An Se-young beats Yamaguchi to top BWF Finals group
An Se-young beats Yamaguchi to top BWF Finals groupReutersSouth Korea’s An Se-young yesterday finished top of Group A in the women’s singles at badminton’s World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, after defeating world champion Akane Yamaguchi 14-21, 21-5, 21-14, while Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon beat China’s Han Yue to advance. Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen returns to Li Shifeng of China during their men’s singles match at the BWF Badminton World Tour Finals at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in China yesterday. Pornpawee Chochuwong exited due to an injury on Thursday, leaving the group to be contested by the remaining three players. Taiwan’s Hung En-tzu, left, looks on as Hsieh Pei-shan returns to South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee during their women’s doubles match at the BWF Badminton World Tour Finals at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in China yesterday. In Group A of the women’s doubles, Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee of South Korea defeated Taiwan’s Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu 21-17, 21-19.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Researchers awarded for reduction of animal testing
Researchers awarded for reduction of animal testingBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Agriculture yesterday awarded experts and institutions for commitment to laboratory animal welfare, as animal experimentations decreased by 9 percent nationwide over the past decade. Recently developed artificial intelligence-driven predictive toxicology platforms and replacement techniques can reduce research animal use 50 to 100 percent, it said. The ministry also recognized 22 institutions for their outstanding performance in conducting humane care of research animals and providing training for personnel. Hung in his remarks said animal testing was improved through “refinement” and “reduction” of animal use in 3Rs. Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said the idea of respecting life in research animal use has become well-established in Taiwan over the past 30 years, as a mechanism has been developed to design, review and conduct animal experiments with a focus on animal welfare.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Bank of Japan hikes benchmark rate
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda’s policy board increased the rate by 0.2 percentage points to 0.75 percent, in a unanimous decision, the bank said in a statement. The central bank cited the rising likelihood of its economic outlook being realized. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks at a news conference in Tokyo yesterday. The central bank sees the rate as roughly somewhere between 1 percent and 2.5 percent. “Maybe two rate hikes in 2026 and one more in 2027, reaching the level of 1.5 percent,” Momma added.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Sea to sky: new terminal honors ocean around us
The north concourse was built first because its location and layout were straightforward toTravelers wait in the newly completed north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Dec. 1. “Construction methods would be refined and replicated for the south concourse, allowing construction there to proceed more quickly,” he said. There are still 13 boarding gates to be completed in Terminal 3, five in the main terminal and eight in the south concourse, he said. He added that many passengers had very positive feedback during the trial operation of the north concourse, taking many photos. It’s not just the runway and planes, but the entire landscape.”Yang said that many airport-exclusive products would be sold inthe north concourse.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Trump signs the NDAA into law, but adds caveat
Trump signs the NDAA into law, but adds caveatStaff writer, with CNAUS President Donald Trump on Thursday signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes authorization for up to US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. Passage of the NDAA, which authorizes the US government to spend more than US$900 billion on defense programs, does not guarantee that the funds would be appropriated. Photo: Cheng I-hwa, BloombergThe US Congress must still pass separate defense appropriation bills for the funds to be allocated. The US$1 billion authorized for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative would go toward expanding support for medical equipment, supply capabilities and battlefield casualty care, the NDAA says. The legislation also directs the Pentagon to develop a plan for enhanced joint Taiwan-US Coast Guard training, and the deployment of US personnel to Taiwan to bolster maritime security, law enforcement and deterrence.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Australia announces gun buyback after Bondi tragedy
Australia announces gun buyback after Bondi tragedyAFP, SYDNEYAustralia would use a sweeping buyback scheme to “get guns off our streets,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday, as hundreds plunged into the ocean to honor Bondi Beach shooting victims. People paddle and swim together at Bondi Beach in Sydney yesterday as they participate in a tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting attack last week. Australia would pay gun owners to surrender “surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms.”It would be the largest gun buyback since 1996, when Australia cracked down on firearms in the wake of a shooting that killed 35 people at Port Arthur. Police said there was no established link with the alleged Bondi gunmen and “no immediate safety risk to the community.”Many hundreds yesterday returned to the ocean off Bondi Beach in another gesture to honor the dead. Bondi locals Boris and Sofia Gurman were among the first killed as they tried to wrestle Sajid Akram to the ground.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Victim support mechanism requested
Victim support mechanism requestedCROSS-BORDER THREATS: Chen Kuan-ting urged administrative agencies to establish clear reporting and assistance mechanisms, so that victims know where to seek helpBy Lee Wen-hsin / Staff reporterCivic organizations and bipartisan lawmakers yesterday urged the government to establish a victim support and reporting mechanism, strengthen cross-border threat detection and coordination capabilities, and promote national cybersecurity and protective education to raise public awareness of cross-border suppression. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Kuan-ting, back row, third right, and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chen Gau-tzu, back row, second right, and other event guests pose for a photograph at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Chen Kuan-ting said there have been many cases where individuals who fled China due to persecution continue to be harassed by Chinese national security agencies after seeking refuge overseas. In a joint statement issued at the G7 summit in June, cross-border suppression was recognized as a “global security issue,” he added. With the international community working to contain and prevent cross-border suppression, he said the purpose of the news conference was to encourage all sectors to address the issue and seek solutions.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
US releases report identifying policies to deter the CCP
