EDITORIAL: China’s war-readiness doubtedWhile the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly aims to possess the capability to attempt an invasion of Taiwan by 2027, Beijing on Saturday surprisingly announced an investigation into two of its highest-ranking PLA commanders for unspecified breaches of the law, sparking doubts about Beijing’s war-readiness. At least 13 former or serving generals, including Zhang and Liu, with positions of power in the military have been investigated. Xi’s anti-corruption drive has also reportedly slowed down the enhancement of China’s advanced weaponry. Zhang and Liu have been considered as key figures in China’s military modernization program, and were among the few remaining senior generals with actual combat experiences. The unrest within the Chinese military could delay the army’s upgrade, and weaken its capability to launch military aggression against Taiwan.

Last newspaper hawker in Paris receives top awardAFP, PARISAli Akbar Akbar has been homeless, experienced extreme poverty and had been attacked. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron made Pakistan-born Akbar, believed to be the last newspaper hawker in Paris, a knight in the national order of merit in recognition of his service to France. Macron praised Akbar’s “incredible destiny,” thanking the septuagenarian for arriving from Pakistan decades ago, selling newspapers for 50 years and carrying France in his heart. French President Emmanuel Macron, left, awards the Chevalier of the French Order of Merit to Ali Akbar Akbar in Paris on Wednesday. The voice of the French press,” Macron told Akbar, who was surrounded by his family.

The impressive waterfall on a side stream of the Rureng River. With ankle-deep water and gentle banks, the Rureng River is an easy walk. The rough road we were walking on went directly to the riverbed above the dam, however, so we continued walking upstream. The pretty Taiwan cotton rose, an endemic flower, lines the banks of the Rureng River. When applying for the mountain entry permit for this hike at https://nv2.npa.gov.tw/NM107-604ClientE (English), choose Runai River as your destination if you apply in English or Rureng River (汝乃溪) if you apply in Chinese.

The 75-year-old’s physical proximity to China’s leader, who stood to his right, reflected the position he held in China’s hierarchy. Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at Georgetown University and a former senior CIA analyst, said a power struggle was a more likely explanation than corruption. The purge “isn’t about corruption, it isn’t about leaking secrets, it is about a general that became too powerful,” Wilder said. For Western analysts, the biggest question is what it means for China’s military buildup, and particularly its readiness to launch an assault on Taiwan. Zhang and Liu are likely to be interrogated about whatever offenses they are specifically accused of, which would throw up more names.

World New Quick TakeStaff writer, with agenciesEUROPEAN UNIONKallas warns of ‘catastrophe’EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas yesterday warned that Ukraine was facing a “humanitarian catastrophe,” as Russian strikes cut power in frigid winter conditions. There is a humanitarian catastrophe coming there,” she said at the start of an EU meeting in Brussels. The Nipah virus can cause fever and brain inflammation and has a high mortality rate. However, transmission from person to person is not easy and typically requires prolonged contact with an infected individual. Taiwan is to officially list Nipah virus infection as a category 5 notifiable infection disease in March.

First female leader of Church of England confirmedReuters and AP, LONDONSarah Mullally was officially confirmed on Wednesday as the first woman to lead the Church of England as Archbishop of Canterbury in a traditional ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Dame Sarah Mullally listens during her Confirmation of Election ceremony, legally confirming her as the Archbishop of Canterbury, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Wednesday. Photo: ReutersThe British monarch has served as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England since Henry VIII split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. As the lengthy process came to a close and her election was confirmed, Mullally stood and faced the congregation to loud applause. She will also have to confront concerns that the Church of England has not done enough to stamp out the sexual abuse scandals that have dogged it for more than a decade.

China executes 11 linked to Myanmar scam centerAFP, BEIJINGChina executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including “key members” of telecom scam operations, state media reported yesterday, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Burmese police hand over five telecom and Internet fraud suspects to Chinese police at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, on Aug. 26, 2023. Photo: Chinese embassy in Myanmar / Xinhua news agency / APThose conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times trafficked foreign nationals forced to work. Fraud operations centered in Myanmar’s border regions have extracted billions of dollars from around the world through phone and Internet scams. The September rulings that resulted in yesterday’s executions also included death sentences with two-year reprieves to five other individuals.

Turkey offers to mediate for IranMIRROR STRATEGY: Iran’s foreign minister appeared to match Trump’s language, including the use of capital letters, in writing that Iran was open to a deal on nuclear talksAFP, ISTANBUL, TurkeyTurkey would offer to mediate between Washington and Tehran during a visit by Iran’s foreign minister today, officials said yesterday, as Ankara considers reinforcing security along its border should the dispute escalate. The visit by Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi comes after US President Donald Trump threatened a military strike on Iran over its deadly protest crackdown earlier this month. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Fidan had told al-Jazeera television. “If the United States attacks Iran and the regime falls, Turkey is planning additional measures to reinforce border security,” said the official, who also requested anonymity. “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS,” Araghchi wrote on X.

