Taipei District Court announced its verdict today on former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and 10 others in a bribery case involving Jinghua City development. Ko faces charges including breach of duty, embezzlement, and breach of trust. If sentenced to over 10 years imprisonment, he will be disqualified from running for president or vice president in 2028.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that if Iran's government refuses to accept an agreement to end Middle East conflicts, President Trump is prepared to take strong measures against Iran. The statement reflects the US position in regional negotiations, emphasizing that failed talks would result in more forceful subsequent actions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump will conduct a state visit to China on May 14-15. The visit represents high-level interaction between the two nations' leaders, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to make a reciprocal visit to Washington. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and political dialogue between the United States and China.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, plans to submit its IPO prospectus to regulators this week or next, targeting a June listing. The company aims to raise over 75 billion dollars, exceeding previous estimates of 50 billion dollars, which would set a record for US IPO fundraising and surpass the combined total of all US IPOs from last year.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are tightening oil supplies and affecting global energy markets. Analysts indicate that recovery of Persian Gulf energy production will take years, pushing up global inflation. Economists expect U.S. inflation rates may rise to 4%, while investors monitor U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations.
Six Arab nations released a joint statement today condemning Iran's repeated attacks in the Middle East region and calling on Iraq to take immediate action to prevent pro-Iran armed groups operating within its borders from launching attacks. The statement reflects Arab countries' concerns about regional security.
The White House stated on Wednesday that despite reports of Iran rejecting a 15-point peace proposal, negotiations remain active. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Iran has not formally rejected the plan and both sides continue dialogue. The administration warned of strong measures if Iran fails to accept an agreement, while stressing President Trump's preference for peaceful resolution. The White House questioned the accuracy of leaked details about the proposal.
Taipei District Court announced its verdict today on former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and 10 others in a bribery case involving Jinghua City development. Ko faces charges including breach of duty, embezzlement, and breach of trust. If sentenced to over 10 years imprisonment, he will be disqualified from running for president or vice president in 2028.
A Chinese-origin resident surnamed Hsu has been indicted for allegedly reporting domestic political developments to Chinese officials and cultivating political participation among Chinese-origin residents to expand political influence in Taiwan. Investigators found she organized activities to attract support from Chinese-origin residents after expressing dissatisfaction with a major opposition party's exclusion of such candidates from safe electoral lists.
Iran rejected the US 15-point peace proposal on Wednesday and simultaneously escalated military operations against Israel and Gulf countries. Iranian officials stated a negative response to the American proposal while presenting conditions including war reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks included a fire at Kuwait International Airport, indicating continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
US President Trump announced plans to visit China in mid-May for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The visit is expected to address bilateral relations and regional developments. White House spokesperson Lee Witt commented on the planned visit during a daily briefing.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that if Iran's government refuses to accept an agreement to end Middle East conflicts, President Trump is prepared to take strong measures against Iran. The statement reflects the US position in regional negotiations, emphasizing that failed talks would result in more forceful subsequent actions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump will conduct a state visit to China on May 14-15. The visit represents high-level interaction between the two nations' leaders, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to make a reciprocal visit to Washington. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and political dialogue between the United States and China.
The White House announced that President Trump will visit China on May 14-15 for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting, originally scheduled for late March or early April, was postponed by approximately six weeks due to U.S. military actions against Iran. Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania, and Xi is expected to make a reciprocal visit to Washington later this year.
The United States submitted a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran, but Iranian media reported Iran rejected the negotiation proposal. US-Iran diplomatic efforts regarding Middle East ceasefire have stalled. Amid geopolitical tensions, Brent crude oil prices remain volatile around $100 per barrel, with investors maintaining a cautious outlook on developments.
A Los Angeles jury in California ruled that Meta and YouTube's platform designs are addictive and caused harm to a teenage girl. The court determined that both social media giants are responsible for the addictive mechanisms in their platforms and ordered them to pay damages. The case highlights concerns about social media's impact on adolescent mental health and corporate design accountability.
Middle East conflict has caused extensive damage to liquefied natural gas production lines, refineries, and critical energy facilities. According to Rystad Energy assessment, repair costs could exceed $25 billion. Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City's S4 and S6 LNG production lines declared force majeure due to damage, reducing capacity by 17% and annual output by 12.8 million tons, with full recovery expected to take 5 years. Reconstruction spending will primarily focus on engineering and construction sectors.
Traders assessed the likelihood of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with markets showing optimism regarding peace prospects. Consequently, international oil prices declined today. Progress in ceasefire negotiations could help ease geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region and impact global energy markets.
European Central Bank President Lagarde stated that the ECB is prepared to raise interest rates if necessary to maintain stable inflation expectations, even if eurozone inflation is viewed as a temporary phenomenon. She indicated the central bank may make modest policy adjustments if inflation shows significant overshooting. Eurozone inflation rose to 1.9% in February, reflecting the ECB's heightened vigilance toward inflation risks.
Meta announced layoffs affecting hundreds of employees across multiple teams as the company seeks to manage substantial expenses from artificial intelligence investments. The cost-cutting measure reflects the financial pressure from ongoing AI research and development. Details on the exact scale and affected departments are still being confirmed.
High-quality European and American companies are actively issuing bonds to raise capital, capitalizing on a relatively stable market window. Firms aim to complete financing and build cash reserves before potential market volatility from geopolitical tensions in Iran and the U.S. midterm elections.
The United States reportedly presented a peace proposal to Iran, raising market expectations for de-escalation in the Middle East. European major stock indices closed higher today, while international oil prices declined. Investor optimism about reduced geopolitical risks drove the stock market gains.
Indonesia has agreed to implement a windfall tax on nickel production, expected to take effect next month. As the world's largest nickel producer, the move has significant market implications. Nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange surged 3.1% on the 25th, reaching USD 17,475 per ton, reflecting market concerns about future supply availability.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, plans to submit its IPO prospectus to regulators this week or next, targeting a June listing. The company aims to raise over 75 billion dollars, exceeding previous estimates of 50 billion dollars, which would set a record for US IPO fundraising and surpass the combined total of all US IPOs from last year.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are tightening oil supplies and affecting global energy markets. Analysts indicate that recovery of Persian Gulf energy production will take years, pushing up global inflation. Economists expect U.S. inflation rates may rise to 4%, while investors monitor U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations.
Ai2 released MolmoWeb, an open-source visual web agent system built on the Molmo 2 multimodal model family, offering 4B and 8B model sizes. The system provides public access to model weights, training data, agent and inference code, and evaluation tools. MolmoWeb supports self-hosting and can execute browser actions like clicking, typing, and scrolling based on task instructions and webpage screenshots.
Intel introduced its new-generation Core Ultra processor in Taiwan, targeting AI PC applications. The processor delivers over 77% gaming performance improvement compared to previous generations while offering up to 27 hours of battery life. It enables smooth gameplay of AAA titles on ultraportable laptops.
Microsoft's Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre will leave the company by end of March to become Chief Human Resources Officer at another organization. Chief HR Officer Amy Coleman confirmed the departure, noting Microsoft is undergoing AI-driven transformation with corresponding adjustments to HR systems to address rapidly growing artificial intelligence demands. The move reflects broader recent executive changes as the company reorganizes in response to technological shifts.
Apple has launched an age verification system in the UK requiring users to confirm they are at least 18 years old before accessing certain features. Verification methods include credit card information or identity document scanning. Users failing verification or identified as minors will have content filtering automatically enabled. Children under 13 require parental consent to create accounts. The measure aligns with the UK Online Safety Act implementation to prevent minors from accessing harmful content.
Meta is providing stock options linked to company valuation to senior executives, marking the first time since its 2012 IPO. The program conditions rewards on achieving a 9 trillion dollar market valuation within five years, aiming to retain talent and accelerate artificial intelligence development. This reflects intensifying competition for AI talent in the technology industry.
UK semiconductor company Arm Holdings announced its first self-designed chip targeting data center AI inference applications. Market response was positive, with stock price jumping 20% on Wednesday. The company projects the chip will generate 15 billion dollars in revenue by 2031, contributing to total annual revenue of 250 billion dollars, marking a significant shift in its business model.
Elon Musk announced the Terafab project to manufacture AI chips with annual production capacity of 1 terawatt, jointly driven by Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Tesla is recruiting senior engineers with over 10 years of experience in Hsinchu, Taiwan, with more than 100 applicants to date.
Taiwan pitcher Kai-Wei Teng has been confirmed on the Houston Astros' 26-man roster for the 2026 MLB opening day, facing the Angels tomorrow. This marks the second Taiwanese player to make an MLB opening day roster since Zhang Yu-chen in 2023, representing a significant milestone for Taiwanese baseball.
Taipei District Court announced its verdict today on former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and 10 others in a bribery case involving Jinghua City development. Ko faces charges including breach of duty, embezzlement, and breach of trust. If sentenced to over 10 years imprisonment, he will be disqualified from running for president or vice president in 2028.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that if Iran's government refuses to accept an agreement to end Middle East conflicts, President Trump is prepared to take strong measures against Iran. The statement reflects the US position in regional negotiations, emphasizing that failed talks would result in more forceful subsequent actions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Trump will conduct a state visit to China on May 14-15. The visit represents high-level interaction between the two nations' leaders, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to make a reciprocal visit to Washington. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and political dialogue between the United States and China.
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, plans to submit its IPO prospectus to regulators this week or next, targeting a June listing. The company aims to raise over 75 billion dollars, exceeding previous estimates of 50 billion dollars, which would set a record for US IPO fundraising and surpass the combined total of all US IPOs from last year.
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are tightening oil supplies and affecting global energy markets. Analysts indicate that recovery of Persian Gulf energy production will take years, pushing up global inflation. Economists expect U.S. inflation rates may rise to 4%, while investors monitor U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations.
Iran rejected the US 15-point peace proposal on Wednesday and simultaneously escalated military operations against Israel and Gulf countries. Iranian officials stated a negative response to the American proposal while presenting conditions including war reparations and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks included a fire at Kuwait International Airport, indicating continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
The White House announced that President Trump will visit China on May 14-15 for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting, originally scheduled for late March or early April, was postponed by approximately six weeks due to U.S. military actions against Iran. Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania, and Xi is expected to make a reciprocal visit to Washington later this year.
Following a BBC report, UK political leaders have called for an urgent investigation into alleged child sexual exploitation in high street areas. The calls aim to ensure protection for affected children and establish accountability. The investigation is expected to involve comprehensive evidence gathering and review of the allegations.
The White House announced that President Trump will visit Beijing, China on May 14-15 to meet with President Xi Jinping. Trump had originally planned to visit China at the end of this month but requested a postponement to address military operations in Iran. This visit represents an important diplomatic engagement between the two leaders.
Iran rejected a US ceasefire plan on Wednesday and launched additional attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states, including an assault that caused a major fire at Kuwait International Airport. The rejection occurred as Israel conducted air strikes on Tehran and the United States deployed paratroopers and additional Marines to the region. Iranian state media quoted an anonymous official stating Iran's rejection of the American ceasefire proposal.
The White House announced on Wednesday that President Trump's long-awaited summit with President Xi Jinping will take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt made the announcement after weeks of speculation regarding the delayed high-stakes meeting. Trump expressed respect for Xi on social media. Beijing has not yet publicly responded to the announcement.
A Chinese-origin resident surnamed Hsu has been indicted for allegedly reporting domestic political developments to Chinese officials and cultivating political participation among Chinese-origin residents to expand political influence in Taiwan. Investigators found she organized activities to attract support from Chinese-origin residents after expressing dissatisfaction with a major opposition party's exclusion of such candidates from safe electoral lists.
US President Trump announced plans to visit China in mid-May for meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The visit is expected to address bilateral relations and regional developments. White House spokesperson Lee Witt commented on the planned visit during a daily briefing.
The United States submitted a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran, but Iranian media reported Iran rejected the negotiation proposal. US-Iran diplomatic efforts regarding Middle East ceasefire have stalled. Amid geopolitical tensions, Brent crude oil prices remain volatile around $100 per barrel, with investors maintaining a cautious outlook on developments.
The White House stated on Wednesday that despite reports of Iran rejecting a 15-point peace proposal, negotiations remain active. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Iran has not formally rejected the plan and both sides continue dialogue. The administration warned of strong measures if Iran fails to accept an agreement, while stressing President Trump's preference for peaceful resolution. The White House questioned the accuracy of leaked details about the proposal.