billion, more than double from a year earlier.

Its venture capital and asset management units also delivered record first-quarter performances, the company said.

Fee income remained the key growth driver, rising 27.1 percent year-on-year to NT$8.92 billion, E.Sun Financial said.

Wealth management income hit a record NT$4.03 billion, supported by continued expansion among high net worth clients, it said, adding that credit card fee income grew 16.5 percent, as spending reached an all-time high of NT$150.6 billion.

Lending momentum at the banking unit remained strong, with total loans growing 15.6 percent from a year earlier, the company said.

Corporate lending surged 22.6 percent, while consumer lending rose 9.3 percent, supported by resilient domestic demand and overseas expansion, it said.

E.Sun Commercial Bank’s net interest income climbed 28.5 percent in the first quarter, aided by improved funding cost management and optimized loan pricing.

The bank’s asset quality remained sound, with a non-performing loan ratio of 0.15 percent and a coverage ratio of 795.9 percent, reflecting prudent risk management, it said.

The bank’s overseas operations continued to gain traction, accounting for 26.3 percent of its total profit.

Loans extended by offshore units increased 25.6 percent year-on-year, highlighting the group’s expanding regional footprint, it said.

The bank’s Cambodian branch also strengthened its position in premium credit cards, ranking among the leading issuers of high-end cards in the local market, it added.

Meanwhile, E.Sun’s securities business benefited from a surge in market activity, with brokerage revenue nearly doubling from a year earlier.

The company said it plans to further expand its overseas sub-brokerage business to meet rising demand for global asset allocation.

E.Sun Asset Management Co (玉山投信), which launched its first bond exchange-traded fund in March and raised the largest amount among comparable offerings, would continue to roll out high-quality investment products, the company said.

Business momentum would extend into the second quarter, after cumulative net income for the first four months rose 26 percent year-on-year to NT$14.24 billion, the highest level for the same period, E.Sun Financial said.

The acquisition of Mercuries Life Insurance Co (三商壽) is progressing smoothly following shareholder approval in January and regulatory clearance last month, it said, adding that the deal is expected to be completed next quarter.

title: E.Sun Financial posts record Q1 profit


title: Advantech pleased with future order momentum

content_text:
Industrial computer maker Advantech Co (研華) yesterday said it has strong order momentum from major clients in fields such as semiconductor equipment, automation, robotics, smart city and transportation infrastructure projects, with solid design wins.

The company secured 53 design wins in the first quarter, up from 46 a year earlier, which are expected to generate revenue of US$158 million this year, Advantech president Eric Chen (陳清熙) said at an earnings conference.

Total revenue this quarter is expected to be between US$650 million and US$670 million, on par with NT$20.39 billion (US$647.55 million) last quarter, Chen said.

Advantech Co’s logo is pictured outside the company’s headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: Fang Wei-chieh, Taipei Times

Advantech reported a 7 percent quarter-on-quarter rise in its net profit last quarter and a 22 percent year-on-year increase to NT$3.33 billion.

Earnings per share rose to NT$3.85 from NT$3.58 the previous quarter and NT$3.17 a year earlier.

Gross margin was 39.1 percent last quarter and is expected to land between 38 percent and 40 percent this quarter, while operating margin was 18.3 percent last quarter and is forecast to be between 16 percent and 18 percent this quarter.

The company remains upbeat about its place in the artificial intelligence (AI) business, which contributed about US$132 million, accounting for 20.5 percent of last quarter’s revenue, he said.

Its revenue contribution could reach 30 percent this year, up from 20 percent last year, he added.

Orders were primarily from the US, Europe and China, in areas such as factory automation, robotics, smart cities and transportation, he said, adding that AI systems and AI automation are expected to support stronger growth momentum than embedded AI services this year.

Demand for autonomous mobile robots and automated guided vehicles remain stable, while humanoid robots still require time to move from engineering prototypes to mass production, Chen said.

There are about 130 robotics-related projects in the pipeline, representing potential revenue of about US$120 million, he said.

Amid the AI boom, semiconductor equipment and data center infrastructure have become key growth drivers for Advantech, accounting for 30 percent to 35 percent of total revenue last quarter, with customers in Taiwan, the US, Japan and South Korea, Chen said.

A key challenge ahead is a shortage of chips, as supplies of DDR5 DRAM chips, central processing units (CPUs), solid-state drives and printed circuit boards remain tight this year, Advantech Intelligent Systems Sector president Linda Tsai (蔡淑妍) said.

