Taiwan’s Lin and Yang win silver medals in FranceStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese shuttlers Lin Chih-chun and Yang Chu-yun on Sunday finished runners-up in the women’s doubles final against a Japanese duo at the Orleans Masters in France. From left, Taiwan’s Lin Chih-chun and Yang Chu-yun celebrate winning silver medals at the Orleans Masters in France on Sunday. After the tournament, team coach Huang Po-yi said that Lin and Yang had a chance to win the match after leveling the score at 1-1. Huang said it was something of a surprise that Lin and Yang had reached the final, given their struggles in the past week. The silver medal marked the best performance by Lin and Yang, who have teamed up for only three tournaments so far.

Broadcasters call for tighter rules on Big Tech’s devicesReuters, BRUSSELSGoogle, Amazon, Apple and Samsung’s smart TVs and virtual assistants should fall under the EU’s toughest tech rules because of their growing market power, the world’s largest broadcasters told European Commissioner for Competition Teresa Ribera yesterday. Services such as Google TV and Amazon’s Fire TV have recommendation systems, as well as search functions, that may prioritise some content over others. “It is crucial that the Commission designate major TV operating systems as gatekeepers and ensure adequate oversight to guarantee fairness and contestability,” the broadcasters said. The broadcasters also voiced concerns about virtual assistants, the most well known of which are Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, while OpenAI entered the field last year with a beta feature called Tasks for its AI chatbot ChatGPT. The European Commission has yet to label any virtual assistants as gatekeepers under the DMA.

Formosan black bear population in Taiwan revealedStaff writer, with CNATaiwan’s population of endangered Formosan black bears has been initially estimated at about 1,200, but the figure could still be revised, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said yesterday. The estimate was based on recent nationwide monitoring data, with duplicate infrared camera records removed, but remains preliminary pending more comprehensive local population density data, the agency said. A Formosan black bear named Mulas is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation AgencyThe Formosan black bear, endemic to Taiwan, is listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法). In a recent case in Hualien, a bear that returned twice to raid chicken coops was permanently rehomed at Taipei Zoo, it said.

Could AGI really be the ‘last invention’? This complication points us to an even bigger one: AGI would not just have to outperform humans; it would have to outperform humans using AGI. Similarly, Toyota’s lean-production system was difficult to replicate because it is embedded in human routines and culture, not hardware. Even if it did, one cannot assume that all human know-how, let alone judgment, is so easily digitized. Ultimately, AGI could automate intelligence, but the process of invention depends on something more.

Most Employment Gold Card holders are aged 30 to 40, she said. Google Taiwan human resources head Vannesa Lu (呂亞樵) said that the Employment Gold Card program allows the company to attract international talent to Taiwan, adding that the company has employees from more than 40 countries in Taiwan. The Taiwan Employment Gold Card program was first introduced by the National Development Council in 2018. The qualifications and rules for Employment Gold Card applications in each sector are determined by the respective overseeing agencies. An Employment Gold Card combines functions of a work permit, residence permit, alien residence certificate and multiple entry permit.

Singapore’s Grab agrees to acquire Taiwan FoodpandaStaff writer, with CNAGrab Holdings Ltd, a leading app developer in Southeast Asia, yesterday said that it has agreed to acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda delivery business in Taiwan for US$600 million in cash. Grab said in a statement the acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and scheduled to be completed in the second half of this year. The deal would help the Singapore-headquartered Grab extend its reach to a ninth market, its first outside Southeast Asia, the company said. Grab delivery drivers wait at a stoplight in Jakarta on Aug. 13, 2024. In December 2024, the Fair Trade Commission voted to block delivery platform Uber Eats’ proposed acquisition of the Foodpanda business on the grounds that it would restrict competition in Taiwan.

The far right won several medium-sized southern enclaves, but failed to capture any major prizes in the local polls, despite predictions. An ally of the far right, Eric Ciotti, won in the southern city of Nice, France’s fifth largest. RN party leader Bardella claimed Nice as a win for his own party. An RN mayor was re-elected last Sunday in the southern city of Perpignan, which has 120,000 inhabitants. An LFI mayor also won in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis of about 150,000 residents last week.

Most investors optimistic: surveyBARRIER TO ENTRY: The TAIEX’s rally has attracted younger investors, but some complained that cumbersome requirements discouraged them from new ETFsBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterA majority of Taiwanese investors remain optimistic about local equities despite heightened market volatility, a joint survey released yesterday by Line Bank Taiwan Ltd (連線商業銀行) and JPMorgan Asset Management’s Taiwan unit showed. A man walks past an electronic stock board at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei yesterday. About 55 percent of investors said they have incorporated actively managed ETFs into their portfolios, underscoring growing acceptance of the products as an investment tool, the survey showed. Despite the optimism, the survey highlighted barriers discouraging participation in newly issued ETFs, particularly among younger investors. The findings suggest Taiwan’s increasingly digital-savvy investors are pushing financial institutions to simplify investment procedures while broadening access to new financial products.

