Hong Kong activist’s dad sentenced‘JUDICIAL FARCE’: Anna Kwok said that her father’s conviction under the guise of national security was ‘transnational repression’ based on ‘guilt by blood’Reuters, HONG KONGA Hong Kong court sentenced the father of a wanted democracy activist to eight months in prison under the territory’s homegrown national security law, after he attempted to terminate her insurance policy and withdraw the funds. Kwok Yin-sang, left, leaves the Hong Kong High Court after a judge granted him bail on May 20 last year. His daughter, Anna Kwok (郭鳳儀), is the executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, and is one of 34 overseas activists wanted by the Hong Kong National Security Department. “My father was convicted and sentenced under the guise of ‘national security’, she said. China imposed a sweeping National Security Law on Hong Kong in 2020 and the territory’s legislature passed a second set of national security laws — Article 23 — in 2024, to plug what authorities called “loopholes” in the national security regime.

Returning digital sovereignty to the peopleBy Julian Chu 朱殿蓉Late last month, an op-ed authored by Hsin-na (馨娜) published in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) astutely observed how the Chinese Communist Party uses its National Digital Asset Authentication and Registration Center to enmesh individuals’ digital lives within its state surveillance network. In today’s digital age, the question of where data rights lie is no longer a purely economic matter, but part of a political struggle for defending sovereignty. The Chinese model undeniably has its advantages in tech governance. It is a kind of technological outsourcing that does little to resist backdoor surveillance by great powers, and reduces data sovereignty to fodder for corporate extraction. Data sovereignty must be returned to the people, and power must operate in the light of day — this should be Taiwan’s path in the digital age.

Trump’s tariffs are a nostalgia that misreads a changed worldThe US president fights 1970s battles in a financialized age in which the US faces not a payments crisis, but a slow erosion of industrial and technological powerTHE GUARDIAN EDITORIALWhen the US Supreme Court on Friday last week voted 6-3 to strike down US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, he was incandescent. Two judges he had elevated — Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — were suddenly recast as traitors to the cause. The court ruled that the tariffs overstepped the powers the US Congress granted under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump responded by reaching for a 1974 trade law, invoking “international payments problems” to slap on a 10 percent tariff for 150 days. It fell not to one shock, but to many: war debts, shrinking economic weight, imperial overstretch and self-inflicted deflation.

We know that to win the Champions League, you need competition and we’re experts at that level.”PSG next face either Barcelona or Chelsea. Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique looks on during their UEFA Champions League match against AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday. Photo: EPA“If there’s one team that has played against good teams and had the toughest group, it’s clearly us,” Enrique said. Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen scores during their UEFA Champions League match against Juventus at Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, on Wednesday. Photo: EPAVinicius “had a great game,” Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar.

Nuclear not the only energy optionBy Lin Ren-bin 林仁斌The South Korean government has announced that it is to construct large-scale nuclear power units and accelerate the development of small modular reactors between 2035 and 2038. Energy policy has never been about green lighting construction projects on a whim, nor can it be solved by relying on technology alone. Nuclear power can indeed provide stable baseload electricity, but it requires high construction costs and long development timelines. With the rapid advancement of renewable energy and energy storage technologies, nuclear power is no longer the only solution to energy issues. If South Korea chooses nuclear energy as its long-term energy supply strategy — but lacks transparent institutions, risk management and public consensus — it risks repeating other nations’ experiences of high costs and governance pitfalls.

At a moment when Taiwan is recalibrating the meaning of its “silicon shield,” the ruling raises a deeper question: If rapid executive trade coercion is constrained, how does that reshape the environment in which Taiwan manages its semiconductor power? For years, the “silicon shield” has been described as a simple deterrent formula: concentrate advanced semiconductor fabrication in Taiwan so that an attack would paralyze global supply chains. In other words, the evolution of the silicon shield is less about surrendering capacity and more about structuring interdependence. In that context, Taiwan’s silicon shield appears less vulnerable to judicial shifts in trade authority than some might assume. The “silicon shield” is entering a more institutional phase.

“We expect optical fiber and Ethernet chips to deliver the strongest growth. The two product lines are likely to account for about 20 percent of the company’s total revenue this year,” Airoha executive vice president M.H. The Airoha Technology Corp logo is pictured at a trade show in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Airoha Technology CorpAiroha expects its optical fiber chips to enjoy high-speed growth this year and over the next few years as optical fiber transceiver modules remain the top choice for AI data center operators, Shieh said. Airoha counts major cloud service providers and optical fiber transceiver module makers among its customers.

Sri Lanka captain laments criticismReuters, COLOMBOSri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka on Wednesday said that the relentless criticism aimed at his players has been damaging to their mental health and undermined their efforts at the T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated from the group stage by New Zealand. Photo: APFormer captain Kumar Sangakkara said that Sri Lanka were in danger of becoming irrelevant in the cricket world. Henry also removed Chairth Asalanka with the first ball of his second over to leave Sri Lanka in trouble at 6-2. Part-time spinner Rachin Ravindra found turn to put the game beyond Sri Lanka with a career-best 4-27. Earlier, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie rescued their side after Sri Lanka reduced them to 84-6.

