Black kite population hits new highBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterThe number of black kites nationwide hit a record high of 1,033 last year, showing that eco-friendly construction and farming methods have helped with their conservation, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said on Thursday. Black kites are pictured in an undated photograph. The size of the black kite population is closely related to habitat integrity and healthy food sources, the agency said, adding that the species once faced survival crisis due to habitat loss, and the use of pesticides and poisons. Raptors such as black kites are key indicators of environmental health and biodiversity, the agency said. The agency has been cooperating with the lab on monitoring black kite populations via satellite tracking technology and promoting relevant education since 2013, it said.

AIT director gives praise to defense ministry’s workBy Su Yung-yao and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe US is impressed by the leadership of Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the thoroughness of its assessment of defense needs, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said. American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene speaks at an event in Taipei on Thursday. The US hopes that Taiwanese parties would prioritize the nation’s security and defense over partisan differences, and focus on what their nation needs, Greene said. The current National Security Strategy, published last month, clearly affirmed the vital importance of the first island chain to the Indo-Pacific region and US national security, Greene said. A defense industrial base is crucial to provide the Taiwanese armed forces with arms and resilience during a conflict, he said.

Legislative Yuan rams through several amendmentsTHE GAIN OF THE FEW Opposition parties joined together to railroad a number of amendments criticized by the ruling party as distinctly tainted with self-interestBy Lins Hsin-han and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Legislative Yuan yesterday passed amendments to the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例), no longer recognizing the China Youth Corps (CYC) as a party affiliate. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu bangs a gavel to pass amendments to the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. The legislature yesterday passed amendments to the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), extending license holder reassessments from three to fiveyears and exempting stations that have not incurred fines exceeding NT$800,000 in the past three years from review. DPP lawmakers said the amendments were an attempt to enable CTi News to retake its old cable channel. The news channel, which broadcast via cable channel 52, was taken off the air after its license expired.

Chen made the remarks at a seminar on collaboration between the NSTC and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) in Yilan County, which continued through yesterday. Partificpants hold up placards at a seminar on collaboration between the National Science and Technology Council and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research in Yilan County yesterday. Chen said that the NSTC had signed a memorandum of understanding with the SSF in July 2024, which provides for continued collaboration between the two groups through 2031. Swedish Representative to Taiwan Helena Reitberger said that Sweden has collaborated with Taiwan across many fields and the NSTC-SSF collaboration has been widely lauded. To further bilateral collaboration, the Swedish Trade and Invest Council, Taipei Office is in talks with the Ministry of Education to jointly establish scholarships to foster talent on both sides, Reitberger said.

Ride-hailing platform Bolt fined after passenger diesALLEGED ALTERCATION: The driver surnamed Lin could face a maximum fine of NT$7,200 for leaving a passenger in the middle of an expressway, a transport official saidBy Wu Liang-yi / Staff reporter, with CNARide-hailing platform Bolt is subject to an NT$30,000 (US$954) administrative fine in a case involving one of its drivers, who left a passenger in the middle of the road leading to his death when he was struck by passing vehicles. A vehicle with ride-hailing platform Bolt is pictured in an undated photograph. Under regulations governing the approval and operation of taxi services, a vehicle can only work with one taxi service company for dispatch operations. Bolt said it immediately suspended Lin from the platform and further action would depend on the outcome of the judicial investigation. If regulations under the Act on Application, Approval and Management of the Taxi Transportation Industry (計程車客運服務業申請核准經營辦法) are contravened, penalties can be imposed in accordance with the Highway Act, Hu said.

Ex-colonel denied final appeal in spy recruitment caseStaff writer, with CNAThe Supreme Court on Thursday denied the final appeal for an 11-year prison sentence for an ex-air force colonel who recruited spies for China while on active duty, but handed charges involving the leak of military info back to a lower court. Taichung prosecutors said Chang received NT$1.34 million (US$42,583) from his handlers between 2019 and 2023, with some monthly payments reaching NT$65,000 for his role in providing intelligence and recruiting other spies for China. The Supreme Court in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. In the same ruling, the court dismissed all charges against Chung due to his death and acquitted Yeh, citing insufficient evidence. On Thursday, the Supreme Court remanded two other charges of Chang — for which he received four and three-year prison terms, respectively — to the lower court for a retrial.

Peace and prosperity are path forward: Lai to PopeBy Ben Blanchard / ReutersAny attempt to change Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or coercion cannot bring true peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said in a letter to Pope Leo XIV released by the Presidential Office yesterday. Writing to Leo in response to his Jan. 1 World Day of Peace message, Lai said he had repeatedly emphasized that democracy, peace and prosperity are Taiwan’s path forward and the country’s link with the world. President William Lai, front center, inspects an air base in Hualien yesterday with a Sky Bow III Missile Tactical Command Vehicle behind him. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are crucial to the safety and well-being of people and form an essential cornerstone of global security and prosperity. “I firmly believe that any attempt to change Taiwan’s status quo through force or coercion cannot bring true peace,” he said.

