日本經濟新聞社與東京電視台於28至30日進行的最新民調顯示，高市早苗內閣的支持率為75%，與10月前次調查的74%幾乎持平，不支持僅有18%。。 圖：翻攝自 X《台湾史.jp》

日本經濟新聞社與東京電視台於28至30日進行的最新民調顯示，高市早苗內閣的支持率為75%，與10月前次調查的74%幾乎持平，不支持僅有18%。高市內閣自10月組成以來，連續2個月支持率維持在7成以上。

根據民調，支持的前兩名理由分別為「人品值得信賴」（37%）以及「具備領導力」（34%）。不支持的前兩名理由是「內閣以自民黨為中心」（35%）以及「人品不值得信賴」（30%）。

當前熱搜：民調》2026決戰中台灣！捉對廝殺 傳江啟臣超前何欣純18.9個百分點

此外，日本政府於28日通過2025年度追加預算，作為對抗高物價、促進成長投資等經濟對策財源。民調顯示，認為經濟對策能夠有效抑制物價上漲的有35%，認為無效的則有40%。

至於「希望高市內閣優先處理的政策議題」，可複選回答。最多人回答「物價對策」（55%），接著依序是「經濟成長」（32%）、「外交與安全保障」（31%）、「年金」（26%），以及「雇用與薪資」（26%）。

政黨支持率方面，自民黨41%，較前月民調上升5個百分點，在10、11月連續2個月都有明顯增幅。聯合執政的日本維新會支持率5%，較前月下降4個百分點。

當前熱搜：桃園蘆竹地下非法工廠大火 黑煙竄天最高恐罰2000萬

在野黨方面，參政黨7%支持率最高（前月6%），其次為立憲民主黨6%（前月7%）、國民民主黨6%（同前月）。參政黨自9月以來，再次成為支持率第2高的政黨。無黨派支持層為22%，與10月民調相同。

調查由日經研究公司於28至30日隨機撥打電話，針對18歲以上男女進行手機與市話電訪，取得1006份有效回答，回答率41.4%。

高市早苗內閣支持率75% 連續2個月突破7成 | 國際 | Newtalk新聞


（中央社記者高華謙台北30日電）內政部今天公布老宅延壽補助項目細節，公寓公共空間最高每棟補助新台幣960萬元、室內私人空間最高補助每戶30萬元，另排除4類狀況不予補助；最晚須於民國116年12月31日前向地方政府提出申請，施工以1年完工為原則。

內政部今天在新北市三重先嗇宮舉行老宅延壽全國首場說明會，吸引超過百人到場，包括內政部長劉世芳、先嗇宮董事長李乾龍、國土署長吳欣修、民進黨立委李坤城，民進黨新北市議員顏蔚慈、陳啟能、李倩萍以及40多名里長出席。

當前熱搜：民調》2026決戰中台灣！捉對廝殺 傳江啟臣超前何欣純18.9個百分點

劉世芳致詞表示，為解決台灣人屋雙老問題，內政部推動老宅延壽政策，在3年內協助600棟30年以上合法的4至6樓公寓，及6樓以下的透天住宅進行修繕補助。

國土署都更建設組長王武聰透過簡報指出，老宅延壽政策是室內外空間都可以補助，不過必須選公共空間等室外項目進行修繕，才能加選做私人室內空間。

針對公寓型公共空間，王武聰說，共提供8個補助項目、至少要選3項，每棟每項最高補助65%。包括增設昇降設備每棟最高補助400萬元；立面修繕最高補助300萬元；樓梯間修繕最高補助40萬元；公共管線修繕更新最高補助50萬元；老舊招牌、違規物或違建拆除最高補助40萬元；屋頂防水及隔熱最高補助50萬元；外掛式空調及其管線的安全改善最高補助40萬元；增設或改善無障礙設施最高補助40萬元。

當前熱搜：桃園蘆竹地下非法工廠大火 黑煙竄天最高恐罰2000萬

王武聰表示，至於透天住宅的公共空間共提供4項補助，至少要選1項修繕。包括立面修繕，每棟視樓層最高補助100萬元至300萬元不等；屋頂防水及隔熱，最高補助20萬元；外掛式空調及其管線安全改善，最高補助5萬元；增設或改善室外無障礙設施，最高補助5萬元。

王武聰說，至於加選公寓或透天住宅的室內空間，可以進行3類整修，包括居家安全及無障礙設施設備修繕、管線修繕更新（給排水、電氣、燃氣管線），以及配合前述項目所需必要室內裝修。一般戶每戶最高補助20萬元，高齡弱勢戶每戶最高補助30萬元。

針對申請方式與限制，王武聰表示，以4至6層公寓來說，公共空間要超過1/2作為住宅使用，且戶籍至少有1人為65歲以上長者、或低收入或中低收入戶、或長照等級第2級以上且符合居家無障礙環境改善補助對象；公寓私人空間則限住宅使用，且補助對象不得為法人。可以由公寓大廈管委會或管理負責人提出申請，或由全體建築物區分所有權人同意共同推派代表人申請。

透天住宅部分，王武聰說，全棟必須都作為住宅使用，且補助對象不得為法人，可由全體建築物所有權人同意共同推派代表人申請。

王武聰補充，因希望把資源留給更需要的民眾，另有4種情形不予補助，包括公寓全棟為單一所有權人持有；已申請建照、拆照或地方政府認定須拆除；已報核或已申請進入都更危老程序；申請其他相同補助項目。

王武聰指出，要申請老宅延壽補助，須先取得過半數所有權人同意進行耐震評估，政府會補助每棟1.5萬元進行初步評估；除非有結構安全疑慮，需要做詳細評估，政府將補助每棟40萬元。不過，若先前有做過耐震評估，這次不用再做，且評估結果都不會作為補助與否的依據，目的是希望讓民眾了解房屋目前狀況。

針對接下來說明會場次，國土署補充，12月4日在台北市大同區，12月8日台北市松山區，12月15日嘉義市產業創新研發中心，12月18日新北市板橋區，12月20日新北市中和區，12月24日台北市萬華區，12月29日新北市鶯歌區，12月30日新北市土城區。

國土署說，已設置諮詢專線（02-7701-9919），相關資訊也公布在「都市更新入口網」（https://twur.nlma.gov.tw）。（編輯：林克倫）1141130

中央社記者高華謙台北30日電

陳啟能 李乾龍 江啟臣 李坤城 劉世芳 李倩萍 何欣純

新北市 中和區 三重 鶯歌區 桃園 板橋區 松山區 土城區 蘆竹 大同區 萬華區 嘉義市

老宅延壽細節出爐 公寓公共空間最高補助960萬元 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞


桃園市蘆竹區一處地下工廠30日上午傳出火警，現場非法堆置的大量電纜、塑膠及廢金屬燃燒後產生濃密黑煙，環保局派員到場監控空氣品質與環境污染狀況。（桃園市政府環保局提供）中央社記者吳睿騏桃園傳真 114年11月30日

（中央社記者吳睿騏桃園30日電）桃園市蘆竹區一處地下工廠今天上午7時發生火警，現場燃燒電纜、塑膠及廢金屬，濃密黑煙一度高達數十公尺，消防局持續搶救中，環保局表示，最高可併罰新台幣2000萬元。

桃園市環保局下午發布新聞稿表示，蘆竹區龍安街二段一處地下工廠上午7時發生大火，現場非法堆置的大量電纜、塑膠及廢金屬燃燒後產生濃密黑煙，煙柱一度高達數十公尺，明顯影響周邊空氣品質。

當前熱搜：民調》2026決戰中台灣！捉對廝殺 傳江啟臣超前何欣純18.9個百分點

環保局指出，接獲119通報後立即派員抵達，在現場監控空氣品質與環境污染狀況，監測PM2.5、PM10與揮發性有機物（TVOC）等空污指標。

環保局表示，接獲通報的同一時間也隨即啟動空污緊急應變作業，並透過數據模擬事故現場風向與風速，預判黑煙將飄向中壢區內定里、蘆竹區中福里、新莊里及大園區五權里等下風處。市府隨即透過橫向通報機制向警消、民政及衛生單位同步示警，並建議民眾緊閉門窗、減少外出。

環保局指出，這處工廠屬非法工廠，現場堆置大量廢棄電纜與塑膠外殼，未取得主管機關核准，即屬違反廢棄物清理法規定，可移送法辦併科最高1500萬元罰金；這次火警釋放大量濃煙造成空污，將再依空氣污染防制法規定裁處，最高500萬元。兩項違規合計，最高可處2000萬元罰鍰。

全站首選：桃園蘆竹地下非法工廠大火 黑煙竄天最高恐罰2000萬

至於火災後大量殘餘廢棄物及受污染物料清理部分，環保局指出，將依廢清法要求業者限期提出廢棄物處置計畫書，以避免因不當堆置或搬運造成二次污染。後續清理作業將全程列管，若業者屆期未完成，將依規定按日連續開罰，確保污染源徹底移除。

環保局強調，將持續掌握空氣品質變化，若監測數據出現異常，將立即擴大警戒範圍並採取相關應變措施，確保民眾健康安全。（編輯：張雅淨）1141130

中央社記者吳睿騏桃園30日電

空污 空氣污染 空氣品質

桃園 大園 新莊 蘆竹 中壢

桃園地下工廠大火濃煙竄天 環保局最高併罰2千萬 | 社會 | Newtalk新聞


（中央社記者黃麗芸台北30日電）有夜店大亨之稱的夏天倫今晚遭數人持利器和辣椒水攻擊，手臂被割傷，同行女友人眼部遭辣椒水噴到不適，北市警消獲報到場協助送醫治療，目前已帶回1嫌、續追共犯。

台北市警察局松山分局民有派出所今晚6時許獲報，稱民生東路3段某處停車場發生攻擊事件，立即派員到場處理。

現正最夯：民調》2026決戰中台灣！捉對廝殺 傳江啟臣超前何欣純18.9個百分點

經了解，受害的夏天倫案發時正要偕1名女性友人駕車離去，突遭數人持利器和辣椒水攻擊，造成夏天倫左手有10多公分刀傷，女性友人也被辣椒水噴到眼部而不適，由警消協助送馬偕醫院治療。

警方調閱周邊監視器後掌握涉案人員特徵與行蹤，現已帶回其中1名男性犯嫌調查，並查扣1把刀、1支鐵棍和2罐辣椒水，正持續釐清案情及追查其餘共犯。

夏天倫近日因和前妻互相指控，豪門糾紛引發各界關注。（編輯：李錫璋）1141130

有夜店大亨之稱的夏天倫30日晚間在台北市松山區某處停車場遭數人持利器和辣椒水攻擊，警消獲報到場協助送醫治療，已帶回一名男性犯嫌，正持續釐清案情及追查其餘共犯。（翻攝照片）中央社記者黃麗芸傳真 114年11月30日

中央社記者黃麗芸台北30日電

「夜店大亨」夏天倫遭攻擊受傷 北市警已逮1嫌 | 社會 | Newtalk新聞


台南市安南區城西焚化爐附近的第三掩埋場30日晚間起火燃燒，消防局動員灌救，並通知環保局研擬是否發布空污警報。（讀者提供）中央社記者楊思瑞台南傳真 114年11月30日

