Navy to decommission WWII-era tank landing shipStaff writer, with CNAThe Kaohsiung (LCC-1), a World War II-era US-built tank landing ship, is to be decommissioned this week after nearly seven decades in service with the navy, a military source said today. The Kaohsiung (LCC-1), a World War II-era tank landing ship, is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei TimesAfter being assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater during World War II, the LST-542-class ship was first decommissioned by the US in March 1946, then reactivated in November 1950 for service in the Korean War. In 1957, Taiwan's navy took ownership of the ship and renamed it Chung Hsi (中熙, LST-219). It was renamed the Kaohsiung after it was outfitted as an amphibious command ship in 1962.

Prosecutors drop defamation probe against former lawmakerBy Yang Hsin-hui and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office today decided not to pursue defamation charges against former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) for accusing another lawmaker of claiming residency in the US to avoid paying property taxes. Kao said she consulted a US accountant, who said that applying for the exemption requires a US social security number, thereby claiming US residency and potentially green card status. Former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Kao Chia-yu holds up public residency information about Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu on Feb. 6 last year. The failure to disclose her ownership of the properties stemmed from unfamiliarity with election laws, not willful deceit, she added. Kao said that politicians have an obligation to declare their assets honestly and accept scrutiny, adding that Lee eventually admitted to misreporting her assets.

Starlux to launch Busan flightsStaff writer, with CNAStarlux Airlines is to launch direct flights on June 1 between Taoyuan and Busan, as well as the first direct route between Taichung and Busan by a Taiwanese carrier, the company said today. According to Starlux, the newest international carrier in Taiwan, tickets for both routes are to go on sale starting on Thursday. Starlux Airlines planes are pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei TimesFlights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and South Korea's Gimhae International Airport in Busan would be offered every day, while flights from Taichung International Airport and Busan would be offered on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings departing at 8:10am. On the launch of Starlux's Taiwan-Busan route, Starlux Airlines CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華) said the move would not only extend the airline's international service, but also be a milestone marking Starlux's entry into the South Korean market.

Supreme Court finalizes 15-year murder sentence for Filipino manStaff writer, with CNAThe Supreme Court earlier this month upheld a 15-year sentence for a Filipino man convicted of murdering a fellow countryman and endangering the lives of others in 2023. Photo: CNAIn the original verdict, the Changhua District Court found Filipino national Dizon Benjie San Agustin guilty of homicide and endangerment for murdering a fellow migrant worker in Changhua County and endangering the lives of others. Agustin apparently decided to kill his victim when his attempts to reconcile with his estranged wife failed, the district court said. Agustin subsequently appealed his case, but the High Court's Taichung branch upheld the verdict of the Changhua District Court. With the Supreme Court also upholding the original ruling on Feb. 11, Agustin's sentencing is deemed final.

Favorable rates unaffected by new US tariff policy: ChoBy Chung Li-hua and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan’s most favored nation (MFN) rates and most favorable treatment under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act would not be affected by changes to US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs over the weekend, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. A ruling on Friday by the US Supreme Court declared Trump’s global tariffs unconstitutional, following which Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to impose a 15 percent tariff rate globally. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesThe government would strive to secure those same benefits under the new tariff policy, Cho said. Taiwan would hold talks with the US side as soon as possible to discuss the conditions and legal implications of the tariffs’ implementation, Cho said. Attendees decided to use the comprehensive statement issued by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) as Taiwan’s official position, he added.

Velicer carries Taiwan’s flag in Olympic closing ceremonyStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese athletes took part in this year's Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Italy yesterday, with cross-country skier Sophia Velicer (余睿) serving as the team's flag bearer. Sophia Velicer, center, leads Taiwan's team at the closing ceremony of this year's Winter Olympics in Italy yesterday. Speaking to reporters, Velicer said she was honored to be the flag bearer and to highlight the hard work of the other team members. It was great to represent Taiwan, she said, encouraging young athletes to pursue sporting opportunities, no matter how crazy or unattainable they might seem. The Taiwan team, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, made other notable achievements, apart from Velicer's standing as Asia's top cross-country skier at the Winter Olympics.

Stray cats reported to remember the hand that feedsDO THEY BITE IT? Cats have better memories than people might think, but their motivation is based entirely around the chance of getting fed Cats can remember the identity of the people who fed them the day before, Taipei-based veterinarians said on Friday, debunking a popular myth that cats have a short memory. If a stray does not recognize the person who fed them the previous day, it is likely because they are not carrying food and the cat has no reason to recognize them, said Wu Chou Animal Hospital head Chen Chen-huan (陳震寰). “When cats come to a human bearing food, it is coming for the food, not the person,” he said. “The food is the key.” Since the cat’s attention is on the food, itBy Jonathan Chin

‘Left-Handed Girl’ director shares film inspiration, journeyBy Sean Lin / CNA staff reporterSuperstitions passed down through generations could shape people’s lives in subtle, yet lasting ways. Director Tsou Shih-ching (鄒時擎) in her debut solo feature film, Left-Handed Girl (左撇子女孩), uses that belief to examine gender roles and expectations imposed on women in Taiwanese society. Shu-fen believes her left-handed daughter I-jing’s actions are driven by her “devil hand.”The film has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars). A still from the Taiwanese film Left-Handed Girl. Photo courtesy of Left-Handed Girl Film Production Co via CNA“The plot idea actually came from a high-school memory, when my grandfather saw me cutting food with a kitchen knife in my left hand,” Tsou said.

