Taipei Times

SPEAK UP: ‘Optogenetics’ wins Nobel for illuminating eyes f…

A: Apart from the 2026 Nobel Prize-winning “optogenetics” technique, University of Adelaide and University of Washington have jointly employed similar “photoswitch” injections to activate light-sensitive cells in patients with “retinitis pigmentosa” (RP).B: WashU also announced that through “genome

• #諾貝爾
• #生醫
• #遺傳
• #Speak

Film: ‘Club Kid’: NY party scene drama emerges as Oscars ou…

After thrilling the international festival circuit, US indie sensation Club Kid set in the queer New York party scene will hit Taiwan cinemas in December ahead of what many critics see as a tilt at the Oscars.The debut film from Jordan Firstman became one of the buzziest titles at this year’s Cannes

• #Film
• #KID

World News Quick Take

GERMANYPolitician found deadHubert Aiwanger, the leader of a conservative party that has become a mainstay of Bavarian politics and who sought to expand its influence across the country, has been found dead at a Berlin hotel. Berlin police and prosecutors said the body of Aiwanger, who was Bavaria’s

• #NEWS
• #WORLD

Dozens of pilot whales stranded on NZ’s North Island

Dozens of pilot whales have been found stranded on a beach in New Zealand’s North Island and rescuers were trying to refloat a handful of the survivors, the New Zealand Department of Conservation said yesterday.At least 20 pilot whales were stranded along the Ngawi coast near Cape Palliser, the sout

• #On

US Democrats vow to rein in Trump

Democrats vowed to use their resounding midterm victory to rein in US President Donald Trump, setting up two years of possible deadlock in Washington, as Trump spent his first postelection appearance showing off his under-construction White House ballroom.A wave of anger over Trump’s policies, parti

• #US
• #Trump
• #Democrats

Can Republicans learn from this defeat? Not likely

A healthy Republican Party would respond to this historic midterm-election repudiation of US President Donald Trump with contrition and honest introspection. Its leaders would plot a fresh path forward and shed the elements of a White House agenda that drove US voters to hand control of the House of

• #This
• #Republicans

Resounding Democrat win a rebuke of Trump’s MAGA movement

No single Democratic coalition can claim victory after Tuesday’s resounding midterm results — all parts of the Democratic coalition can.Their wins were so sweeping, so resounding, that factional divisions fail to explain them. This year, the most important thing Democrats had to be to win was, simpl

• #Trump
• #MAGA

Disinformation campaigns will fail

My conviction that China’s cognitive operations against Taiwan will never succeed grows stronger each time I visit the nation.One of the tools in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) playbook for “getting Taiwan back,” beyond invasion, blockade or quarantine, is the use of disinformation, manipulatio

• #Will
• #Campaigns

KMT disconnect with young voters

There are a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians who still seem to be at a loss as to why the more noise they make about unification and being “one family” across the Taiwan Strait, the harder it is to gain the support of young voters. Perhaps they believe that these professions of

• #Young
• #KMT

Night market rally

Jane Shih, left, wife of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, and Tsai Pi-yun, right, wife of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan, greet people at Chihkuang Twilight Market in New Taipei City’s Yonghe District yesterday.

Democrat control of Congress presents opportunity and chall…

A sweeping victory for Democrats in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, giving them control of the US Congress, presents an opportunity and a challenge for top rival China, particularly on Taiwan, analysts said.The issue of Taiwan could be a “game changer,” Capital Economics chief economist Neil Sh

• #china
• #Congress

Democrats may codify Taiwan pledge

The US Congress could codify the “six assurances” to Taiwan into law following the Democratic Party’s takeover of the US House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, a political expert said at a panel discussion in Taipei yesterday.The Democrats’ control of both chambers could p

• #Taiwan
• #Democrats
• #May

China targeted 131 Taiwanese: MAC

A total of 131 Taiwanese have been targeted a combined 149 times through Chinese transnational repression since 2005, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a legislative session yesterday.The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has employed nine forms of transnational r

• #china
• #Mac

Donovan’s Deep Dives: Puma Shen’s unlikely rise and the mys…

Throughout last month, television news was awash with footage of seas of people waving festive orange and black banners and ribbons. Parting the waves is a campaign truck decked out like a ship, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) — typically dressed in j