（中央社記者楊思瑞台南30日電）台南市後壁區烏樹林廢棄物暫置場21日起火，消防局與環保局動員撲滅，殘火仍悶燒多日，不料今晚位於安南區城西焚化爐附近的第三掩埋場也起火，約20公尺高垃圾堆燃燒，消防人員灌救中。

台南市政府消防局於晚間7時48分獲報，指稱在通往城西焚化爐的安南區安清路三段第三掩埋場起火，隨即調派25部各式車輛、51名警消人員，搭配無人機、消防機器人等設備前往灌救，抵達現場發現為約20公尺高垃圾堆燃燒。

中央社記者楊思瑞台南30日電

台南安南區城西掩埋場冒火 20公尺高垃圾堆燃燒 | 社會 | Newtalk新聞


墨新聞｜記者宋其佳／嘉義報導

嘉義市政府30日在文化公園舉辦「嘉義建城321，諸羅志工來+1」嘉義市114年度慶祝國際志工日活動。活動結合「建城320+1」系列慶典，市長黃敏惠帶領全市各目的事業主管機關及志願服務運用單位志工齊聚，並為響應2026年「國際志工永續發展年」（IVY 2026）共同舉行宣示儀式。現場由在地「無酵餅樂團」以歌曲《全家一起飛》熱力開場，為集結1,600名志工的盛會揭開序幕。

黃敏惠表示，響應聯合國將2026年訂為「國際志工永續發展年」，邀請市民延續這份力量再「+1」，共同迎向更美好的未來與幸福永續；同時也感謝志願服務協會、各單位及所有志工長年投入，讓嘉義市1萬2,184名志工在城市每一個角落默默奉獻，展現嘉義人的溫暖與凝聚力，成為城市持續「+1」的重要力量。

黃敏惠補充，今年同時邁向「建城320+1」，「320+1嘉義市城市博覽會」將於12月12日至28日隆重登場，誠摯邀請全國民眾走進嘉義，感受城市在眾人投入下綻放的故事與風景。

「嘉義建城321，諸羅志工來+1」 嘉義市慶祝國際志工日文化路踩街今年活動也安排繽紛熱鬧的志工踩街隊伍，現場踩街隊伍以各式創意造型亮相，從五彩氣球打造的火雞造型，到展現KANO精神的棒球服裝，各隊都以活潑姿態展現志工特有的能量。隊伍沿著街道前進，手持標語、氣球與特色道具，在輕鬆愉快的步伐中呈現志工團隊的多元風貌，為活動增添繽紛而熱鬧的節奏。

「嘉義建城321，諸羅志工來+1」 嘉義市慶祝國際志工日文化路踩街社會處表示，為響應2026年「國際志工永續發展年」（簡稱IVY 2026），今年的活動特別舉行響應宣示儀式，由市長率領各目的事業主管機關首長與全體志工共同高喊口號：「嘉義市響應國際志工年 IVY 2026，諸羅志工來+1！」，以宣示「2026國際志工永續發展年」的展開。

宣示儀式影片將提供給台灣志願服務國際交流協會，串連全國各縣市紀錄影像，由國際志工協會與聯合國志工組織向全球發布，讓世界看見臺灣志工的力量。

嘉義市即將於12月12日至28日舉辦「320+1嘉義市城市博覽會」，串聯17個城市場域，並打造全台首座木構永續展館，展現「共享、宜居、摩登」三大策展核心。嘉義市政府強調，志工在大型活動中扮演不可或缺的角色，無論是秩序維護、民眾服務或市政宣導，皆是城市能量的重要支柱。

嘉義市將持續推動志願服務，讓「諸羅志工來+1」的精神在城市博覽會及未來各項盛事中持續擴散，為城市注入更多正能量。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 「嘉義建城321」志工大會師 1,600名志工攜手迎向永續服務年

「嘉義建城321」志工大會師　1,600名志工攜手迎向永續服務年


冬季就要暖色系　仁愛圓環周遭爆開火樣花卉

11月至12月間仁愛路浪漫花卉盛開了，市民朋友也能在大街輕鬆賞花。臺北市政府公園處透過複層式設計特色草花，在仁愛圓環及中央分隔島、槽化島、綠地等區域營造形色質地變化，展現出市容獨特景觀，為來往駕駛及行人提供靚麗風景。

11月至12月間仁愛路浪漫花卉盛開了，市民朋友也能在大街輕鬆賞花。[圖片公園處提供]公園處表示，仁愛路為北市東西向重要道路之一，具重要的城市綠廊意象，公園處依各路段環境條件，設計搭配季節草花、地被及灌木，以具「臺北市城市綠化櫥窗」美稱的仁愛圓環及周邊分隔島為例，選用銀紋沿階草、細葉雪茄花、胡椒木、紅粉撲花、斑葉六月雪等，營造細膩質感及高低層次變化，搭配曲線種植的搶眼色彩季節草花，呈現簡潔又具變化的都市綠色空間。其中仁愛路季節草花1年規劃6期，每期皆搭配1至2種花卉與多種配色，而現在11月至12月仁愛路的季節特色草花選用是一串紅及粉萼鼠尾草，目前花況盛開為整體景觀帶來細緻的鮮豔、浪漫色彩。

公園處園藝工程楊國瑜隊長表示，一串紅原產於巴西，其觀賞部位為宿存鐘形花萼，花謝後花萼仍可觀賞數月，外觀如同爆竹垂掛，因此又名「爆竹紅」；粉萼鼠尾草原產於北美，唇型花，其鐘型花萼即使於花朵枯萎後仍留存，遠看如開花一般，如薰衣草的花穗般浪漫。今年仁愛路選用紅色、紫色及鮭紅色一串紅，而仁愛圓環選用白色、藍色的粉萼鼠尾草，盼以細緻優雅的粉萼鼠尾草妝點城市一隅，並以鮮紅如燃燒火焰的一串紅花朵，帶給市民朋友滿溢的喜氣及祝福。

仁愛路選用以鮮紅如燃燒火焰的一串紅花朵，帶給市民朋友滿溢的喜氣及祝福。[圖片公園處提供]公園處表示，在繁忙的城市節奏中，若您行經仁愛路時，不妨留意沿途植栽設計巧思，感受片刻愜意與心靈放鬆。


仁愛 臺北市 內湖 南港

墨新聞｜記者鄭富鈺／綜合報導

臺北市就業服務處將於12月2日至12月5日，在內湖、西門、景美、南港東明及艋舺等就業服務站舉辦徵才活動。本次邀集18家知名企業，共釋出741個工作機會，囊括餐飲、零售、單車租賃、視聽娛樂、長照與醫療等熱門產業，從正職、儲備幹部到高時薪兼職一應俱全，為年底求職者提供絕佳就業契機。

年底消費旺季，多家餐飲品牌擴大徵才，包括米塔集團、摩斯漢堡、三商餐飲、新一餐飲、群品餐飲等。米塔集團儲備店長與儲備主廚月薪上看48,000元；摩斯漢堡、三商餐飲提供儲備幹部及正職服務人員，月薪32,000至39,000元，群品餐飲見習襄理高薪39,800元。京簡康(鬍鬚張子品牌)兼職時薪最高達257元，十分吸睛，不論是尋求穩定的全職工作，或想利用年底賺取「年終前加碼」，餐飲業可說是最具即戰力的選擇。

零售業同樣地釋出大批職缺，包括全家便利商店、聖德科斯、美廉社及萊爾富等。薪資部份，全家儲備幹部34,000至38,000元，支援大夜39,000元；聖德科斯儲備店長33,000至37,000元，門市人員31,000元起；美廉社儲備幹部32,600-36,500元；萊爾富除門市職缺外，更同步釋出稽核、採購、研發、數位行銷、網管資安等總公司專業職缺，求職民眾可依自己的經驗與志向進行多元選擇。

微笑單車（YouBike）釋出55個工作機會，其中夜班調度專員高薪48,000元，計時人員時薪195元至240元。

長照與醫療領域，則有采鋐照護、歲悅居家長照及臺北市立聯合醫院仁愛院區等加入徵才，提供照顧服務員及醫療支援等相關工作，歡迎具有愛心、同理心、服務熱忱、熱心助人特質的民眾一同加入工作行列。

參與企業包含米塔集團、安心食品(摩斯漢堡)、三商餐飲、新一餐飲、群品餐飲、鬍鬚張子公司(京簡康)、新得里、全家便利商店、統健(聖德科斯)、三商家購(美廉社)、萊爾富、良品嚴選(洪瑞珍)、美商德盟、歲悅居家長照、采鋐照護、聯合醫院仁愛院區、錢櫃與微笑單車（YouBike）等18家廠商。

徵才活動地點及時間，整理如下：

12月2日下午2時至4時 內湖就服站(新一餐飲、鬍鬚張京簡康、新得里)

12月3日下午2時至4時 西門就服站(米塔集團)、景美就服站(摩斯漢堡、三商餐飲)

12月4日下午2時至4時 南港東明站(群品餐飲、全家便利商店、良品嚴選、采鋐照護、聖德科斯)、艋舺就服站(歲悅居家長照、萊爾富、美商德盟、錢櫃)及景美就服站(市立聯合醫院仁愛院區)

12月5日下午2時至4時 景美就服站(微笑單車、美廉社)圖/北市府提供

此篇文章最開始出處為: 北市年底求職熱 18家企業聯合徵才 高薪餐飲職缺最搶手

北市年底求職熱　18家企業聯合徵才　高薪餐飲職缺最搶手


基隆自來水異味追查　謝國樑：台水違規將開罰　源頭鎖定間歇性排放

墨新聞｜記者江育銓／基隆報導

基隆市近日陸續出現民生用水異味情形，市長謝國樑30日晚間召開跨局處緊急應變會議，邀集台灣自來水公司、環保局、工務處、警察局、教育處、消保官及七區區長共同檢視最新檢測數據、污染追查情形與校園防護措施。謝國樑表示，市府已啟動最高規格應變機制，要求台水與市府團隊全面合作，加速檢測、查源與補救，盡快排除市民疑慮，恢復正常供水品質。

謝國樑指出，自27日事件發生後，經市府溝通要求，台水已停止抽取基隆河原水並改以新山水庫庫存水供應。環保局與警方持續調閱沿線監視器並追查匯流口，但尚未發現明確污染來源；過去三天巡查也未再出現油污，研判可能為間歇性排放或暗管排放，市府將持續追查並期盼有更多具公權力的單位介入調查。謝國樑強調，由於事件大規模影響市民用水，市府認定台水已違反《飲用水管理條例》，最快將於明（1）日下午完成第一波裁罰。

針對外界關注的「檢測合格但仍有異味」，台水於會中坦承，部分物質可能呈乳化、溶解狀態，傳統快濾池無法完全去除，加上八堵抽水站油膜感測器故障、初期以人工嗅覺巡查，確實造成應變延遲。市府與消保官質疑台水設備維護與通報流程存有缺口，要求台水提出具體改善方案，包括提升取水監測敏感度、補強告警設備並提高資訊透明度。

在民生與校園防護方面，市府已完成全市七區學校的水質確認，其中受影響的28所學校已全面採樣送驗，其餘供水區維持正常。教育處已要求各校加強水塔清洗與飲用水管理；因應部分地區反映用水不便，市府也要求台水立即增加水車支援，台水承諾將依市府彙整之需求即時調度，避免影響市民生活與校務運作。

謝國樑呼籲，如民眾仍感到家中用水有異味，可先依台水建議操作：先關閉抽水馬達、將水塔內舊水排空，再重新啟動抽水讓新水注入，應可有效改善；如仍有疑慮，可立即聯繫台水，由專人到場協助。他強調，市府會與市民站在一起，並以查源、防護、究責三管齊下，要求台水落實改善，以最嚴謹態度守住市民用水安全。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 基隆自來水異味追查 謝國樑：台水違規將開罰 源頭鎖定間歇性排放


LOOPHOLES: The defense ministry’s proposed amendments to the military criminal code harm security interests and set the evidentiary threshold too high, an expert said

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have proposed revising military laws to stipulate that any active-duty military personnel who express allegiance to the enemy could face two to seven years in prison, adding that soldiers’ loyalty to the nation means “no freedom of expression.”