DDR5 prices have risen by about 30 euros to 50 euros (US$35.26 to US$58.76) per quarter, while CPU prices have increased by 10 percent to 20 percent, Tsai said.

Advantech maintains a stable supply through long-term procurement agreements and closer cooperation with upstream suppliers, Tsai added.


content_text:
TOP PICK: The company believes DSP-based pluggable optical transceivers would remain the main solution for AI data centers given its operating flexibility and costs

Network and communications chips supplier Airoha Technology Corp (達發科技) on Tuesday said revenue from chips used in high-speed optical transceivers for data centers would triple this year, driven by global artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure buildout.

Airoha has strong confidence in digital signal processors (DSPs), given its better-than-expected shipments and a surge in sales in the first quarter, Airoha executive vice president M.H. Shieh (謝孟翰) said at an earnings conference.

The robust growth is expected to sustain throughout the year, thanks to replacement demand and systems upgrading to chips with higher speeds and wider bandwidths, Shieh said.

Airoha Technology Corp executive vice president M.H. Shieh speaks at an earnings conference on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Airoha Technology Corp

The company plans to roll out new DSPs that can transmit 100 gigabits of data per second in the middle of this year, and is working on next-generation DSPs that can transmit 200 gigabits of data per second, he said.

Airoha expects DSPs and chips used in optical transceivers and chips used in satellites and AI data centers to account for a high single-digit percentage of its total revenue this year, from a low-single-digit percentage last year, Shieh said.

While Nvidia Corp plans to adopt copackaged optics (CPO) technology for new AI servers, Airoha believes DSP-based pluggable optical transceivers remain the mainstream solution for AI data center operators, given their operating flexibility, signal reliability and better total ownership costs, he said.

By 2030, pluggable optical transceivers powered by 400 gigabit to 1.6 terabit DSPs would remain the top choice of cloud service providers, he added.

The two technologies are complementary, rather than competitive, Shieh said.

DSP-based solutions are suitable for “scaling out” data transmission and connectivity between servers within a large-scale AI data center, while CPO is good at “scaling up” a server rack, he said.

In the first quarter, Airoha’s revenue rose 4.4 percent annually and 20 percent quarterly to NT$5.46 billion (US$173.4 million).

DSPs, Ethernet chips and broadband chips accounted for about half of Airoha’s total revenue, with wireless chips such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips contributing to the other half.

Net profit grew 2.5 percent year-on-year and 34.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to NT$748 million.

Earnings per share rose to NT$4.47 from NT$4.36 a year ago and NT$3.32 the previous quarter.

title: Airoha Technology expects revenue from chips to triple


content_text:
AMD gives upbeat sales forecast as it cashes in on AI data center demand

Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD), the leading challenger to Nvidia Corp in artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, gave a surprisingly robust sales forecast, showing that it is cashing in on a flood of data center spending.

Second-quarter revenue would be US$11.2 billion, plus or minus US$300 million, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

That compares with an average analyst prediction of US$10.5 billion, data compiled by Bloomberg showed.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc CEO Lisa Su holds an AMD EPYC “Venice” CPU during the CES event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 5. Photo: Bloomberg

The outlook signals that AMD is winning orders from the biggest spenders on AI computing. Although Nvidia remains the dominant provider of AI processors, data center customers are increasingly seeking alternatives — a trend that has helped AMD.

AMD is the second-largest maker of AI accelerators — chips that are used to train and run AI services. Its product lineup also includes microprocessors that serve as the heart of server computers, as well as graphics chips that are used in laptop and desktop PCs.

The company’s first-quarter sales rose 38 percent year-on-year to US$10.3 billion. Profit, minus certain items, was US$1.37 a share. Analysts had predicted revenue of US$9.89 billion and earnings of US$1.28 per share.

Revenue at its data center business grew 57 percent to US$5.8 billion. Analysts had predicted US$5.61 billion on average.

PC-related sales rose 23 percent to US$3.6 billion.

AMD has benefited from renewed interest in its central processing units (CPUs). That type of generalist chip is increasingly being deployed in gear used to run AI software.

The data center CPU market would grow at “greater than 35 percent annually, reaching over US$120 billion by 2030,” AMD said.

“In response to this demand, we are working closely with our supply chain partners to meaningfully increase our wafer and back-end capacity to support this growth,” AMD CEO Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) said on a conference call with analysts.

AMD’s server CPU revenue would grow more than 70 percent in the current quarter, the company said, adding that “robust growth” would continue through the second half of this year into next year.