The special defense budget was proposed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration in November last year to enhance the nation’s defense capabilities against external threats from China. However, the legislature, dominated by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), repeatedly blocked its review. “Without significant increases in Taiwan’s defense spending at levels reflected in President Lai’s proposed special budget, this progress will be insufficient,” the letter said. With like-minded countries taking more responsibility for their own defense by bolstering defense spending, the opposition parties’ blocking of Taiwan’s defense bills has caused international allies, especially the US, to doubt their willingness to defend the nation. The legislators’ upcoming deliberation on the special defense budget should focus on practical defense needs, not just on bargaining.

Delta optimistic on Q1 revenueEXPANSION: Delta Electronics is planning to expand its capacity in Thailand, India and the US, and has visited Mexico to gauge potential future investment thereBy Meryl Kao / Staff reporterPower supply and electronic components maker Delta Electronics Inc (台達電) yesterday said that it is optimistic about revenue this quarter and for the full year, as artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure continues to drive demand for its power and thermal management products. Shipments of power products this quarter could be flat or increase slightly from last quarter, while those of cooling products are expected to decline from last quarter due to seasonality, the company said. Delta Electronics Inc chairman Cheng Ping speaks at an earnings conference in Taipei yesterday. Power electronics products accounted for 50 percent of Delta’s revenue of NT$161.61 billion last quarter, followed by infrastructure products at 37 percent, automation devices at 9 percent and mobility applications at 4 percent. Delta is planning to expand its capacity in Thailand, India and the US, and has visited Mexico to gauge potential future investment there, he said.

Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Li Zhenxiu holds a sign reading: “Please abide by the Constitution of the Republic of China” at the legislature in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesUnder Article 20 of the Nationality Act (國籍法), people who hold other nationalities are prohibited from serving in public office. Li’s case is unclear under both the Nationality Act and the cross-strait act, Cho said, advising all ministries to refrain from providing her any information, confidential or otherwise. “So far, we still have doubts about Li’s qualifications to serve as a legislator in Taiwan. As the premier has clearly stated his position on the matter, all administrative agencies in the Cabinet should follow his recommendation.

4 killed in shooting trying to infiltrate country, Cuba saysAP, HAVANAThe Cuban government late on Wednesday said that the 10 passengers on a boat that opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the US who were trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism. The announcement came hours after Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speed boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer. One of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova, Cuba’s government said, while three others have not yet been identified. Misael Ortega Casanova, Michel Ortega Casanova’s brother, late on Wednesday said that he was mourning his brother’s death, but lamented that he fell into what he called an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom. “Only us Cubans who have lived over there understand,” Misael Ortega Casanova said, referring to the “great suffering” that he and other Cubans on the island have faced.

Two Taiwanese hospitals make world top 250 listStaff writer, with CNATaipei Veterans General Hospital and National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital featured on Newsweek's list of the world's 250 best hospitals for this year released today. Taipei Veterans made the list at No. Newsweek's hospital rankings tend to favor institutions in English-speaking countries, Chen said, adding that "many more" Taiwanese hospitals would have made the top 250 in a more neutral evaluation. In addition to the world's top 250 hospitals, the survey also provides rankings for hospitals in each country and region. The top 10 was rounded out by Taichung-based China Medical University Hospital, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Cathay General Hospital and Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital.

Taiwan, Japan working holiday limit now twice per personStaff writer, with CNATaiwan and Japan have raised the lifetime limit on working holiday visas to two per person — up from one — under a revised agreement that took effect on Feb. 1, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. The change was formalized through a recent exchange of documents between Taiwan and Japan on the implementation of their working holiday scheme, aimed at deepening bilateral youth and cultural exchanges, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said, citing Cho. Photo: ReutersCho said the program gives young Taiwanese opportunities to gain cross‑cultural experiences, build independent living skills and develop a global perspective. The Taiwan‑Japan working holiday scheme was first signed on April 3, 2009, and implemented later that year, allowing applicants to receive the visa only once in their lifetime at the time, Cho said. The scheme is open to applicants aged 18 to 30, with each visa valid for one year from the date of issue.

‘Home Run King’ Sadaharu Oh awarded Taiwan’s highest honorBy Chen Yun and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerBaseball legend Sadaharu Oh (王貞治) today received the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon, becoming the first athlete to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor. President William Lai (賴清德) conferred the medal on the “Home Run King” at a ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei. Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, center, poses with President William Lai, right, at the Presidential Office in Taipei today. In November last year, he was personally awarded Japan’s highest cultural honor, the Order of Culture, by Emperor Naruhito. While he has not lived in Taiwan, Oh maintains close ties with the country.