In the past few years some military personnel have pledged allegiance to China through videos and documents, but it is not punishable under the law.

In its draft amendment to Article 24 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法), the Ministry of National Defense proposed only making actions that “harm the military’s interests” punishable, citing freedom of speech in its reasoning for the draft amendment.

Members of Taiwan’s navy navigate onboard a special operation boat during a drill in waters near a military base in Kaohsiung on Jan. 31 last year. Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, REUTERS

DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said he found the ministry’s rationale “absurd.”

“Receiving money from the CCP to do its bidding is not freedom of speech and should be punished under the law,” he said.

Wang and DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), along with 14 others, proposed amending Article 24 to make pledging allegiance to the enemy through speech, actions, writings, drawing, recordings or any other means punishable by two to seven years in prison.

Those who plan to commit the offense would be punishable by one to five years in prison.

The proposal referenced a case from the end of 2023 when army Colonel Hsiang Te-en (向德恩) was accused of pledging allegiance to China and receiving payment from Chinese operatives to work as a spy.

Hsiang was recruited by retired lieutenant Shao Wei-chiang (邵維強), and allegedly signed a “pledge of surrender” and promised to “serve, as best he may, in his office for the benefits of the motherland in the event of war across the [Taiwan] Strait.”

The legislators said that incidents involving military personnel wearing their uniforms while waving Chinese flags or agreeing to surrender resulted in 10 people being convicted in February for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法)

Regardless of whether the country is at war, their ranking or position, military personnel must be loyal to the country, protect the people and safeguard national security according to the Constitution and National Security Act, the legislators said in their proposal.

In this regard, “there is no room for freedom of speech [for soldiers],” they said.

Soldiers who surrender without resisting or express loyalty to the enemy fail in their duty to protect the country, they said.

Even having doubts about loyalty to the nation is grounds for deeming soldiers unfit for service, they added.

Commenting on the ministry’s proposal, lawyer Yang Chung-ting (楊仲庭) said that requiring proof that actions harm military interests makes the evidentiary threshold for punishing disloyalty too high, effectively making it a “toothless tiger.”

If military personnel pledge allegiance to the enemy, it harms the military and the political environment, making people doubt the military’s strength and determination, and impacting their will to resist a foreign hostile force, he said.

The ministry’s proposed amendment and explanation about soldiers’ freedom of speech risks misunderstanding this freedom, he added.

“Soldiers never had so-called freedom of speech,” Institute for National Defense and Security Research researcher Shen Ming-shih (沈明室) said.

Military personnel should be subject to regulations if they make statements that betray the country or affect national security, Shen said yesterday when reached for comment.

Many spies for China have only been sentenced to two or three years in prison, which is a low cost compared with the benefits from spying, he said.

The ministry and lawmakers should reach a consensus on the legislation so that this behavior can be prevented, he said.

Military trials are handled by common courts, where judges might lack sufficient understanding of national security cases, Shen said.

Strengthening legislation and clearly defining China as an enemy or foreign hostile force is necessary to effectively prevent infiltration, he said.

Military disloyalty not free speech: DPP


DPP proposes changes to anti-spying laws

INFILTRATION:  There is a clear distinction between exercising the personal right to free speech and being paid by the CCP to spread propaganda, Wang Ting-yu said

Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) have proposed amendments to the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from undermining democracy in Taiwan by conducting “united front” propaganda under the guise of freedom of speech.

The proposal to amend Article 5 of the act prohibits people from accepting instructions, commissions or funding from infiltration sources to engage in activities that cooperate with “united front” work or carry out politically motivated propaganda.

According to the draft, those who contravene the act would be fined between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000 (US$3,184 and US$15,919), with related materials to be confiscated.

The draft also proposed that anyone who contravenes the aforementioned provisions by raising, hanging, displaying, holding, or waving the flags or symbols of foreign hostile forces, or their party, government or military in public places would be fined between NT$50,000 and NT$300,000, with related items to be confiscated.

However, it would not apply to conferences or activities approved by the competent authority or to actions carried out in accordance with international treaties or conventions, according to the bill.

The proposal was sent to a legislative committee for review on Friday.

China is good at using local Taiwanese collaborators to blur the line between friend and foe, and engage in actions that aid the enemy, while disguising their behavior as legitimate expressions of Taiwanese political identity, the lawmakers said.

Whether such expression of political identity falls under the constitutional protection of freedom of speech is disputed, they said.

Local collaborators have become tools manipulated and controlled by China to sabotage the nation’s democratic system, meaning they are not entitled to constitutional free speech protections, they said.

China’s cognitive warfare against Taiwan has intensified, with Beijing operating a “central kitchen” to push specific political agendas, Wang Ting-yu said yesterday.

Local collaborators and information companies hired for such purpose deploy large numbers of online trolls to steer public opinion in Taiwan, he added.

The content promoted by such actors almost perfectly mirrors the political agenda being advanced by the CCP, he said.

The CCP is exploiting Taiwan’s open society and freedom of speech in an attempt to destroy that freedom by using distortion and orchestrated campaigns to drown out legitimate voices, Wang Ting-yu said.

It has happened before, but the situation has become much worse, he said.

The proposed legislative amendments are not intended to restrict freedom of expression, he added.

“It is fine if you want to say something on your own. However, if you are taking money from the CCP or accepting commissions from the Chinese government, military or affiliated organizations, then we believe there should be legal consequences,” he said.

There is a clear distinction between exercising personal free speech and being paid by the CCP to spread its propaganda, Wang Ting-yu said.

Meanwhile, the two lawmakers have also proposed amendments to the Lobbying Act (遊說法) to prohibit people from China, Hong Kong or Macau from lobbying.

The draft would impose fines of up to NT$5 million for those who contravene the act, with the same penalties applying to those who knowingly accept such lobbying or deliberately conceal it.

The bill was also sent to a legislative committee for review on Friday last week.

Article 7 of the act currently prohibits foreign governments, legal persons, organizations and natural persons from lobbying matters related to national defense, foreign affairs and mainland affairs concerned with national security or national secrets, while the same applies to people and organizations from China, Hong Kong and Macau, they said.

Without corresponding penalties, the law is toothless, they said.

The draft amendment would introduce fines ranging from NT$500,000 to NT$2.5 million for contraventions of rules, with the same penalties applying to those who fail to refuse illegal lobbying attempts.

It also proposed to amend Article 8 of the act by adding references to “foreign hostile forces” and “people dispatched or acting on their behalf,” in accordance with amendments to the Criminal Code, the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法).

The draft stipulates that people or organizations from China, Hong Kong, Macau, foreign forces or people acting on their behalf shall not engage in lobbying themselves or commission others to do so.

Those who contravene the act would be fined NT$1 million to NT$5 million, with the same penalties applying to those who accept such lobbying or intentionally conceal violations.


New Taoyuan airport terminal concourse to open

A trial run of the north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s new Terminal 3 is to commence today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.

The eight additional boarding gates would allow for more aircraft parking spaces that are expected to boost the airport’s capacity by 5.8 million passengers annually, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯) said.

The concourse, designed by a team led by British architect Richard Rogers, provides a refreshing space, Lin said, adding that travelers would enjoy the tall and transparent design that allows sunshine to stream into the concourse through glass curtain walls.

The north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s new Terminal 3 is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp

The other two terminals have a total capacity of 37 million passengers, which is insufficient to meet increasing demand.

Terminal 3 is under construction in phases and is projected to be fully completed by 2027, providing additional capacity for 45 million passengers, further increasing the airport’s overall capacity to 82 million passengers per year, the ministry said.

Travelers can use eight new boarding gates, with eight departure lounges, D11 to D18, it said.

It is only a 15-minute walk from Terminal 2 to the farthest boarding gate at the concourse thanks to moving walkways, it added.

Shuttles are also available for people with reduced mobility.

Travelers departing from the north concourse must check in and go through customs from Terminal 2, as the main structure of Terminal 3 has yet to be completed.

Those who arrive at the concourse would also collect their luggage at Terminal 2.

Additional reporting by CNA


Trump ramps up Venezuela threats, ‘closes’ airspace

US President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply escalated his threats against Venezuela with an ominous warning that the country’s airspace should be considered “closed,” raising fears of imminent military action.

Caracas, which views a large US military buildup in the Caribbean as a pressure campaign to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, slammed Trump’s warning as a “colonialist threat.”

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump wrote on social media.

A Venezuelan air force F-16 jet flies overhead during the Venezuela Industrial Aviation Expo in Maracay, Venezuela, on Saturday.  Photo: AFP

He did not elaborate, but after months of deadly US strikes on alleged drug-running boats, speculation is mounting that Washington might launch some sort of military operation on Venezuelan soil.

Trump’s warning comes days after US aviation regulators told airlines to use increased caution near Venezuela over the mounting tensions, prompting multiple major carriers to suspend flights.

Maduro’s government then issued a ban on the airlines for “joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government.”

A statement by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the US president’s latest remarks a “new extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression against the people of Venezuela.”

The airspace disruptions would also mean a halt to repatriation flights of Venezuelan migrants from the US, a key Trump administration initiative, it added.

Venezuela’s military on Saturday also conducted exercises along coastal areas, with video broadcast on state TV showing anti-aircraft weapons and other artillery being maneuvered.

Although Trump has not publicly threatened to use force to remove Maduro, he said last week that efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking “by land” would begin “very soon.”

Maduro’s re-election last year was widely rejected by the international community as fraudulent, while Washington also claims he heads an alleged terrorist-designated drug cartel.

A steady buildup of US naval and air assets in the region has seen the world’s largest aircraft carrier move to the Caribbean, while US fighter jets and bombers have repeatedly flown off the Venezuelan coast in recent days.

US media reported that, despite the bellicose posturing, Trump and Maduro spoke last week.

The New York Times on Friday reported that Trump and Maduro had discussed a possible meeting, while the Wall Street Journal on Saturday said the conversation also included conditions of amnesty if Maduro were to step down.

Amid fears that Trump might launch a major operation in Venezuela, members of the US Congress — both Democrats and the president’s own Republican Party — have expressed anger that he has not sought legislative approval.

“President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war,” top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer wrote on social media yesterday.

“Under our Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war,” he added.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, until recently a close Trump ally, said similarly: “Reminder, Congress has the sole power to declare war.”

Trump is also facing congressional pressure over recent media reports that the US military launched a second missile at survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat in September.

Leaders of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have released separate statements saying they would be investigating the strike, which legal experts say could amount to a war crime.

With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, the Trump administration has so far largely escaped probing of its controversial anti-trafficking campaign.