The company had growing confidence in its ability to generate tens of billions of dollars in annual data center revenue next year, Su said, adding that she expects to exceed AMD’s long-term growth target of greater than 80 percent in the coming years.

The industry does face some challenges, though. Like other tech companies, AMD is contending with an unwanted side effect of the build-out in new AI data centers: a memory shortage.

“We are planning for second half PC shipments to be lower due to higher memory and component costs,” Su said. “Against this backdrop, we still expect our client revenue to grow year-over-year and outperform the market.”


content_text:
Super Micro gives profit outlook signaling costs under control

Super Micro Computer Inc on Tuesday reported improved margins and gave a profit forecast that suggested it’s controlling the costs of getting powerful artificial intelligence (AI) servers into customers’ hands.

Earnings, excluding some items, will be US$0.65 to US$0.79 a share in the period ending June 30, Super Micro said in a statement. Quarterly revenue will be US$11 billion to US$12.5 billion. Analysts polled by Bloomberg projected, on average, profit of US$0.57 a share on sales of US$11.2 billion.

The sale of the company’s servers fitted with Nvidia Corp chips have surged as customers seek to expand their ability to train and run AI tasks. As new versions of Nvidia’s processors roll out, Super Micro and its competitors such as Dell Technologies Inc and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co are spending to win contracts and to speed new products to clients.

Super Micro Computer Inc chief executive officer Charles Liang is pictured at the Raise summit in Paris, France, on July 8 last year. Photo: Nathan Laine, Bloomberg

A recent legal cloud also had raised the specter that Super Micro’s clients might switch to other vendors. The forecast indicates that so far demand remains positive in a market where supply is constrained, limiting buying options.

The company also reported adjusted gross margin of 10.1 percent last quarter, which ended on March 31. That topped analysts’ estimates of 6.75 percent. Adjusted profit was US$0.84 a share, compared with analysts’ average estimate of US$0.63.

“Our margin recovery and the rapid growth of our DCBBS business demonstrate that our business remains robust,” Super Micro chief executive officer Charles Liang (梁見後) said in the statement, referring to the company’s unit selling combined hardware, software and services offerings. “With the addition of our new US manufacturing facilities in Silicon Valley, we are exceptionally well-positioned to meet the massive demand.”

The Data Center Building Block Solutions, or DCBBS, unit offers products that blend multiple types of equipment such as chips, networking and cooling, as well as software for managing backup batteries and controlling large numbers of server racks.

The offerings are helping Super Micro sell more to clients and generate more profit, Liang said during a conference call with analysts after the results were released. DCBBS “will soon contribute more than 25 percent of our total profit in the coming few years.” he said.

In March, US prosecutors charged Super Micro co-founder Liaw Yih-shyan (廖益賢) with illegally diverting billions of dollars in Nvidia-powered servers to China, in violation of US export controls. Super Micro isn’t named as a defendant.

The San Jose, California-based company has said it’s cooperating with authorities and put Liaw, who stepped down from the board, on administrative leave. The company also named DeAnna Luna as chief compliance officer. Prior to joining the company in 2024, she oversaw export licensing at Intel Corp.

“I am personally shocked and saddened by these alleged actions,” Liang said on the call.

Last quarter’s revenue more than doubled to US$10.2 billion, compared with analysts’ average estimate of US$12.4 billion. Sales were hurt by delays at some clients, Liang said on the call, without naming them.

“This is purely a short-term delay,” he said. “Several customer sites were not yet equipped with the power and networking required for their cloud deployment, and we expect to capture this revenue in the coming quarters.”

Super Micro said sales will be US$38.9 billion to US$40.4 billion in the current fiscal year. The company had said previously it would generate US$40 billion in annual revenue.


content_text: People stand behind an information counter at the Taiwan Pavilion during the AI Expo Korea at COEX Hall A in Seoul yesterday. The pavilion features 16 Taiwanese companies showcasing their artificial intelligence solutions and innovations. The event opened yesterday and runs until tomorrow.

title: Intelligent innovations


content_text:
A man who was arrested for fraud and jumped bail in 2018 was rearrested in December last year in Pingtung County, where it was discovered he had reoffended — highlighting the persistent challenge fraud poses in Taiwan.

Lai Kuan-chai (賴冠翟), 44, had previously accrued more than NT$100 million (US$3.18 million) through fraudulent activities and was again implicated in a 2023 fake investment scheme that netted more than NT$20 million, police said.

Lai created a false image of high socioeconomic status by using professional titles and photographs with politicians to build trust, allowing him to deceive even normally cautious people. Police said that the success of his schemes relied heavily on psychological manipulation.

