Taiwan's baseball team is scheduled to head for Tokyo this Saturday for the
World Baseball Classic games.

Chinese Professional Baseball League chair Cai Qi-chang says matchups against
South Korea and Australia will be key to advancing in the tournament.

The other two teams in Group C of the WBC games are from Japan and the Czech
Republic.

Cai says Team Taiwan will first play two exhibition games against Japanese
professional teams at the Taipei Dome this week to raise the level and
intensity of competition.

It will then fly to Japan on the 28th, with a brief send-off ceremony at the
airport that afternoon.

According to Elta TV, Taiwan first faces Australia at 11 AM on March 5th,
followed by a game against Japan at 6 PM the next day.

Taiwan plays the Czech Republic at 11 a.m. on March 7th, and wraps up group
play against South Korea on the 8th.

(JL)

Tens of thousands of commuters will have to wait longer to receive their
travel rebates because the central government budget has not yet been
approved.

The Highway Bureau announced today that payments for the TPASS 2.0 frequent
flyer program, originally scheduled to start today, are now on hold.

The delay affects about 72-thousand people who qualified for rebates in
January.

This includes seniors over age 70 who voluntarily gave up their driver's
licenses in exchange for travel credit.

The bureau says the total amount for January’s rebates is about $7.7 million
NT.

While the money cannot be paid out until the 2026 budget passes, officials
say travelers will not lose their benefits.

All boarding records are being saved, and the bureau will announce a new
payment schedule once the funds are available.

(NS)

Prosecutors have indicted a father and son for falsifying evidence in related
to an outbreak of African swine fever at their pig farm in Taichung's Wu-qi
District last October.

Prosecutors have also recommended that the court give them heavy sentences.

The two were charged with fraud, document forgery and filing false reports
under the Waste Disposal Act.

The case stems from Taiwan's first-ever domestic ASF outbreak, confirmed on
Oct. 25, after 117 pigs at the farm died between Oct. 10 and 20.

Prosecutors said the pair not only failed to report the suspected outbreak,
but also underreported deaths, and hiring illegal operators to dispose of the
carcasses.

Taiwan had been declared free of ASF in May 2025, but following the outbreak
authorities imposed a five-day nationwide ban on the transporting and
slaughter of pigs.

The Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to regain ASF-free status with the
World Organization for Animal Health.

(CNA)

The Taipei City government is launching a pilot program to subsidize
businesses that reduce daily work hours by one hour for parents of children
aged 12 and below who meet eligibility requirements, ensuring no loss in pay.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said the first-of-its-kind initiative reflects a
"clear commitment" to building a supportive culture for working families.

He said from March 1st through October 31st, Taipei-registered businesses are
eligible for a subsidy of up to $100-thousand NT to support the program.

It's regardless of when or for how long the company implements reduced work
hours during the trial period.

The city has allocated $5.5 million NT for the eight-month pilot program,
which is expected to cover 55 companies.

It's not clear how many workers will benefit.

To be eligible for the program, employees must be registered Taipei residents
with children aged 12 or below in the care of a licensed home-based
babysitter or childcare center, or enrolled in elementary school.

They must personally handle drop-offs or pickups during the one hour of
reduced work time.

A United States military plane carrying five U.S. personnel has hit a
concrete fence while attempting to take off from a road during contingency
training drill in a northern Philippine province.

All those onboard were injured.

The pilot and two other American personnel were brought to a hospital for
treatment after the incident, which took place in the northern Pan-ga-si-nan
province yesterday afternoon.

Police said today that wo other injured personnel were treated at the site.

The U.S. Air Force transport plane was damaged.

U.S. forces are allowed to conduct training with Filipino counterparts in the
Philippines under a 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement.

Large-scale joint combat training drills in recent years have focused on
helping the Philippines defend its territorial interests and promote freedom
of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, which lies west of
Pangasinan.

KMT Chair Zheng Li-wen says, her party will complete 90% of nominations for
city and county leaders next month.

The party is expected to nominate candidates for Taipei, Yilan, and Chiayi
City early next month...

before naming candidates for Hsinchu County and Taichung at the end of the
month.

Zheng also notes that the KMT would not run a candidate against incumbent Gao
Hong An, formerly of the TPP, in Hsinchu City.

So far, aside from incumbents, the party has only officially nominated
candidates in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Taitung.

The DPP, meanwhile, has completed nominations in nearly 70% of all cities and
counties.

On blue and white-camp cooperation, Zheng said the two parties have already
held detailed discussions on a shared policy platform and will announce it to
the public as soon as possible.

(AH)

A man has paid a little over 3 million NT in fines to retrieve his 1.5
kilograms of gold.

According to the Administrative Enforcement Agency, the man was caught in
April 2024 attempting to leave the country with the 3 undeclared gold bars.