Giants trade top Taiwanese Teng Kai-wei to AstrosStaff writer, with CNATeng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese pitcher to have appeared in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game over the past two seasons, has been traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Houston Astros. “I’m truly grateful to the @sfgiants organization for all the development and support they’ve given me during this period,” Teng wrote on social media yesterday. Photo: CNAThe Astros waived pitcher J.P. France to make room for the Taiwanese right-hander on their 40-man roster, while the Giants received minor league catcher Jancel Villarroel and international bonus pool money in exchange. “His experience serving as a long reliever can also add depth to the Astros’ bullpen, which lacks right-handers,” Lee wrote on social media, adding that the Giants’ pitching staff is deeper than that of the Astros. Teng appeared in 12 MLB games over the past two seasons, including seven starts in eight outings last year.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Alexander Zverev in their Australian Open men’s singles semi-final match in Melbourne yesterday. Alexander Zverev serves to Carlos Alcaraz at the end of their Australian Open men’s singles semi-final match in Melbourne yesterday. Photo: AFP“Believing all the time,” Alcaraz, who is into his eighth major final and fourth in a row, said of how he got through. The first set went on serve with few meaningful rallies until Alcaraz unleashed a backhand winner at 3-3 to earn the first break point of the match. Alcaraz sensationally broke back as Zverev served at 5-3, and it went to a tense tiebreak where the world No.

Trump nominates Kevin Warsh as next Fed chairmanAP, WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump yesterday announced that he is nominating former US Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to be the next central bank chief. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”Former US Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh is pictured at a conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 10, 2024. Trump’s selection ends a race that had narrowed to four contenders — Warsh, Fed Governor Christopher Waller, BlackRock senior managing director Rick Rieder and Trump’s top economic adviser Kevin Hassett. Warsh has stepped up his criticism of the Fed, endorsing many of the policy positions of Trump and his administration. In Trump’s first term, the president considered Warsh for the Fed chair position as well, but eventually chose Powell.

The bank reported net purchases of foreign exchange of US$5.9 billion for the four quarters ending in June last year, or about 0.7 percent of GDP, it said, quoting the report. It said it would continue to engage constructively with the Treasury on macroeconomic and exchange rate issues, while maintaining a market-determined exchange rate and safeguarding financial stability. In its latest semi-annual currency report, the Treasury said no major trading partner met all three criteria for enhanced analysis of currency practices during the second half of 2024 and the first six months of last year. The addition took the monitoring list to 10 economies, with China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland also on the list. The report has traditionally focused on whether countries are engaging in one-sided currency intervention or other manipulation to resist appreciation against the US dollar to keep their exports cheaper.

In response, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) accused the president of evading oversight, contravening constitutional principles and seeking a “rubber-stamp legislature.” The party framed its attack as a defense of democracy and legality. The TPP accuses the government of treating the law like a buffet, picking what it likes and discarding the rest. What the TPP presents as accountability is, in effect, an effort to remake Taiwan’s presidential system into a parliamentary one — a change that requires a constitutional amendment. The party describes Taiwan’s engagement with the US as surrender and humiliation, accusing the government of “selling out” the country’s future. A party that constantly pushes against those limits in the name of righteousness is not defending democracy, it is destroying it.

US, Indo-Pacific fighting cyberthreatsCOLLABORATION: The US Indo-Pacific Command said it maintains contact with regional partners, and operates, trains and conducts joint exercises with allies to deter aggressionStaff writer, with CNAThe US works daily with Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines to counter cyberattacks, US Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Commander Joshua Rudd said yesterday, adding that the command has deployed liaison officers to regional allies and partners to maintain ongoing engagement. The primary threats most closely related to US national security and the NSA include China’s comprehensive threat and rising tensions in multiple regions, Rudd said. Photo: ReutersHe said he has amassed extensive experience in the Indo-Pacific theater and gained a deep understanding of the challenges related to China. Asked by US Senator Ted Budd how the US plans to deepen its collaboration with Indo-Pacific allies such as Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines in building capabilities to counter cyberthreats, Rudd said they are already engaged in cooperation every day. Rudd said the Indo-Pacific Command deploys liaison officers to maintain contact with regional allies and partners.

EDITORIAL: Managing Taiwan’s stray problemMinister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) on Wednesday said that animal welfare groups should be allowed to reach a consensus on the issue of feeding stray animals before regulations are written into law. Wildlife researchers have documented rising conflicts between stray dogs and protected species, particularly in national parks and wetlands. In 2023, residents in Miaoli and Tainan raised alarms over large packs of stray dogs prowling residential areas at night. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture’s recently launched app to crowdsource sightings of stray dogs is a step in the right direction. Managing the stray animal population calls for a multifaceted approach grounded in enforcement, data, education and a shared sense of responsibility.

Window of opportunity in ChileBy Marcel OppligerChile has elected a new government that has the opportunity to take a fresh look at some key aspects of foreign economic policy, mainly a greater focus on Asia, including Taiwan. The early 2000s “pink wave” included Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, then-Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, then-Bolivian president Evo Morales, then-Ecuadoran president Rafael Correa and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, among others. The next election cycle brought successors from the opposition in most of the region (including Chile), though not in Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua or Cuba. However, this “conservative” counterwave did not last long and it was followed by a “second pink wave” in many of the same nations — until now. What it means for Taiwan is a window of opportunity, because it should be easier to strengthen ties with a new crop of nonsocialist governments.