Donovan’s Deep Dives: The KMT: A party divided on defenseBy Courtney Donovan Smith 石東文 / Staff ColumnistInstitutions signalling a fresh beginning and new spirit often adopt new slogans, symbols and marketing materials, and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is no exception. A recent slogan released by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) after its current chair was elected in November last year. It could also symbolize the internal dissension within the party over the various special defense budget proposals. Chinese Nationalist Party legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin on Wednesday speaks at an event to discuss the defense budget. Hsu, with the backing of a group of younger KMT lawmakers, has proposed an NT$810 billion defense budget, more than twice as much as her party.

Highway ‘anti-crime’ wall to conceal Cape Town’s poor receives pushback‘APARTHEID WALL’: Critics said the wall would not stop crime, and that it aimed to hide the poor and the fact that there is a privileged and privilege-deprived Cape TownAFP, CAPE TOWNCape Town’s plans to build a wall to prevent attacks on the airport highway have divided South Africa’s tourist hotspot, with critics calling it an apartheid throwback to hide poverty. “Literally hundreds of thousands of people a day use that road, and many of them feel unsafe,” Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said, adding that most were local commuters. Thirty years after the end of white-minority rule, disparities between Cape Town’s formerly segregated white and black areas are stark, with the city’s DA authorities accused of not doing enough tackle the imbalance. Anger over the N2 wall dominated the Cape Town Pride mardi gras this month where activists called on the city to address its deepening housing crisis instead. “They are trying to build a wall behind which they are trying to hide the poor,” former anti-apartheid activist and cleric Allan Boesak said, calling it an “apartheid wall.”“They are trying to hide the fact that there is indeed a black Cape Town and a white Cape Town — a privileged Cape Town and a privileged-deprived Cape Town,” he said.

EU to ban meat-related terms for plant-based foodAFP, BRUSSELSEU member states and lawmakers on Thursday agreed to ban using meat-related terms such as “steak” and “bacon” to market plant-based foods — but spared veggie “burgers” and “sausages.”The decision is a win for Europe’s livestock farmers, many of whom said that plant-based foods which mimic meat are potentially misleading for consumers, threatening their already troubled sector. Photo: APA / AFPIt “recognizes the value of livestock farmers’ work and protects their products, fruits of unique know-how, against a form of unfair competition,” she said. Food retailers in Germany, Europe’s largest market for plant-based alternative products, had spoken out against it, along with environmentalists and consumer advocates. EU consumption of plant-based alternatives has grown five-fold since 2011, BEUC said. “Fortunately, the conservative word police have failed to ban the ‘veggie burger,’” lawmaker Anna Strolenberg said.

Over 15m barrels of oil from Russia heading to IndiaBloombergMore than 15 million barrels of Russian oil are floating within easy reach of India, offering the nation a quick fix to Middle East supply shortages after the US issued a temporary license allowing purchases. These cargoes — which appear to be unsold, or without a specific destination port — could reach India in a week or less. Rosneft’s Russian-flagged crude oil tanker Vladimir Monomakh transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 6, 2023. Photo: ReutersAnother eight vessels carrying roughly 7 million barrels of Russian Urals oil are idling off Singapore and could also reach India within a week. About 70 percent of the crude oil South Korea imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul said.

Consumer prices rose 1.75% last monthLUNAR NEW YEAR: The increase was driven mainly by seasonal price hikes during the holiday, but falling fruit and vegetable prices helped offset part of the increaseBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.75 percent year-on-year last month, remaining below the central bank’s 2 percent inflation alert for the 10th consecutive month, although the pace of increase accelerated from January’s revised 0.64 percent, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday. “Although international oil prices have shown sharp volatility, the government’s stabilization measures should help keep domestic energy prices stable,” he said. Food prices edged up 0.21 percent year-on-year, as egg prices jumped 23.41 percent, while meat, seafood and dining-out costs rose 4.27 percent, 3.22 percent and 2.8 percent respectively. Meanwhile, producer prices fell 1.07 percent year-on-year, mainly due to lower prices for agricultural products, gas, petroleum and coal products, as well as chemical materials and pharmaceuticals. Severe memory shortages have driven up memory prices, raising costs for technology products.

EDITORIAL: Subsidies cannot fix the birthrateThe nation’s rapidly declining birthrate has prompted a wave of new proposals from local and central authorities. Ministry of Health and Welfare officials warned such a plan could undermine the financial stability of the NHI system and divert resources from disadvantaged families who rely on targeted subsidies. Additionally, the Ministry of Labor announced an expanded subsidy program intended to encourage businesses to provide more childcare support. The policy would increase subsidies for employer-provided childcare allowances and broaden eligibility for workers who rely on informal childcare arrangements. The Ministry of the Interior’s latest statistics show that the capital has the nation’s highest dependency ratio and mortgage burden.

If there are no major external disruptions, this year should be “quite a good year,” supported by better-than-expected demand for consumer electronics and continued expansion in AI infrastructure investment, Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) told reporters. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Young Liu, left, speaks to members of the press at New Taipei City yesterday. Photo: Ann Wang, ReutersIn the AI server segment, Hon Hai has deepened cooperation with customers in the past few years, participating not only in AI server system assembly, but also strengthening vertical integration in key components such as mechanical parts, thermal solutions and power systems, he said. As its participation across the AI supply chain deepens, Hon Hai would gain an advantage in the next-generation AI server platform, Nvidia’s Vera Rubin AI server platform, he said. On consumer electronics, smartphones remain one of the company’s key product lines, he said.

