Singapore Airlines adding four more flights to TaipeiINCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, FridayBy Shelley Shan

Taipei and Dresden sign MOU on tech and tourismBy Tung Kuan-yi and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei City Government yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its German sister city, Dresden, on technological innovations, smart city management, talent development, youth development and tourism collaborations. The two cities signed the MOU during the second Taipei International Cities Forum at the Shangri-La Hotel. The forum hoped to help foster greater interaction between the cities, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, left, and Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert pose for a photograph after signing a memorandum of understanding at the Taipei International Cities Forum yesterday. Taipei aims to balance technological innovation and livability as it works toward becoming a leading global AI city, he said.

US completes deliveries of suicide dronesBy Lo Tien-pin, Wu Che-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writerTaiwan has received 291 Anduril Altius 600M Switchblade kamikaze drones, marking the full delivery of the weapons system from the US defense contractor, the Ministry of National Defense said. The armed forces have initiated the process of fielding the newly acquired Switchblade drones, MQ-9B Reaper surveillance and attack drones, M136 Volcano Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine Systems and improved parachutes, the ministry said. The move spelled a partial end to the fight over defense budgets, as opposition lawmakers also allowed the Cabinet’s version of the NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget to be forwarded for discussion next week. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have proposed bills as alternatives to the government’s special defense budget. Dividing the program’s funding sources between the special defense budget and the annual budget would introduce uncertainty and organizational complications that would negatively impact the deployment of many weapon and sensor systems, the official added.

Barca head to Champions quartersAFP, PARISBarcelona on Wednesday hit Newcastle United for seven to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, while Liverpool overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Galatasaray in their last-16 tie, and Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid also advanced to the next round. Barcelona’s Raphinha, center, scores during their UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg against Newcastle United at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday. Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, right, goes down with an injury during their UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg against Liverpool in Liverpool, England, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA“When the game was effectively over, we didn’t react well to that, so it became a very difficult second half,” Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said. It was also just the third time Barcelona have scored seven in a Champions League game, and Hansi Flick’s side can now look forward to an all-Spanish quarter-final next month against Atletico.

Taiwan rejects China’s energy security offerBy Ben Blanchard / Reuters, TAIPEIThe government yesterday rejected an offer by China for energy security if Taiwan agreed to Beijing’s rule, an expected response given Taipei has expressed that it does not want to be governed by its neighbor. Governments around the world are scrambling for alternative energy supplies since the US-Israeli war on Iran severed shipping lanes through the vital Strait of Hormuz. “On energy, we in Taiwan have made preparations, we have safety reserves and response plans,” Ho added. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said in Beijing on Wednesday that “peaceful reunification” would bring better protection of Taiwan’s energy and resource security with a “strong motherland” as its backing. The government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only Taiwanese can decide their future.

Messi scores 900th career goal, but Miami crash out of Champions CupAFP, FORT LAUDERDALE, FloridaArgentine superstar Lionel Messi on Wednesday bagged the 900th goal of his glittering career, but could not prevent Inter Miami from crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Nashville. Messi, 38, scored his milestone goal after just seven minutes to put Miami 1-0 up in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the regional club competition. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi shoots during their CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Wednesday. Messi’s strike took the Argentine’s tally to 81 goals for the MLS champions following his move to Florida in 2023. Messi still has some way to go before he catches his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar who is on 965 career goals.

Taoyuan airport also won the top award as the World’s Best Airport for Baggage Delivery for the second time. Taoyuan International Airport Corp chairman Yang Wei-fu (楊偉甫) received the award in London on Wednesday. People wait for their luggage at a baggage carousel at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an undated photograph. It ranked third in the World’s Most Improved Airport, sixth in the World’s Cleanest Airport, sixth in the World’s Best Airport Staff, seventh in the World’s Best Airport Immigration Service, eighth in the World’s Best Airport Washrooms, ninth in the Best Airports in Central Asia, 10th in the World’s Most Family Friendly Airport and 10th in the World’s Best Airport Shopping, it said. This was the first time Taoyuan airport ranked in the global top 10 in the family friendly airport and airport shopping categories, it added.

Many no-shows at lunch with KMT chairDISCONTENT? Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, back center, attends a lunch with party lawmakers in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei TimesThe poorly attended gathering coincided with rumors of rising discontent among KMT lawmakers over the leadership’s handling of the defense budget and the local elections later this year. KMT Legislator Hsieh I-feng (謝衣鳳), whose plan to run for Changhua County commissioner has reportedly caused a rift in the family, was also absent. KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said the party head and the legislative caucus hold regular meetings, aiming to give all committee members a chance to speak freely.

