US urges Beijing to cease pressure, engage in talksStaff writer, with CNA and AFPThe US Department of State yesterday urged Beijing to cease military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan. The arms sales “violate the one-China principle... seriously damaging China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. A spokesperson for the State Department yesterday stated opposition to Beijing’s actions. The US strongly opposes retaliation against US companies for supporting arms sales to Taiwan, they said, adding that the purpose of these arms sales is to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. The spokesperson also urged Beijing to stop exerting military, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue.

The Coast Guard Administration and Chunghwa Telecom on Jan. 4 said that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by the Shunxin-39. The investigation found that after running silent for a long time, it was spotted off the coast of Busan, South Korea, on Aug. 14. The ship name registered under the two frequency names was highly similar, with the one registered in Cameroon named “Shun Xin” and the one registered in Tanzania named “Xing Shun,” it found. Taiwan should step up its active radar pinging and visual recognition of ships, Su said, adding that if ships receive a radar signal without a corresponding AIS designation, they should treat it as suspicious and investigate. The air wing would provide a 3D monitoring capability at a moderate cost and should be considered by the government, Su said.

Huang Kuo-chang declares candidacy for New Taipei CityBy Wong Yu-huang / Staff reporterTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday officially announced his candidacy for next year’s New Taipei City mayoral election, with former party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) attending the event to show his support. “New Taipei City is not a satellite city of Taipei. I want to make New Taipei City shine,” Huang said. Noting the residents of New Taipei City have given the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) 16 years to lead the city, Huang expressed the hope that the voters would give him four years and pledged he would do his best and give it his all. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, right, bumps fists with former party chairman Ko Wen-je at a press conference in New Taipei City yesterday.

Businessman seeks WWII tragedy closureStaff writer, with CNAWorld War II might have ended 80 years ago, but for businessman Hsu Shun-lung (許順隆), it continues to echo in Taiwan through a tragedy that has yet to be brought to a final resolution. Businessman Hsu Shun-lung, center, poses with members of the Preparatory Committee for Settlmenet of Sancha Mountain Incident Victims in an undated photograph. After learning of the history, Hsu in November last year began to coordinate efforts to recover the remains of the deceased rescuers. For Hsu, those actions were a start, but not enough to honor the deceased rescuers, whose remains, Hsu believes, are still in pristine condition on Sancha Mountain. That has not discouraged Hsu from pursuing his primary goal — to give the deceased rescuers a proper burial, he said.

Thailand and Cambodia agree to second ceasefireReuters, BANGKOKThailand and Cambodia yesterday ended weeks of fierce border clashes with a second ceasefire in the worst fighting in years between the Southeast Asian nations. The ceasefire was holding, Thai Ministry of Defense spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said about two hours after it went into effect at noon. Cambodian Minister of Defense Tea Seiha, left, shakes hands with his Thai couterpart, Nattaphon Narkphanit, at the General Border Committee Meeting in Chanthaburi Province, Thailand, yesterday. An earlier ceasefire broke down this month, with each side accusing the other of moves that led to clashes. Thailand would also return 18 Cambodian soldiers in its custody since the July clashes if the ceasefire is fully maintained for 72 hours, according to the agreement.

The project is to have a NT$5 billion budget and target four to six-story apartment buildings aged 30 years or older, as well as terraced townhouses and independent residential buildings that are six stories or fewer, the Ministry of the Interior’s (MOI) proposal said. Each apartment would have a funding ceiling of NT$9.6 million, and interior renovations would be capped at NT$200,000. Elderly residents, defined as those aged 65 or older, and disadvantaged residents would receive a maximum of NT$300,000 in interior renovation funds. The meeting would also discuss amendments to the Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe and Old Buildings Act (都市危險及老舊建築物加速重建條例), they added. The amendments state that “unsafe and old” buildings eligible for renovation subsidies must have residents in at least half of the building’s residential units.

England’s Harry Brook, third right, plays a shot on day 2 of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. England’s Harry Brook hits the winning runs on day 2 of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. Photo: AFPEngland had not won a Test in Australia since January 2011 in Sydney, losing 16 and drawing two since. England’s Josh Tongue, right, celebrates taking a wicket on day 2 of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. An England supporter celebrates after their win on day 2 of the fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

‘Comanche’ and ‘LawConnect’ duelAP, HOBART, AustraliaSupermaxis Master Lock Comanche and defending champions LawConnect yesterday continued their close duel on the second day of the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. LawConnect was forced to contend with a broken mainsheet and halyard overnight, but fixed both issues and remained in pursuit of Comanche, which is skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo. The fleet departs from Sydney Harbour at the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Friday. LawConnect sails in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race near the start on Friday. LawConnect led the fleet out of Sydney Harbour in search of its third straight line honors win.