• #Puma Shen
• #Donovan
• #Wave

The Indo-Pacific in uncertain seas

US foreign policy this year has been difficult to reconcile. Washington has shown a greater willingness to engage with China while taking a tougher line toward its own allies and partners. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington in September brought

• #Indo-Pacific

Taichung mayoral candidates Ho, Chiang attend transit hub o…

Democratic Progressive Party Taichung mayoral candidate Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) and her Kuomintang rival Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) attended yesterday’s opening ceremony for a new bus transfer center expected to make transfers safer and more convenient for commuters.Speaking at the opening of the Taichung T

• #HO
• #Taichung
• #Candidates

Pegatron head dismisses post-US midterms AI worries

Artificial intelligence (AI) development in the US would not be halted simply because Democrats won the US midterms, as it is rising and does not belong to a single party, Pegatron chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) said yesterday.The market has been worried that AI data centers under construction in the

• #AI
• #US
• #Midterms

THSR workers falsified logs, officials say

Eight Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) workers had falsified electric system maintenance records for five years before being discovered, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) said yesterday.Citing a tip to her office, Wang told a legislative meeting that the personnel involved,

• #workers

Fan touts Taiwan at liberal assembly

Taiwan can contribute more to the global liberal movement with its democratic resilience and experience in healthcare, education, women’s political participation and marriage equality, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said at the organization’s general assembly. Fan is runn

• #Taiwan

Investigators seize boats in probe into aide’s escape

Investigators yesterday seized two fishing boats in Keelung as part of a probe into a legislative aide who jumped bail in September after being indicted on corruption charges and reportedly fled Taiwan by boat late last month.Directed by Taipei prosecutors, the Coast Guard Administration yesterday s

US states vote on abortion, redistricting

A battle over abortion rights is playing out in several states as voters yesterday decided on 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments, including some that could affect voting.The ballot measures provide a political undercard for a high-profile midterm election that would determine which part

• #US
• #On

Invest in education, not handouts

President William Lai (賴清德) in August announced that a NT$10,000 (US$305.25) cash handout would be included in next year’s central government budget, but that is only half of what opposition parties are demanding. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) leadership is calling for the passage of a bill to

• #Education

Taipei needs vision, not sound bites

The first televised Taipei mayoral debate on Saturday opened with the two candidates, incumbent Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), giving their opening remarks. Chiang immediately criticized his opponent for talking a good game, but failing to deliver. S

• #Taipei
• #VISION

Bright eyes

A woman poses next to “The Students,” a sculpture by South Korean artist Shin Min, on display as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center yesterday. The Bangkok Art Biennale, held under the theme “Angels & Mara,” features more than 200 contemporary works by 72 artists f

• #Bright

Nvidia orders data centers to reduce China exposure

US chipmaking giant Nvidia is ordering its data center partners to scale back work with Chinese customers, the Financial Times reported yesterday.Nvidia’s cloud computing customers must sell at least 51 percent of their services to non-Chinese companies, the FT reported, citing five people with know

• #china
• #NVIDIA
• #data centers

2026 Elections: Polls offer mixed picture of Taichung race

Five opinion polls released since early October have shown contrasting levels of support for Taichung mayoral candidates Ho Hsin-chun (何 欣純) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), with four putting Chiang ahead and the latest sho

• #Elections
• #Taichung
• #picture

World News Quick Take

JAPANNation may double defenseThe government and ruling coalition are considering nearly doubling defense spending over the next five years as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push to strengthen the nation’s military capabilities, two people familiar with the matter said. If adopted, defense

• #NEWS
• #WORLD

Democrats, Trump hold final rallies

Democrats teed up final get-out-the-vote rallies on the eve of midterm elections where they expect to win at least partial control of Congress and impose political constraints on US President Donald Trump for the first time in two years.Rallies — including by star Democratic Senate candidates James

• #Trump
• #final
• #Democrats

Corruption and feudal hierarchy in the CCP

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Central Committee held its fifth plenary session in Beijing from Monday to Thursday last week, focusing on “persevering with full and rigorous party self-governance.”It has been reported that a group of Chinese undergraduate and graduate students from more th