Ex-CPC oil exec goes missing days before sentencing for corruptionStaff writer, with CNAThe former head of the refinery division of state-run oil supplier CPC Corp, Taiwan removed his ankle monitor and went missing in Pingtung County yesterday, just days before he was due to be sentenced for corruption. Former CPC executive Hsu Han is pictured in an undated photograph. Now in his mid-60s, Hsu took over as chief executive of CPC Corp, Taiwan’s refinery division in Kaohsiung in 2019. In January 2022, Ciaotou prosecutors and officials from the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption searched Hsu’s office, seizing NT$27.1 million (US $848,177) in cash. In 2024, the Ciaotou District Court rejected a request by Hsu to travel abroad to attend his son’s wedding.

Moldovans cut off from water after Russian strikeDNIESTER DISASTER: A ‘wave of pollution with oil products’ has forced authorities to cut the water supply to several areas, including Moldova’s second-largest cityAP, BALTI, MoldovaTens of thousands of Moldovans have been left without water after a Russian strike on a hydroelectric plant in Ukraine resulted in oil polluting a major river that flows through both countries. Men fill a bucket with water from a well in Balti, Moldova, on Tuesday. While oil pollutants have been confirmed in the river following the strike, the exact source of the pollutant is not yet clear. The situation has forced the authorities to cut the water supply to several districts, including Moldova’s second-largest city of Balti, which has a population of about 90,000 people. “It’s a complicated situation, I have to come every day to get water,” said Irina Mutluc, a teacher living in Balti.

The Urban Resilience Exercises would be more systematic and science-based, while they would be conducted without pre-scripted scenarios, Lin said. The urban resilience drills conducted next month would coincide with the computer-assisted phase of the Han Kuang exercises, he said. President William Lai speaks at a Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. The Urban Resilience Exercises on Aug. 6 and 7 would be held alongside the live-fire Han Kuang exercises in Pingtung County and Kaohsiung, Lin said. This year’s Urban Resilience Exercises would place greater emphasis on conflict scenarios to help the public understand how military and civilian efforts are coordinated, Lai said.

Pilots rout SK Knights, advance to EASL semisStaff writer, with CNATreveon Graham on Wednesday scored 19 points in Macau, as the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots flew past the Seoul SK Knights 89-69 to advance to the semi-finals of the East Asia Super League (EASL) Finals. The Pilots never trailed, taking the lead 13 seconds into the game with a three-pointer from star forward Lu Chun-hsiang. The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots’ Li Chia-kang, center, drives the ball across the court in their East Asia Super League Finals quarter-final against the Seoul SK Knights in Macau on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of the Taoyuan Pauian PilotsBoth teams had four players score in double digits, including Taoyuan’s Alec Brown, with 16 points, and Lu, with 12. The Pilots outscored the Knights 40-28 in the paint and 31-21 off the bench, while both teams shot below 25 percent from three-point range.

Micron tech plans heavy spending on AI demandBloombergMicron Technology Inc warned that it would need to spend heavily on production to meet burgeoning demand, overshadowing an upbeat forecast from the largest US maker of computer memory chips. Micron Technology president and chief executive officer Sanjay Mehrotra speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Micron semiconductor manufacturing facility in Clay, New York, on Jan. 16. The heavy spending reflects the cost of keeping up with an insatiable appetite for Micron’s memory chips, especially high-bandwidth components used in artificial intelligence (AI) computing. The global shortage is likely to persist for another four to five years because of endemic constraints in semiconductor production, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won said this week. In the AI market, Micron is working to ramp up production of new high-bandwidth memory, or HBM4.

Central bank to keep rates unchangedNO NEED: As the government has taken measures to stabilize prices amid Middle East tensions, there is no need to account for its impact on rates, the central bank head saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s central bank yesterday kept key interest rates unchanged for the eighth consecutive quarter, sharply raised its GDP growth forecast and eased credit limits on second-home mortgages, signaling confidence in the economy while supporting self-occupying buyers amid a cooling property market. The central bank said it would leave the discount rate, collateralized lending rate and short-term lending rate at 2 percent, 2.375 percent and 4.25 percent respectively. The central bank did not factor in Middle East tensions partly because the government has announced measures to stabilize prices. On housing, the central bank said it would moderately ease restrictions on second-home mortgages to accommodate genuine demand. Banks would continue submitting monthly reports on property lending, and the central bank would conduct inspections to monitor compliance and lending concentration, he added.

In the course of conducting diplomacy, governments often face many unspoken hardships. This was true during the era of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), and likewise during the time of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). The success of pragmatic diplomacy relies on cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, and unity of purpose from the highest to the lowest levels of government. State affairs are difficult, and diplomacy is no easy task. The public has witnessed firsthand the merits and outcomes of Cho’s trip to Tokyo, and would ultimately render its own judgement.