F1 hopes to fuel growth in North AmericaBy Nicholas Revise / AFP, SAKHIR, BahrainFormula One is well anchored in the US with its American owners and three Grand Prix races, but the sport hopes to push its growing popularity further with the help of Netflix and Apple. The Netflix documentary F1: Drive to Survive, which began its eighth season on Friday, has already taken motor sport’s top discipline into a new dimension. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton takes part in a practice session at the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 21 last year. Drive to Survive co-executive producer Tom Rogers believes F1 has enormous potential in the US thanks to it now hosting three Grand Prix races — in Miami, Las Vegas and Austin, Texas. This year, five of the 24 Grand Prix races would be broadcast live at giant-screen IMAX theatres across the US.

Pakistani fighter jet down as cross-border strikes flareAFP, KABULA Pakistani fighter jet crashed in Jalalabad in Afghanistan’s east, the Afghan military and police said yesterday, after Islamabad launched air strikes on at least three cities in a flare-up of cross-border fighting. “A Pakistani fighter jet was shot down in the sixth district of Jalalabad city, and its pilot was captured alive,” police spokesman Tayeb Hammad said. Pakistan launched airstrikes on Friday on Kabul and southern Kandahar, where Afghan Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is based. The Pakistani minister for information and broadcasting said 37 locations across Afghanistan had been subject to aerial targeting since its operation began, although it was not clear if strikes had taken place on Friday night. “Pakistan’s immediate and effective response to aggression continues,” Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister, wrote on X.

Major transit hubs rolling out multilingual signageBy Wu Liang-yi / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Transportation and Communications is rolling out multilingual signage across the nation’s transport hubs in three phases to make travel more tourist-friendly, with signs featuring Mandarin, English, Japanese and Korean. A sign in Mandarin, English, Japanese and Korean is pictured at the Taipei Main Station yesterday. On the Kaohsiung MRT, popular transfer stations such as Formosa Boulevard and Kaohsiung Station have Japanese announcements, while other stations continue to use Chinese and English signage, it said. English is already an international language, but with the growing number of South Korean visitors — one of Taiwan’s main sources of international tourists — Korean has been added to multilingual signage at these transport hubs, he said. The transport operators are responsible for updating station signs, while the ministry would monitor and supervise the process, he said.

Ministry warns over travel to Middle EastTWIN ‘RED’ ALERTS: The foreign ministry said it has instructed its overseas offices to maintain contact with Taiwanese in areas affected by unrest and urged vigilanceStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged the public to avoid nonessential travel to parts of the Middle East amid escalating tensions, adding that Iran remains under its highest-level “red” travel alert. Taiwan has also issued an “red” alert for Israel, and a “red” alert for areas along the Israel-Lebanon border. Travel advisories would be adjusted in line with the latest developments, the ministry said. Given geopolitical uncertainty in the region, the ministry urged the public to carefully assess the necessity of travel to high-risk destinations. Under the ministry’s four-tier travel alert system, advisories are classified as “gray,” “yellow,” “orange” and “red,” in ascending order of risk.

‘Wuthering Heights’ film unleashes BrontemaniaAFP, HAWORTH, United KingdomPerched on the edge of the rugged Yorkshire moors that inspired writer Emily Bronte to create her masterpiece, Wuthering Heights, the quaint village of Haworth has long been a place of literary pilgrimage. Two people explore the Bronte Waterfall on the South Dean Beck, a location known to have been appreciated by the Bronte sisters, near Haworth, England, on Wednesday. Two weeks after the release of the film, picturesque Haworth, with its narrow, cobbled streets and small stone houses, is packed. The film would attract a “whole new generation of people” who had not yet read the book, but were “completely besotted” after seeing the film, he added. “Everyone is talking about Emily Bronte and Wuthering Heights.... It’s just extraordinary,” she added.

Lionel Messi knocked down by pitch invaderAFP, MIAMILionel Messi was knocked to the ground as fans invaded the pitch during chaotic scenes at a match in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Messi was playing for Inter Miami in a friendly against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle when supporters raced onto the field in the game’s 88th minute. A pitch invader, front, second left, grabs Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi at the end of their international friendly soccer match against Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Messi, who came on as a substitute at the start of the second half, scored the winning goal in the 70th minute. The friendly was originally scheduled for Feb. 13, but was postponed due to a Messi injury.

British and German offices mark 228 Peace Memorial DayStaff writer, with CNAThe British Office Taipei and the German Institute Taipei yesterday marked 228 Peace Memorial Day with social media posts reflecting on historical lessons and the importance of democracy. The British Office Taipei on social media drew parallels between Taiwan’s commemoration and the UK’s Remembrance Day. “In the UK, we mark Remembrance Day with the phrase ‘Lest we forget,’ calling on people not to forget the sacrifices of those who came before us for freedom and peace,” it wrote. A message is displayed on Taipei 101 last night to mark the 79th anniversary of the 228 Incident. Many societies have endured “unspeakable collective pain” in the pursuit of peace, truth and justice — values shared by the UK and Taiwan, it said.