Since the operation began in September, at least 83 people have been killed in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Washington has yet to release evidence that the vessels it targeted were used to smuggle drugs or posed a threat to the US, and experts say the strikes amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers.


Not long before he was reportedly detained, Miles Kwan (關靖豐) approached commuters outside a Hong Kong train station, urging them to demand accountability for the deadly inferno that tore through nearby apartment blocks.

“We all feel unhappy that [Hong Kong] has come to this and we want things to improve,” the 24-year-old student said on Friday, while handing out flyers that called for an independent probe into the blaze, which killed at least 146 people last week.

“We need to be frank about how today’s Hong Kong is riddled with holes, inside and out,” he said.

A girl places flowers in front of fire-damaged residential blocks yesterday at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex to pay tribute to victims following a deadly fire in Hong Kong. Photo: REUTERS

Kwan and other organizers’ demands turned into an online petition that gained more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day.

However, local media reported on Saturday night that Kwan was arrested on suspicion of sedition by national security police and the text of the online petition had been deleted, showing how under Beijing’s watchful eye, dissenting voices in Hong Kong can vanish as quickly as they appear.

Police declined to confirm the arrest, saying only that they “will take actions according to actual circumstances and in accordance with the law.”

Agence France-Presse sought further comment from the police yesterday, while calls to Kwan went unanswered.

Kwan was reportedly detained not long after Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong publicly condemned “anti-China forces” for exploiting the disaster and “inciting social division and stirring hatred against authorities.”

Asked on Friday if he feared being arrested, Kwan said he was only “proposing very basic demands.”

“If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line,’ then I feel I can’t predict the consequences of anything anymore, and I can only do what I truly believe,” he said.

Kwan and a handful of activists gave out flyers at the train station near the charred residential estate on Friday, demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents and a review of construction oversight.

The demands reflected a belief that the fire was “not an accident,” but a human-caused disaster, he said.

Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection to the blaze that tore through the high-rise blocks of Wang Fuk Court, the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.

Hong Kong has previously used judge-led commissions of inquiry to undertake complex fact-finding exercises in a public forum — a practice left over from British colonial rule.

By contrast, territory officials have so far announced only an interdepartmental task force to investigate the blaze.

When the UK was grappling with public fury over the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people, the government announced a public inquiry.

Lawyer Imran Khan, who represented the bereaved and survivors in the inquiry, said “the lessons from Grenfell apply around the world,” as all governments need to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe.

Khan said a public inquiry with court-like powers was a better option for the situation in Hong Kong because “an internal investigation will not get to the truth and there will be no faith in it by the bereaved, survivors and residents.”

At the Hong Kong station on Friday, many commuters took the flyers demanding action, although few stopped to chat with Kwan or his companions.

Near the site of the blaze a short walk away, a long queue snaked through a park as mourners brought flowers and handwritten notes of remembrance.

One unsigned note left on the ground read: “This is not just an accident, it is the evil fruit of an unjust system, which landed on you. It’s not right.”

Police silence Hong Kong calls for accountability


DPP encourages ‘direct democracy’ referendums

VOX POPULI: The DPP caucus official encouraged civic groups seeking to change Constitutional Court quorum requirements, referendum procedures and recall votes

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said that he welcomes and supports civic groups’ exercise of “direct democracy” regarding ongoing referendum signature drives.

The civic group People as Masters (人民作主志工團) has launched referendum initiatives to repeal amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) and the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職選罷法).

The proposal to repeal amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act seeks to abolish requirements concerning the minimum number of justices needed for Constitutional Court proceedings. The signature drive started in late July and runs until late January next year.

The initiative stemmed from amendments passed at the legislature on Dec. 20 last year, which require the president to nominate additional Constitutional Court justices within two months if there are fewer than 15 sitting justices. The amendments require at least 10 justices to participate in deliberations, and at least nine to agree in order to issue a ruling of unconstitutionality.

At present, the Constitutional Court has only eight justices. President William Lai (賴清德) has twice nominated seven candidates, all of whom were rejected by the legislature, in which the opposition holds a majority.

The referendum proposal, spearheaded by People as Masters member Chao Wei-cheng (趙偉程), asks signatories whether they disagree with the amendment and think it should be repealed.

A separate set of referendum proposals targets amendments to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, and seeks to abolish the requirement to attach ID card photocopies when initiating a recall, abolish the same requirement when collecting recall signatures, and repeal criminal penalties for forging or misusing personal data in signature drives. Their signature period began in late September and runs until late March next year.

These initiatives mark Taiwan’s first use of electronic signature collection for referendums. Participants must first obtain a physical Citizen Digital Certificate and use a computer card reader to sign the petition, resulting in a surge in certificate applications.

Since an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) passed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party+ on Nov. 21 calls for referendums to be held alongside major elections, the referendums are likely to be held during local elections in August next year.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of physical Citizen Digital Certificate applications reached 21,332 in the days following the passage of that amendment, up 11,400 (115 percent) from the previous week.

Chung yesterday said that lawmakers are subject to public oversight, and when representative democracy fails, people naturally step forward to exercise direct democracy, including referendums.

“When civic groups initiate

direct-democracy actions such as referendums, we welcome and support them,” he said, adding that the DPP caucus would not itself be the initiator.

With four referendum signature drives under way, Chung said the party “will not remain bystanders” and would participate with concrete action.

Because electronic signature collection is a new system, the caucus must learn how to help promote and assist the process, he said.

DPP local councilors’ offices have already begun assisting with signature collection since last week, and the DPP has invited civic groups to meet tomorrow to discuss the referendum efforts, he said.

Regarding the referendum challenging the constitutionality of the Constitutional Court Procedure Act amendments, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said it is “extremely meaningful,” adding: “I even believe the DPP should proactively assist, because the KMT–TPP bloc has used this law to paralyze the Constitutional Court, throwing the nation’s constitutional operations into serious crisis.”


By Wu Che-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to brief the Legislative Yuan today on the Ministry of National Defense’s plans to increase specialty pay for drone operators, cyberwarfare, air traffic control, and electronic reconnaissance personnel.

The opposition-controlled legislature in June passed a revision of the Pay Act of the Armed Forces (軍人待遇條例), mandating a uniform salary increase from the current NT$15,000 to NT$30,000 for all volunteer soldiers.

The Executive Yuan, raising concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, filed for a constitutional interpretation and a temporary injunction. As a result, it has not been included in the central government’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.

Soldiers stand guard as the Taiwanese military demonstrates combat readiness in an annual exercise in Taichung on Jan. 8. Photo: Reuters

In the latest report submitted by the ministry to the Legislative Yuan, the “uniform raise to NT$30,000” was not included in its planning. Instead it listed plans to increase payouts for combat roles, tactical air control personnel, and counterintelligence personnel.

The ministry said category one payouts would increase from NT$5,000 to NT$12,000, while category two payouts would increase from NT$3,000 to NT$7,000.

The ministry states that drone operators and fire support teams monitor the battlefield at all times and target high-value enemy targets for strikes, which makes their specialty a combat duty role, which means they should be eligible for additional category one and two payouts.

Both Army and Navy pilots, anti-aircraft units and communication units fit the criteria for combat units and would be eligible, it said.

The ministry said it is increasing wages for cyberwarfare units by NT$10,000 per month, and the number of servicemembers the raise applies to would increase from 15 percent to 30 percent of the unit.

The Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command, which works with radars to manage tactical control over information and communication fits the criteria of a tactical air control unit and is eligible, the military said.

Tactical air control units would see wage increases from NT$5,100 to NT$11,200, while wages would increase for electronic surveillance units from NT$4,100 to NT$13,600, it said.

The Military Security Brigade, the military counterintelligence unit, is integral to domestic security, and the ministry is increasing wages for counterintelligence personnel, to reflect the difficulty of their mission and to incentivize retention, the ministry report said.

The ministry said it is considering creating the rank of command sergeant major to encourage retention of non-commissioned officers.

The ministry said that as of October, voluntary military recruits have increased by 2,000 compared with last year, adding that the pay bump is drawing more volunteers.

Defense plans military specialty pay increase


Taiwan’s ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has met with the newly elected prime minister of the Caribbean ally state, Godwin Friday, to convey congratulations from President William Lai (賴清德), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

In a statement, the ministry said Ambassador Fiona Fan (范惠君) delivered Lai’s message during their meeting, and that the prime minister asked her to relay his thanks in return.

The ministry released the statement in response to a media query about the outlook for Taiwan-SVG relations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ logo is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times

Friday’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has previously proposed switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, although the new prime minister did not publicly address the issue during the campaign.

He was sworn in after the NDP won 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in the general election on Friday last week, ending former SVG prime minister Ralph Gonsalves’ 24-year rule.

At his swearing-in ceremony, Friday called the result a clear mandate for “major, transformational changes” and pledged to work with “every sinew in our body” to deliver on campaign promises, according to Dominica News Online.

Taiwan established diplomatic relations with SVG in 1981.

Separately, the Executive Yuan has approved diplomatic personnel changes, appointing Hsu Wei-ming (徐蔚民), a former deputy representative to Thailand, as the country’s new ambassador to the Marshall Islands.

Hsu, a counselor at the Department of International Organizations, is replacing Steve Hsia (夏季昌), who has served as ambassador since September 2022 and is rotating back to Taipei to work at the ministry, according to the Executive Yuan. Hsu’s former overseas posts include Latvia.

The Marshall Islands is one of 12 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei instead of Beijing.

Former representative to Malaysia Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) has been appointed as the new representative to Sweden.

Lien Yu-ping (連玉蘋), head of the Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs, is to take over as representative to Malaysia, according to the Cabinet.

The move follows former Swedish representative Gu Ruey-sheng’s (谷瑞生) transfer to Germany.

Ambassador meets new Saint Vincent prime minister


Filming for a documentary to commemorate the legacy of women’s rights activist Peng Wan-ru (彭婉如), called A Journey in Search of Wan-ru’s Footsteps (尋找婉如足跡之旅), is under way, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said in a statement.

Yesterday was Taiwan’s Women’s Rights Day, established in remembrance of Peng, a political activist who was assaulted and murdered after leaving a DPP meeting in Kaohsiung on Nov. 30, 1996.

Three days after disappearing, Peng’s body was discovered in a warehouse outside Kaohsiung. The autopsy found Peng had been sexually assaulted and stabbed more than 30 times.

The logo of the Democratic Progressive Party is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: CNA

A suspect in the killing was never identified, and her death sparked a public outcry and galvanized the women’s rights movement.

“On this day 29 years ago, Peng Wan-ru, then head of the party’s inaugural Department of Women’s Affairs, was killed. She had been active in politics and advocating for gender equality, at a time when women’s issues were not part of mainstream politics, and she was the one who pushed for women’s rights to be included in the party policy platform,” a release from the DPP’s Gender Equality Department said.

Before joining the DPP, Peng served as general secretary for the Taipei-based Awakening Foundation, organizing debate sessions on women’s viewpoints of two major political parties, the statement said.

Peng founded a journal for women in democracy movements and assisted organizing grassroots women’s groups, as well as gender equality issues at organized events.

“Peng did not live to see the strides made for her ‘one-quarter women quota’ proposal, but her spirit has not stopped,” it said.

Last week, legislators passed an amendment promoting a one-third quota for women for elected councilor positions and representative seats in local elections, which would encourage more women to participate in politics, and reduce the urban-rural gap for women in local governance.

