Grab seeks approval for US$600 million Foodpanda dealSingapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of

Manufacturing PMI rises for sixth straight monthBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) last month expanded for the sixth straight month, despite the Middle East conflict, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) said yesterday. The impact has been particularly pronounced in chemical-related industries, where rising oil prices have rapidly filtered through production chains. Despite these pressures, demand tied to artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains remained robust, helping support overall manufacturing activity, Lien said. “If the geopolitical conflict proves brief, the overall economic impact should remain manageable,” he said. Separately, Taiwan’s non-manufacturing sector continued to grow steadily, with the non-manufacturing index rising 0.9 points to 54.3 last month — its 13th consecutive month of expansion, the institute said.

New Taipei to provide free school lunches; Taoyuan free textbooksStaff Writer, with CNANew Taipei and Taoyuan yesterday announced new education subsidy policies, with New Taipei set to provide free school lunches and Taoyuan to offer free textbooks for students. New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said the city will provide free lunches to all elementary and junior high school students starting Aug. 31. The policy is expected to benefit around 323,000 students and cost NT$4.84 billion (US$151.55 million) annually, Hou told the New Taipei City Council. Students in an elementary school in New Taipei City get their meals at lunch time. Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Education DepartmentThe 2026 budget will be covered in advance, with funding to be formally incorporated into the city’s annual budget from 2027 onward, he said.

Record NT$418bn gains for labor fund: bureaustrong performance: Gains made in February smashed the fund’s previous record of NT$394.7 billion in January, marking a monthly return of 10.83 percentStaff Writer, with CNAFunds managed by the Ministry of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Funds posted record gains of NT$418.4 billion (US$13.10 billion) in February on the back of a strong performance of global financial markets, the bureau said yesterday. February gains smashed the previous record reported in January of NT$394.7 billion, the bureau said. Bureau of Labor Funds signage is pictured at the Ministry of Labor in Taipei on Jan. 8. Photo: Li Ching-hui, Taipei TimesThe gains during the January-to-February period translated into a 10.83 percent rate of return, the bureau added. As of the end of February, the combined value of the funds managed by the bureau — the Labor Pension Fund, the Labor Retirement Fund, the Labor Insurance Fund, the Employment Insurance Fund and the Arrear Wage Payment Fund — stood at NT$8.06 trillion, data from the bureau showed.

Cross-party lawmakers question eased migrant domestic worker rulesStaff Writer, with CNALawmakers across party lines yesterday questioned the government’s easing of rules on hiring migrant domestic workers, warning that the policy could weaken professional childcare standards and shift the care burdens from the state onto families and workers. Since the Cabinet in mid-March approved a plan to ease rules on hiring migrant domestic workers, allowing households with at least one child under 12 to apply, the policy has sparked both support and concern ahead of its scheduled April 13 implementation. At a legislative hearing, Chiu Cheng-chun (邱鎮軍) of the main opposition Kuomintang described the government’s move as “abandoning the bottom line of professional care” for children in an estimated 1.44 million eligible households. With public childcare services falling short and local nannies too expensive, he argued that by turning to migrant domestic workers, the government no longer seemed concerned about the quality of childcare. The security fee is a government levy used to support labor welfare and the management of migrant workers.

Both the TPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are claiming that the prosecutors are engaging in a political witch hunt, green terror, fascism and so forth. It is standard operating procedure for KMT targets of investigation to claim the prosecutors are working for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). New Party officials complained of “green terror” and said it was politics. DPP officials and lawmakers are refusing to interact with her in the legislature because she is so obviously an illegal appointment. If the prosecutors are right, Xu had to tell the TPP officials who he really was, otherwise why would they bother to meet him?

Child health checkups to increase to nine: HPABUNDLED SERVICE: The number of routine checkups for children up to the age of seven are to increase to provide accurate tracking of developmental progressBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterCheckups under the government-funded Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services, which provides regular checkups and consultations for children up to the age of seven, would be increased from seven times to nine times starting from July 1, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said starting from July 1, two more checkups would be added to the Children’s Preventive Healthcare Services’ existing seven, adding up to a total of nine times. A poster featuring the Health Promotion Administration’s upgraded Children Preventive Healthcare Services is pictured in an undated photograph. “It’s not just about increasing the number of checkups, we aim to improve the care quality, too,” Chuang said. Chuang said parents are advised to fill out the Children’s Health Handbook accurately, as it serves as a vital reference for the doctor’s assessment and diagnosis.

Chinese Nationalist Party Chair Cheng Li-wun, right, announced on Monday that she has been invited to visit China and meet with officials, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping. That gives the CCP dominance and means Cheng and the KMT cannot adequately prepare and have given away much of their leverage. On Monday, Cheng expressed hope that this trip would lay a solid first step toward enduring and sustainable peace across the Strait. The catch is that, as she herself notes, those have already been formally written into the KMT party charter. Donovan’s Deep Dives is a regular column by Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) who writes in-depth analysis on everything about Taiwan’s political scene and geopolitics.

SPEAK UP: ‘Phantom,’ various hit musicals & vocalists to tour Taiwan (1/2) 《歌劇魅影》、百老匯演唱會登場（上）A: The four-day Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend begins Friday and will run until Monday. B: I did in advance last weekend, so I can go to Kaohsiung to see the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.”A: Wow, is “Phantom” touring Taiwan again? The musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” 音樂劇《歌劇魅影》。 Photo: Liberty Times 照片：自由時報B: And it’s not just touring Kaohsiung starting March 31, but also Taipei starting April 21 and Taichung starting May 26. A: “Phantom” is one of the world’s Four Major Musicals. I’ve seen all of them, except “Les Miserables.” The latter has never visited Taiwan due to its complex stage design, high technical demand and massive production costs.

French president lauds ‘predictability’ of Europe in JapanAFP, TOKYOFrench President Emmanuel Macron yesterday praised Europe’s “predictability” during a visit to Japan, contrasting it with countries that “could hurt you without even informing you” in an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump. Trump on Tuesday wrote on social media that Paris had been “very unhelpful” during the war with Iran. “That’s not bad, in times like these, believe me.”French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shake hands at a news conference in Tokyo yesterday. This is why ... we both advocate the return to peace, to a ceasefire, to calm, and to the free movement of people and goods through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said. Takaichi echoed his words, saying the two leaders had agreed “on the importance of ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining a stable supply of essential materials and calming the situation as soon as possible.”

Food assistance slashed for Rohingya‘NO SAFE CHOICES’: A UN official said the change should not be described as a ration cut, but Bangladeshi refugee authorities said it would make people desperateAP, SYDNEYHundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s camps were to have food assistance slashed starting yesterday, raising alarm throughout the community. The agency in a statement said that a ration cut implies food assistance is being reduced below 2,100 calories a day, the recommended minimum for emergency food aid. The plan “ensures that even with differentiated ration sizes, all Rohingya continue meeting their minimum food needs, strengthening fairness, transparency and equity in food assistance,” it said. With desperation already running high, the Rohingya would attempt to flee in search of food and work, he said. “Ration cuts are pushing people toward life-threatening risks, leaving them with no safe choices,” he said.

Big tech has taken two body blows in the courtroomHow can society capitalize on this rare win against the wealthy tech corps and hit them even harder? By Jonathan Freedland / The GuardianGood news is so rare these days, you do not quite know how to take it. Realizing that signaled the girls’ dissatisfaction with their appearance, the company saw a way to monetize that unhappiness. At long last, the little guys taking on the social media titans might have found a way around the “liability shield” that protected them for decades. Is it possible that the law has finally landed a shot on old social media platforms just as a newer, greater menace enters the ring?

Taiwan beat Japan for Baseball5 Asia Cup titleBy Benjamin Bowser / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan on Tuesday rallied past Japan to win their second Baseball5 Asia Cup title in Hong Kong, securing a berth in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball5 World Cup. Taiwan players and staff pose with the trophy after winning their second Baseball5 Asia Cup title in Hong Kong on Tuesday. In the final set, Japan took the lead from the first inning, with Rokkaku’s double RBI sending in Kamimura and Mikami. Taiwan earlier in the day advanced to the final by sweeping South Korea 11-0, 6-4 in the semi-finals, setting up a third consecutive Asian Cup final against Japan. Taiwan beat Japan 2-1 in the final of the inaugural Baseball5 Asia Cup title in 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, while Japan survived Taiwan 2-1 in 2024 in Seoul.

More than 3,800 people in Myanmar — and about 90 in Thailand — were killed when the magnitude 7.7 tremor struck on March 28 last year. A year on, reporters returning to the affected areas found a mixed picture of reconstruction work. A woman sits in a shelter following an earthquake in Amarapura, Myanmar, on April 3 last year. “Some are rebuilding their houses, while others are just now getting the support they need to work and live,” said board secretary Hsan Tun, 70. “Yesterday marked one year” since disaster struck, said mosque leader Khin Maung Naing, counting by the Islamic calendar.

Domestic violence cases on the riseBy Wang Hsiang-cheng 王翔正Taiwan’s population declined for the 26th consecutive month in February, as deaths continued to outnumber births, resulting in negative population growth. However, amid this birthrate crisis, domestic violence is on the rise, with 136,781 cases reported last year, up 9,419, or 7.4 percent, from 2024, National Police Agency statistics showed. The number of domestic violence reports and those referred for criminal prosecution both posted five-year highs. Beyond these official statistics, the number of unreported domestic violence cases also remains high. For domestic abuse involving romantic partners, Article 7 of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (家庭暴力防治法) was amended in 2023 to include protections for same-sex couples and those in non-cohabiting relationships.