If those are not met, Democrats say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill, denying Republicans the votes they need to pass it and triggering a shutdown at midnight tonight. Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was killed on Saturday by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo: AFPThe White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment made early yesterday morning. There were some signs of possible progress as the White House has appeared open to trying to strike a deal with Democrats to avert a shutdown. “At its best, America serves as a haven of individual liberties in a world too often full of tyranny and cruelty.

Risks of conditional security promisesBy LeonardFong-sheng Wang 王鳳生Recently, remarks by US officials have drawn attention in Taiwan for linking security assurances to levels of investment and the relocation of semiconductor production capacity. However, when security assurances are articulated in conditional terms, they begin to resemble negotiated outcomes rather than stable institutional commitments. A security relationship framed as contingent on meeting specific industrial demands risks recasting Taiwan from an indispensable strategic partner into a supplier required to continually “pay” for protection. Proposals to shift a significant share of semiconductor production capacity overseas might be defended on grounds of risk management from the standpoint of individual firms. The question is not whether risks should be diversified, but whether decisionmaking authority and technological accumulation are being transferred along with production capacity.

Saudi Arabia’s UAE ‘mudslinging’ threatens new crisisPRECARIOUS RELATIONS: Commentators in Saudi Arabia accuse the UAE of growing too bold, backing forces at odds with Saudi interests in various conflicts A Saudi Arabian media campaign targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deepened the Gulf’s worst row in years, stoking fears of a damaging fall-out in the financial heart of the Middle East. Fiery accusations of rights abuses and betrayal have circulated for weeks in state-run and social media after a brief conflict in Yemen, where Saudi airstrikes quelled an offensive by UAE-backed separatists. The United Arab Emirates is “investing in chaos and supporting secessionists” from Libya to Yemen and the Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia’s al-Ekhbariya TV charged in a report this week. Such invective has been unheard of

“They basically said: ‘Look, you’ve got a massive trade partner in the US that’s become a little more uncertain. During Carney’s visit the two nations signed an economic deal to tear down trade barriers and forge a new strategic relationship. Carney described China as “a more predictable and reliable partner.”However, China is not alone in eyeing new trade pacts to de-risk from the US. “Many of these countries harbor deep concerns about China’s approach to trade, its use of economic coercion, and unresolved maritime and historical disputes,” Kim said. “In the current moment, China may appear more restrained or pragmatic when compared with the Trump administration’s extreme rhetoric and actions, but Beijing’s actual behavior has not been especially reassuring.”

Germany to harden critical infrastructure amid Russia fearsAFP, BERLINGermany plans to better protect its critical infrastructure as surging tensions with Russia stoke fears of sabotage attacks and other national security threats. Proposed legislation would require power utilities, water companies and even some supermarket chains to reduce their vulnerability to terrorism, industrial accidents, natural disasters and public health emergencies. Maintenance personnel in Berlin on Jan. 6 work on the site of a Jan. 3 arson attack on high-voltage cables. Photo: AFPThe measures cover facilities that provide critical services to more than 500,000 people in sectors including energy, water, food, health, transportation, information technology, telecommunications, financial services and waste disposal. “The left-wing extremist attack on the Berlin power grid and all the many other attacks — both small and large — in recent months have shown that we simply have to protect our critical infrastructure better,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday.

Retirees could help in health crisisBy Hsieh Min-hsien 謝旻憲Taiwan’s long-term care system has fallen into a structural paradox. After the rollout of the “Long-term Care 2.0” program in 2017, care personnel numbers rose from 25,000 to approximately 100,000, but have stagnated over the past three years. Taiwan’s roughly 370 senior learning centers have already built capacity in health promotion and community engagement programs. Approximately 166,000 people participated in senior learning programs in 2023. The long-term care sector crisis has never been about beds, but about staff.

Taiwan has the opportunity to build a closer bilateral relationship with the US through mutually beneficial trade exchanges and high-tech industrial cooperation. This would not only contribute to Taiwan’s economic growth, but also strengthen Taiwan-US strategic ties, thus enhancing Taiwan’s capacity to safeguard itself while resisting China. As Trump began his second term, he promoted policies aimed at making the US great again. On the domestic front, Trump strengthened US manufacturing, created jobs and boosted economic growth. This Taiwan-US trade agreement tightly links security relations with economic and trade interests.