Taipei Customs confiscated the gold and imposed a fine of $3.01 million NT,
equivalent to the gold’s value at the time.

It far exceeded the legal declaration threshold of $20-thousand U.S. dollars,
or 626-thousand NT.

After he failed to pay the fine by the deadline, the Tao-yuan branch of the
A-E-A announced that the gold would be auctioned on March 3rd.

Upon learning this, the man immediately paid the fine in full and was able to
keep the gold, which is now worth some 7.9 million NT.

(JL)

PX Mart says they have zero tolerance for food safety violations...

after a Threads user claiming to be a former employee said that they had been
instructed to wipe mold off of produce before putting it back on the shelves
to sell.

Not only that, they also alleged that management at the Taoyuan Qingpu store
had arbitrarily changed employees' schedules without their consent.

In response to these allegations, local health and welfare and labor units
dispatched teams to investigate.

Health officials say that they did not discover any evidence of rotting or
expired food, but did say that they reminded the grocery store chain to
conduct checks on their products.

If food safety violations are discovered, PX Mart would be facing a hefty
fine.

Meanwhile labor officials say they're investigating to determine if there are
any labor violations.

PX Mart strongly disputed the claims, and siad that an internal review did
not find any evidence of wrongdoing.

(AH)

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-zhe is calling on the government to continue
negotiating with the United States for a better deal for Phalaenopsis
orchids.

Speaking two days ahead of the opening of the Tai-nan International Orchid
Show, Huang said one out of every six moth orchids in the world comes from
Tai-nan, with exports reaching markets in north America and Australia.

He said Taiwan's moth orchids are facing fierce competition from the
Netherlands, Vietnam and China.

Local orchid producers have been struggling with U.S. tariffs since last
year, and after finally seeing tariffs reduced to zero early this month with
a Taiwan-U.S. trade deal, growers were disappointed to learn that a new 15
percent tariff may now be imposed.

The Mayor is urging the central government to continue supporting the
industry and work toward securing better trade terms.

(JL)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is meeting Chinese leaders this week.

He hopes to push for fairer trade rules and more help in ending Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.

Merz says Europe wants a partnership with China that is balanced, reliable,
and fair.

He also says that global crises, including the war in Ukraine, cannot be
tackled without Beijing.

European governments, though, say that China has not pushed Russia enough to
end its invasion.

Beijing has said that it is staying impartial in the conflict.

Merz arrived in China for the two day visit yesterday, and noted that it was
no coincidence that his visit follows closely on the heals of those of French
and British leaders...

and ahead of the US president's trip in April.

Now turning to international news...

The prime minister of Hungary is attempting to convince voters that Ukraine
is to blame for the country's problems.

That's as pro-Russia Viktor Orban faces tough odds in an upcoming election.

He's running an aggressive media campaign whose central message is that
Hungarians should refuse to align with the rest of Europe in supporting
Ukraine.

He claims that that path risks bamkrupting the country and getting its youth
killed on the front lines.

Orban's chief opponent, Peter Magyar, has focused his campaign on stemming
the rising cost of living, improving social services, and reining in
corruption.

He also promises to restore democratic institutions that Orban's 16 years in
power have eroded.

Orban is widely seen as Russia's strongest ally in the EU.

While almost all of the bloc's other 26 nations have distanced themselves
from Russia since it launched the war on Feb. 24, 2022, Hungary has deepened
cooperation.

Indonesia has freed and deported a US national who spent 11 years in prison
for the premeditated murder of his then-girlfriend's mother.

He had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder which took place
in Bali in 2014.

His girlfiend at the time also served a 1 0 year prison sentence in Bali for
helping to kill her mother, and was deported in 2021.

She was later sentenced to 26 years in prison in Chicago in 2024, after she
pleaded guilty to murder.

The man received a number of remissions for good behavior during his sentence.

Taoyuan International Airport Corporation is urging those planning to travel
during the 228 long weekend to arrive at the airport early.

The Airport says the peak for outbound passengers is expected on February 26,
at about 153-thousand travelers, while the inbound peak is forecast for March
2nd, at approximately 149,000.



Officials say congestion may occur at peak hours in both departure and
arrival areas.

Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport three hours before departure
to allow sufficient time for check-in and security screening.

The Airport also notes that during the Lunar New Year holiday, operations ran
smoothly and that it handled a total of 1.7 million travelers, an increase of
nearly 6-percent compared with the same time last year.

(JL)

Yang Shuang Zi's Taiwan Travelogue has been named to the 2026 longlist for
the International Booker Prize.

Translated into English by Lin King, the book depicts the relationship
between a Japanese and a Taiwanese woman during the Japanese colonial period.

The prize recognizes international literature in translation.

The longlist includes 13 books chosen by the 2026 judging panel, chaired by
award-winning author Natasha Brown.