• #corruption
• #CCP

Second phase of COVID, flu shots starts

The second phase of the government’s free COVID-19 and flu vaccination program started yesterday, with eligibility expanded to people aged 50 to 64, and vaccination stations operating at participating supermarket chains.The first phase of the government-funded COVID-19 and flu vaccination program be

• #COVID

16 young experts set for agricultural exchange in the Nethe…

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday held an event to introduce 16 young Taiwanese agricultural experts who are heading to the Netherlands to take part in an annual government-funded agricultural exchange program. The Young Agricultural Ambassadors program was launched in 2

• #Young
• #The Netherlands

Support for Shen surpasses 52%, poll shows

Support for Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) reached 52.6 percent, compared with 35.3 percent for Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), a poll released yesterday by the Strategy and Public Research Institute of Ta

• #2%

KMT demands that minister apologize over soldier deaths

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday called on Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to apologize and demanded an investigation report after three people died in military incidents in a period of about a month. A lieutenant of the army’s 206th Brigade, surnamed Wang (王),

• #KMT

VP urges enhancing resilience, cooperation

Taiwan should integrate its industrial strengths to build safer, more resilient and more trusted supply chains with like-minded democratic partners, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said yesterday at an uncrewed vehicles demonstration at a harbor in Tainan’s Anping District (安平). The maiden Taiwan

Beijing to step up aggression: MAC official

China is expected to adopt more aggressive measures against Taiwan following the Fifth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) last week, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said yesterday.The fifth plenum ended its four-day meeting last

• #Mac
• #Beijing

Laos looks to wind energy for its renewables plans

Rising from verdant ridgelines of southern Laos, 133 Chinese-built wind turbines help power Vietnam’s surging growth and represent part of a regional rush to diversify energy sources.“The view is beautiful. They’re bigger than trees,” Toukta Phonsala said inside her wooden stilt house in Dak Wai vil

• #Energy
• #ITS
• #Laos
• #Wind

People build 108 stupas for Bhutan’s ‘mindfulness’ city

Tens of thousands of volunteers yesterday took part in building 108 Buddhist stupas in Bhutan, marking the Himalayan kingdom’s ambitious plans for a “mindfulness” city aimed at driving economic growth.The 15m-tall solid towers — sacred Buddhist monuments found across the Himalayas — stretch along 12

• #City

Serbia marks Novi Sad station disaster anniversary

Thousands of Serbs were yesterday expected to gather in Novi Sad to honor the victims of a railway station disaster that launched the anti-government movement which toppled the country’s right-wing ruling party a week ago.The gathering will mark two years since the concrete canopy at the newly renov

• #Serbia

Police chief wins Penghu Marathon, envoy finishes 2nd

The chief of a local police station yesterday won first place in the Penghu Cross-Island Marathon, while Finland’s top representative in Taiwan came in a close second, both finishing the race in under three hours. Wang Yi-hsien, chief of the Penghu Police Department’s Aimen Police Station and a freq

• #police

The verdict of the voters must be respected — and upheld

The most important outcome in this week’s midterm elections might not be whether Democrats or Republicans come out on top. It might be whether both parties accept the results.Judging by the most recent polls, Democrats are likely to make gains in Congress and might win control of one or both houses.

• #BE

The sharing economy is catching up with Japan

Shinjuku is moving to restrict minpaku, the practice of letting out apartments and houses for platforms such as Airbnb Inc, following a surge of complaints. Residents of the neon-lit area that is home to the world’s busiest railway station are unhappy about tourists causing noise late at night, jamm

• #Japan
• #Economy

EDITORIAL: Chiang, Shen debate vision for Taipei

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) on Saturday faced each other in their first televised debate. The candidates debated food safety, urban renewal, child protection, pu

• #Taipei
• #Editorial
• #VISION

Presidential view

Players take part in this year’s Presidential Cup 3-on-3 National Basketball Tournament finals in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei yesterday.

Ready, set, go

Participants in this year’s Taiwan National Parks Marathon prepare to race at the starting line on Yangmingshan in Taipei yesterday. The event, hosted by the Ministry of the Interior’s National Park Service, attracted 5,000 runners from 24 countries.