Lai’s case is demonstrative of a broader pattern in Taiwan: Those who engage in fraud are often not deterred by punishment, while public education campaigns continue to fall short, as many cases could be avoided if people were better equipped to recognize warning signs.

Punishments for fraud have already become significantly stricter, particularly for the most egregious cases. Under the Criminal Code, basic fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison, while aggravated or technology-related fraud carries a jail sentence of up to seven years. Amendments introduced last year further increased penalties for major fraud cases, with sentences ranging from three to 10 years for amounts between NT$1 million and NT$10 million, five to 12 years for NT$10 million to NT$100 million, and a minimum of seven years for cases exceeding NT$100 million, along with substantial fines.

In one major case last year, suspects defrauded more than 5,000 people of approximately NT$15.7 billion through a large-scale fake investment scheme, and the ringleader was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Despite the higher fines and tougher penalties, authorities have reported tens of thousands of cases per month and substantial financial losses. The trend points to a sustained increase in the prevalence and complexity of fraud, suggesting that stronger penalties alone have not been sufficient to curb the problem.

Lai’s case suggests that individuals willing to engage in such schemes are often undeterred by the prospect of long prison terms. As a result, the more effective approach might lie not in further increasing penalties, but in strengthening prevention — particularly through public education and awareness.

The government has already launched large-scale anti-fraud campaigns led by agencies such as the National Police Agency and the Ministry of Justice, using television advertisements, social media outreach and public service announcements to highlight common scam tactics, especially investment fraud and impersonation schemes.

A key initiative is the 165 Anti-Fraud Hotline, operated by the National Police Agency, which allows the public to verify suspicious calls, messages or financial requests in real time. Schools and community groups have also been involved, with outreach programs targeting vulnerable people — particularly older adults — aimed at increasing awareness.

In addition, Taiwan has integrated fraud prevention into its financial and telecommunications systems. Banks and telecoms are required to display scam warnings, flag unusual transactions and in some cases delay transfers to give people time to reconsider. Digital platforms and messaging services have also been encouraged, and in some cases required, to cooperate with authorities in identifying and removing fraudulent accounts.

Overall, Taiwan’s approach combines public education, real-time support tools and institutional safeguards, reflecting a broader effort to reduce fraud by making citizens more informed and harder to deceive.

However, fraud continues and people are still being victimized, suggesting that these efforts are not yet fully effective. This might be because the messaging is not reaching all segments of society, or because some individuals remain willing to take risks when presented with the promise of high returns, particularly when scams are carefully designed to appear legitimate.

Either way, authorities face the ongoing challenge of finding more effective ways to reach potential victims before they are deceived. Public awareness efforts must not only inform, but also resonate — making clear that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

Police have urged the public to stick to legitimate investment avenues, warning that anyone promising guaranteed returns, secret investment strategies or exclusive opportunities — particularly those who refuse to verify their identity — should be treated with suspicion. It is a simple message, but one that remains essential: The most effective way to combat fraud is to equip the public to avoid it.

title: EDITORIAL: Preparing people to prevent fraud


title: Press freedoms are hard-fought

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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday last week published its “2026 Press Freedom Index” report. Taiwan was ranked 28th worldwide and first in Asia, far ahead of South Korea at 47th and Japan at 62nd. Since 2024, Taiwan has consistently come in the top 30 — a significant achievement that should bring everyone pride. Hong Kong, once a beacon of press freedom in the Asia-Pacific region, fell to 140th from its zenith at 18th in 2002. China remained, as ever, at the bottom of the rankings at 178th out of 180 countries this year and last, ahead only of Eritrea and North Korea.

While affirming Taiwan’s protection of press freedoms in the index ranking, RSF issued a warning to the public in the form of a report released last month, titled “How a Chinese marketing network quietly injects political narratives into Taiwanese lifestyle content.” Its investigation showed how a swathe of social media profiles appearing to be lifestyle pages for hobbies and health tips are, in fact, tied to China-based digital marketing companies. They blend entertainment with disinformation and political messaging in cognitive warfare campaigns that are difficult to detect.

The Facebook page “50+ Healthy Life” is cited as an example, which provides health and wellness advice for older people. In March, it published a peculiar long-form analysis after the US joined Israel in waging war on Iran, presenting an argument closely aligned with Chinese state media that Tehran need not defeat Washington militarily. The post was later removed.

