Once powerful states begin treating international law as optional, the rules-based order begins to erode. Before World War II, repeated violations of international law were justified as necessary responses to ideological or security threats. By the time the world recognized that the “cure” was as destructive as the disease, the international system had already collapsed. In that world, legal norms, democratic values and moral arguments matter less than geography and strategic bargaining. Supporting the erosion of international norms today — even when politically tempting — weakens the very system Taiwan depends on tomorrow.

Israel strikes villages, towns in LebanonHEZBOLLAH, HAMAS TARGETS: The house targeted in al-Manara belonged to Sharhabil Sayed, a Hamas leader who was killed by Israel in 2024, the NNA reportedAFP, BEIRUTThe Israeli military on Monday launched strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, Lebanese state media reported, after warning it would hit what it called Hezbollah and Hamas targets in four villages. It later reported a new series of strikes near the southern towns of Saksakiyeh and Sarafand, without prior warning. Despite a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel carries out regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is bombing Hezbollah sites and operatives, and occasionally Hamas targets. All four of Monday’s targeted villages are located north of the river. Lebanon’s Cabinet is to meet tomorrow to discuss the army’s progress, while the ceasefire monitoring committee — comprising Lebanon, Israel, the US, France and UN peacekeepers — is also set to meet this week.

Singer’s music disappears from China-based sitesBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAThe Internet is abuzz over the sudden and unexplained removal of most of Taiwanese Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng-hsiang’s (林生祥) works from China-based Web sites over the past three days. On China’s major music streaming service, NetEase Cloud Music, Lin’s recent work has been removed, leaving only work dating to the early 2000s, when Lin was with other bands. Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng-hsiang poses for pictures at a news conference in Taipei on Dec. 22, 2021. People online expressed confusion about why Lin’s music — based on his observations of farming villages, the relationship between the city and the countryside, and environmental issues — have been taken down. Lin’s work has won multiple Golden Melody Awards and Golden Indie Music Awards.

Air Force lauches search for F-16 pilot ejected off Hualien coastStaff writer, with CNAA captain surnamed Hsin (辛) is believed to have ejected from an F-16V (Block 20) single-seat jet about 10 nautical miles (18.5km) east of Fongbin Township (豐濱) in Hualien County during a routine training mission at 7:29pm yesterday, the air force said. The air force said that it had established an emergency response center and launched a search-and-rescue operation. The fighter took off from Hualien Air Base at 6:17pm for a routine training mission, the air force said. A technician works on an F-16 plane at an air force base in Hualien, Taiwan April 8, 2023. Vessels from the Sixth (Hualien) Coast Guard Corps were expected to be among the first to reach the site, sources said.

Head of Ukraine security service resigns, replacedAP, KYIVUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday replaced the head of the security service, continuing a top-level reshuffle ahead of a trip to Paris where he hoped to finalize agreements with allies on how to ensure that Russia does not repeat its invasion if a peace agreement is signed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left, shakes hands with former head of the security service Vasyl Maliuk in Kyiv on Monday. Besides being a former deputy prime minister, she also served as Canadian minister of international trade, minister of foreign affairs and minister of finance, and helped negotiate trade agreements with both Europe and the US. Freeland and US President Donald Trump have had a sometimes-fraught relationship that could work against Ukraine. During Trump’s first meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office, the president recalled his own antipathy for Freeland.

China’s attitude ‘unacceptable’: MEPEUROPEAN DELEGATION: President William Lai said that the European Parliament’s staunch support for Taiwan sent the message ‘that the virtuous never stand alone’Staff writer, with CNAThe military exercises China staged around Taiwan last week were provocative and revealed Beijing’s “unacceptable attitude” that threatens “peaceful coexistence across the Taiwan Strait,” Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Michael Gahler said yesterday. Against this backdrop, Gahler, who chairs the European Taiwan Friendship Group, underlined the importance of the European Parliament and democracies worldwide speaking out about maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, a condition Gahler said China has attempted to alter. President William Lai, right, shakes hands with Member of the European Parliament Michael Gahler at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. “This is such a provocation and an unacceptable attitude that endangers the peaceful coexistence across the Strait,” he said. In addition to Gahler, the delegation includes MEPs Sven Simon, Wouter Beke, Christophe Gomart, Marion Walsmann, Iuliu Winkler, Michal Szczerba and Jan Farsky.

Amid shifting global conditions, Taiwan might soon have a new opportunity to stage a diplomatic reversal in the Americas. When promises go unfulfilled, foreign policy adjusts to meet the political reality in which livelihoods and public trust are key. While Asfura’s election boosts diplomatic confidence in Taiwan, it also underscores the need for strategic evolution. As global supply chains are restructured and awareness of the risks posed by authoritarian expansion grows, more countries are reassessing the costs behind China’s promises. Edwin Yang is an associate professor at National Taiwan Normal University and chairman of the Central Taiwan Association of University Professors.

