Egyptian authorities swept up the entire editorial team of one of the country’s few independent media, accusing them on Thursday of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.The arrest this week of the six journalists of Matsadaash (Arabic for “Don’t Believe”) sparked an outcry from international
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has pushed through a sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system, stripping investigative powers from prosecutors he accuses of abusing their authority, including criminal cases against him before he took office.A revised law that came into force yesterday f
India’s “Cockroach” youth movement yesterday called for new protests in Mumbai to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner over a contentious revision of voter lists.The movement, which began as an online campaign and now calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party, forced India’s educa
SOCCERMessi acquires EldenseArgentina icon Lionel Messi has officially acquired Eldense, the Spanish second-division club announced on Thursday. Eldense, based just in-land from Alicante, have become the former Barcelona attacker’s second venture into Spanish soccer ownership after his purchase of C
Kimi Antonelli would have to deal with an unfamiliar track and potentially heavy rain as he aims to recover from his “worst weekend” of his Formula 1 (F1) title challenge this year.The unusually named Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes Antonelli and his rivals to a track F1 last visited in 2017 —
The Nations League soccer match between Ireland and Austria in Dublin on Thursday was twice briefly interrupted by demonstrations in support of Palestine. In the 19th minute, spectators threw tennis balls covered in Palestinian flag stickers onto the field. The players left the pitch for a few minut
Japanese judo officials said they had never seen anything like it after eventual champion Rin Maeda appeared to be bitten by her Chinese opponent at the Asian Games.Maeda was awarded victory in the quarter-final bout in Nagoya when Tang Jing was disqualified just over a minute into the contest.Tang
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has restored some hope to his governing Labour Party with his vision for Britain, but how the new prime minister makes it a reality remains something of a mystery for businesses, lawmakers and even his most vocal supporters.At the Labour Party’s annual conference
Ulf Kristersson’s Moderates, who have spent four years leading Sweden’s governing coalition, did what voters wanted. The center-right party got growth going: It is expected to be 2.5 percent for this year and next year, remarkable for a European nation. Inflation is 0.3 percent, and — of greater imp
A teacher who is truly happy and supported in their work does not need extra fanfare and check ins — “are you happy?” — on Teachers’ Day. If they already enjoyed respect and trust in the day-to-day, they also would not need the minister of education to send a letter of thanks on the eve of the holid
The government yesterday began fully subsidizing an additional six days of paid marriage leave, extending it from eight days to 14.The Ministry of Labor’s Guidelines for Wage Subsidies for Marriage, Maternity and Paternity Leave under the Family-Friendly Workplace Program (友善育兒職場婚孕產假薪資補助要點) are part
ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Thursday that it has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling “sensitive information” and violating company policies, including work that involved an external organization that evaluates artificial intelligence models.The San Francisco-based AI lab did not confi
A Chinese financing company owned by several local government entities has funded the purchase of restricted Nvidia Corp chips, according to documents filed with Beijing regulators, suggesting state support for an illicit trade that Washington worries is fueling China’s artificial intelligence (AI)
The US military is planning to deploy an advanced anti-ship missile system to a Japanese island close to Taiwan for the first time during a major training exercise later this month.The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System is slated to be moved to the island of Yonaguni during the bilat
The Fubon Guardians yesterday said Taiwanese actor Nicky Wu (吳奇隆) canceled his ceremonial first pitch for the team this weekend due to a health issue.The baseball team’s announcement came a day after Wu posted a video on Sina Weibo of himself waving the People’s Republic of China flag in Beijing on
The Railway Bureau has dismissed a suggestion that the new high-speed trains could be put into service ahead of schedule to ease capacity constraints, saying that the trains must pass all required tests before they can enter service.The first of 12 newly acquired high-speed trains arrived in Taiwan
Marking its centennial yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Alpine Association (CTAA) issued a white paper on government policy, and called for Cabinet-level coordination mechanisms and amendments to policy gaps.The white paper, titled Mountain Taiwan White Paper (台灣國家山域治理政策白皮書), cited Control Yuan statist
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday announced amendments to the Regulations Governing the Allocation and Use of Road Traffic Fines (道路交通違規罰鍰收入分配及運用辦法) that would increase the proportion of revenue from traffic fines used to improve traffic safety and enforcement from “
Taiwan yesterday took delivery of the first two of 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US after years of delays, helping to strengthen an air force that has to scramble almost daily to shadow China’s military.The aircraft, bearing tail numbers 6727 and 6728, landed at Chihhang Air Base in Tait
Just as the fate of the world hangs in the balance in Digger, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s over-the-top, climate-disaster satire teeters on the brink.It’s an audacious plate-spinning act, juggling exaggerated farce, sober anxieties and an oil-mad Tom Cruise. Inarritu, an art-house showman, has always del