The selection was chosen from 128 books submitted by publishers.

It celebrates the best works of long-form fiction or collections of short
stories translated into English.

The International Booker Prize recognizes the work of translation, and offers
50,000 pounds for the top prize, to be split equally between the winning
author and translator.

The announcement of the winning book will take place in May.

Taiwan Travelogue previously won the U.S. National Book Award for Translated
Literature.

(AH)

Taiwan shares shot up today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining 712 points to
close the session at 35413.

The turnover was 981.9 billion NT

A prominent Russian scholar who studies North Korea says he was expelled from
Latvia after being detained.

Andrei Lankov said that Latvian police did not provide a reason for his
detention.

Lankov, who teaches at a university in Seoul, was delivering a lecture on
North Korea at the time.

He was later turned over to immigration authorities and taken to the border
with Estonia.

Lankov did not elaborate on the expulsion.

Officials at South Korea’s Kookmin University, where Lankov is a professor
of history, say they confirmed he had been released and was headed to
Estonia.

Lankov has also expressed critical views of Russia’s war in Ukraine and
Moscow’s use of North Korean troops to sustain its campaign.

Japan says, Iran has detained a Japanese citizen in Tehran since last month.

They're demanding the Japanese national's swift release.

Officials did not share details about the person, but said the government is
in contact with the detainee and their family and is providing necessary
support.

The KMT says, it's planning to finalize their own version of a defense budget
by next Friday.

That's as the 3 party caucuses in the legislature yesterday agreed to submit
the executive yuan's 1.25 trillion version for committee review on the same
date.

KMT spokesperson Niu Xu Ting said that the KMT would certainly "respond to
the US' expectations."

Niu said that the KMT remained opposed to what he called extraneous items in
the proposed defense budget, and said that the KMT would certainly conduct a
rigorous review.

(AH)

Trips

The Taitung County government has agreed to fund extra ferry trips to Green
Island following protests from local residents and fishermen.

Residents gathered yesterday at the Green Island Fishermen's Association to
protest a planned cut in ferry services and a possible hike in ticket prices.

Local officials point out that the reduced schedule would hurt the economy
and make it difficult for fishermen to ship their catches off the island.

In response the county government says starting March 1-st, the island will
maintain two round-trip services daily to ensure tourism and local trade can
continue during the tourism off-season season.

And the county says it has successfully negotiated with ferry companies to
cancel the planned fare hike.

(NS)

China has restricted exports to 40 Japanese comapnies that it claims are
contributing to Japan's "remilitarization."

China's Commerce Ministry put 20 Japanese companies on an export control list
and 20 others on a watchlist.

Companies on the export control list will not be able to import dual-use
goods from China- those are things that can be used for both civilian and
military purposes.

The watchlist forces exporters to seek licenses and file risk reports.

Japan has filed a formal protest and called the move unacceptable.

Beijing has shown continued displeasure with Tokyo since Japanese Prime
Minister Sanae Takaichi in November implied Japan could intervene if China
used military force against Taiwan.

And in the US,

millions of people are returning to school today after some areas saw
record-breaking snow.

The storm canceled flights, disrupted transit, and downed power lines.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that more than 900,000 students
in the country's biggest public school system had a regular day, and invited
kids to hit him with snowballs in protest.

Some students and their caregivers seemed open to taking the mayor up on that
idea, as they scrambled over mountainous snow banks and dodged salt spreaders
during the morning drop-off.

Many large school districts remained closed, including in Boston and
Hartford, Connecticut.

The snow moved north yesterday to bring sunshine in some areas, but officials
warn that another storm is right around the corner.

unaffected

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun says the recent ruling by the U-S Supreme Court
declaring President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs unconstitutional does
not affect key favorable terms that Taiwan previously obtained.

Cheng says provisions in a Taiwan-US investment memorandum of understanding
that gave preferential treatment on potential tariffs imposed based on
Section 232 investigations under the U-S Trade Expansion Act ..

... will not be adjusted, because the ruling did not involve those measures.

According to Cheng, those "preferential conditions" included "exemptions
within quotas and most-favored nation treatment beyond quotas."

The statements come as the government is waiting for clarification from the
U-S concerning Trump's announcing of a global 15-per cent tariff - which went
into effect yesterday.

The government has said it will wait for confirmation from the U-S on final
details related to the investment M-O-U and the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
before submitting them to the Legislative Yuan for review and approval.

The K-M-T plans to introduce a bill requiring legislative approval for the
export of advanced chip technologies.

According to the party, the bill is aimed at ensuring that such technologies
remain in Taiwan.

The chip and national security bill is currently being drafted by the K-M-T's
think tank and seeks to keep the most advanced research and production
effectively based in Taiwan.

It will also limit the scale of overseas factories, and prohibit exports to
any country or region without legislative approval.

