Majority disagree with pension amendment: pollNUMBERS TALK: A recent poll showed that a significant majority of respondents oppose the KMT’s recent pension amendment draftsBy Lee Wen-hsin / Staff reporterAlmost half the public are opposed to suspension of the pension reform program, according to a poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation. Except for those aged 20-24, a majority in all other age groups oppose the latest amendments, foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said. Across all education levels, a clear majority oppose the amendments, he said, adding that by occupational background, with the exception of farmers and students, a majority in all professions oppose the amendment. Looking at party affiliation, supporters of the ruling and opposition parties hold sharply divergent views on the amendment to halt the pension cuts, he added. The poll was conducted from Monday to Wednesday via home phone and cellphone sampling.

The action immediately raised questions under international law about whether it amounts to an act of war. In the Indo-Pacific region, military planners have long feared that China might use a naval blockade to coerce democratically governed Taiwan to accept Beijing’s rule. Taiwanese officials have said a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be an act of war and have far-reaching consequences for international trade. Washington, which opposes unilateral changes to the “status quo” over Taiwan, would say that Chinese naval encirclement of Taiwan would amount to a blockade. “A US blockade would undermine our ability to criticize a Chinese blockade of Taiwan,” Sterio said.

METRO RAMPAGE: Man died trying to stop Taipei stabbing suspectHORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeingStaff writer, with CNAA man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Separately yesterday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) visited injured victims at Mackay Memorial Hospital and thanked those who had tried to deter the suspect. In an update, the witness said she found out that the injured person had passed away. Another witness, a woman who was inside Eslite, said she saw the suspect wielding a long knife and stabbing people. A man surnamed Chen (陳) said he saw injured people surrounded by bystanders as emergency crews rushed in.

Ministry shows Taiwan’s art, culture across EuropeStaff writer, with CNAThe Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025 initiative has successfully showcased Taiwan’s freedom, openness and diversity through cultural events in Europe, a senior Taiwanese diplomat has said. The initiative, launched this year by the Ministry of Culture and National Palace Museum, has held more than 70 art festivals, music fairs, and dancing and singing performances in 26 European countries, said Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of European Affairs. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of European Affairs Eric Huang speaks in an interivew in Taipoei on Dec. 16. “The goal of the year-round campaign is to link Taiwan and Europe further via culture and art,” Huang said on Tuesday last week, adding that culture is “a shared language that transcends borders.”“The essence of Taiwanese culture is its openness, diversity, depth, and vitality,” he said. Under the foreign ministry campaign, the troupe performed in Italy in September.

Post office, driver’s license changes comingSHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operatorsBy Shelley Shan

METRO RAMPAGE: Foreign offices offer condolences after deadly stabbingStaff writer, with CNASeveral foreign representative offices in Taiwan have offered their condolences after a deadly knife attack in Taipei on Friday left three dead and injured several others. The Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei on Facebook wrote that it was saddened by the news of the attack in the capital. “We extend our sincere condolences and stand with the families and loved ones of those affected,” the Czech office said. A person lays flowers near Exit M7 at Taipei Main Station yesterday to pay tribute to victims of Friday’s knife attack. Photo: CNAThe Canadian Trade Office in Taipei in a Facebook post said it was shocked and saddened by what happened.

The bigotry storm of Miss FinlandBy Hugo Tseng 曾泰元The saga of Sarah Dzafce, the disgraced former Miss Finland, is far more significant than a mere beauty pageant controversy. It serves as a potent and painful contemporary lesson in global cultural ethics and the absolute necessity of racial respect. When Dzafce deployed it, she aimed a direct insult at the global Chinese diaspora and the wider Asian community. Understanding this arsenal of bigotry — from anatomical insults such as slope-head to cultural slurs such as banana (implying the person is “yellow on the outside, white on the inside”) — is crucial. Hugo Tseng has a doctorate in linguistics, and is a lexicographer and former chair of the Soochow University English Department.

Kenyan girls still suffering genital mutilationAFP, NAROK, KenyaMasai women erupted with mocking heckles as a community elder, wrapped in a traditional red blanket, claimed that female genital mutilation had all but stopped in their community in southern Kenya. One local nurse said about 80 percent of girls in the area are still affected, despite the practice being made illegal in 2011. Female genital mutilation (FGM) has survived decades of pressure to end it, from British colonialists, and later Kenyan and global non-governmental organizations. “We don’t circumcise girls, because the culture has changed,” Masai elder Moses Letuati, 50, said before admitting one of his four daughters was cut. One young Masai man said he had friends who still believed in FGM, but said girls were no longer cursed — a form of social control used by elders — for refusing it.

A scene from Baode Temple’s 1996 enshrinement ceremony at its new site in Taipei’s Beitou District. The following piece (Taiwan in Time: “Echoes of Kipatauw: Century of displacement and erasure”), examines the community’s displacement under Japanese rule. After settling in Fanzaicuo, the Pan family established a private shrine in 1944, reportedly off limits to Han residents. A study by Liang Ting-yu says that Baode Temple’s “Indigenous” lion is different from conventional ones. After its demolition in 2010, Baode Temple is now housed in a metal shack atop the Fanzai ditch.

Trump renames national arts center after himselfAFP, WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump’s name was affixed to the Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday, one day after his hand-picked board members voted to rename the arts venue in spite of legal questions. Workers stand in front of newly added lettering for US President Donald Trump’s name at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Friday. “Today, we proudly unveil the updated exterior designation — honoring the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and the enduring legacy of John F. Kennedy,” the center wrote on social media, along with photos of the lettering. Landmarks like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and indeed the Kennedy Center were all named after their deaths. He has stamped his mark on the Kennedy Center since the start of his second term as part of an assault on cultural institutions that his administration has accused of being too left-wing.

ANALYTICAL ENGLISH 解析英語(常春藤)Study Finds Your Breath Can Identify You (2/2)呼吸模式如指紋 可精準辨識身分（下）By 常春藤解析英語 Ivy EnglishContinued from yesterday（延續自昨日)The study also uncovered a correlation between breathing patterns and mental well-being. Participants with higher scores on anxiety questionnaires exhibited shorter inhalation periods and more frequent breath pauses during sleep. “We intuitively assume that how depressed or anxious you are changes the way you breathe,” says one researcher involved in the study. What problem did scientists previously face when trying to measure breathing patterns? The way you breathe affects how depressed or anxious you are.

Zabystran claims Czech men’s first World Cup winReuters, PARISJan Zabystran on Friday stunned prerace favorite Marco Odermatt in the Val Gardena super-G to become the first male skier representing the Czech Republic to win a FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup race. Czech-born Jan Hudec won two World Cup races, in 2008 and 2012, but was then competing for Canada. Czech Republic’s Jan Zabystran celebrates after his run at the men’s super-G event of the FIS Alpine skiing World Cup in Val Gardena, Italy, on Friday. Photo: Reuters“I was hoping that some day I could make it to a World Cup podium, but before that I was just hoping to take part in a World Cup race. Odermatt, now on 685 points, extended his overall World Cup lead over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen to 383 points and snatched the lead in the super-G standings from Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr with 225 points.

Hong Kongers celebrate once-in-a-decade festivalAFP, HONG KONGChanting villagers parade a giant effigy through the alleys of rural Hong Kong before setting it ablaze in a once-in-a-decade ceremony to ward off bad luck and appease their ancestors. Residents of Kam Tin decked out their northern corner of the city with towering flower boards and a vast bamboo stage for the Taoist Jiao festival which dates back over 300 years. People burn a paper effigy of the Ghost King during the decennial Jiao Festival of Kam Tin in Hong Kong on Friday. Lai Chi-ming, center, a bamboo scaffolding worker who coplanned the theater altar for Jiao Festival in Kam Tin, Hong Kong, works on the bamboo structure on Thursday Photo: AFPThe multi-day festival is one of Hong Kong’s longest-running traditional events, and features lion and dragon dances, Cantonese opera, and puppet shows. The netting was hung from bamboo scaffolding encasing several tower blocks.

Honduran vote officials have US visas revokedAP, TEGUCIGALPAThe administration of US President Donald Trump restricted visas for two Honduran election officials, citing interference in the Central American country’s special vote count. The US Department of State in a statement on Friday said it revoked the visa of Mario Morazan, a magistrate of the Honduran Electoral Justice Tribunal, and denied a visa application from Marlon Ochoa, a member of the Honduran National Electoral Council. Due to the narrow margin between the two leading candidates, electoral officials have carried out a special revision of 2,792 ballot boxes that show alleged inconsistencies and errors. Officials began the special vote count on Thursday after more than a week of the count being paralyzed. This is the latest example of the Trump administration weighing in on Honduran affairs throughout the election.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights yesterday said that at least five Islamic State group members including a cell leader were killed in the strikes overnight. Trump also has taken pains to emphasize the attack was the work of the Islamic State — not Syria’s new government. Palmyra is outside the control of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has promised to join a US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State. During his first term, Trump ordered strikes on Syria twice in a bid to take out then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons program. It also marked the first time a Syrian president has visited the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.