AFCON change seen by some as caving in to FIFAAFP, RABATThe Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a biennial competition to a tournament held every four years has been met with a mixed reaction on the continent with some seeing it as simply caving in to pressure from European clubs and FIFA. CAF president Patrice Motsepe made the landmark announcement following a meeting with FIFA executives in Rabat on the eve of this year’s Cup of Nations in Morocco. Ivory Coast supporters cheer for their team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Group F match against Mozambique at Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco on Wednesday. To that end, the creation of a new African Nations League — modeled on the UEFA Nations League — is seen as a way of boosting coffers instead. “I think it will make the competition more attractive,” said Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez, currently appearing at his sixth AFCON.

Ko bribery case verdict scheduled for next MarchStaff writer, with CNAA verdict in the trial of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) over allegations that he accepted bribes in the Core Pacific City development project and misused political donations would be handed down in late March, a Taipei judge said on Wednesday. Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je emerges from the Taipei District Court on the last day of his corruption trial on Wednesday. In the Core Pacific City development project case, Ko is accused of receiving bribes from Core Pacific Group chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) in exchange for granting a massive, illegal increase in the project’s floor-area ratio (FAR). Ko allowed his supporters to pressure the judiciary, including by surrounding the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and issuing online threats, they said. Meanwhile, Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), another suspect, expressed hope that the trial would clear her name.

Five indicted in tobacco smuggling ringBy Tsai Ching-hua / Staff reporterKaohsiung prosecutors on Tuesday last week indicted five suspects following a major bust of a criminal ring in August that allegedly smuggled contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products via fishing vessels. The bust — one of Kaohsiung’s largest — uncovered an estimated NT$100 million (US$3.18 million) of illegal tobacco products hidden in the cargo of fishing boats, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said. Contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products are pictured on a fishing boat in Kaohsiung in August. The task force tracked the three fishing boats — Jin Ji Li No. The five were indicted for contravening the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法).

New Terminal 3 concourse tipped to ease congestionStaff writer, with CNAThe north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 officially began operations yesterday and is expected to ease congestion during early-morning transfer and departure peak hours, the airport operator said. About 40 flights are to use the north concourse every day, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC, 桃園國際機場) said. The north concourse features a bright, modern design with silver-gray and orange accents. The north concourse extends from Gate D10 in Terminal 2 and connects to gates D11 through D18. As the main Terminal 3 complex is to be completed and opened in 2027, passengers using the concourse need to clear immigration and security at Terminal 2.

Post union to ask for birthday leave for firm employeesBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Chunghwa Post Workers’ Union (CPWU) yesterday said that it would soon negotiate with the management of the state-run postal firm over a proposal to grant employees birthday leave. CPWU president Lin Jung-chou (林榮洲) said that the union would negotiate with the company management next year about granting employees birthday leave. Employees who are on extended leave for illness would receive a full salary during the first six months and half salary afterward, Lin said. According to the union, workers would each receive NT$8,000 from the welfare fund next year, including NT$2,000 as a holiday allowance and NT$6,000 as a special allowance. In addition to birthday leave, railway workers on the night shift would also see their late-night meal allowance rise to NT$400 from NT$120 starting next month.

About 1.74 million people are expected to benefit from the adjustment of the minimum monthly wage, while about 730,000 would benefit from the hourly wage change, Ministry of Labor data showed. In line with the adjusted minimum wage, Level 1 of the Labor Insurance and Occupational Accident Insurance for fulltime workers — which links actual wages to insurance brackets for contribution calculations — would rise to NT$29,500. The minimum wage is to increase in the New Year. The Bureau of Labor Insurance is to carry out the adjustments, which would take effect on Thursday next week, it said. In other rule changes, cat owners who fail to microchip their pets would face fines of up to NT$15,000, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Legislator proposes ‘referral schools’By Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with CNAChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之) yesterday said he would propose a bill that would mandate each municipality to establish at least one “referral school” with enhanced counseling resources to send problematic students. The bill aims to “protect the lives and safety of the majority of students and their right to education,” Yeh said in a statement. “We have seen more frequent incidents in recent years of students assaulting teachers and beating up fellow students,” Yeh said. “Teachers are gradually losing their authority, and are unable to rein in problem students,” he added. Under current rules, schools are required to keep problematic students in their original classes, Yeh said.

EDITORIAL: Court needs to be able to do its jobThe Constitutional Court on Friday last week ruled that an opposition-backed amendment to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) was unconstitutional and should be rendered void, as it was passed in an undemocratic manner and goes against the constitutional principle of separation of powers. At the same time the opposition has rejected all nominees to the court by President William Lai (賴清德), leaving the Constitutional Court with insufficient numbers after seven justices’ terms ended. The legislature’s hobbling of the Constitutional Court not only has breached the separation of powers in the Constitution, but has impaired public interests and national governance. The operation of a Constitutional Court is a core function for upholding democracy. Impeachment would also need to be approved by the Constitutional Court, which, ironically, has been crippled by the opposition.