Van Gogh once said that he would starve himself to spend time with Rembrandt’s The Jewish Bride. “I should be happy to give 10 years of my life if I could go on sitting here in front of this picture for a fortnight, with only a crust of dry bread for food,” van Gogh said.The quote can be found at “O
Fangyuan Township (芳苑) in Changhua County is a quiet, unassuming setting, known for its wetlands, eco tours and trained sea-ox that transport the oyster harvest in carts. Topographically speaking, it’s also enormously diverse, boasting a proud tradition of aquaculture and an ecologically rich coastl
In a soggy field between Amsterdam and The Hague, farmer Sander Roeleveld plows a small white combine harvester into his crops, gathering a grain never before harvested in the Netherlands: rice.The surroundings could scarcely be more Dutch. Canals criss-cross polders lying two meters below sea level
The winner of this year’s Fat Bear Week has been crowned after a nail-biting final — and it’s the son of a former champion.Backpack, a 20-year-old male beloved by rangers in Alaska for his quiet determination, edged out female fellow finalist Dancing Queen in the annual ursine eating competition at
A Tennessee woman convicted of murder yesterday survived two lethal injection doses and was hospitalized, her lawyers said, marking the state’s second failed execution in months and prompting it to halt capital punishment this year.Hours earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Ch
Japan yesterday toughened requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency, as part of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push to tighten immigration controls.Under new rules that would come into effect in stages, foreign residents wishing to stay in Japan permanently will hav
Kei Nishikori’s final match before retirement yesterday ended in a 6-4, 6-4 loss to American Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Japan Open, as an adoring crowd in Tokyo rose to salute the former world No. 4 and Japanese trailblazer.The 36-year-old was the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday announced that he had left the team’s training camp in Denmark after coach Jorge Jesus told reporters that the striker would be dropped for their next match.Ronaldo had been due to train with his teammates at the Parken stadium in Copenhagen on Wednesd
Max Fried on Wednesday night dominated the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs for the second consecutive year, and Cody Bellinger and Luis Garcia Jr homered, as the Yankees rolled to a 9-2 win to complete a two-game sweep.“We enjoyed tonight. We got a lot more work to do,” Bellinger said.New York next f
Alexandra Eala’s hopes of a maiden Asian Games gold medal and qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics were crushed yesterday as China’s unheralded Wang Xiyu rallied to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over the Filipina top seed.Eala, the Southeast Asian nation’s first WTA title winner and a fan favorite
World champions India are to face archrivals Pakistan for Asian Games men’s cricket gold after both yesterday won their semi-finals with ease in Japan.India hammered Sri Lanka by 124 runs after Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets to set up a mouth-watering final tomorrow at the Korogi Athletic P
The confusion surrounding a proposed civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia has not exactly disappeared: The White House is still claiming it depends on the country normalizing relations with Israel, even if that is not part of the written agreement. At least the US Congress now has the text for revie
Yesterday marked the end of the second year of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s six-year term. Her economic record is mediocre, as my colleague and former Mexican secretary of finance Guillermo Ortiz has demonstrated, and her performance on security, law enforcement, and fighting organized crim
Last month, the US showed the world both of its minds about artificial intelligence (AI). The people building the most powerful systems, from Anthropic and OpenAI to Elon Musk, were asked to slow down. The heads of the two leading labs even carried that plea to the UN Security Council. The day befor
As Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) plane landed at Joint Base Andrews last week, cameras captured US service members adjusting the red carpet laid out for him while Chinese officials waited. It was the image Beijing desired. US President Donald Trump broke with tradition by greeting Xi himself
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft amendment to the Securities Transaction Tax Act (證券交易稅條例) that would extend a tax exemption on corporate bonds, financial bonds and passive bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for another 10 years, through Dec. 31, 2036, while expanding the exemption to ac
DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Co (南亞科技) has received approval to build an advanced 3D wafer packaging and testing plant for high-capacity and high-bandwidth memory modules in Pingtung County, the Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration said yesterday.Nanya Technology is to focus on developing
Chenming Electronic Technology Corp (晟銘電) expects revenue in the second half of this year to outperform its first half, supported by seasonal demand and shipments of rack and chassis products for Nvidia Corp’s new server platform starting this quarter.Shipments previously delayed at end customers du
Taiwan’s manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest pace in more than five years last month, as robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware continued to drive growth, despite easing new orders and mounting supply and cost pressures, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER
A probiotic seller has been fined a total of NT$4.02 million (US$126,181) this year over advertisements falsely claiming that their product can \"reverse kidney disease,\" the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.The Huo Hua Sheng (活化勝) probiotic seller has been ordered to remove the offe
The nation’s influenza epidemic is expected to peak this week, with 140,000 to 150,000 weekly outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like illnesses expected, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.The elevated activity could continue until the middle of next month, although the epidem
Environmental advocates called for an investigation into the pre-breeding population size of eastern grass owls, the population density of rodents and the preservation of habitats for the critically endangered bird species in the Shalun Science Park development project.Based in the Shalun (沙崙) area
An international fuel surcharge for Taiwan-based carriers is to be raised for the third time this year due to the rising price of oil, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday.The surcharge for short-haul international routes is to increase from US$32.50 to US$37.50, while the surcharg
The government aims to distribute its planned NT$10,000 (US$314) universal cash payments before the Lunar New Year next year, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday.The government has allocated NT$235.7 billion for the cash handout program, and relevant ministries have begun pr
The Golden Horse Awards yesterday announced the nominations for its 63rd installment, with Arrested Memory (狂忘警探) leading the tally with 11 nominations, the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee said.Arrested Memory was nominated for best narrative feature, director, leading actor, s
The new underground Tainan Railway Station was unveiled to the public for the first time yesterday ahead of its official opening next month. The Tainan City Government said that train operations are scheduled to officially move to the new underground station on Oct. 18. The Railway Bureau said that
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said that threats made by one or more persons impersonating a Taiwanese documentary distributor who brought a film about alleged forced organ harvesting in China to the country in 2024 appear to be a \"new method\" of Chinese transnational repression.One or
The Kaohsiung branch of the High Prosecutors Office yesterday indicted three former military personnel for allegedly collecting military secrets for China since 2020.The three were identified by their surnames Chen (陳), Lu (盧) and Mao (毛).They were charged with violations of the National Security Ac
Taipei prosecutors yesterday indicted a man on charges of operating an unregistered office for a Chinese semiconductor firm, seeking an 18- month prison sentence.Lin Hao-yuan (林浩原), who headed Lontium Semiconductor Corp’s Taipei office, was charged with contravening the Act Governing Relations Betwe
US officials believe a Chinese invasion of Taiwan before 2028 is increasingly unlikely despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) instructions for his military to be ready by 2027 to take Taiwan by force, if needed, people familiar with US thinking said.The main reasons for the belief include dela
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) phrasing to “combat Taiwanese independence forces” is not new despite a perceived escalation in Beijing’s rhetoric, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Chairman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) yesterday said.Xi yesterday reiterated his firm opposition to Taiwanese independence
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) plans to significantly expand its participation in international security cooperative frameworks and its operational capabilities, a budget proposal for next year showed.The budget indicates a transformation of the CGA from a maritime law enforcement arm into a n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that the copilot who tried to crash a passenger jet carrying 174 people on its way to Israel had undergone Islamist radicalization.No motive has been determined for Wednesday’s harrowing near-disaster on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Te
The Cabinet yesterday approved a 10-year extension for securities transaction tax exemption for bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and corporate and financial bonds. It would also add active bond ETFs to the exemptions.The Ministry of Finance said the securities transaction tax on bonds and passive
At a time when the fight for gender equality is facing a backlash, pressure is mounting for the next leader of the UN to be the first woman in its more than 80-year history.The contradiction isn’t lost on UN Women, the agency facing an uphill struggle pressing for the rights of women and girls — and
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un yesterday rejected South Korean findings that North Korea planted land mines that injured three South Korean soldiers last week and threatened to retaliate if the South fires on the North’s troops fortifying the border. The incident could furthe
Japan has started its first nationwide survey of animal cafes amid concerns over animal welfare, hygiene and public health, a government official said, bringing greater scrutiny to the popular but lightly regulated sector. The desktop survey, which began this month, will examine the number of facili
Detectives were sifting leads yesterday after a massive drug heist in Fiji, searching for dozens of cocaine parcels swiped from an evidence vault and replaced with baking flour. Better known for stunning beaches that draw tourists in droves, the South Pacific nation has become an unlikely stopover f
More than 100 Israeli settlers on Tuesday attacked a village in the north of the occupied West Bank, wounding three members of Israel’s security forces and burning two Palestinian homes, authorities and residents said. The attack occurred while the military was attempting to accompany a Palestinian
