Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales, front, reacts after the FIFA Women’s World Cup final against England at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Aug. 20. Among those applauding Rubiales were women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and men’s national team coach Luis de la Fuente. Until Friday’s assembly, he had received no public support in Spain, with political parties speaking out against him. Hermoso contradicted Rubiales’ version in two statements, one issued through her FUTRPO players union and a second published on social media. The statement included photographs that it said show Hermoso lifting Rubiales off the ground during the medals ceremony.

Psychological leave for teachersBy Liu Wei-ting 劉韋廷More than a dozen Taiwanese universities have reportedly launched a system of psychological leave. Psychological leave allows students to take a break from their studies if they feel burnt out and need time to recover. Schools allow students to take three days off per semester without a doctor’s note, but teachers and universities’ psychological counseling centers are required to ask them about their health. However, teachers need psychological leave too, especially part-time staff or substitute teachers who are not yet formal teachers. Students can take psychological leave, but the pressure on teachers is not insubstantial in comparison.

China’s population-control disasterBy Yi Fuxian 易富賢More than four decades after China began opening up to the world, the Chinese government’s decisionmaking process remains shrouded in secrecy. In reality, even without any official restrictions, China’s population would have peaked at about 1.6 billion and then gradually declined. In 2007, I published a book in Hong Kong, Big Country With an Empty Nest, challenging the assumptions underlying China’s population-control measures and advocating their immediate end. I further angered the authorities by pointing out that China’s population had been vastly overestimated, and had started declining in 2018. In reflecting on my experiences of challenging China’s population-control policies over the past quarter-century, I find some solace in that my estimates have been vindicated.

Crush at Games in Madagascar kills at least 13AP and AFP, ANTANANARIVOAt least 13 people died in a crush at a stadium in Madagascar on Friday as sports fans gathered for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, local media reported. Seven minors died.”The stampede occurred at the entrance to the stadium, where about 50,000 people had arrived to attend the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games. TV images broadcast images of dazed and shocked people trying to locate their shoes piled among objects lost in the deadly crush. The Indian Ocean Island Games are a multi-disciplinary competition being held in Madagascar until Sept. 3. They have been staged every four years in different islands in the southwest Indian Ocean for about 40 years.

Japan’s deflation a lesson for ChinaBy Takatoshi ItoEconomic news from China has triggered the same helpless, sinking feeling that gripped me when Japan’s property bubble collapsed from 1991 to 1992. After the property bubble burst, that rate sank to 0 to 2 percent. Foreign portfolio investors are pulling out of Chinese capital markets, and inward foreign direct investment is declining fast. If the property bubble bursts, China’s banks and government must avoid the mistakes Japan made three decades ago. Chinese banks must not succumb to the “evergreening” temptation and extend new loans to insolvent “zombie” borrowers so that they appear healthy.

Speaking to foreign reporters in Taipei, Lai said it was not President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) or Taiwan that was to blame for tensions. Vice President William Lai interacts with the media in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Ann Wang, ReutersLai has said he does not seek to change Taiwan’s official name, the Republic of China. Both Lai and Tsai have said that as Taiwan is already an independent country, there is no need for a separate declaration of independence. Lai thanked US President Joe Biden’s administration for its efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait over the past three years.

Citigroup Inc to focus on its strengths in TaiwanTaipei Times (TT): What is your view on the sale of Taiwan’s consumer banking businesses to DBS? Citi Asia-Pacific chief executive officer Peter Babej: It was a difficult decision, but the right decision in the long term for our business, our people and the firm. If we look 10 or 20 years down the road, we are not the best owner, because we cannot put as much into the local consumer franchise as some other institutions that are more focused on this side of the business. We are very happy that close to 3,000 of our colleagues ended up with DBS. By Crystal Hsu

IRSTs to vastly improve F-16V’s long-range detection, target tracking: expertsStaff writer, with CNAA proposed US arms package comprising infrared search and track systems (IRSTs) for the nation’s fleet of F-16V aircraft would vastly improve their long-range detection and target tracking, significantly boosting air-to-air combat capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. Military experts expressed similar views, with one saying that IRSTs would allow fighter jets to track the infrared energy from enemy aircraft, without activating radar. The US military in 2020 launched an IRST upgrade program called the IRST-21, and the resultant product has been used on F-15 and F-16 jets to target stealth jets and small drones that have small radar footprints, Su said. When Taiwan takes delivery of the IRSTs, it would be able to more effectively counter Chinese stealth fighter jets such as the J-20, Su said. The advanced sensor systems would allow F-16V jets to hit enemy aircraft with AIM-20 missiles beyond visual range, he said.