Similarly, during the 2024 presidential election, a number of apolitical pages centered on health, hobbies or inspirational quotes started disseminating political content echoing Chinese propaganda. One such example was the Facebook page “Classic Quotes,” which began by openly promoting the candidacy of China-friendly billionaire Terry Gou (郭台銘). After the election, the pages reverted to lifestyle content.

Their method is consistent: They first build audiences on platforms such as Facebook, Threads and X through nonpolitical or “soft” content. Once they have expanded their reach and influence, they introduce political posts to shape public perception, then rinse and repeat. Although seemingly insignificant, the impact on the public consciousness in Taiwan runs deep.

RSF investigations director Arnaud Froger issued a warning in the report: “These social media lifestyle accounts, which look harmless and apolitical, are actually managed — and, at times, mobilized — by a private actor close to the Chinese state and are intended to be channels of influence. Less overt than operations conducted through state institutions, these decentralised campaigns that insert ideological content in sudden bursts are also harder to detect.”

Over time, the primary source of information for Taiwanese has shifted from traditional sources to social platforms such as Facebook and LINE. Casually sharing short videos, health tips and current affairs commentary has become the norm. While seemingly harmless, the expansion of these platforms in the media ecosystem has created openings for confusion, rumors, social division and even national security threats.

The RSF’s warning should serve as a wake-up call to be alert to what we are seeing and hearing, and guard our judgement and critical thinking. We must resist the influence of misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, and refuse to become unwitting accomplices in its spread.

Only by defending the right of all people to access reliable information and by safeguarding freedom of the press can Taiwan preserve its democracy and maintain its de facto independence.

Yao Meng-chang is an assistant professor in Fu Jen Catholic University’s Department of Postgraduate Legal Studies.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader


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The TAIEX has surpassed 40,000 points and the number of brokerage accounts now exceeds 14.2 million, creating the appearance of widespread prosperity. Yet, as the index reaches new highs and the number of investors continues to grow, we should ask ourselves: How many people are truly benefiting from this apparent economic boom?

The stock market has long been regarded as a barometer of the economy, but a rising index does not necessarily indicate a corresponding improvement in the economy as a whole. The stock market’s rise is heavily concentrated in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related sectors, with a handful of heavyweight stocks propping up the overall index, while other industries have yet to profit to the same extent. The index’s rise alongside industrial divergence highlights the long-standing structural imbalance present in the nation’s economy.

Even more concerning is the accelerating concentration of capital in the stock market. The surge in brokerage accounts, the influx of young investors and the boom in short-term trading all suggest that the market is shifting from being driven by fundamentals to being dominated by capital and investor sentiment. When making quick profits becomes the primary incentive, the stock market is no longer just an investment tool, it instead becomes a speculative arena.

Such developments are not beneficial to the real economy. While frequent inflows of large volumes of capital into the market might drive up stock prices, they do not necessarily translate into tangible investment or industrial upgrades. On the contrary, when stock market returns appear easily attainable, capital could be diverted away from the housing market and real industries, and might even influence the career choices of the younger generation. Once the perception that it is easier to earn wealth through stocks than through work takes hold, there could be long-term consequences for the labor market and industrial development.

There have been labor shortages in frontline and technical positions. This is not merely a demographic issue, but also one tied to resource allocation and societal values. When society places excessive emphasis on capital gains while overlooking the accumulation of technical expertise and practical skills, talent naturally becomes less willing to enter positions that are vital to the foundation of the economy. The issue lies in the long-term acceptance of capital concentration in financial markets and the lack of effective mechanisms to channel that capital into the real economy. When the prosperity of the market becomes disconnected from industrial development, the end result is a structural divide in which a small minority grows wealthier.

Taiwan does indeed possess a globally competitive semiconductor industry, but it cannot rely on that single pillar alone. When resources become overly concentrated in a handful of sectors, it not only worsens existing imbalances, but also increases the economy’s overall vulnerability. If the government continues to treat rising stock prices as a political achievement while neglecting underlying problems, it would effectively be using short-term prosperity to mask long-term concerns.

Record highs on the stock market are not inherently problematic. The real issue arises when society becomes overly dependent on the stock market as its primary means of accumulating wealth, causing the nation’s economic structure to gradually lose balance. If in the short term the market is allowed to dominate resource allocation, it would ultimately lead to prosperity in indices and stagnation in livelihoods.

Chen Ching-yun is a former director of the Legislative Yuan’s Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: How many truly benefit from rising stock prices?


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We still need teachers

In your story on artificial intelligence (AI), (“AI cannot replace real teachers,” May 5, page 8), as a university student I agree with Chen Chi-nung’s (陳啟濃) point that AI can support learning, but the real question is not whether students should use AI. The question is whether they can use it without losing the ability to think for themselves.