GoLaxy provides insights, situation analysis and public opinion-shaping technology by conducting network surveillance and identifying key public opinion influencers. The Yomiuri Shimbun also discussed how China might have interfered in Taiwan’s previous elections, citing three leaked audio files circulating online in October. The audio files allegedly contained discussions between the head of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force No. The conversations on the audio files also implied that China had prepared 20 million yuan (US$3 million) for work related to the Kaohsiung mayoral election in 2018 and the 2020 presidential election. When Han unexpectedly won as mayor and online search volume about him had skyrocketed, there were speculations about public opinion manipulation.

Morocco held by Mali, ending record wins runReuters, RABATHosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Mali’s Nene Dorgeles, center, is challenged by Anass Salah-Eddine of Morocco during their Group A game at the African Cup of Nations in Rabat on Friday. Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui controls the ball during their Africa Cup of Nations game against Mali in Rabat on Friday. Sinayoko had been hacked down by Morocco centerback Jawad el Yamiq, but the referee initially waved play on.

Closing 10-0 run lifts Chicago Bulls over 76ersAFP, WASHINGTONChicago’s Coby White on Friday scored nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-102, stretching their win streak to five games. Reserves Tre Jones and Zach Collins each scored 15 points, while White added seven rebounds and six assists as Chicago scored the last 10 points to win, improving to 15-15. It was sloppy, a little bit, but we got the win,” White said. Jalen Smith made a slam dunk and White sank a three-pointer that put Chicago ahead for good. “Everybody contributed down the stretch and we made some big-time plays.”Tyrese Maxey added 27 points for the 76ers, who squandered a 24-point lead in losing to Chicago last month.

China revises law to regulate drones, tighten safety rulesREUTERS, BEIJINGChina passed a revised law that for the first time formally regulates uncrewed aircraft, a move set to reshape the country’s fast-growing drone and low-altitude economy sectors, state media said yesterday. China has implemented “interim regulations” for uncrewed aircraft starting last year, which stipulate that civil uncrewed aircraft must be registered under real names. The regulations also specify that micro, light and small civil uncrewed aircraft do not require airworthiness certification, while medium and large ones must apply for airworthiness certification. As China’s drone market has rapidly expanded, oversight has lagged. E-commerce and food delivery leaders such as JD.com and Meituan have long talked about investing in drone logistics to improve supply chain efficiency.

The crown jewels of the arcade industry, they occupy the building’s first two floors, relegating video games to the basement and upper levels. Claw machines are displayed at the Amusement Expo in Tokyo on Nov. 14. Photo: AFP“Crane games are keeping the sector afloat,” said Morihiro Shigihara, an industry expert and former arcade manager. The real stroke of genius “was putting plush toys in the claw games,” Bottos said. The hegemony of claw machines has also gone hand in hand with a gradual transformation of urban hangouts.

Some choosing Chinese amid tech rivalryBy Thomas Urbain and Luna Lin / AFP, NEW YORKEven as the US is embarked on a bitter rivalry with China over the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), Chinese technology is quietly making inroads into the US market. Despite considerable geopolitical tensions, Chinese open-source AI models are winning over a growing number of programmers and companies in the US. Photo: ReutersIn contrast, “open” models offered by many Chinese rivals, from Alibaba (阿里巴巴) to DeepSeek (深度求索), allow programmers to customize parts of the software to suit their needs. US chip titan Nvidia, AI firm Perplexity and California’s Stanford University are also using Qwen models in some of their work. Given the US administration’s stance on Chinese tech companies, risks remain, Barton said.

Cape Town’s housing crisis meets tourism-fired Airbnb boomBy Shakirah Thebus / AFP, CAPE TOWNThe laughter of children echoed against walls lined with dozens of mattresses in a large, dim room of an illegally occupied building in Cape Town’s bustling and touristy city center. The property is in the heart of Cape Town, where rental prices are soaring as tourism is booming. “My income doesn’t allow me to pay Cape Town’s exorbitant rent prices,” said one of the residents, Fundisa Loza, 46. A woman eats on a couch in a hall of an occupied building in Cape Town on Dec. 18. For city official Luthando Tyhalibongo, Cape Town’s “housing stress is not foreign-made, investor-made or Airbnb-made...