Malinin highlights mental health at Olympic galaAFP, MILAN, ItalyIlia Malinin on Saturday highlighted mental health struggles during an emotional performance at the Olympic figure skating gala as men’s gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov got the crowd going to Kung Fu Panda. Ilia Malinin of the US performs a backflip during the figure skating exhibition gala at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Saturday. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan performs as Kung Fu Panda during the figure skating exhibition gala at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Saturday. American Alysa Liu performs during the figure skating exhibition gala at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Saturday. Malinin and Liu won team gold with the US and also performed along with their teammates.

Canada beat UK for men’s curling goldHOT ON ICE: Canada’s Jacobs said that he hoped their gold win was burned into the brains of anyone who had called them cheaters or said anything negative about CanadaAFP, CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ItalyCanada, who were mired in a cheating controversy earlier in the tournament, on Saturday beat the UK 9-6 in a tense final to win Olympic men’s curling gold for the fourth time. The UK had to settle for a third silver medal in the past four Olympic men’s curling competitions after slipping up in the last two ends in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Photo: ReuterThey are still waiting for a first men’s title since 1924, after which curling was absent from the Olympic program for 74 years. The Canadian men’s curling team pose with their gold medals on the podium after defeating the UK at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Saturday. With its women’s team having won bronze earlier, it was Canada’s seventh gold and 14th medal overall in Olympic curling — tops in both categories.

People attend a march in Lyon, France, on Saturday in tribute to late far-right sympathizer Quentin Deranque. Hours before the gathering, French President Emmanuel Macron had urged “everyone to remain” calm. The march went ahead without clashes, although one person threw an egg from a building, and police said another person was detained for carrying a knife and hammer. Ahead of the rally, some residents barricaded the ground floor windows of their apartments in fear. Between the extreme of this and the extreme of that, it’s nonstop.”The event went ahead despite calls from Lyon’s left-wing green mayor, Gregory Doucet, and LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard for the state to ban it.

Chinese firms are defying the global ‘AI scare trade’RISING TIDE: Chinese AI firms are also riding a halo effect with fresh private funding for OpenAI expected to exceed US$100 billion, while Anthropic has taken in US$30 billionBloombergUS markets are gripped by the “AI scare trade,” with investors selling software firms and wealth managers on concern that rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) would erode established business models. “The divergence between China market participants and global investors reflects how structurally distinct China’s AI landscape is,” Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC portfolio manager Gary Tan said in Singapore. For now, each new AI development is being viewed by Chinese investors as a catalyst not only for the developers, but also for the users of the new tools. That is the highest ranking a Chinese AI lab has ever achieved, according to the Jefferies note. There is also expectation that the cost competitiveness of Chinese AI models, such as those developed by DeepSeek, could accelerate user adoption.

AI agent invasion has tech world and markets scrambling to pick winnersAFP, NEW YORKAn onslaught of artificial intelligence (AI) agents that handle tasks from writing code to dispensing tax advice has the tech world and financial markets scrambling to pick winners and shed losers. Makers of leading AI models have embraced “agentic” capabilities that provide software assistants capable of independently tending to tasks, such as creating software applications, based on simple descriptions. Photo: AFPFuturum Group chief strategist Shay Boloor sees the moment as an “inflection point,” in which millions of AI agents would soon be routinely handling tasks long tended to by people. Investors quickly saw AI agents as a threat to software publishers, particularly those serving businesses. “The markets are a rational mechanism,” Ives said of company shares being punished by AI worries.

Iranian students chant anti-government slogansAFP, PARISIranian students on Saturday chanted anti-government slogans and scuffled with counter-protesters in the latest display of anger at the country’s clerical leaders, who also face a US military build-up aimed at pressuring them into a nuclear deal. The crackdown had prompted US President Donald Trump to threaten to intervene militarily, although the focus of his threats eventually shifted to Iran’s nuclear program, which Western governments fear is aimed at producing a bomb. Footage posted by the Persian-language TV channel Iran International, which is based outside the country, also showed a large crowd chanting anti-government slogans at Sharif University of Technology. The clerical authorities acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by “terrorist acts” fueled by Iran’s enemies. Iran denies it is trying to produce nuclear weapons, but insists on its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

OpenAI expects revenue to soar by 2030OVERSIGHT: Democracies need to start developing shared AI safety standards, an OpenAI executive said, drawing parallels to the International Atomic Energy AgencyBloombergOpenAI is projecting that its revenue would grow at a fast clip in the next few years and exceed US$280 billion in 2030, a person familiar with the matter said. The revenue forecast reflects OpenAI’s strong momentum in subscription sales for its artificial intelligence (AI) software to consumers and businesses. OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar said the company’s annualized revenue topped US$20 billion last year, up from about US$6 billion the previous year. Meanwhile, OpenAI said it has “visibility into what we are going to need” regarding chip supply, while emphasizing the need for democratic nations to develop shared safety standards for AI. “Democratic societies do need to start to develop shared safety standards on this technology,” Lehane said in the interview.