“We shall go in search of Peng’s footsteps, by compiling news reports, articles and videotapes from that period, to reconstruct those past times and to produce a documentary film on her life story,” the statement said.

“The public can get to know Peng and her partners in the women’s movement from that era through recollected stories about them from her contemporaries in politics and her associates in advocating for gender equality,” it added.

Story of murdered activist to be retold


FMPAT tout better way to test dementia

NEW TECHNIQUE:  Through tau PET scans, doctors can see the location and amount of tau protein tangles in the brain, which could help them distinguish between disorders

The Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan (FMPAT) yesterday urged the government to include tau positron emission tomography (tau PET) imaging in the clinical guidelines for diagnosing dementia.

Citing data from a 2023 National Health Research Institutes epidemiology report on dementia, the foundation said the prevalence of dementia among people aged 65 years and older was 7.99 percent, which aligns with a 2011 survey by the Taiwan Alzheimer’s Disease Association that estimated the prevalence to be 8.04 percent.

FMPAT executive director Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said there could be more than 470,000 people with dementia in Taiwan by 2031 and more than 880,000 by 2061.

From left, Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan executive director Lin Shih-chia, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital honorary deputy superintendent Chen Shun-sheng, hospital Division of Neurology deputy director Chang Chiung-chih and Aprinoia Therapeutics founder Jang Ming-Kuei pose for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the foundation

The diagnosis of dementia in Taiwan relies heavily on clinical symptoms, questionnaires and image subtraction, but the procedure often takes six months to one year, which could delay the “golden period” for dementia treatment, she said.

The foundation said that with the rapidly increasing elderly population, the diagnosis and treatment of dementia must be improved by introducing advanced techniques to enhance accuracy, so it invited doctors to share medical study findings about tau PET.

Tau PET is an imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer to detect and measure abnormal accumulation of tau protein tangles in the brain.

Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital honorary deputy superintendent Chen Shun-sheng (陳順勝), a neurologist, cited a June study as saying that the positivity of tau PET scans could be a better biomarker for staging dementia pathology than a positive amyloid beta PET scan alone, adding that it could be used to more accurately predict the risk of developing dementia and help decide on the intervention needed.

A positive tau PET scan occurred at a non-negligible rate among cognitively unimpaired people, while the combination of amyloid beta PET positivity and tau PET positivity was associated with a high risk of clinical progression in preclinical and symptomatic stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, Aprinoia Therapeutics founder and chairman Jang Ming-Kuei (張明奎) said a study by the company’s medical research team, which was published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal in August, analyzed tau PET scan images of 1,277 participants with cognitive complaints and evaluated the diagnostic performance of disease-specific spatial patterns.

They found that disease-specific spatial patterns of 18F-florzolotau PET imaging demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating tauopathies, with 96 percent for Alzheimer’s disease, 94.4 percent for frontotemporal lobe degeneration, 93.7 percent for progressive supranuclear palsy and 97.5 percent for corticobasal degeneration, he cited the study as saying.

Kaoshiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Division of Neurology deputy director Chang Chiung-chih (張瓊之) said clinical symptoms of different types of dementia and other medical conditions often overlap, making early and accurate diagnosis difficult.

Tau PET scans enable doctors to see the location and amount of tau protein tangles in the brain, which could help them distinguish between neurodegenerative disorders, she said.

As Taiwan is entering an era of precision medicine, it should also consider including tau PET imaging in the clinical guidelines for diagnosing dementia, so that doctors could more accurately diagnose the neurodegenerative disorders earlier, before they progress to an irreversible stage.


The subclade K variant of the influenza A (H3N2) virus was reported by the Centers for Disease Control yesterday as the dominant flu strain in many countries, adding that flu vaccines were still effective in reducing the risk of severe illness.

CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) made the remarks following recent reports in the US and European countries about the emergence of subclade K, as well as a Taiwanese travel influencer warning of the flu situation in Japan — citing data from the Japan Institute for Health Security — and saying subclade K has been detected in EU countries, the UK, the US and Canada.

The CDC’s laboratory first detected subclade K in July, she said.

A medical worker administers a vaccine in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei Times

The percentages of it being observed in H3N2 virus samples have rapidly increased from accounting for 30.8 percent of the samples in July to 65.7 percent in August, 88.6 percent in September and 87.7 percent in October, she added.

It is estimated that subclade K accounted for more than 90 percent of the H3N2 virus samples last month and is the dominant strain circulating locally, Tseng said, adding that flu data from other countries suggested that subclade K might have higher transmissibility than previous variants.

A European Center for Disease Prevention and Control analysis showed a significant divergence of subclade K from the northern hemisphere A(H3N2) vaccine strain for the 2025-2026 flu season, she said.

There could be more breakthrough infections, which is when an infection develops from a pathogen after vaccination, this flu season, she added.

Analysis from other countries suggested that protection against “infection” provided by the flu vaccine this flu season could be less effective as subclade K dominates, Tseng said.

However, the vaccine still provides protection against “severe disease and hospitalization” after infection, she added.

While Taiwan entered a relatively early epidemic period between late September and October, cases have lessened after government-funded vaccination began on Oct 1, and the epidemic period ended early last month, Tseng said.

However, the CDC estimated that flu cases would again increase after the New Year, peaking around the Lunar New Year holidays in February next year, so people who are at higher risk of developing severe illness from infection are advised to get vaccinated as early as possible, she said.

Additional reporting by CNA

Flu shot still helpful in reducing risk amid new strain


‘Autumn Struggle’ calls on government to focus on public welfare, not buying arms

Campaigners yesterday at the annual “Autumn Struggle” (秋鬥) protest march called for a review of labor rights and to reserve sufficient budgets for public welfare by refraining from unnecessary arms purchases.

The Autumn Struggle march dates back to 1993 and has since become a platform for labor groups to get together annually and speak out.

Protesters gathered at the Legislative Yuan yesterday and marched to Ketagalan Boulevard, with white balloons printed with “against ‘Lie,’ for truth; against war, for livelihood” in their hands.

Protesters hold up banners and effigies of US President Trump and President William Lai during a protest in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

People’s Democratic Party member Chou Chih-wen (周志文) said President William Lai (賴清德) seeks to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP over the next five years, which would be twice the current amount.

The government’s total budget for next year has amounted to NT$3.35 trillion (US$106.66 billion), of which more than 30 percent is spent on defense, he said, citing data from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.

Social welfare budgets would have to be cut if the defense budget doubles, Chou said.

Lai announced a special budget of NT$1.25 trillion for arms purchases, while next year’s long-term care budget is only NT$115.3 billion, Chou said, adding that it is insufficient for people who need extensive care.

Chanting “zero arms purchases, zero flames of war” and “the more arms you buy, the faster you die,” protesters also called for peace talks with China and following the “one China” framework to avoid wars.

The “one China” framework refers to the idea that Taiwan and China belong to “one China,” often adopted by pro-unification advocates.

Psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo (蘇偉碩) said the NT$1.25 trillion budget for arms purchases is “the biggest fraud scheme in history.”

“If the US would assist in defending Taiwan when a cross-strait war breaks out, why would we purchase more arms?” he said. “If US armed forces do not help Taiwan, how can the Taiwanese armed forces stop the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s invasion of Taiwan simply by spending the NT$1.25 trillion?”

Labor rights activist Cheng Tsun-chi (鄭村棋) said China would prefer peaceful means rather than war if it seeks to unify with Taiwan.

“Purchasing too many weapons and serving the US would force the Chinese Communist Party to resort to forceful unification,” he said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) also showed up at the march.

The US trade war has seriously impacted Taiwan, while workers’ wages virtually did not grow due to soaring prices, she said.

While the government focused on developing semiconductors and other high-tech industries, service and traditional industries offer the most job opportunities in Taiwan, but have long been in a slump, she added.

The government does not care about the workers’ situation and spends hundreds of billions on national defense, which might not ensure cross-strait peace, Cheng said.

“Peace is the principle that must not be compromised,” she said, urging bipartisan support to prevent Taiwan from becoming a battlefield.

Additional reporting by CNA


New Taipei issues DUI for two-wheeled vehicle driver

Police in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和) yesterday said they for the first time fined someone for driving a mini electric two-wheeled vehicle while under the influence of drugs.

The New Taipei City Police Department said they fined a 58-year-old man, surnamed Lu (呂), who walked into the Jisui Police Station at about 4pm on Friday and told an officer he wanted to turn himself in.

Lu hoped to break his drug addiction, and handed over a bag of amphetamines and a pipe, police said.

A small electric two-wheeled vehicle owned by a man surnamed Lu is parked outside Jisui Police Station in New Taipei City on Friday. Photo copied by CNA

The man was searched and questioned, and police prepared to turn him over to prosecutors for drug possession, they said.

Police also administered a rapid saliva test to determine whether Lu, who had ridden a mini electric two-wheeled vehicle to the station, had driven while impaired by drugs, the police said.

When the test came back positive for amphetamines, police issued Lu a citation, which was the first time New Taipei City fined someone for driving a mini electric two-wheeled vehicle while under the influence of drugs, the department said.

Mini electric two-wheeled vehicles are vehicles between a standard motorcycle or motor scooter and an electric bicycle. Drivers only have to be 14 years old, meaning that a driver’s license is not required, although owners must obtain a license plate and insurance.

Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), such vehicles are defined as mainly powered by electricity, with a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour or less, and a weight of at least 40kg without a battery and 60kg with a battery.

Under the act, driving a slow-moving vehicle — such as a bicycle, electric bicycle, mini electric two-wheeled vehicle, personal mobility device or an animal-driven vehicle — while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is punishable by a fine of between NT$1,200 and NT$2,400. The vehicle would also be impounded.


Man who killed mother given 20-year prison term

’NOT UNGRATEFUL’: Judges in the first trial took into consideration the man’s circumstances and the family’s testimonies about how he had cared for his mother

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a ruling that sentenced a man in Tainan to 20 years in prison for killing his bedridden mother who had dementia.

The ruling was final.

The court filing said the 58-year-old man, surnamed Hsu (許), stabbed his mother, 80, three times with a knife on Dec. 12, 2023.

The investigation found that Hsu’s mother at about 5am that day deliberately fell on the floor and refused to get up, and Hsu in a fit of anger took a kitchen knife and stabbed her three times in the chest, it said.

Hsu at about 6am texted his sister saying, “there is no more pain,” and tried to cut his neck in an apparent attempt to commit suicide, investigators said.

He later left the house on a bicycle, and at about 7am texted again, saying: “I have killed our mother. You come and recover the body.”

The woman then called their eldest sister, who lived with their mother, to tell her to call for an ambulance.

Hsu’s mother was taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead at about 8am due to bleeding and a collapsed lung.

Police tracked down Hsu the same day on a road in Tainan’s Gueiren District (歸仁). He had a knife on him and was detained for questioning.

Tainan prosecutors charged Hsu with homicide of a family member, which carries a maximum punishment of death penalty or life in prison.

During the initial trial, Hsu admitted to his crime, and family members testified that he had taken care of his mother, who had chronic illnesses due to two strokes and had dementia, for one-and-a-half years, saying he had looked after her at home and taken her to physical therapy sessions.

“Family members told the court that Hsu was not an ungrateful son who did not have filial piety,” the court filing said. “He did not have professional training in looking after the elderly and was the mother’s primary caregiver, which had taken a toll on him physically and mentally.”