US ‘undermined’ international law in Venezuela: UNAFP, GENEVA, SwitzerlandUS airstrikes on Venezuela and the seizing of the nation’s leader at the weekend clearly “undermined a fundamental principle of international law,” the UN said yesterday. “States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Reuters / Miraflores PalaceUS commandos backed by warplanes, the navy and airstrikes forcibly seized deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of Saturday. The US and EU say Maduro stayed in power by rigging elections — most recently in 2024 — and imprisoning opponents, while overseeing rampant corruption. “Far from being a victory for human rights, this military intervention ... damages the architecture of international security, making every country less safe,” she said.

The Golden Globes kick off Hollywood’s awards season on SundayAP, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaThe Golden Globes return Sunday. The boozy, bubbly kickoff to Hollywood’s awards season will feature nominees including Timothee Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Emma Stone. Here are more key things to know about the ceremony:Helen Mirren arrives at the 81st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Mirren will tomorrow be honored with the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award for a life of work on screen. The Globes, held annually in early January, are the first major ceremony of the awards season.

Gogoro, Castrol expand cooperation in VietnamStaff writer, with CNAElectric scooter brand and battery swapping services provider Gogoro Inc (睿能創意) has decided to expand its cooperation with British lubricant maker Castrol Holdings International Ltd in the Vietnamese market. The company said it would authorize Castrol to market and sell these models in Vietnam, while Gogoro would assist with design and technologies used in new models, it said. Castrol has been in the Vietnamese market for decades, Gogoro said. Ho Chi Minh City is expected to follow, making the Vietnamese market more attractive to Gogoro. In Taiwan, e-scooter sales fell 37.64 percent from a year earlier to 49,228 units last year, including 28,176 Gogoro units.

New phase ahead for office space market: JLL TaiwanTREND? The market this year would be characterized by technology-driven upgrades, a gradual shift toward a more balanced office market and regulatory reforms that could unlock new sources of capital, JLL Taiwan managing director Kevin Hou (侯文信) told a news conference in Taipei. Photo: Hsu Yi-ping, Taipei TimesDemand from AI-related sectors, the semiconductor supply chain and growing environmental protection requirements are expected to drive upgrades in office space, he said. Revisions to Taiwan’s real-estate investment trust regulations are expected to pass the legislature in the second quarter, a development that could introduce fresh liquidity into the commercial property market, Hou said. Taiwan’s office market is becoming more competitive, but demand for prime and high-specification space remains resilient, even as landlords face mounting pressure from new supply and evolving tenant expectations, JLL Taiwan said.

Taiwan’s forex reserves hit 2nd highest at end-2025Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s foreign exchange reserves rose US$2.76 billion from a month earlier to hit US$602.55 billion at the end of last month, second only to US$602.94 billion recorded at the end of September, the central bank said yesterday. Photo: Cho Seong-joon, BloombergIn May and June, the central bank bought the greenback to cap the appreciation of the NT dollar, giving a boost to the country’s forex reserves. In recent trading sessions, foreign institutional investors did not remit large funds out of or into the local market, Tsai said. These holdings were the equivalent of 191 percent of Taiwan’s total forex reserves last month, up from 182 percent in November after the benchmark TAIEX rose 4.84 percent. The central bank yesterday disclosed that it bought US$1.287 billion more US dollars than it sold in the third quarter of last year.

Hornets shock Oklahoma City ThunderDOMINATION: New York Knicks coach Mike Brown said they did not match the physicality of the Detroit Pistons, adding that ‘they just physically kicked our ass’AFP, LOS ANGELESThe Charlotte Hornets on Monday thrashed the NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder 124-97, as Eastern Conference leaders Detroit delivered a statement win over the New York Knicks. The struggling Hornets, 12th in the Eastern Conference, dominated in Oklahoma City, where the league-leading Thunder suffered just their seventh loss of the season, but their second in a row after a setback against Phoenix on Sunday. The Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller, left, celebrates his basket with teammates during their NBA match against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Monday. Photo: ReutersEven 20 Hornets turnovers, leading to 26 Thunder points, could not help Oklahoma City, who never led after the opening minutes and connected on just 36.6 percent of their shots from the field. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Oklahoma City would not panic after dropping six of 12 games since their blazing 24-1 start to the season.

City centerback Gvardiol out with broken right legAFP, LONDONManchester City have confirmed defender Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Gvardiol was one of two City centerbacks who went off injured in the second half, along with Ruben Dias, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time equalizer for the visitors. The draw left second-placed City six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal. Photo: ReutersBefore the extent of Croatia international Gvardiol’s injury was confirmed, City manager Pep Guardiola said it “doesn’t look good” for either player. “It’s been a terrible, terrible time for me,” the Spain international said.

Jim Ratcliffe revolution fails to halt Man Utd declineAFP, MANCHESTER, EnglandRuben Amorim’s sacking by Manchester United has exposed the dismal lack of progress since Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival as co-owner promised a new dawn. INEOS Group chairman Jim Ratcliffe takes part in the company’s media event in London on Feb. 23, 2024. Photo: AFPSince then, United have not seriously competed to win the English Premier League or UEFA Champions League despite a succession of big-name managers. Then-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim looks on during their English Premier League match against Leeds United at Ellen Road in Leeds, England, on Sunday. To compound matters for United fans starved of success, Ratcliffe is asking them to pay more to attend games.