Many students now use AI to explain difficult ideas, correct English grammar or summarize articles. These tools are useful, but they can also make students too dependent on quick answers. If students only copy AI responses, they might finish assignments faster, but they learn less.

This is why teachers still matter. A teacher can ask follow-up questions, notice confusion and push students to explain their own ideas. In a classroom, students also learn how to listen, discuss and disagree with others.

Taiwan should teach students how to use AI responsibly. AI can be a good learning assistant, but teachers are still needed to guide students’ judgement and communication.

Ryan Chang

National Tsing Hua

University, Hsinchu

title: [ LETTER ]


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The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six

By Romain Blachier

Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out.Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success.When confronted with public concerns over young

By Chin Ching 秦靖

Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in

By Sana Hashmi 胡莎娜

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


title: Beware of government by AI

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Experts raise concerns about the potential lack of oversight that could follow the introduction of AI to government services, warning countries not to prioritize efficiency over duty of care

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a plan to have half of its government services run on agentic artificial intelligence (AI) within the next two years. Under the scheme, AI is supposed to serve as an “executive partner” that “analyzes, decides, executes and improves in real time” without human intervention. Having spent our careers at the intersection of entrepreneurship, research and digital policy, we can confidently pronounce this plan reckless. And because the UAE presents itself as a global digital model, other governments would feel pressure to follow suit.

That is a danger we must not ignore. We already know what happens when governments delegate decisionmaking to algorithms. In 2021, a self-learning system in the Netherlands wrongly accused roughly 35,000 families of childcare benefit fraud. Parents were ordered to repay tens of thousands of euros they never owed; homes were lost; and more than 2,000 children were taken into state care.

This outcome had actually been built into the system’s design. Dual nationality and foreign-sounding names were flagged as risk factors, baking illegal discrimination directly into the model. The result was a national scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

A similar dynamic played out in Australia. Between 2015 and 2019, the Robodebt scheme pursued 433,000 welfare recipients for A$1.7 billion (US$1.2 billion) in supposedly unlawful debts. The harm was profound; with mothers testifying that their sons killed themselves after receiving debt notices they had no way to challenge. A Royal Commission later found the program “neither fair nor legal.”

Meanwhile, in the US, Arkansas and Idaho replaced nurses with algorithms to assess eligibility and levels of home care. People with cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and multiple sclerosis had their care cut by 20 to 50 percent overnight. The courts eventually ordered a halt to the use of these systems, but not before the damage was done. Some patients were left without adequate support, leading to preventable medical complications.

Each of these cases involved a single system within a single agency. Now imagine such systems handling half of all government services, as the UAE’s plan proposes.

Consider, for example, a single mother whose childcare benefits are frozen after an AI agent flags her bank activity, leaving her to navigate an appeals process that sends her from one automated system to another, with no human point of contact, just as the rent comes due. What about a migrant worker whose residency renewal is denied because the system cannot parse his employer’s filings — rendering him effectively undocumented — or an elderly widow whose pension is paused because two databases conflict and she cannot make sense of the interface?

These are not hypotheticals. They are documented patterns that agentic AI intensifies in ways no training program can address within the UAE’s two-year timeline.

Three key risks stand out. The first is scale: When a caseworker makes a mistake, one person suffers; when an AI agent does, thousands can be affected before anyone even notices.

Then there is the opacity of AI decisionmaking. Given that agentic systems make decisions in sequence, with each step building on the last, the causal trail is effectively lost by the time harm becomes visible. Arkansas’s algorithmic health-benefit system offers a stark example. No one — not even its creators — could fully explain how it worked, prompting a federal court to describe it as “wildly irrational.” Moreover, a lack of transparency might be built in through trade secrets or proprietary frameworks underlying the algorithms.

Lastly, AI systems reverse the burden of proof, forcing citizens to prove their innocence rather than requiring the state to justify its actions. As the childcare-benefit scandal in the Netherlands and the Robodebt scheme in Australia showed, those who are least able to do so — people with limited time, money, language proficiency and access to legal support — are hit the hardest.

The UAE claims that the guiding principle of its AI program is “people come first.” However, the design suggests otherwise. A government that evaluates ministries by speed of adoption and mastery of AI is not tracking what matters, but replicating the same logic of efficiency that has already caused significant harm around the world.

Speed of adoption is a vendor’s metric, but a government’s core responsibility is a duty of care grounded in human judgement.