Most of Hsu’s family members were understanding and forgave him, as the mother had suffered two strokes, and had dementia and mobility issues, they said.

Citizen judges in the first ruling took into consideration the circumstances of the case and handed him a 20-year term.

The ruling was upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court.


Tests show mains water safe following Keelung River oil spill

Several rounds of flushing and water-quality tests confirmed that tap water polluted by an oil spill on the Keelung River (基隆河) now meets all safety standards, the Taiwan Water Corp (TWC) said yesterday.

The TWC said it halted river-water intake immediately after Thursday’s oil slick was detected near the Badu pumping station and switched to reservoir water, while deploying 286 personnel for system-wide flushing.

The incident affected households in several districts in Keelung as well as parts of New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止).

Keelung Mayor George Hsieh speaks to reporters in Keelung yesterday. Photo: Lu Hsien-hsiu, Taipei Times

Meanwhile, Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) said the city has taken additional precautions, ordering comprehensive sampling at all 28 schools served by the Singshan water treatment plant close to Singshan Reservoir.

Schools supplied by the Nuannuan, Liudu and Anle water treatment plants showed no irregularities in initial checks, he said, adding that all school water tanks will be inspected and cleaned if needed.

He added that water trucks remain on standby to ensure an uninterrupted supply.

Keelung City Council Speaker Tung Tzu-wei (童子瑋) said TWC had begun formal school testing procedures, including draining and refilling water tanks before sampling.

On-site checks of pH, residual chlorine, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids and odor have also been done, with all samples sent for confirmatory laboratory analysis ahead of students’ return today, Tung added.

TWC advised households that still notice residual odors, likely from water stored before flushing, to drain and clean tanks or flush taps.

The company also said it has launched a compensation plan offering reductions in water bills and reimbursement for professional tank cleaning.

Keelung’s Environmental Protection Bureau has deployed containment booms, collected samples and asked police to help investigate the source of the pollution.

The bureau said that polluters could face fines between NT$60,000 (US$1,910) and NT$20 million under the Water Pollution Control Act (水污染防治法).


POSTAL

Mail to the US resumes

The Chunghwa Post has announced it would resume registered mail services to the US today, after it stopped sending mail to the US on Oct. 16. US Customs became stricter in its reviews of imported mail, leading to frequent returns of mail sent from Taiwan to the country. Chunghwa Post said it had talked to the US Postal Service, and that it is again accepting registered letters, postcards, printed matter, newspapers, postcards and mail for the blind bound for the US. People who want to send mail to the US, whether containing goods or documents, must visit Chunghwa Post’s “EZPost Online Mailing” Web site and create an international mail dispatch form, it said. Paper dispatch forms will not be accepted, it added. Chunghwa Post also reminded the public that only gifts and books can be sent to the US, and that the value of gifts must not exceed US$100.

AVIATION

Airlines update software

All Taiwanese airlines completed a required software update on Airbus A320 series aircraft before 7am yesterday, following an emergency directive issued after a technical failure in the US, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said. Airbus said about 6,000 A320-family jets worldwide must undergo software updates and cannot be operated without the fix. The announcement followed reports of a flight-control system malfunction linked to solar flare interference. The CAA said it received the EU Aviation Safety Agency’s emergency airworthiness directive on Saturday, and immediately instructed local airlines to carry out inspections and update their software before the order took effect at 8am yesterday. All Taiwanese A320-family aircraft had completed the required updates before the deadline, it added. Tigerair Taiwan reported minor delays due to the adjustments, while all other airlines operated normally.

SOCIETY

Marine found dead in base

A marine on Saturday night was found shot dead in a military sentry box in a Kaohsiung base, in an apparent suicide. The man, a first lieutenant surnamed Hsu (許), was found dead inside the sentry box. He obtained a firearm and an unknown amount of ammunition from the base at about 7pm, the Marine Corps Command said, adding that the items were accessible for regular maintenance. The command said it immediately sealed off the crime scene to preserve evidence, pending a police investigation. It did not provide further details on when or where the incident occurred. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotlines for help.

CRIME

Murderer on run repatriated

A fugitive convicted of murder in 2000, who was hiding in Indonesia under an assumed identity, was repatriated to Taiwan on Friday, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. The 47-year-old man, surnamed Lai (賴), was flagged by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration as a suspicious foreign national and reported to the CIB’s office in Indonesia, the bureau said. Lai was arrested in Jakarta on Wednesday. Lai in 1999 was involved in a brawl and stabbing case in Taipei that resulted in one dead and two injured, the CIB said. In 2000, he was sentenced to 11 years and two months in prison for homicide, and continued to receive heavy sentences after multiple appeals. To evade imprisonment, he fled Taiwan in March 2011.

Taiwan News Quick Take


People take advantage of sunny weather to visit the Shilin Residence Chrysanthemum Festival in Taipei yesterday. Warm weather is expected through tomorrow evening, with daytime highs ranging from 24°C to 28°C across the country and lows around 18°C to 20°C, the Central Weather Administration said. Seasonal northeasterly winds are expected to strengthen and drive temperatures down tomorrow evening, with lows forcast to fall to 15°C to 17°C in northern and central Taiwan, and drop 3°C to 4°C to about 18°C to 19°C in the south, it added.

Sunny strolls


Fresh out the kitchen

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, center, serves freshly delivered Tainan fruits, inviting the public to have a taste at an event at a Hsinchu department store yesterday promoting Tainan agricultural products.


Akita dogs and their owners join a dog parade in Kaohsiung yesterday. The parade was part of a two-day dog festival that started on Saturday at Wujia Park in Fengshan District, which also featured an event celebrating black dogs.

Battle of the fluffiest


BUYING LESS:  Amid Trump’s tariffs, which are straining households, shoppers purchased fewer items at checkout than last year, despite spending more overall, Salesforce said

Shoppers turned out in big numbers for Black Friday, spending billions of dollars in stores and online, despite wider economic uncertainty hovering above this year’s holiday season.

US consumers on Friday spent a record US$11.8 billion online, a 9.1 percent jump from last year, said Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce.

Traffic particularly piled up between the hours of 10am and 2pm local time nationwide, when US$12.5 million passed through online shopping carts every minute.

Consumers also spent a record US$6.4 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said.

Top categories that saw an uptick in sales across both days included video game consoles, electronics and home appliances.

Shopping services powered by artificial intelligence and social media advertising have also particularly influenced what consumers choose to buy, the firm said.

Meanwhile, software company Salesforce Inc — which tracks digital spending from a range of retailers, including grocers — estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled US$18 billion in the US and US$79 billion globally.

E-commerce platform Shopify Inc said its merchants raked in a record US$6.2 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday.

At its peak, sales reached US$5.1 million per minute — with top categories including cosmetics and clothing, the Canadian company said.

Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks in-person and online spending, reported that overall Black Friday sales excluding automotive rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier.

The retail sales indicator, which is not adjusted for inflation, showed online sales jumped by 10.4 percent, while in-store purchases inched up 1.7 percent.

Consumers are “navigating an uncertain environment” this holiday season “by shopping early, leveraging promotions and investing in wish-list items,” Mastercard Economics Institute chief economist Michelle Meyer said.

Black Friday is far from the sales event that created midnight mall crowds or doorbuster mayhem just decades ago. More consumers have instead turned to online deals to make post-Thanksgiving purchases from the comfort of their homes — or opt to stretch out spending across longer promotions offered by retailers.

“Black Friday has really turned into like a full week event, or even further,” Sensormatic Solutions retail consulting and analytics head Grant Gustafson said.

“Black Friday is really the start of just a really and critical stretch for retailers,” he said, adding that the weekend following Thanksgiving, as well as the days leading up to Christmas, would also be some of the busiest in terms of in-store traffic.

In terms of e-commerce, Adobe expects US shoppers to spend another US$5.5 billion on Saturday and US$5.9 billion on Sunday — before reaching an estimated US$14.2 billion peak on Cyber Monday, which would mark yet another record.

Still, rising prices could be contributing to some of those numbers.

US President Donald Trump’s barrage of tariffs on foreign imports have strained businesses and households alike over the last year, and despite spending more overall, Salesforce found US shoppers purchased fewer items at checkout on Black Friday (down 2 percent from last year).

Order volumes also slipped 1 percent, as average selling prices climbed 7 percent, the firm said.

For the November-December holiday season overall, the National Retail Federation estimates that US shoppers would spend more than US$1 trillion for the first time this year.

However, the rate of growth is slowing, with an anticipated increase of 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent year-on-year, compared with 4.3 percent in last year’s holiday season.

Shoppers spend big, despite uncertainty


Gasoline, diesel prices to hold steady at pumps

CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) yesterday said they would continue to keep gasoline and diesel prices unchanged this week for a second consecutive week, despite a weekly rise in global crude oil prices last week.

Gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to remain at NT$27.1, NT$28.6 and NT$30.6 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, while the price of premium diesel is to stay at NT$25.5 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.3 at Formosa pumps, the companies said.

The companies’ announcements came after international crude oil prices last week rose about 1 percent, amid renewed hopes for an end to the war in Ukraine, wider expectations that the US Federal Reserve would lower interest rates again this month, and concerns over softer consumption trends and signs of excess oil supplies.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week rose 1.02 percent to settle at US$63.2 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange, while West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil gauge — gained 0.84 percent to US$58.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


Micron to invest US$9.6bn in Japan plant: ‘Nikkei’

RIDING THE WAVE:  The race to build AI infrastructure has lifted the valuations of top memory makers, such as Micron, amid dwindling inventories and supply challenges

Micron Technology Inc is to spend ￥1.5 trillion (US$9.6 billion) to build a plant in western Japan to make memory chips for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, the Nikkei reported on Saturday.

The move comes as Micron seeks to diversify advanced chip production outside of Taiwan, the Nikkei article said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The new factory will manufacture high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a key component for working with AI processors such as those made by Nvidia Corp, the report said.

A person walks past the Micron Technology Inc booth at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Nov. 6. Photo: Bloomberg

Micron would build the facility within the compound of its Hiroshima plant, starting in May next year, with plans to launch HBM shipments in about 2028, the Nikkei said.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry would subsidize up to ￥500 billion of the costs for the project, the newspaper said.

Japan has already set aside about ￥5.7 trillion in a plan initiated in 2021 to rebuild the nation’s chipmaking prowess. The country is set to secure another ￥252.5 billion in an extra budget to further support AI and semiconductor development.

The budget, which Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet approved on Friday, is heading to the parliament for approval.

The government has awarded Micron’s Hiroshima factory ￥774.5 billion and has also provided funds to other companies including global foundry giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and homegrown Rapidus Corp.

Micron is competing in HBM against South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc and Samsung Electronics Co. Demand for the chips has surged from tech firms like OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc as they focus on training and operating AI services.

The race to build AI infrastructure has already raised energy bills in areas near large data centers. It has also lifted the valuations of the world’s top memory makers. Shares of Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have in the past few months surged as inventories dwindle and supply challenges crystallize.

SK Hynix last month said that it had sold its entire memorychip lineup for next year, while Micron expects supply would remain tight into next year.

“Everything that’s related to memory — advanced or conventional — is in very strong demand and supply is lagging,” CLSA Securities Korea Ltd research head Sanjeev Rana said. “We are likely to see this DRAM and NAND price upturn lasting several quarters from here.”