KMT demands apologies over nuclear restart planBy Lin Hsin-han and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday made six demands regarding the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) energy policy after President William Lai (賴清德) on Saturday confirmed that work has begun to secure approvals for restarting the decommissioned Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春). Hung also called for public disclosure of the nuclear power restart costs. Former National Tsing Hua University nuclear engineering professor Lee Min (李敏) said the main advantage of nuclear power is stable electricity pricing, which is not affected by fluctuations in international fossil fuel prices. Lee urged the DPP government to develop a comprehensive long-term nuclear plan, saying nuclear energy should be incorporated into long-term energy planning. Separately yesterday, KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said Taiwan has paid a price for its anti-nuclear policy, blaming ideology, populism and shortsightedness.

Russia pushing unencrypted super-app on citizensAFP, WARSAWRussia is pushing its Max messenger — a social media platform without encryption — onto its citizens with a massive promotion campaign and the simultaneous blocking of Whatsapp and Telegram, the country’s two most popular messenger apps. It is not officially mandatory, but the authorities are making it clear that life without Max would become increasingly hard. “Russia wants to restructure the Internet to better control what is published,” including “by migrating all Russians to platforms that are more state-controlled,” she added. Unlike Telegram and Whatsapp, Max does not use end-to-end encryption and its terms of use state that user data are stored exclusively on services in Russia. However, another resistant user — Natasha, 48 — shows the general feeling of resignation when it comes to the future of the app in Russia.

Guardiola revels in City’s EFL Cup win‘NOT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’: Pep Guardiola was ecstatic after Nico O’Reilly’s second goal, embarking on a sprint down the touchline that earned him a bookingAFP, LONDONPep Guardiola on Sunday hailed Manchester City’s 2-0 win against Arsenal in the EFL Cup final as a “special” moment after a difficult period that threatened to derail their season. City’s victory was a sweet moment for Guardiola after a turbulent period that included a UEFA Champions League last-16 exit against Real Madrid. Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, front, scores the opening goal against Arsenal in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday. To win against that team makes it special,” Guardiola said. “It is not the Premier League or the Champions League, I know that, but the opponent is incredible.

Beware ‘lure, trap and kill’ tacticsBy Yeh Yu-cheng 葉昱呈Thailand’s western Ratchaburi province is a major producer of aromatic coconuts, but in the past few years, Chinese firms have invested heavily in establishing collection and export hubs. Described as “lure, trap and kill” tactics, producers are first attracted by market demand and capital. Thailand’s durian industry has previously suffered price volatility due to overreliance on the Chinese market, and a similar situation is now unfolding in its aromatic coconut sector. Taiwan’s agricultural exports have historically been highly dependent on the Chinese market, leading to shocks when Beijing temporarily suspended purchases of pineapples, groupers and sugar apples. Once pricing power is lost and export channels are controlled, government policy space also shrinks.

Hospital performs ‘breakthrough’ implantationBy Lin Chih-yi / Staff reporterTri-Service General Hospital (TSGH) yesterday reported the nation’s first case of diaphragm pacing system (DPS) implantation in a woman with a high cervical spinal cord injury, saying that the procedure helped the woman come off ventilator support and begin rehabilitation. A Filipino woman named Wendy, center, and her husband, Mark, front, second left, cut a cake with Tri-Service General Hospital Department of Surgery director Huang Tsai-wang, front left, and superintendent Tsai Yi-ting, front right, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAWendy could only begin rehabilitation after removing ventilator support, so her husband, Mark, searched tirelessly for a solution, TSGH Department of Surgery director Huang Tsai-wang (黃才旺) said. Upon learning that Wendy could undergo DPS implantation in Taiwan, Mark consulted with several doctors and traveled with her to the nation, Huang said. DPS implantation is a “major breakthrough” in the field of respiratory reconstruction, Huang said.

EDITORIAL: Mideast war still adding pressureThe central bank on Thursday last week kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 2 percent for the eighth consecutive quarter, after board directors met for the first time since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran late last month. Attention now turns to whether the central bank would take pre-emptive tightening measures — and when — as the war in the Middle East persists. The central bank projects that the average oil price would be US$85 a barrel this year, significantly higher than its previous assumption of US$58.3 per barrel. However, the key point is the effect downward pressure and worsening conditions caused by higher oil prices — as well as the second-round effects of supply disruptions across many industries — could have on the economy. Obviously, the central bank faces a critical situation if energy prices rise substantially over an extended period.

Courage, perseverance a must for democracy: LaiStaff writer, with CNAPresident William Lai (賴清德) yesterday honored the 30th anniversary of the first direct presidential election in Taiwan, calling on the legislature to pass a special defense budget to “safeguard” the country’s democracy and freedom. President William Lai’s social media post about 30 years of direct presidential elections yesterday. Today, “everyone must have the same courage to continue to walk confidently and firmly on the path of democracy,” he said. “However, the answer to this was already given to us by the people of Taiwan 30 years ago,” he said. “Democracy is never a provocation; only determination, perseverance and strength can safeguard” democracy and freedom.