Short-form videos dominant: pollMEDIA REVOLUTION: Short-form videos have become popular relatively quickly, but one expert said this was not a worry, as media formats are constantly evolvingStaff writer, with CNAShort-form videos have become the most common media format consumed by Taiwanese, ahead of social media, the Taiwan Network Information Center said in a report released on Wednesday last week. More than three-fifths of respondents said they watched short videos daily across multiple platforms, while nearly half (49.98 percent) reported viewing short videos multiple times a day, compared with 8.06 percent who said they watched once a day. Photo: CNAThe report defined a short-form video as content lasting between 15 seconds and three minutes on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts. By age group, short-form video consumption was highest among respondents aged 18 to 29 and 30 to 39, at 96.73 percent and 93.86 percent respectively. “Short videos deliver fresh content quickly, but they will not replace all other forms of content,” Tao said.

Beijing favoring invasion, Pentagon report saysStaff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTONBeijing could eventually see a full invasion of Taiwan as the only “prudent” way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in an annual report to the US Congress on Tuesday. Beijing’s leaders generally view the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities for a Taiwan campaign as improving, but they remain uncertain about its readiness to seize the nation while countering potential US involvement, the report said. A landing campaign involving a large-scale amphibious invasion of Taiwan would be the most decisive and riskiest option, it said. The three less-dramatic options, also covered in last year’s report, were coercion short of war, a joint firepower strike campaign and a joint blockade campaign. Conversely, if the defense budget is frozen, Taiwan’s military would essentially be disarmed, which would lower the threshold China must match to launch an invasion, he said.

Taiwan needs new constitution, front saysBy Huang Ching-hsuan and Jason Pan / Staff reportersTaiwan should draft a new constitution that includes rights of self-determination and national sovereignty, as well as protections for the environment, members of the Taiwan Go Go Front said on Wednesday. “It is time for Taiwan to say goodbye to the outdated Constitution, as it is based on old concepts and the political thinking of Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT),” Green Party Taiwan head Lin Chun-chieh (林俊杰) said during a news conference in Taipei, the day before Constitution Day. We need a political movement to draft a new constitution for Taiwan,” he added. The front was formed earlier this month with involvement from a number of political parties, including the Green Party, New Power Party (NPP), Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party (TOPEP). Constitution Day was abolished two decades ago, and we should wave it goodbye, as it was imposed on Taiwanese by an exiled Chinese colonial regime,” Taiwan Statebuilding Party chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) said.

Australian PM to award Bondi attack heroesAP, NEWCASTLE, AustraliaAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday announced plans for a national bravery award to recognize civilians and first responders who confronted “the worst of evil” during an anti-Semitic terror attack that left 15 dead and has cast a heavy shadow over the nation’s holiday season. Sajid Akram, who was killed by police during the Dec. 14 attack, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, are accused of perpetrating Australia’s worst massacre since 1996. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, left, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speak to the media during a Christmas lunch hosted by the Rev Bill Crews Foundation in Sydney yesterday. The legislation also tightens licensing by reducing permit terms to two years, restricting ownership to Australian citizens and removing the review pathway for license denials. Other new laws would ban the public display of terrorist symbols and grant police expanded powers to restrict public gatherings in specific areas following terrorist incidents.

Immersive schools can help save languagesBy Chiang Jih-yingh 蔣日盈Kaohsiung’s Beiling Elementary School has become the nation’s first experimental immersion school for the Hoklo language, (often known as Taiwanese, or Tai-gi). In immersion schools, all teaching and communication on school grounds is carried out in Hoklo, directly and naturally benefiting students’ learning. New Zealand is well known for its te reo Maori immersion schools, which began in the mid-1980s. Beiling Elementary School’s Hoklo-language immersion program was started last year by the Kaohsiung City Government. The suppression of local languages in Taiwan has caused widespread mother-tongue losses, including Hakka and indigenous languages.

China license would not cut excess steel exports: lobbyReuters, TOKYOChina’s planned export-license requirement would not be effective in curbing steel export volumes or support a recovery in prices, Japan Iron and Steel Federation chairman Tadashi Imai said yesterday. China, the world’s largest steel producer, on Dec. 12 announced plans to roll out a license system from next year to regulate exports of the metal, as robust shipments have fueled a growing protectionist backlash worldwide. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Thursday last week said the proposed export license requirement for 300 steel products would allow closer monitoring of steel exports. A worker drives a forklift past steel rolls that arrived from China at Port of Valparaiso, Chile, on July 10. Ballooning exports by Chinese steelmakers have become an international concern, with Japan among countries criticizing Chinese firms for receiving government subsidies that encourage overproduction and low-priced exports, worsening global market conditions.

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen separatists to depart two areasAP, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesSaudi Arabia yesterday formally called on United Arab Emirites (UAE)-backed separatists in Yemen to withdraw from two governorates that their forces control in the country, a move that threatens sparking a confrontation within a fragile coalition battling the Houthi rebels. The statement from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared aimed at putting public pressure on the Southern Transitional Council, a force long backed by the UAE. Saudi Arabia has backed other fighters within Yemen, including the National Shield Forces, in the war against the Iranian-backed Houthis that the kingdom launched in 2015. Those aligned with the council have increasingly flown the flag of South Yemen, which was a separate country from 1967 to 1990. There were calls for demonstrations yesterday in Aden to support political forces wanting South Yemen to again secede from Yemen, but it was not immediately clear if they would go ahead given Saudi Arabia’s announcement.