Suppliers of logic chips, the kind that process data and are critical to building AI systems, may also see their business affected as their customers may refrain from placing orders if they can’t secure enough memory.


China’s factory activity shrank for an eighth consecutive month last month, official data showed yesterday, suggesting the world’s second-largest economy remains subdued despite a trade truce with the US.

The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) — a key measure of industrial health — was 49.2 last month, according to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

That marked an improvement from 49 recorded in October, but remained below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction.

Workers install appliances at a factory making washing machines for export in Suqian, China, on Oct. 20. Photo: AP

The reading missed a median forecast of 49.4 from a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The figure comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump met in South Korea in October and agreed on a temporary truce in their bruising trade war.

Meanwhile, the nonmanufacturing PMI, which measures activity in sectors including services and construction, was 49.5 last month, marking the first contraction in nearly three years.

That was partly attributable to the “fading holiday effect” after the end of China’s “Golden Week” National Day holiday in October, NBS statistician Huo Lihui (霍麗慧) said in a statement.

Weakness in the real-estate and residential services sectors also helped drag the figure down 0.6 percentage points from October.

While Chinese authorities previously rolled out measures such as trade-in subsidies for home appliances and electric vehicles, some of them are set to be phased out, and sales and demand are likely to drop, analysts said.

The fading boost from the consumer goods trade-in policies might be weighing on domestic demand for manufactured goods and “signals on domestic demand have been mixed,” Capital Economics economist Huang Zichun (黃子春) said last week.

Chinese officials have set a target of about 5 percent economic growth for this year. The economy expanded 4.8 percent in the July-to-September quarter.

“This year’s growth target is likely to require minimal additional support to be reached,” ING Bank NV chief Greater China economist Lynn Song (宋林) wrote in a note earlier this month.

Additional reporting by AP

China’s factory activity extends months-long slump


S Korea’s e-commerce giant Coupang apologizes over massive data breach

South Korea’s biggest online retailer, Coupang Inc, yesterday apologized over the breach of personal information from 33.7 million customer accounts through unauthorized data access.

“We sincerely apologize once again for causing our customers inconvenience,” Coupang chief executive office Park Dae-jun said in a statement posted on the company’s Web site. “We are also reviewing potential improvements to our existing data-security systems and safeguards to better protect customer data.”

The incident is the latest in a series of data leaks at major South Korean firms, including SK Telecom Co, KT Corp and Lotte Card Co.

Coupang Inc’s logo is pictured behind a shopping cart in an illustration photograph taken on Feb. 11. Photo: Reuters

The government, which yesterday held an emergency meeting, is looking into whether Coupang contravened safety rules regarding personal information protection, South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon said.

Coupang, dubbed the Amazon.com Inc of South Korea, on Saturday said that it learned of the data breach on Nov. 18 and reported it to authorities, adding that it was working with law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

The company, the services of which are ubiquitous for many South Koreans using its “Rocket” fast deliveries, on Nov. 4 said that it had 24.7 million active commercial users in the third quarter, growing 10 percent year-on-year.

Yonhap news agency yesterday reported that a Chinese former employee at Coupang was suspected of being behind the breach.

Coupang sent a complaint to police this month, and police are investigating, Yonhap said, without citing sources.

The breach exposed customers’ names, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, shipping addresses and certain order histories, but not payment details or login credentials, Coupang said.

The unauthorized access of personal information was believed to have started on June 24 through overseas servers, it said.

The government-run Korea Internet and Security Agency issued a public advisory for those affected by the breach, warning them about phishing scams.

Coupang on Saturday said that, based on the company’s investigation, there is no evidence that consumer data at Coupang Taiwan Co (酷澎) has been leaked.

The company would continue to investigate the incident and cooperate with cybersecurity experts, it said.

Additional reporting by staff writer


A person looks at a toy gun product at the Taiwan Military/Outdoor/Airsoft Exhibition at the World Trade Center in Taipei yesterday.

Tactical shopper


President William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced a plan to invest an additional NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.8 billion) in military spending to procure advanced defense systems over the next eight years, and outlined two major plans and concrete steps to defend democratic Taiwan in the face of China’s intensifying threat.

While Lai’s plans for boosting the country’s national security have been praised by many US lawmakers, former defense officials, academics and the American Institute in Taiwan, the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan, they were not equally welcomed by all Taiwanese, particularly among the opposition parties.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) on the same day said Lai was “playing with fire” by pledging to increase Taiwan’s defense budget, and that his plans are “an investment in war” that would transform Taiwan into an arms factory, as she urged him to refrain from becoming a “troublemaker.”

Cheng’s “playing with fire” rhetoric echoed a phrase Beijing frequently uses to criticize foreign policies it deems to be provocative to China, and most often on Lai, who it has labeled a “separatist” pushing for “Taiwan independence.”

The KMT said that the proposed special defense spending, alongside other special budgets, would exceed the nation’s debt ceiling, leaving a huge debt to future generations, and that it would crowd out spending on social welfare, education and infrastructure.

The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which has sided with the KMT on almost all policies and bills since lawmakers took office in February last year and vowed to collaborate in future elections, was a bit softer in its criticism, saying that it would strictly review defense spending.

The KMT and the TPP blasted Lai for what they called “instilling fear” in the civilian population by saying that Beijing has a goal of reaching the military capability to take Taiwan by 2027.

They demanded that Lai explain how he received intelligence about Beijing’s plans for 2027 and expressed their speculations that Lai’s remark was just meant to trigger a “sense of national subjugation” among the public for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) political gain, especially in the upcoming elections.

When the Ministry of National Defense published and distributed a printed version of its updated crisis response guidebook titled In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide early last month, the KMT criticized the government as “wasting taxpayers’ money” and “inciting panic” among the people.

It is disturbing to see how the KMT, the largest opposition party, seems to be deliberately trying to close the public off from understanding geopolitical reality.

Global military expenditure last year increased by 9.4 percent from 2023, the steepest year-on-year rise since the end of the Cold War, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showed. Military spending in Europe rose by 17 percent, and several countries in Central and Western Europe saw unprecedented rises as they implemented new spending pledges and large-scale procurement plans, prompted by the war in Ukraine.

In East Asia, in response to China’s three decades of military expenditure growth, which doubled in the past decade, with an average annual growth rate of about 7.5 percent, and intensified gray zone activities, its neighboring countries, including Japan and India, accelerated their military build-up as they feel a threat to their national security.

Moreover, the KMT at times even seems to be trying to “deceive” the public by ignoring and refusing to condemn China’s widespread and systemic violations of human rights, its provocative actions that threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific region, not just against Taiwan, and its help in sustaining Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The KMT fundamentally rejects the idea of communicating evidence-based information of what Taiwan is facing with the public, and refuses to discuss the nation’s practical preparedness (such as critical infrastructure protection, stockpiling emergency supplies and evacuation training) to enhance societal resilience for worst-case scenarios, which are not limited to war, but include earthquakes or climate disasters as well.

There is no doubt that nobody wants a war, nor does anyone want to see a global arms race with trade-offs across various sectors, but “wishful thinking” and “absolute pacifism” could be dangerous. Not building up a nation’s self-defense capabilities and merely calling for “peace” does not guarantee aggressors would leave it alone, especially when facing a country that has repeatedly said it “absolutely will not” rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.

EDITORIAL: KMT disingenuous and dangerous


Rupert Hammond-Chambers On Taiwan: Lai provides leadership on defense aligning with Japan, US

President William Lai’s (賴清德) historic announcement on Wednesday, Nov. 26, of a supplemental defense budget valued in excess of US$40 billion is a testament to the seriousness with which Taiwan is responding to the relentless expansionist ambitions of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Chinese Communist Party and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Lai is responding to the threat posed to Taiwan sovereignty along with US President Donald Trump’s insistence that American partners in good standing must take on more responsibility for their own defense.

The supplemental defense budget will be broken into three main parts. The first and largest piece will be several Foreign Military Sales or FMS programs that are government-to-government transactions. FMS allows for both governments to negotiate directly on the value of procured equipment, such as previously procured HiMARS or NASAMs, while conferring sovereignty to Taiwan through the government-to-government nature of the transaction.

It equips Taiwan with important, modern, difference-making weapons while binding the two governments together in the training and sustainment of the equipment. FMS is the bedrock of America’s primary security relationships throughout the world.

Second, the budget will contain several Direct Commercial Sales or DCS programs. Where FMS is not a priority, DCS is utilized to expedite the delivery of equipment while placing increased pressure on price; it’s cheaper and faster.

This is the direction more defense transactions can go as Taiwan builds out its domestic defense industrial base and becomes further embedded in American and European supply chains.

This is possible because a new wave of relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are not tied to onerous technology restrictions and can therefore be co-developed and co-produced inexpensively and at scale.

The third set of programs are intended for Taiwan’s domestic defense industrial base. This is a critical area of investment, as Taiwan must expand the ability to produce more of what it needs, domestically. Taiwan’s contract manufacturers are the best in the world and employing their manufacturing expertise to produce large quantities of needed items, particularly UAS, is crucial for Taiwan’s defense.

As Cathy Fang at the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) recently noted when discussing the utility of UAS, “quantity has its own quality”. It is imperative that Taiwan significantly expand its procurement of UAS capabilities; however, as the war in Ukraine demonstrates, the pace of innovation means you cannot over-procure, because the battlefield is changing so rapidly. Most UAS capabilities must be bought in tranches every two or three years, so the military and other agencies can constantly assess their needs and adjust procurement over time.

Indeed, Ukraine embeds decision making on procurement with some fighting units so they can provide input on new product development quickly.

Lai, in his recent column in The Washington Post, stated, “This landmark package will not only fund significant new arms acquisitions from the US, but also vastly enhance Taiwan’s asymmetric capabilities.” Since 2020, the US has narrowed its security assistance to Taiwan to include only so-called asymmetric capabilities. Please note, the term asymmetric is highly subjective, resulting in different interpretations. With Taiwan it mostly means procuring large quantities of munitions and mobile equipment to complicate the planning and execution of a D-Day-style attack on Taiwan’s main island. While this has the benefit of pushing off any PLA timeline regarding this scenario, it leaves Taiwan under-supported in dealing with quarantine, gray zone and blockade domains. It is no surprise that we now see China expanding its pressure on everyday challenges such as gray zone incursions. Taiwan seeks a balance between the D-Day domain and everyday challenges in the sky and on the sea.

US security assistance still needs to adjust to the reality of all of Taiwan’s challenges, not just one of them, and with the passage of the supplemental budget we should press for a less boundaried approach to Taiwan’s defense with equipment that can manage everyday challenges.

Additionally, it is essential that Taiwan’s political parties find a path forward to assess and pass the government’s regular annual budget. The defense budget, embedded in the regular government budget, is at the core of support for Taiwan’s military. A special supplemental budget is a useful mechanism to surge spending; however, it is the regular year-on-year defense budget that provides sustained resources for all the military’s needs.

To deny the military that certainty undermines the country’s defense with one step forward on the supplemental defense budget and two steps back on the regular defense budget. Both must pass in the coming several months for Taiwan’s security to be enhanced.

So what comes next? Several of the programs are already under review in the US system. When ready for contract finalization, the Trump administration will alert the US Congress, through a congressional notification or CN, of an impending sale such as the recent November 13 CN, which represented the first arms sales to Taiwan in Mr. Trump’s second term.