Zimbabwe bans lithium exportsBy Enos Denhere / AFP, HARAREZimbabwe’s ban on raw lithium exports is forcing Chinese miners to rethink their strategy, speeding up plans to process the metal locally instead of shipping it to China’s vast rechargeable battery industry. Zimbabwe already banned the export of lithium ore in 2022 and last year announced it would halt exports of lithium concentrates from January next year. Photo: APHowever, on Wednesday it imposed the ban with immediate effect, leaving unclear what the lithium mining sector would do in the short term, as Zimbabwe has no facilities to process lithium concentrates. The Zimbabwean government’s moves to ban exports of raw minerals did not impress its critics. “A country like Zimbabwe is exporting raw lithium and, in the process, enriching China at its own expense,” Maguwu said.

Men’s epee team win first-ever gold at junior eventStaff writer, with CNATaiwan’s men’s epee team on Friday won their first-ever gold medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Fencing Championship in Indonesia, defeating Hong Kong 45-41 in the final. Coach Lee Chun-cheng said that Lee, Chen and Lin have fenced together for a long time and developed strong chemistry, setting their sights on gold ahead of the tournament. From left, Taiwan’s Lee Rang, Lin Jhe-cyun, Chen Bing-jyun and Liu Han-wen pose for a photograph with their gold medals after winning the Asian Cadet and Junior Fencing Championship in Jakarta on Friday. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s women’s sabre team also reached the gold medal match, but lost 18-44 to China, earning silver and marking a new milestone in the team’s history. The championship was held from Feb. 20 to Friday at the Jakarta International Convention Center.

Photo: Taipei TimesIf the working-age population is narrowed down to the “sandwich generation,” the stress level becomes even higher, and the elderly dependency ratio (ratio of the elderly population to the working-age population) of 37.86 percent in Taipei is the highest in the country. Across counties and cities, Taipei is the only one with a dependency ratio more than 50 percent. Following closely behind Taipei, the dependency ratio in Nantou County is 48.7 percent, while that in Chiayi County is 47.87 percent. Using statistics from 1956 as an example, the country’s youth dependency ratio was 85.53 percent, while the elderly dependency ratio was only 5.05 percent, so the aging index was about 5.9 percent. However, statistics from last year showed the country’s youth dependency ratio dropped to 16.83 percent, while the elderly dependency ratio increased to 29.31 percent, and the aging index increased to a record high of 174.24 percent.

Group demands transition timelineBy Huang Ching-hsuan, Chen Cheng-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe government should provide a firm timeline to transition Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei away from a location that “worships a statue of a dictator,” the Taiwan Youth Association for Transitional Justice and Kiong-seng said yesterday. People place lilies during a ceremony in Changhua County yesterday to mark the 79th anniversary of the 228 Incident. The Taipei City Government should remove the name “Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall” from bus stops and MRT stations, it added. Separately, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Nation Alliance held a memorial event commemorating the 228 Incident in front of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. “For Taiwan, 228 is a day to reflect on history and cherish democracy, but it’s also important not to dwell in sorrow,” he said.

Thousands demonstrate in solidarity with victims of Greece’s train tragedyAFP, ATHENSThousands of people across Greece yesterday demonstrated in solidarity with victims of the country’s worst train tragedy, which claimed 57 lives in 2023 and rattled the government of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. A woman lays a flower next to banners with portraits of victims of the Tempi railway collision at the crash site, in Tempi, Greece, yesterday. Photo: AFPThe crash was “not a stroke of bad luck,” an association of victims’ relatives said. However, anger continues to simmer, increasing support for smaller opposition parties, including one headed by a leading lawyer for the accident victims. Nearly 40 people are to go on trial on March 23, including railway executives and the station master on duty that night.

Right before Imamoglu’s arrest, Istanbul University annulled his degree based on alleged irregularities, disqualifying him from running for president. This came days before the CHP was set to pick Imamoglu as its presidential candidate for the 2028 election. Municipal office often gives opposition leaders visibility, administrative experience and a track record showing that there is another way to govern. However, when incumbents can neutralize their rivals through lawfare, public institutions lose credibility, and politics hinges on the survival strategies of those in power. A democratic country can retain its outward form even as its leaders use the courts to engineer political outcomes.

However, a closer look reveals the stringent requirement that applications must have household registration in Taipei City, leaving many commuters from New Taipei City and Keelung unable to access these benefits. First, the most dangerous aspect of this kind of policy is its irreversibility and malign spillover effects. Once Taipei City fires the first shot, other local administrations would appear backward if they fail to follow suit. When an employee leaves work an hour early, their workload does not magically disappear — it is shifted onto their colleagues. The city government might subsidize wages, but can it compensate for the fractures in the workplace caused by perceived privilege?

India’s game-changing digital money modelBy Rishi SuriOn most days, India quietly does something that no other country has ever done at such a scale: It moves money instantly, billions of times, for free. UPI rests on India’s broader digital public infrastructure, the famous JAM trinity: Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar identity and mobile phones. Between April and October 2024, RuPay credit cards accounted for more than 750 million UPI transactions. India treats digital payments as public infrastructure, not as a premium private service. It is India’s quiet but unmistakable message that the world’s digital financial highways could one day flow through India.