2026 Elections: KMT hopes to mobilize core supporters in ru…

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) plans to stick to its strategy of mobilizing its core supporters while reaching out to undecided voters in the run-up to the Nov. 28 elections, KMT deputy secretary-general and head of the party’s Organizational Development Committee Lee Che-hua (李哲華) said.Lee mad

• #Elections
• #KMT
• #CORE

2026 Elections: DPP aims to widen control as elections heat…

With the nine-in-one local elections less than a month away, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is seeking to secure its control over five local governments and make additional gains in other municipalities, an insider said.The DPP seeks to defend its territory, while leveraging its “dual spearh

• #Elections
• #DPP

CCP communique veils criticism of one-man rule

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) fifth plenum issued a communique containing detailed discussions of inner-party democracy that amount to veiled criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) one-man rule, China observer Willy Lam (林和立) said.The communique was an important statement outlining

• #Man

Thousands of Indians protest voter list change

Tens of thousands of Indians yesterday joined a protest led by opposition politicians in New Delhi, renewing demands for the country’s election chief to resign over an overhaul of voter lists they say unfairly benefits the ruling party.The nationwide revision of electoral rolls has sparked political

• #Protest
• #CHANGE

Lai urges passage of extra budget for Taipower, CPC

President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for support across party lines for a supplementary budget to subsidize state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) and CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油), which have been absorbing rising energy costs amid geopolitical tensions.Speaking at the opening ceremony of the K

• #CPC

US approves sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine

The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday green-lit the sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, the US Department of State said, but Ukraine’s president warned deliveries could take years.The approval, which goes to the US Congress for review, comes after weeks of complaints by Ukra

• #US
• #Ukraine
• #Sale
• #Patriot

Worthwhile policies, not partisan politics

On Thursday last week, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) proposed an urban stitching initiative designed to revitalize and pedestrianize the area surrounding the elevated Civic Boulevard highway, creating a cultural and arts corridor that links with

• #Politics

EDITORIAL: A tale of two debates

A televised debate for the main Kaohsiung mayoral candidates, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), was held on Friday evening, followed at noon yesterday by a debate in Taipei between Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-a

• #Editorial

Trick or treat

Taiwan People’s Party’s Jhubei mayoral candidate Andy Chiu, center, hands out candy at a Halloween parade in the city yesterday dressed as a character from Japanese manga series Saint Seiya.

MOE sets teacher protection guides

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has issued guidelines to help schools prevent and handle workplace violence and harassment against teachers, including psychological abuse, online attacks and malicious complaints.Department of Information and Technology Education official Lien Shan-li (連杉利) on Friday

2026 Elections: Kaohsiung debate focuses on 205th Arsenal,…

A mayoral debate was on Friday evening held in Kaohsiung, with the two leading candidates — the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) and Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) — focusing largely on the redevelopment of the site of the 205th Arsenal and political donati

• #On
• #Elections
• #Arsenal
• #Kaohsiung

2026 Elections: Chiang, Shen clash in first televised mayor…

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and his main rival, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), traded barbs over public safety, city governance and food safety in their first televised debate yesterday. One of the sharpest exchanges concern

• #Elections

MAC details stark Taiwan-China divide

The fifth plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Central Committee and Taiwan’s election debates highlighted a stark contrast between China’s centralization of power and Taiwan’s democracy, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said yesterday.Differences in p

• #china
• #Taiwan
• #mac

China expels record number of officials from CCP

China expelled a record number of officials from the Chinese Communist party (CCP) as it concluded a major political gathering, which saw an unprecedented number of empty seats indicating the scale of the purges under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).A record 33 members were expelled at this week’

• #china

Far right’s plans for Europe would benefit Xi, Putin and Tr…

Following the Brexit referendum in 2016, then-National Rally president Marine Le Pen was in a predictably celebratory mood. The UK’s vote to leave the EU was the first breach in the “Brussels Wall,” she said. Le Pen’s party was at that point committed to taking France down the same path, given the c

• #Trump
• #Europe

Plenum could formalize Xi’s extended rule: experts

The latest Chinese Communist Party plenum could help institutionalize Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) prolonged rule while preparing a new generation of officials without identifying a successor, experts said at a forum in Taipei yesterday.The four-day plenum — the fifth of the party’s 20th Cen