US releases report identifying policies to deter the CCPBy Hollie Younger / Staff writerThe US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) yesterday released a bipartisan report titled Ten More for Taiwan identifying urgent, near-term steps to deter Chinese aggression. Committee Chair John Moolenaar and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi built on the original Ten for Taiwan report from May 2023. The US Congress should pass legislation to deter Chinese economic coercion and protect critical supply chains, it said. The report also highlighted the importance of aiding Taiwan in diversifying its energy supply with increased imports of liquid natural gas. Taiwan’s civil defense and military training cooperation with the US needs to be enhanced, the report said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
US launches review of Nvidia sales to China
US launches review of Nvidia sales to ChinaReuters, WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump’s administration has launched a review that could result in the first shipments to China of Nvidia’s second-most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) chips, five sources said, making good on his pledge to allow the sales. Trump this month said he would allow sales of Nvidia’s H200 chips to China, with the US government collecting a 25 percent fee. The sales would help keep US firms ahead of Chinese chipmakers by cutting demand for Chinese chips. However, questions have remained about how quickly Washington might approve such sales and whether Beijing would allow Chinese firms to purchase the Nvidia chips. Trump had previously opened the door to sales of a less-advanced version of Nvidia’s Blackwell chips, its cutting-edge offering, but backed away from the move and approved sales of the H200 instead.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Japan says its no-nukes pledge has not changed
Japan says its no-nukes pledge has not changedReuters, TOKYOJapan yesterday reaffirmed its decades-old pledge never to possess nuclear weapons after local media reported that a senior security official suggested the country should acquire them to deter potential aggressors. Photo: AFPThere is a growing political and public willingness in Japan to loosen its three non-nuclear principles not to possess, develop or allow nuclear weapons into its territory, a Reuters investigation published in August found. Some lawmakers within Takaichi’s ruling party have said the US should be allowed to bring nuclear weapons into Japan on submarines or other platforms to reinforce deterrence. Taro Kono, a senior ruling party lawmaker and former defense and foreign affairs minister, said Japan should not shy away from a broader debate on the pros and cons of acquiring nuclear weapons. Discussions about acquiring or hosting nuclear weapons have long been taboo due to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II and the country’s pacifist constitution adopted after its defeat.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Uncrewed vehicle alliance launched
Uncrewed vehicle alliance launchedBy Fang Wei-li / Staff reporterThe Trans-Pacific Unmanned Vehicle Parliamentary Alliance (TUVPA) was inaugurated in Taipei yesterday, with association members pledging to transform the uncrewed vehicle industry into Taiwan’s next “national defense pillar.”Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱), who initiated the launch of the alliance, said that the applications of uncrewed vehicles have surpassed military operations, extending widely into areas such as delivery logistics, disaster relief, maritime salvage and aerial surveying. Lawmakers and event guests pose for a photograph at the inauguration ceremony of the TransPacific Unmanned Vehicle Parliamentary Alliance in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNATaiwan has the most important core of uncrewed vehicles — the “chip,” he said. In this context, the US and its democratic allies are pushing for a global realignment of supply chains, he added. He expressed the hope that through the alliance, Taiwan can deepen its partnerships with friendly nations and strengthen its resilience in a changing international landscape.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Court changes ruled unconstitutional
Court changes ruled unconstitutional‘ILLEGAL RULING’: The KMT and the TPP slammed the Constitutional Court judgement, saying it contravened the law and was trying to clear the way for a ‘green dictatorship’By Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNAThe Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed by the Legislative Yuan last year are unconstitutional, as they contravene due legislative process and separation of powers. The Constitution stipulates that the Constitutional Court shall have 15 grand justices. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesFive of the remaining grand justices ruled the bill unconstitutional, handing down the Court’s first judgement this year. The other three justices said the judgement is invalid, as amendments promulgated in January stipulate that the Court must have 10 grand justices to deliberate. “The Constitutional Court session was therefore held illegally, and the ruling is, of course, illegal,” it added.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Vietnam will not let go of the global economy
Vietnam will not let go of the global economyBy Daniel Moss / Bloomberg OpinionThe fortitude of the world economy is an eye-opener. The communist-led nation has become thoroughly intertwined with the fate of global capitalism. Vietnam still looks like a trade war winner, the label fans pinned on it during Trump’s first term. Along with praise for the global economy’s springiness, there are signs that growth is to slow. Consumers around the world need the stuff Vietnam churns out, ranging from sneakers to furniture and computers.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Taiwan urged to establish regional defense network
Taiwan urged to establish regional defense networkBy Fang Wei-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerOn the front lines of the Indo-Pacific, a region rife with conflict as China and Russia challenge global security and order, Taiwan must deepen collaboration and dialogue with like-minded countries and establish a robust, pan-democratic defense network, Institute for National Defense and Security Research chairman Huo Shou-ye (霍守業) told a forum in Taipei on Tuesday. Among them was former minister of national defense Tsai Ming-hsien (蔡明憲), who said that Taiwan increasing its defense spending, development of drones and submarine capabilities, and reinforcing infrastructure protection capabilities would help make the nation more resilient and deter China from a military invasion. Panelists attend a foum hosted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: CNATsai said he hoped the US, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and other friendly nations would continue to deepen defense collaborations with Taiwan. Institute assistant researcher Lee Chun-yi (李俊毅) said China’s “gray zone” tactics aim to portray Taiwan as part of China, and to suggest that the differences in governance between Taiwan and China do not matter.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC
Rocket artillery offers opportunities
Rocket artillery offers opportunitiesBy Huang Wei-ping 黃惟冰The US government on Wednesday announced its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan, with eight packages at an estimated combined cost of more than US$11.1 billion. The most expensive item is the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a long-range precision strike system. The package includes 82 launch vehicles and 1,203 artillery rockets, as well as 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) with a range of up to 300km. After all, widely published and publicly available information shows that Taiwan possesses a number of long-range strike weapons — some with ranges that extend well beyond 300km. This US arms sale would not only increase Taiwan’s weapons inventory at the tactical level, but sends a strategic signal.
Source:Taipei Times
December 19, 2025 17:26 UTC