This aligns with citizens’ expectations that the government would be accountable and transparent, and that it would explain decisions that affect their rights and freedoms. When governments enthusiastically embrace autonomous decisionmaking in the name of efficiency, they are, in effect, signing away that accountability.

Every algorithm-related scandal of the past few years has raised the same fundamental questions: Who is in charge, and who made the decision? In a government run by agentic AI, those questions no longer have clear answers. The system decides, updates itself, and moves on, leaving citizens with no recourse when things go wrong.

With the advent of AI, democratic accountability erodes not through an open power grab, but through a series of procurement decisions that quietly displace human oversight. By undermining trust in institutions at a time when it is already dangerously low, these systems ultimately serve the interests of the tech titans driving the AI revolution.

However, it need not be this way. The UAE has the resources, talent and political stability needed to build a genuinely human-centered digital government that could set the global standard by augmenting, rather than replacing, human decisionmaking.

The costs of getting this wrong would not be confined to the UAE. They would be borne by a single mother in another country whose benefits are cut by an algorithm she never knew existed, and by countless others like her around the world.

Gabriela Ramos, co-chair of the Task Force on Inequalities and Social-Related Financial Disclosures, is a former assistant director-general for social and human sciences at UNESCO, where she oversaw the development of the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, and a former OECD chief of staff and sherpa to the G20, G7 and APEC. Emilija Stojmenova Duh, associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of Ljubljana, is a member of the Globethics Board of Foundation and a former minister of digital transformation of Slovenia.

Copyright: Project Syndicate


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Meloni clung to Trump, now that allegiance is a liability

The news late last month that US President Donald Trump sounded out FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, about replacing Iran with Italy at this year’s World Cup jolted insiders and pundits on the beautiful game. It has also cast a fresh light on the unusual and evolving relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

In the past few weeks, Meloni’s standing as the darling of the right-wing US has been imperiled by an unexpected rift with the Oval Office. Trump dramatically distanced himself from his Italian ally over her refusal to join US attacks on Iran in an interview.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the US president told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The reported US approach to FIFA — since ruled out by Italian ministers — might have signaled a wish by Trump to mend fences with the Italian leader.

Meloni’s relationship with Trump has never been primarily about policy. It has been grounded instead in politics, ideology and geopolitics — a triad that has defined its strengths and its limits.

Politically, Meloni has leveraged her proximity to Trump while maintaining pragmatic ties with EU leaders. This dual track has enhanced her international reputation as a responsible rightwing leader and a go-to figure in Europe. She has sought to present herself as someone capable of bridging worlds — aligned with the nationalist conservative wave emanating from Washington, yet credible and constructive in the European mainstream.

Ideologically, Meloni and Trump subscribe to a civilizational vision of the West as a community of nations bound together by common history, religion and cultural — if not ethnic — homogeneity.

Geopolitically, her approach stems from the conviction that, in an era of great upheaval and competition between powers, European countries still have a strategic imperative to remain close to the US regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. Adaptation, rather than complaint, has been Meloni’s guiding principle. This explains why she consistently refrained from confrontation every time Trump lashed out at Europe.

The problem is that her proximity to Trump has yielded few tangible advantages for Italy — apart, perhaps, from some clemency on US imports of Italian pasta. Where Italy has conceded to Trump, on tariffs or higher defense spending, it has done so alongside the rest of Europe. Where it has resisted US pressure, on Ukraine or Greenland, it has done so through coordination with EU partners, not bilateral leverage with Washington.

The war with Iran has laid bare the strategic limitations of this approach. Its economic consequences have been felt directly by Italians at the petrol pump. The war has also reinforced a broader perception among Italians that not only is Trump seeking to subordinate European allies, but he is also making the international system structurally insecure.

Meloni’s balancing act has, therefore, become increasingly difficult, especially in the wake of last month’s domestic setback in the referendum on judicial reform, in which her association with Trump proved a liability. Having initially refused to condemn the war in the Middle East, she eventually stated publicly that it was not in Italy’s interest.

Then came the breaking point. Trump’s personal attack on Pope Leo XIV, after the pontiff’s criticism of the US administration’s war on Iran, left Meloni with little room for maneuver. For an Italian conservative and self-styled Catholic leader, silence was not an option.

Even then she avoided direct confrontation. Her response was measured: a defense of the dignity of the pope and a statement that the president’s words were “unacceptable.” Most likely she hoped she could create some distance without provoking a rupture, but Trump’s repeated personal insults toward her transformed the situation into a political headache.