Nurses deserve better treatmentBy AbleWhenever the Ministry of Health and Welfare releases a salary survey of nursing staff claiming annual salaries of NT$700,000 to NT$800,000 (US$22,097 to US$25,254), nurses across Taiwan roll their eyes. In Taiwan, the NT$32,000 to NT$36,000 base salaries of full-time nurses are comparable to that of a management trainee in a chain restaurant. Once the health of such nurses collapses and they can no longer work night shifts, their salaries drop back to square one. In their capital-driven calculations, physical assets can appreciate in value, while nursing staff is a cost to be minimized. Taiwan’s “miracle” of a healthcare program has long been built on the blood, sweat and tears of nursing staff.

The effort aims to improve hardware to achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing and to collaborate with Taiwan-friendly democratic partners on next-generation high-speed quantum computing frameworks, he said. High-speed quantum computing would require the integration of central processing units, graphics processing units and quantum processing units, Wu said. Lai pledged support for Phase 2 of the quantum technology initiative, calling for collaboration between industry, the government, academia and researchers. He also invited international quantum teams to collaborate with Taiwan to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-speed quantum computing systems. The consortium, integrated and launched in 2021, has achieved its first-phase goals, including the development of quantum computers, quantum communication and quantum software, Gwo said, adding that Academia Sinica has completed a 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer.

Nepal counting votes in a post-uprising electionAFP, KATHMANDUCounting was under way in Nepal yesterday, after a high-stakes parliamentary election to reshape the country’s leadership following protests last year that toppled the government. In Kathmandu’s tea shops and city squares, people were glued to their phones, checking results as early trends flashed up — suggesting Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was ahead. Security personnel stand guard outside a counting center in Kathmandu yesterday. Photo: AFPNepalese Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane said the counting was ongoing “in a peaceful manner” across the Himalayan nation, from snowbound high-altitude mountain regions to the hot plains bordering India. “If RSP hits the magic 138 seats, Balen will become prime minister — and hopefully a cabinet of technocrats,” Dixit said.

US ‘self-centrism’ could be costlyBy Sana Hashmi 胡莎娜It has been more than a year since US President Donald Trump took office for a second term. The past year has witnessed unprecedented and unforeseen developments that have altered the geopolitical landscape, with repercussions across the world. Washington’s reduced focus on security in the Indo-Pacific region has created space for Beijing to act more assertively. Today, as they confront uncertainty in their relations with the US, they are pursuing trade agreements elsewhere and recalibrating their external partnerships. Such recalibration could prove far more costly than the short-term gains of a self-centric foreign policy.

After Sanju Samson’s scintillating 89 laid the platform for India to pile up a massive 253-7, England finished agonizingly short on 246-7 after a brilliant effort masterminded by Bethell. India’s Sanju Samson, center, plays a shot against England in their Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, India, on Thursday. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, going to Ahmedabad for the final, a special feeling for the boys,” said India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who paid tribute to England. England’s Jacob Bethell plays a shot against India in their Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, India, on Thursday. “I’ll hold my hands up and say that I made a big mistake there, dropping Samson,” Brook said.

The Cabinet in November last year proposed a special budget of NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.46 billion) to fund domestic weapons systems and US arms packages that have been approved for sale or could be approved. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo, left, speaks as Premier Cho Jung-tai looks on at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Opposition parties, who have been pressured by the Cabinet and the US government to pass the budget, submitted separate proposals. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the KMT’s version does not include the “NT$380 billion plus N” concept. Any increase in funds would require a separate special law, meaning the maximum is NT$380 billion and “plus N” does not exist, he said.

Ohtani homers as Japan thrash Taiwan at World Baseball ClassicAFP, TOKYOShohei Ohtani yesterday blasted a home run to ignite Japan’s World Baseball Classic campaign as the defending champions thrashed Taiwan 13-0 in their tournament opener in Tokyo. Fans react as they watch an outdoor broadcast in Kaohsiung last night of a game between Taiwan and Japan at the World Baseball Classic held at the Tokyo Dome. Japan’s Shohei Ohtani and teammate Seiya Suzuki, right, jump in the air as they celebrate after a home run during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and Taiwan yesterday in Tokyo. The defending champions were not finished there and they went on to rack up six more runs before the second inning was over. Taiwan’s Zhang Jun-wei pitches during the World Baseball Classic Pool C first round game between Japan and Taiwan at the Tokyo Dome yesterday.

Dismal Spurs can avoid relegation, Igor Tudor saysAFP, LONDONIgor Tudor on Thursday said that troubled Tottenham Hotspur’s dismal 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace has convinced him they would avoid relegation from the English Premier League. Languishing in 16th place, Spurs are just one point above the relegation zone after third-bottom West Ham United’s win at Fulham on Wednesday. With just one win in their past 13 home league games, Spurs are in grave danger of playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977-1978. They have lost five successive league games and are without a win in 11 consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since 1975. Tudor had arrived at Spurs insisting they were 100 percent certain to avoid relegation, but defeats to Arsenal, Fulham and Palace have made that bold claim look increasingly foolish.