The only way they can figure out how to get close to said cheerleaders, however, is to form an all-female self-defense class that quickly devolves into a bloody fight club. They knew it had the potential to be riotously funny, slyly insightful and boundary pushing for queer teen representation. From left: Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, Zamani Wilder, Summer Joy Campbell, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber and Virginia Tucker in a scene from Bottoms. And then there’s the fight club, which they had to keep reminding everyone wasn’t just a joke. “I think some people still thought it was just going to be a fun comedy.

Taiwan must be more proactiveBy Hu Wen-chi 胡文琦The Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) on Monday voted to expel Taiwan after more than two decades as a permanent observer and replace it with China, whose growing economic influence in Latin America has increasingly marginalized Taipei. Prior to the vote, US lawmakers have voiced concerns over the proposal, initiated by Nicaragua, to eject Taiwan as a permanent observer and invite China. Nicaragua in 2021 broke its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan and switched allegiance to Beijing. Instead, it must take proactive action to communicate and coordinate with the US’ House of Representatives and Senate. Only by building on mutual respect and collaborating with like-minded friends can Taiwan and the US plan the next step forward.

Xi skips speech on economy at BRICS summitBloombergChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) failed to attend a business forum in South Africa where he was expected to deliver a speech defending China’s economy and its support for emerging markets, as fears mount that the Asian nation’s struggles could cause global turbulence. Instead, delegates were greeted on stage by Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao (王文濤), who read the speech without giving an explanation for Xi’s absence. “The Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. Photo: AFPHours later, Xi attended a dinner with the leaders of South Africa, Brazil and India, and Russia’s foreign minister, who are in Johannesburg for the annual BRICS summit of emerging market powers. Prior to South Africa, the Chinese leader had spent just two days overseas this year, when he visited Russia.

Wanted Hong Kong activists in Britain decry ‘harassment’The activists fear for themselves abroad and their families back homeAFP, LONDONA heightened fear for their safety, increased worry for their families, and a desperate search for international support — this is what dominates everyday life for two activists in Britain who are among Hong Kong’s most wanted. Australian lawyer Kevin Yam, who is among eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who have bounties on them by Hong Kong authorities for alleged breaches of a Hong Kong national security law, poses last month for a photo in Sydney, Australia. ‘HARASSING’ FAMILIES, COLLEAGUESAnna Kwok, 26, a Washington DC-based Hong Kong activist, who has been designated by the Hong Kong police as a fugitive with a HK$1 million dollar bounty offered for her arrest, is photographed on July 11 near the White House in Washington, DC, US. “I will remind myself... the burden on us is still much less than what the people in Hong Kong are bearing,” he said. “We are here to speak out the truth and what is really happening in Hong Kong, and (urge) the global community to implement a more assertive policy towards China and towards Hong Kong,” Law said.

Ministry of Environment officially starts operationsStaff writer, with CNAThe new Ministry of Environment officially started operations on Tuesday after a plaque-unveiling ceremony and inauguration of its first minister, Shieu Fuh-sheng (薛富盛). The ministry was upgraded from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) established in 1987 after a law to redesignate the EPA a ministry cleared the legislature on May 9 and was promulgated by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on May 24. Addressing the plaque-unveiling ceremony, Tsai said the ministry is determined to respond to global trends and expressed confidence it would work with various sectors of society to help accelerate the nation’s transition to netzero emissions. President Tsai Ing-wen, fourth left, Premier Chen Chien-jen, fourth right, and others pose for a photograph at an inauguration ceremony for the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday. Four specialized agencies — the Climate Change Agency, the Resource Recycling Agency, the Chemical Substance Management Agency, and the Environmental Management Agency — and a National Environmental Research Institute have been established under the Ministry of Environment.

Pew’s Indian survey misleadingBy Prashant Kumar SinghA recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 43 percent of Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, while 35 percent have a favorable view of neither China nor Taiwan. Thus, a significantly large proportion of Indians not only have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan, but have an equally unfavorable view of China and Taiwan, indicating that they might not see any difference between them. That ordinary Indians have an “unfavorable” view of Taiwan is unconvincing because there is no logical or commonsense explanation as to why this should be the case. Another example would be that if you survey Indians and ask a simple question about whether India should diplomatically recognize Taiwan; the results could be surprisingly supportive. This probing is necessary because the survey findings do not square with the positivity that has been observed in bilateral ties in recent years.

India first to land spacecraft near moon’s south poleAFP, BENGALURU, IndiaIndia yesterday became the first nation to land a craft near the moon’s south pole, a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space program. This handout screen grab taken and received from the live feed of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website on August 23, 2023, shows the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft seconds before its successful lunar landing on the south pole of the Moon. India on August 23, became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon’s south pole, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a "historic day". India has landed a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an unchartered territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water and precious elements, as the country cements its growing prowess in space and technology. Students with painted faces surround a replica of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft in Chennai, India, on Tuesday.