Given the sheer size of the programs captured in the supplemental budget, we can expect the Trump administration, over the next 6-12 months, to notify to the US Congress the largest gross value of arms sales to Taiwan since the switch in recognition in 1979.

This is an extraordinary response to the Chinese threat from the people of Taiwan and the partnered support they receive from the US.

The timing of Lai’s commitment is most welcome. The Chinese have chosen to pick an early fight with Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi when she noted in parliamentary question time, “If there are battleships and the use of force [in the Taiwan Strait], no matter how you think about it, there is a possibility that it becomes a survival-threatening situation [for Japan].”

China has rapidly escalated its rhetoric against Japan, threatened its leader with assassination, pursued some modest and frankly inconsequential economic actions while flooding the international media with claims of Japanese neo-militarism.

The latter assertion is simply preposterous given China’s recent militaristic behavior.

Takaichi’s comments are significant and worthy of consideration and support from the US and Taiwan. Like the United States, the Japanese have long pursued a policy of ambiguity over what military involvement in a Chinese attack on Taiwan would entail . As the threat from the Chinese has expanded, particularly under Xi, we are seeing increasing clarity fr2om countries affected by this threat.

Strategic ambiguity is increasingly being replaced by strategic clarity, not all at once, but with each step. We have seen multilateral and bilateral declarations include the demand for “peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.” China naturally objects given its contention that this is a domestic matter, but it is the only belligerent threatening peace. We saw former US president Joe Biden on four separate occasions state the US would come to Taiwan’s defense. Yes, three instances were walked back by his staff, but the boundaries around acceptable clarity of global interest in Taiwan’s future is expanding and clarifying.

Taiwan’s supplemental defense budget is the correct response to China’s daily harassment of Taiwan. Takaichi’s statements along with her government’s consideration of deployment of Type 03 Chu-SAM missiles on Yonaguni Island, in response to constant PLA harassment of Japanese sovereignty, is the correct way to push back on Chinese threats and elevated tensions.

President Trump would do well to robustly support Japan when speaking to China. Conversely, in the United Kingdom constant violations of British sovereignty by Chinese intelligence services are met with appeasement as the government moves toward approving China’s mega-embassy designed for a single purpose: to undermine UK sovereignty. An utterly discredited approach where Mr. Starmer’s government self-censors sovereignty for marginal economic gain. The US spent two decades plus pursuing this approach, and it was a disaster; only China wins.

Trump’s insistence that partners and allies do more for their own defense is well-established. Lai’s recent commitments place Taiwan’s defense ambitions concurrently in line with the United States, Japan, Australia and other partner nations who are expanding their military capabilities to deter China’s destabilizing military modernization — the largest expansion of hostile combat power, by any country, since the end of World War II.

Trump, Lai and Takaichi should receive global support for their leadership.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers is the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC), a senior advisor at Bower Group Asia and sits on the board of The Institute for Indo-Pacific Security.


Compulsory labor deters crime, not caning

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators have proposed caning as a punishment for online scammers. As many as 92 percent of respondents in a poll said fraud in Taiwan is severe, and more than 70 percent said they support following Singapore’s example by using caning as a deterrent.

The Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Yuan said that caning contravenes the personal freedoms outlined in the Constitution, and is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Promulgated in 653, the Tang Code with commentary defined five types of punishments — beating with a light bamboo cane, beating with a heavy stick, penal servitude, exile and execution — which were inherited by successive dynasties.

Following the example of European and US criminal law, the code viewed corporal punishment as a violation of human rights, and thus abolished the five traditional punishments. That laid the foundation for what would become Article 33 of the Criminal Code, which defines the five main punishments — the death penalty, life imprisonment, imprisonment of more than two months but less than 15 years, short-term imprisonment and fines.

In the early years of the Republic of China, insufficient judicial funding made it impossible to establish nationwide prisons, and the abolition of corporal punishment led to a rapid increase in offenders. Many believed that Western-style prisons treated inmates too leniently and failed as an effective deterrent. In 1914, then-president Yuan Shikai (袁世凱) reinstated caning and exile as punishments.

While the KMT’s proposal is well-intentioned, the Criminal Code outlines several serious crimes, and applying caning solely to online scammers would result in many gaps. In a populist atmosphere, the public might demand that caning be applied to crimes such as drunk driving, drug offenses, sexual assault, child abuse and child pornography. In that scenario, caning would inevitably become the sixth principal punishment under the Criminal Code.

If the focus is only on responding to individual offenses rather than solving the root of the problem, such a measure could cause more harm than good.

In 1935, a special chapter on “rehabilitative measures” was added to the Criminal Code. The judicial resolution justifying the addition stated that the Criminal Code would mandate educational compulsory labor to toughen prisoners’ bodies and minds, instill good life habits and equip them with skills to earn a living, thereby eliminating criminal thinking. Academics at the time widely regarded this to be the most valuable improvement to the Criminal Code.

Unexpectedly, the then-Council of Grand Justices (now known as the Constitutional Court) in 2021 issued Interpretation No. 812, which said that educational compulsory labor “infringes upon the due process of law and the principle of proportionality as outlined in Article 8 and Article 23 of the Constitution respectively” and abolished the system entirely. The reasoning was baffling, and legislators were given no opportunity to make corrections — it could likely be the reason behind today’s rampant expansion of fraud rings.

The opposition parties’ proposal to reintroduce caning undermines the overall structure of the Criminal Code. The Constitutional Court should take responsibility for this outcome.

The law should promptly be amended to reinstate educational compulsory labor as a rehabilitative measure. That would safeguard the nation and ensure public security.

Chao Hsuey-wen is an assistant professor and holds a doctorate in law from Fu Jen Catholic University.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


In Kaohsiung, you can find an old dojo built by the Japanese overlooking the seaside. There, a master of blade martial arts is the custodian of the sword of the legendary Japanese swordsman Musashi.The Japanese developed Kaohsiung. There was little to show before they arrived. The city does not define itself as a “Japanese” place, but it does not anchor its identity in anything that would oppose Japan, such as revanchism — a barbaric ideology that has only ever generated suffering — or national pride.The residents of Kaohsiung are too pragmatic for that. The city might have become a wonderful

By JulienOeuillet

Urban prosperity does not always begin with industrial parks or investment briefings — sometimes, it begins overnight, when the heartbeats of 170,000 people land in a stadium, shaking the ground like an invisible wave of urban renewal. During the two nights that K-pop group Twice performed in Kaohsiung last weekend, the city was not just a city. Instead, it felt like a massive body that had just woken up — the MRT’s blood flow sped up, the night markets’ sense of smell remained active until 4am and the shopping districts swelled as if injected with oxygen. This was not a

By Liu Che-ting 劉哲廷

The recent confirmation hearing for Austin Dahmer, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for assistant secretary of war for strategy, plans and capabilities, was potentially groundbreaking. Asked how the US could help Taiwan deter or defeat a Chinese attack, Dahmer said: “The US strategy of denial complements Taiwan’s plans for layered defense by providing combat-capable forces on operationally relevant timelines, to provide a strong local defense that is difficult and painful to dislodge while bolstering allied confidence in our resolve.”For the US to provide “combat-capable forces on operationally relevant timelines,” it would be necessary for Washington to implement an assertive forward

By Joseph Bosco

EDITORIAL CARTOON


How Amazon turned our capitalist era of free markets into the age of technofeudalismAmazon Web Services owns the basic infrastructure on which businesses and societies depend, turning even governments into its serfs, but now some people are fighting back

For the past six years, every Black Friday — that made-up carnival of consumption — Amazon workers and their allies have mobilized across the world in coordinated strikes and protests. At first glance, these disputes look like the standard struggle between a giant capitalist employer and the people who keep it running. However, Amazon is no ordinary corporation. It is the clearest expression of what I call technofeudalism: a new economic order in which platforms behave like lords owning the fiefs that have replaced markets.

To appreciate Amazon’s extraordinary power, we must recall the system it is helping to bury. Capitalism relied on markets and profit. Firms invested in productive capital, hired workers, produced commodities and lived or died by profit and loss. The emerging order is one in which the most powerful capitalist firms have exited that market altogether. They own the digital infrastructure that everyone else must use to trade, work, communicate and live.

Amazon sits at the apex of this new order, because it owns the cloud computing platform — Amazon Web Services (AWS) — upon which other technological firms, such as Uber, rely, but also large parts of banking, healthcare, logistics, public administration, media and education sectors. Once these businesses are embedded in AWS, switching costs become prohibitive. Firms thus become vassals on Amazon’s vast cloud fief and surrender their customers’ data. The European Commission on 2020 charged Amazon with using the sales data of other sellers to illegally gain an advantage in the European marketplace.

Amazon fuses logistics, cloud infrastructure, data extraction and algorithmic command into one vertically integrated system. Inside Amazon’s warehouses, technofeudal domination takes a more visceral form. Workers are subjected to minute-by-minute surveillance: handheld scanners and other devices track their movements; algorithms measure their pace, track productivity and monitor behavior.

However, Amazon has said that claims of excessive surveillance are “factually incorrect,” and any recording was necessary for ensuring safety and efficiency in its operations.

Consumers, too, are drawn into the system. Each click, scroll, search and purchase on Amazon trains its algorithms to predict our needs and manipulate our desires. We, effectively, labor so that Amazon’s cloud capital accumulates. Each time we buy, Amazon can take as much as 40 percent of the sale price from the sellers in what I call cloud rents.

Governments have a job, ostensibly, to regulate behemoths such as Amazon, but they are also becoming its serfs as public institutions run their data and communications on Amazon servers.

The Guardian said key British ministerial departments that have contracts with AWS include the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Ministry of Justice, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Unsurprisingly, cloud capital has invaded battlefields and the shadowy world of surveillance. Amazon Rekognition, launched in 2016, was aimed at law-enforcement bodies including the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Palantir — the surveillance firm that produces software used in everything from counterterrorism to predictive policing to ICE’s deportation machine — has a partnership with AWS. Amazon is also directly involved in Project Nimbus, the 2021 cloud contract through which Amazon and Google provide the Israeli state with advanced cloud computing, artificial intelligence and secure data storage.

Amazon is a technofeudal rentier owning the digital infrastructure on which privateers, states and societies depend. Thankfully, there are signs of a pushback. The campaign that brings workers and citizens together every Black Friday — Make Amazon Pay — recognizes this transformation. What began as a fight for workers’ rights has grown into a coalition of unions, climate campaigners, tax justice groups, digital rights advocates, and migrant and Palestine solidarity networks. They understand that Amazon’s reach extends across logistics, finance, governance, ecological destruction, surveillance and war.

Its demands — decent wages, safe workplaces, collective bargaining, climate action, tax justice, curbs on Amazon’s vast water consumption, an end to its entanglement with surveillance agencies and military operations — are integrated. Together, they map the much needed unified resistance to technofeudal domination.

In the early decades of industrial capitalism, cross-border worker solidarity was hard. Today, the resistance to cloud capital can use its own tools to coordinate at planetary scale. Campaigns such as Make Amazon Pay offer a glimpse of the alliances required to confront our new cloudalist overlords. It might be only a beginning — but it is a hopeful one.

Yanis Varoufakis is the leader of the European Realistic Disobedience Front and author of Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism.