A group of visiting U-S senators are calling on lawmakers to pass the
government's 1.25-trillion N-T special defense budget bill to fund planned
purchases of American weapons systems.

The delegation is led by by Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, and included Republican Senator John Curtis, who
also sits on the committee.

They arrived in Taiwan at Taipei's Songshan Airport early Monday morning for
a two-day visit.

During a meeting with President Lai Ching-te at the Presidential Office,
Shaheen said the U-S recognizes Taiwan's moves to strengthen its own defense
and resilience.


Curtis said the Lai administration's steps to boost the island's defense are
being noticed in the U-S.


The President told the visiting U-S senators that his proposed special
defense budget is the most comprehensive proposal and he also took the time
to call on lawmakers to pass it as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs say the visiting U-S senators will also be
meeting with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung
..

.. and those discussions will be focusing on issues related to US-Taiwan
relations, regional security, and other matters of mutual interest.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen says she believes the special defense budget
should prioritize drones over submarines and range from between 800-billion
and 1-trillion N-T.

During a Taichung City Council meeting, Lu said her proposal seeks to scale
back submarine procurement while increasing investment in drones.

Although also compared her proposal with the K-M-T's plan, Lu admitted that
the figures are not directly comparable as additional funding could be
adjusted through negotiations between the Cabinet and the Legislature.

Lu said her views are based on her experience serving on the Legislature's
Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

The Mainland Affairs Council is calling on K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun not
to echo Beijing's political agenda when she visits China next week.

The council also said China's ambition to eliminate the Republic of China and
annex Taiwan "will not change simply because they engage in exchanges with
any political party or individual in Taiwan."

The MAC's statement comes after Cheng announced she had "gladly accepted" an
invitation from Xi Jinping to visit China from April 7 to 12.

The six-day trip includes stops in Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing.

Cheng is expected to meet with Xi during the visit.

The KMT chair said the trip will "show the people of Taiwan and the world
that two sides of the strait are not destined for war, nor do they need to
remain on the brink of military conflict."

The K-M-T legislative caucus is calling for Premier Zhu Rong-tai open an
independent investigation into alleged workplace bullying that may have
contributed to the recent death of senior trade official Yen Hui-xin.

Yen served as a deputy representative at the Office of Trade Negotiations.

She died on March 12 at the age of 53.

There are allegations surfaced Yen experienced workplace bullying,
particularly from Yang Jen-ni, who serves at the Lai administration's top
trade representative.

The Commercial Times has published excerpts from what is say was Yen's
resignation letter - in which she criticized the government for a lack of any
concrete plans or timetable for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive
Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Yen wrote her resignation letter in February while she was in an intensive
care unit.

One K-M-T lawmaker is calling on the government to remove Yang Jen-ni from
her post pending the outcome of the investigation into Yen's death.

The High Prosecutors' Office says that it's stepping up efforts to prevent
hoarding and price gouging of daily necessities, as part of government
efforts to stabilize consumer prices.

The government has reportedly instructed prosecutors' offices islandwide to
activate a special coordination platform to monitor market conditions and
investigate suspicious spikes in prices.

The move includes strengthening cooperation between police and health,
agriculture, and consumer protection agencies to establish
intelligence-sharing mechanisms and respond to any potential violations.

A dedicated team has reportedly been set up to examine supply chain processes
and take legal action against any businesses or individuals involved in
hoarding, price gouging, or collusive price increases.

The prosecutors' office is also encouraging members of the public to report
any suspected cases to authorities.

Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings has applied for
regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based
Delivery Hero's foodpanda.

The deal has been valued at about 600-million U-S dollars.

Grab said it submitted the filing to the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission on
March 27 and the deal is now awating regulatory review and approval.

The company says its independent governance structure will help foster a
healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved.

Grab also says although US -based Uber Technologies holds about 13-per cent
of its ordinary shares, that's less than 4-per cent of voting rights, and
does not participate in daily operations ..

.. and Uber's board representative has recused themselves from decisions
related to Taiwan.

Other major investors include SoftBank and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Grab has said it has no known Chinese institutional investor holding a stake
exceeding 5-per cent.

And,

The central bank says plans to redesign banknotes will include the 200 and
2,000 N-T bills - despite both denominations being less widely circulated.

The bills were included in the redesign plan not only because of demand, but
also in keeping with a trend in many other countries to include all
denominations in redesign initiatives.

The banknote redesign program was launched last October.

The central bank set up a cross-disciplinary advisory committee for what will
be the first large-scale redesign effort in more than 24 years.

A public vote to select a theme for the banknotes has been held and saw more
than 190,000 people participating in the poll.

The central bank's advisory committee has selected "Beauty of Taiwan" as the
theme for the new banknotes.

The redesign process is expected to take about two years.

In Penghu, momentum is gathering to support Penghu Magistrate Chen Guang Fu's
wife to run in November in his stead.

That's as Chen has been in the hospital in a coma since a fall during the
Lunar New Year.

A petition supporting Wu Shu Jin (吳淑瑾) to run has gathered 4000 signatures.

Organizers are asking the DPP to consider nominating her instead of her
husband.

Local DPP representatives said that the petition does not represent the
opinion of the party as a whole, but added they respected supporters'
opinions.

Some have also wondered if DPP Huxi township chief Mayor Huang Jian Zhong
(黃健忠) would be up for the task.

Whether Chen or someone else runs for magistrate, they will face the KMT's
Chen Zhen Zhong (陳振中) in November.

(AH)

In international news,

China says it is sanctioning a conservative Japanese lawmaker close to Prime
Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Beijing accuses the lawmaker of “colluding with” separatists in Taiwan.

It is the latest incident that underlines growing tensions between Tokyo and
Beijing over the self-governed island.

China’s Foreign Ministry said the sanctions include banning the entry of
Keiji Furuya to China, including to Hong Kong and Macao, and prohibiting his
activities with organizations and individuals in China, effective
immediately.

Furuya heads a bipartisan Japan-Taiwan lawmakers’ consultation council and
has visited Taiwan regularly.

He most recently visited Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, where he held talks with
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in mid-March.

Russia has expelled a British diplomat it accuses of spying.

The U.K. has described the claim as nonsense.

Russia’s FSB says the diplomat was carrying out intelligence and subversive
work.

It says the diplomat sought sensitive information about the Russian economy
in unofficial meetings.

Authorities ordered the diplomat to leave within two weeks.

The U.K. Foreign Office says Russia is running a coordinated campaign of
harassment against British staff.

It says it will not accept intimidation of embassy families.

This is Russia’s second expulsion of a British diplomat this year. Both
sides have traded expulsions since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022.

The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office is stepping up efforts to prevent hoarding
and price gouging of daily necessities.

Authorities have instructed prosecutors nationwide to activate a special
coordination platform to monitor market conditions and investigate suspicious
price hikes.

The initiative brings together law enforcement, investigation, health,
agriculture, and consumer protection agencies to establish
intelligence-sharing mechanisms and respond swiftly to potential violations.

Dedicated prosecutors will examine supply chain processes and take strict
legal action against businesses involved in hoarding, price gouging, or
nefarious price increases.

The public is also encouraging people to report suspected cases to
prosecutors or police, as authorities aim to stabilize prices, safeguard
livelihoods, and uphold social fairness.

Officials added that the move follows policy guidance from the Executive
Yuan, and businesses are urged to uphold corporate social responsibility.

(IG)

Israel murder

Now turning to international news...

The Israeli parliament is set to vote on a bill that would make the death
penalty the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of what
they're calling "anti-Israel murder."

The final knesset vote is expected before Passover this Wednesday.

It will mark the culmination of a yearslong push by Israel's far right to end
the country's historic opposition to the death penalty...

and will escalate punishment for Palestinians convicted of terror offenses
against Israelis.

If passed, the new legislation will come into effect in 30 days, though
rights groups are expected to petition Israel's highest court against it.

Opponents call the proposal racist and unlikely to deter attacks by
militants/

Kosovo is struggling with the steep rise in fuel prices due to the Iran war.

Despite being one of Europe's poorest countries, Kosovo's government has yet
to put in place measures to mitigate effects of the crisis...

as neighbors Serbia, Hungary, and Romania have done, introducing special
diesel prices for farmers or lowering state tax income.

Economic experts warn that the government should urgently respond to prevent
greater damage to the economy,

Kosovo's economy has struggled since it declared independence from Serbia in
2008.

Additionally, a prolonged political crisis has left the country without a
fully functioning government for the better part of a year.

And,

A restorative justice program in Brazil promoting reading is allowing
prisoners to shave time off their sentences.

Inmates in a women's prison in Rio de Janeiro can sign up for the program to
immerse themselves in literary works and prove they understood the contents.

Prisoners say that reading offers a form of escapism to think about things
outside the jail cell.

Brazil has one of the highest per capita incarceration rates in Latin
America...

and boasts one of the most formalized and nationwide systems for sentence
reduction through reading in the world.

Even former president Jair Bolsonaro has been authorized to take part.

And if you need any book recommendations, some of the books that detainees
read include Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and The Color Purple
by Alice Walker.

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu Yan is walking the partisan line on the special defense
budget.

Lu, of the KMT, says today that she thinks a suitable amount for the budget
would be between 800 billion and 1 trillion NT.

Her comments come as several different versions of a special defense budget
are pending at the legislature, with the KMT's version expected to cost at
least 380 billion NT...

and the DPP's set at 1.25 trillion.

Lu also downplayed reports of internal strife within the KMT, saying what she
wants isn't too different from the KMT's version, as she emphasized their
budget sits at at least 380 billion and does not set an upper limit.

Noting that the Executive Yuan's version currently has the cash set aside for
8 submarines and 200-thousand drones, she says the budget should include less
money for the subs and more for drones.

Meanwhile DPP caucus whip Cai Qi Chang says that he hopes Lu will use her
influence within the blue camp to expedite the passage of the special defense
bill.

(AH)

Government investigators have raided nearly a dozen offices of Chinese
companies in Taiwan.

The businesses are suspected of illegally recruiting high-tech talent in
Taiwan by using fake identities and unauthorized offices.

The Ministry of Justice says the coordinated operation took place mid-to-late
March, with searches condcuted at more than 49 locations across Taipei, New
Taipei, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu.

Investigators say the Chinese firms tried to hide their true origins by
posing as Taiwanese or foreign-funded businesses.

Authorities say these unauthorized activities threaten the island's
competitive edge in the semiconductor and tech industries.



Prosecutors have questioned 90 people so far as part of the ongoing
investigation.

(NS)

Health officials in Taipei are urging parents to check their pantries, after
several imported baby snacks sold online failed safety tests for heavy
metals.

The Taipei City Department of Health says it recently tested 50 different
snacks, including candies and seaweed products, ahead of Children’s Day.

While all 40 items from physical stores passed, four products purchased from
online platforms contained excessive levels of lead and cadmium.

Officials say they have traced the products to suppliers in other cities and
have ordered them to fix the issues.

Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to $3 million NT.

(NS)

In world news...

The Israeli military said today that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles
at Israel, and an attack was also launched from Yemen for only the second
time since the U.S.-Israeli war began.

It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early Monday but gave no
further details.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia entered the war on Saturday, firing
missiles at Israel, escalating a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East.

The latest attacks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S.
and Iran had been meeting "directly and indirectly" and that Iran's new
leaders have been "very reasonable".

Pakistan, which is acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington,
said it's preparing to host "meaningful talks" in the coming days aimed at
ending the month-long Iran war.

It's not clear whether the U.S. and Iran have agreed to attend.

Egypt is imposing early closing times for shops, cafes and restaurants to cut
oil use as energy prices surge during the war.

The rules were enacted nationwide Saturday and are forcing most businesses to
shut by 9 p.m. for a month.

The government is also dimming streetlights and advertising. Offices in the
capital close by 6 p.m.

Some civil servants work from home one day a week.

The Prime Minister says Egypt faces soaring import costs for fuel.

Business owners warn the change crushes peak hours and threatens jobs.

The government says tourist areas are exempt from these measures.

The Health Promotion Administration is advising against outdoor activity for
those in Taipei and Kinmen...

as the air quality has hit a red-alert level in both areas.

Red alerts indicate unhealthy air quality for all groups.

They're also advising the public to wear a mask outside and to use an air
purifier inside if available.

In addition to Taipei and Kinmen, there are also orange level alerts in place
along much of the west coast.

That means, the HPA recommends that children, the elderly, and the
immunocompromised reduce outdoor activity and close doors and windows.

(AH)

Taiwan’s central bank says rising oil prices driven by tensions in the
Middle East could push inflation higher this year.



Central Bank Governor Yang Jin-long said his bank has already revised
Taiwan’s consumer price index growth to 1.8- percent.



If oil prices rise further to 100 U.S. dollars per barrel, inflation could
edge up to around 1.9 -percent.



During today's trading, oil prices hovered around 108 U.S. dollars a barrel.

Responding to lawmakers' questions, Yang also said any spike between 95 and
115 dollars is likely temporary.

Asked if it could lead to interest rate hikes, Yang said tightening monetary
policy, including rate increases, remains an option if inflation expectations
take hold.

(JL)

Tree protection advocates are deeply concerned about the impact of Taipei
MRT’s construction on trees in the Neihu District.

Taipei Metro said it's planning to remove or transplant nearly 300 trees to
prepare for the Eastern Section of the Circular Line with two stations at the
Nei-hu Technology Park.

But the Taiwan Tree People Association says that will exacerbate the
so-called "heat island" issues, as Neihu is already mostly paved with cement
and has many high-rise buildings.

The Planting Trees group's polls also showed that most of those who worked
there weren't aware of the removal of trees.

According to the polls, 96-percent of the respondents supported preserving
the old trees along the MRT line.

In response, Taipei's Department of Rapid Transit Systems said trees near the
construction site but outside the path of construction will be preserved in
place.

The Department has also promised to plant more trees once construction is
complete.

(JL)

Taiwan shares took another hit today, with the benchmark tai ex losing 594
points to close the session at 32518.

The turnover was 64.6 billion NT

In Hungary, young voters are rallying behind the opposition Tisza party,
posing the strongest challenge to Prime Minister Viktor Orban in years.

Polls show Peter Magyar's Tisza dominating among voters under 30, while older
voters are sticking with Orban, who's been in power for 16 years.

Analysts say, young people seek better economic opportunity and an end to
corruption and autocracy.

The generational gap may prove to be a deciding factor in the mid April
election.

Magyar is a center-right lawyer who broke with Orban's nationalist-populist
Fidesz party over a political scandal in 2024.

Fidesz's declining popularity during economic stagnation and political and
corruption scandals has widened the demographic divide.

Local media is reporting that four U.S. senators who arrived in Taiwan early
this morning will call on the Legislative Yuan to pass a special defense
budget.

But TPP chair Huang Guo-chang said today that they should urge their own
executive branch to promptly release the second list of arms purchases.

He says it's necessary to provide a reasonable basis for deciding whether to
include them in the special defense budget.

The four U.S. senators, led by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican John
Curtis, are here on a two-day visit aimed at strengthening alliances in the
Asia-Pacific.

Huang said President Lai has proposed a $1.25-trillion-NT special budget, but
lawmakers so far only know the details of a $11.1 billion U.S. dollar, about
$355 billion NT, U.S. arms sale approved last December.

The TPP found that package reasonable and so included it in its own defense
budget proposal.

But Huang said it remains unclear what else the United States plans to sell
to Taiwan, and until that is clarified lawmakers can't decide whether to add
the items into the special budget bill.

(JL)

The central bank is confirming that an upcoming redesign of Taiwan banknotes
will include the less common 200 and 2000 NT bills.

The central bank said in a report to the legislature that the bills are still
in demand amongst some consumers, and maintaining their circulation offers
environmental and cost benefits.

That's as the legislature is set to hold a hearing today on the matter.

The central bank added that their reasoning for including both the 200 and
2000 NT bills in the redesign plan is not only to do with demand but is also
in keeping with international standards.

Officials add that the project will promote the use of the two bills to
encourage a more balanced use of all 5 types of banknotes.

Following a poll, it was decided that "Beauty of Taiwan" will be the theme of
the new bills, with the entire process expected to take about 2 years.

(AH-CNA)

Now turning to international news...

Mongolia's ruling party has chosen a new prime minister candidate after the
former prime minister resigned after only nine months on the job.

State media reported that the Mongolian People's Party nominated Uchral
Nyam-Osor (OOCH-ral NYAM-oh-sor), the current party chairman, on Sunday.

He currently serves as parliament speaker and is seen as a compromise
candidate amid different party factions.

The opposition Democratic Party had boycotted parliamentary activity starting
earlier this month, citing concerns over a concentration of power within the
ruling party.

The latest leadership change is likely to exacerbate concerns for many
Mongolians, who already question corruption and elite influence in the
government.

(KK)

In Mexico, the act of selling birds in stacks of cages - sometimes far taller
than the men who carry them - spans generations.

They have long been a fixture in Mexican markets and are among 1.5 million
street vendors.

During the Catholic holiday of Palm Sunday, hundreds of bird vendors from
across the country flock to Mexico City.

They decorate 3-meter-tall stacks of cages with bright flowers, tinsel, and
images of Mexico's patron saint.

They walk kilometers through the street with their birds and their families
to the city's iconic basilica.

But the bird vendors are slowly disappearing in the face of mounting
restrictions by authorities and sharp criticisms by animal rights groups, who
call the practice an act of animal abuse and trafficking.

(KK)

The Tai-Ex tumbled in early trading as Israel continued its large-scale
bombing of Iran, and in oil prices surged at the end of last week - which
triggered selling pressure.

Wall Street also closed out its worst week since the Iran war began on Friday
-- for a fifth losing week in a row.

The main board lost over 600-points this morning - as it fell to a low of
32,430.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing lost ground and dropped to 1,780 N-T early
trading.

Other heavyweight stocks also badly - with Hon Hai, MediaTek and Delta all
falling.

The The electronics sector index fell 2-per cent, while the financial sector
sector lost 1.2-per cent.

indispensable

Defense Minister Wellington Koo is continuing to insist that the Cabinet's
proposed 1.25-trillion N-T special defense budget is indispensable in
ensuring the acquisition of weapons systems to boost Taiwan's combat
capabilities.

The statement comes after Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told the Liberty Times
in an interview published today that she believes it would be
reasonable for lawmakers to pass a budget of between 800-billion and
1-trillion N-T.

Lu told the Liberty Times that having spent 13 legislative sessions on the
Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, she is very familiar with
arms and commercial procurement procedures.

The defense minister thanked Lu for her her support.

However, Koo says based on overall threat assessments and operational
capability needs, the 1.25-trillion N-T budget is the best possible proposal.

And,

Racing driver Tiger Wu has won the ProAm class in the opening round of the
2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan at the Suzuka ircuit.

Wu drives for Bingo Racing and moved up to the ProAm class in 2025 after
winning the Am class title in 2023 and 2024.

Porsche Carrera Cup Japan was established in 2001 and is Japan's premier
one-make racing series.

All drivers compete in identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, ensuring that
results are determined by driver skill, race strategy, and team execution.

In international news,

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to
further expand its operations in southern Lebanon -- citing continuing rocket
fire by Hezbollah.

Israel said last week it was enlarging a "buffer zone" up to the Litani
River.

It's not immediately clear whether Netanyahu was referring to that area or to
the seizure of additional territory.

Israel's defence minister last week said Israeli forces will "control the
remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani" - a river that
meets the Mediterranean about 30-kilometers north of Israel's border.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel after the United States and Israel
launched air strikes on Iran.

Public transport in the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania will be
made free due to the spike in international fuel prices.

The state governments both say the move is aimed at persuading people not to
drive as fuel prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

Victoria has said it will have free travel throughout April.

While Tasmania has said commuters will not need to pay from today until the
end of June.

Other state governments have so far declined to follow the move.

But New South Wales indicating it was reserving funds to meet increased
demand for public transport.

Australia is among a host of nations that have seen fuel prices increase
sharply since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

British counter terrorism officers are assisting police after a driver who
struck pedestrians in the city of Derby was arrested on suspicion of
attempted murder.

The incident occurred at a usually busy street in the city centre.

Seven people suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and were
treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

Derbyshire police say they're "keeping an open mind" about the motive, and
while counter terrorism officers were assisting the investigation, the
incident was not currently being treated as terrorism.

Police said officers stopped the vehicle believed to be involved seven
minutes after the incident and arrested the 36-year-old driver, who remains
in custody.

Opposition parties in Moldova are demanding the government explain why it has
introduced a energy state of an emergency over a damaged power line which
took four days to repair.

The country's parliament approved the 60-day state of emergency to simplify
decision-making after the government blamed Russian attacks in neighbouring
Ukraine for knocking out the power line.

The line carries power from Romania to Moldova and passes through
40-kilometers of Ukrainian territory.

It provides up to 70-per cent of Moldova's electricity needs.

The country's prime minister had urged lawmakers to back the measure, which
allows the government to implement decisions without seeking the approval of
the chamber.

And finally,

Actor Antonio Banderas joined the crowds in dozens of Palm Sunday
processions, marking the official start of Holy Week in Spain.

The Andalusian cities of Seville and Malaga are hosting some of the most
popular and lavish processions, featuring elaborately decorated floats and
hundreds of penitents.

However, religious events of all kinds take place throughout Spain.

Thousands of people gathered in front of the Presidential Office at the
weekend to protest the Taipei District Court's sentencing former Taiwan
People's Party chairman Ko Wen-je to 17-years prison for corruption and
bribery.

Organizers say rally attracted over 10,000 people as of 2PM Sunday, but that
number had grown to around 80,000 by 5PM.

Police did not provide an estimate of the crowd size.

Ko told protesters the judiciary had become a "political tool" used to
persecute the public and that prosecutors had operated without sufficient
oversight or checks and balances.

Current T-P-P Chairman Huang Kuo-chang also addressed the crowd ...

... and he accused prosecutors of threatening witnesses and fabricating
interview records, saying they violated the legal principle of nonpublic
investigation in favor of "chaotic public disclosure."

Several K-M-T member also attended the rally - including 22 lawmakers.

K-M-T lawmaker party spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting accused the the government of
trying to eliminate political opponents and silence dissenting voices.

D-P-P spokesperson Lee Kuen-cheng says the party will not comment further on
individual judicial cases out of respect for the judiciary and is urging the
K-M-T and the T-P-P to not claim to be standing with the public while
"paralyzing" major budget bills in the Legislature.

The National Center for High-performance Computing says Taiwan's most
powerful supercomputer is expected to go online in the third quarter of this
year.

The center said the "Ching-chuang 26" has been built to boost artificial
intelligence development tailored to local needs.

The system is meant primarily to serve the public sector, academia and
industry - helping users develop and train A-I models in fields such as
finance and defense.

Taiwan's total supercomputing capacity is expected to more than triple within
about a year when the "Ching-chuang 26" goes online - rising to over 114
petaflops.

The new system alone to deliver around 82 petaflops.

A petaflop is a unit used to measure a computer's speed, especially for
complex calculations.

The center director-general says the supercomputer is equipped with NVIDIA's
H200-based computing system using advanced 4-nanometer process technology,
and has been undergoing testing since February.

The National Health Insurance Administration says National Health Insurance
spending on cancer treatment rose to a record 156.7-billion N-T last year.

That marks an increase of 26.5-billion N-T from 2020.

Government figures show the number of patients seeking cancer treatment has
risen by more than 970 thousand in 2025, reflecting an average annual
increase of 5-per cent over the past five years.

Breast cancer accounts for the largest number of cases at 198,878, followed
by colorectal and anal cancers, lung, trachea, and bronchus cancers, and
prostate cancer.

The cost of pancreatic cancer treatment was among the top 10 for the first
time in a decade.

The administration says the rising costs are mainly driven by Taiwan's aging
population and expanded cancer screening programs, reflecting increased
health investment and improved access to care.

The government has increased its funding for cancer prevention and treatment,
while the Health Promotion Administration has also boosted its cancer
screening budget by about 600-million N-T to expand early detection.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs is warning of data theft risks from fake LINE
sites.

The Administration for Cyber Security says it has discovered several cases of
people trying to download desktop versions of LINE falling into data theft
traps ..

.. and has released a list of nine websites that maliciously pose as the
official pages of social media mobile application LINE.

The administration is now warning of possible hacking and data breaches when
visiting and downloading software from the sites.

The administration says LINE was likely selected by threat actors due to its
popularity as the communications app of choice here in Taiwan and the
cyberattacks using the brand have shown signs of becoming increasingly
organized.

Once a fake version of the LINE desktop application has been downloaded onto
a computer, victims could have their personal information, such as passwords,
stolen.

The administration is urging the public to report any fake sites to its
scam-websites reporting page or the National Police Agency.

Police say the driver of a bus who ran over a 20-year-old student at Chang
Gung University in Taoyuan's Guishan District will be referred to prosecutors
on suspicion of negligent injury.

The incident occurred last Thursday evening, when a San Chung Bus Company
vehicle made a left turn on a campus road struck the student, as he was
walking on a marked crosswalk.

The student was trapped under the bus and remains in intensive care.

Police authorities say the bus driver tested negative for alcohol, but will
be referred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office on suspicion of
negligent bodily harm.

The company's manager visited the hospital the same night of the incident to
apologize to the family and pledged to cover all related costs.

The company says the driver failed to follow a rule requiring vehicles to
stop and check before turning on campus roads.

And,

The Central Weather Administration's Seismological Center is warning of
possible aftershocks over the coming week following Sunday's magnitude 4.7
earthquake that rattled the south Sunday morning.

That quake struck at 11:12AM and was centered some 29-kilometers
south-southeast of Pingtung County Hall at a depth of 23-kilometers.

It was felt across parts of Pingtung, Taitung, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Chiayi.

The administration's Seismological Center says the quake could result in
aftershocks of between magnitudes 4 and 5 on the weather administration's
intensity scale.

Data shows that no quakes stronger that magnitude 4 have been recorded that
area over the past 30 years.

The center says the quake was caused by the Eurasian Plate subducting beneath
the Philippine Sea Plate along Taiwan's Chaozhou Fault zone.

The Chaozhou Fault zone is an active high-angle thrust fault that marks the
boundary between the Central Mountain Range and the Pingtung Plain.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has ordered the military to
further expand its operations in southern Lebanon.

He claimed the move was being made to thwart the threat of invasion and to
push the anti-tank missile fire away from Israel's border.

Israel said last week it was enlarging a "buffer zone" last week.

It was not immediately clear whether Netanyahu was referring to that area or
to the seizure of additional territory.

The Lebanese health ministry has said Israeli strikes and ground operations
have killed more than 1,100 people in Lebanon, including children, women and
medical personnel.

Japanese troops set foot on Philippine soil for the first time since world
war two... to take part in the annual Balikatan military exercises...

The Japan Times reports at least several hundred of Japan's Self-Defense
Forces (SDF) troops are expected to put boots on the ground to join
Philippine, U.S. and Australian troops.

This year's exercise is said to be a new milestone in regional security
cooperation... and completes the SDF’s transition from observer to full
participant in the maneuvers

The multinational drills are scheduled to start on April 20 and end in May,
with a number of activities set to take place across the Philippine
archipelago.

China's top diplomat in Hong Kong has met the senior U.S. diplomat in the
city to protest against a U.S. public alert over new security rules in Hong
Kong.

Commissioner Cui Jianchun is said to have met U.S. Consul General Julie Eadeh
last week and expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition".

He also urged Washington to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and
China's internal affairs "in any form".

Hong Kong this month amended its enforcement rules for the national security
regime, making it an offence in national security cases to refuse to provide
passwords or other decryption assistance to access an electronic device.

Late last year, the Trump administration proposed some visitors to the United
States may soon have to provide their social media history from the prior
five years before getting their U-S visa waiver.

Police in Nepal arrested former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli over the
deaths of dozens of people during violent protests in September that toppled
the government and resulted in new elections.

Authorities arrested the communist leader early today at his home in
Kathmandu.

Police also arrested former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.

The arrests come a day after a new government headed by
rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah took office.

Shah's party won a parliamentary election by a landslide earlier this month.

The election was the country's first since youth-led protests against
corruption and poor governance that left 76 people dead and more than 2,300
injured.

AP_JvW

Indonesia has begun implementing a government regulation approved earlier
this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital
platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams
and addiction.

Indonesia has said the measure will go into effective gradually, starting
today.

The move makes it the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children under
16 from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X,
Bigo Live and Roblox.

It follows measures that Australia took last year in a world-first social
media ban for children as part of a push for families to take power back from
tech giants and protect their teens.

AP_JvW

Attacks have appeared to intensify in the war in the Middle East, including
strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and an Iranian missile attack that
wounded US service members and damaged planes at a base in Saudi Arabia.

In a positive development, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva
said overnight that Tehran has agreed to "facilitate and expedite"
humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz.

The aid plan would be the first breakthrough at the shipping chokepoint after
a month of war.

In the United States, President Donald Trump reiterated his desire for Saudi
Arabia and Israel to normalize ties when the war ends, though significant
obstacles remain.

AP_JvW

Authorities say five people were killed when a train and a van collided in
rural Mississippi.

Stone County's coroner said all of the casualties were in the van, including
one passenger, who was flown to a hospital.

There were no reported deaths or injuries on the Canadian Pacific Kansas City
train.

The crash occurred near the town of Wiggins about 45 miles northwest of
Biloxi.

AP_JvW