In the short term, the rift might even offer her political benefits. Meloni has emerged as a defender of the Italian national interest and of the Catholic Church, even attracting a degree of solidarity from the opposition, which has so far failed to capitalize on her closeness to Trump.

In the longer term, it is not going to be so easy for Meloni. Her most viable course appears to be a renewed emphasis on pragmatic relations in Europe. Her participation in the Paris summit on the Strait of Hormuz — during which she made a point of physically embracing French President Emmanuel Macron, the bete noire of the Italian far right — signals as much.

At the same time, she would try to mend fences with Washington. Had Trump been less explicit in his displeasure, this recalibration might have proceeded quietly. The fact that the idea of Italy replacing Iran at the World Cup came from an Italian national working for Trump, US special envoy Paolo Zampolli, might be seen as an indirect olive branch to Meloni.

However, the lukewarm reaction in Italy shows the risk of trying to mend ties in such an unorthodox way. It could easily be seen as an undignified act of contrition by Meloni, costing her some of the domestic political capital she has gained by standing up to a US president who is deeply unpopular in Italy.

Meloni thus finds herself at a crossroads. She can lean more decisively toward Europe or seek to re-engage with the US on Trump’s terms. Her past suggests a reluctance to make such binary choices, but circumstances might soon force her hand. If Europe continues to be excluded from key decisions affecting its security — as with Ukraine — and its economic stability — as with Iran — the association with Trump could become an albatross around her neck at a critical moment in her career.

She would enter campaign season — the next general election in Italy is scheduled for December next year at the latest — with no major reform attached to her government, a sputtering economy and a deteriorating security environment for which Trump bears significant responsibility in the eyes of many Italians.

The tension between Meloni the party leader and Meloni the statesperson is no longer abstract. It might become untenable. The question is not whether she can continue to balance the two, but for how much longer.

Riccardo Alcaro is head of research at Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome.


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SERIES OPENER: Lakers head coach J.J. Redick blamed unforced errors for his team’s problems, saying that ‘we just got to do a better job with execution’

The Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday overpowered LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 to grab a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference semi-final series.

A balanced offensive performance and steely defensive display from the reigning NBA champions was enough to seal victory over the depleted Lakers, who started brightly, but trailed for the final three quarters.

Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their NBA Western Conference playoff series at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Tuesday. Photo: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but offensively we just stuck with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, saluting a Thunder defense that restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a playoff game since 2021.

“We just try to make people play outside their comfort zone, as simple as that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder defense. “Whatever guys like to do, we like to take away from them.”

The commanding Thunder victory underscored the size of the task facing the fourth-seeded Lakers if they are to defy the odds and upset the champions in the best-of-seven series.

Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep over the Lakers, winning each game by an average margin of 29.3 points.

Tuesday’s series opener at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center echoed the Thunder’s regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away down the stretch to score an emphatic win.

James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points in a losing effort.

Rui Hachimura added 18 points with Marcus Smart bagging 12 and Deandre Ayton 10.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick blamed unforced errors for his team’s problems.

“The mistakes hurt us,” Redick said. “You’re playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high ... just too many tonight. We’ve got to clean that up.”

“The guys played hard. We just got to do a better job with execution. It comes down to attention to detail,” he said. “I know we’ll clean things up and be better.”

In Tuesday’s other playoff game, Cade Cunningham scored 23 points as the Detroit Pistons held off a second-half rally to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series opener.

The top-seeded Pistons looked to be cruising to a comfortable win after dominating in the first half and taking a 17-point lead in the third period.

However, a spirited Cleveland rally saw the Cavaliers close to within four points before Detroit finally pulled clear again in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham was one of six Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Tobias Harris adding 20 points while Duncan Robinson bagged five three-pointers on his way to a 19-point haul at the Pistons’ Little Caesars Arena.

Daniss Jenkins added 12 points from the bench with Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren scoring 11 points apiece.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while James Harden scored 22 points with eight rebounds and seven assists.

“It was a great team win — defending the ball, rebounding the ball,” Cunningham told NBC television.

“We’ve got a great system in place. You’ve got somebody that will come in behind you whenever you get tired,” he said. “But it’s one win, we’ve got to come back and do it again.”

Detroit had battled into the conference semi-finals after coming back from 3-1 down to defeat Orlando 4-3 in the first round.

Cunningham said the Pistons are anxious to avoid a repeat.

“At home you’ve got to protect home court. We didn’t do that in the last series, so we want do that this series,” Cunningham said. “They want to come in and steal one, so we’ve got to do this again the day after tomorrow.”

title: Thunder overpower Lakers in Game 1