The move comes as leading chipmakers are expanding their global manufacturing
footprint, which has sparked concerns over the potential erosion of Taiwan's
dominance in cutting-edge technologies.

The Central Weather Administration says yesterday's magnitude 5.6 earthquake
in northeastern Taiwan was probably an aftershock of December's magnitude 7
quake.

Tuesday's earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Taiwan at 12:37PM.

It was centered some 17-kilometers east-southeast of Yilan County Hall at a
depth of 67-kilometers.

According to the weather administration's Seismological Center, the tremor
was probably an aftershock of the December 27 earthquake, due the two events'
similar locations and the two-month interval consistent with an aftershock
sequence

Center director Wu Chien-fu is warning that further aftershocks are possible,

However, he says they will likely be minor, as their surface impact will be
limited given the main earthquake's considerable depth.

D-P-P lawmaker and former deputy legislative speaker Tsai Chi-chang has been
elected as the convener of the party's legislative caucus.

He replaces veteran lawmaker Ker Chien-ming.

Ker had held the convener's post for 25 years and previously indicated that
he plans to leave the Legislature at the end of his current term.

Under D-P-P rules, the party's legislative caucus convener serves a one-year
term and may seek reelection, while lawmakers who have served at least three
terms are eligible to run.

Tsai is currently serving his fifth term as a lawmaker.

D-P-P lawmaker Chuang Jui-hsiung was selected as caucus director-general,
while lawmaker Fan Yun was named caucus secretary-general.

The Centers for Disease Control is extending its free COVID-19 vaccination
program through April 30 -- citing the possibility of another surge in April
or May.

The program was previously expanded to run from January 1 to February 28.

C-D-C Director-General Philip Luo says it will continue to cover all
residents aged 6 months and older.

According to Luo, the extension aims to prepare for a potential resurgence
and reduce the risk of severe illness and deaths.

Luo says although COVID-19 activity was minimal this winter, that it could
increase the likelihood of a summer wave of infections.

The C-D-C recorded one severe domestic COVID-19 case and one death during
the Lunar New Year holiday period.

As of February 23, around 1.662-million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been
administered since last October.

The C-D-C is slated to hold a meeting of experts in March to assess the
situation and decide on the number and timing of new vaccine purchases.

Tech company, Gogolook says its data shows that about 25 million scam calls
and text messages were recorded here in Taiwan last year and that a 36.9-per
cent decline from the year earlier.

According to Gogolook, it's also the steepest decline among Asian countries.

The company created the caller identification app Whoscall.

And it's annual fraud report says that decline show the government's
anti-fraud policies and cooperation with businesses have produced solid
results.

Loan scams accounted for nearly 80-per cent of all fraudulent text messages
last year, making them the largest scam category.

While scams involving the impersonation of financial institutions accounted
for nearly 10-per cent of all fraudulent text messages.

Gogolook is warning that payment scams are on the rise, with fraud rings now
impersonating power, water or telecom providers to send unpaid bill notices
and warning of imminent service suspension.

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says western parts of the island
experienced its lowest winter rainfall since records began in 1951, while
spring rains are unlikely to ease drought conditions.

Speaking to reporters at a spring outlook briefing, administration forecast
center director Huang Chun-xi said rainfall from December to February totaled
just 24.3-millimeters - or 17-per cent of the seasonal average - in western
Taiwan.

Data through February 22 showed that Pengjia Islet, Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung
and Chiayi logged their driest winter for the same period on record.

Combined rainfall at six western stations - Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung,
Chiayi, Tainan and Hengchun - was the lowest since 1951.

While nationwide rainfall totaled 158.4-millimeters - the fifth lowest since
1951 and about 60-per cent of the seasonal average of 260.6-millimeters.

The average of 24.2 rainy days was also below the norm of 32.6 days and that
was the fourth fewest on record.

Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to place the
Cabinet's draft special act on defense procurement on the Legislative Yuan's
March 6 plenary agenda and refer it to committee for review.

The bill has the backing of the D-P-P, and along with other related special
act drafts, but it has not yet been submitted for any formal review process.

However, the agreement by lawmakers from the D-P-P, the K-M-T and the Taiwan
People's Party means it will now be sent to the Legislative Foreign Affairs
and National Defense Committee and to the Legislative Finance Committee for
joint review.

The T-P-P's version of the special act on defense procurement will also be
sent to the two committees for review - and no reconsideration motions will
be proposed.

The agreement was reached on the opening day of the the 5th session of the
11th Legislative Yuan.

It also came a day after President Lai Ching-te met with the heads of the
five branches of government for talks at the Presidential Office - at which
he stressed the need for speedy passage of defense related bills.

President Lai Ching-te is reiterating his commitment to "maintaining the
status quo" in cross-strait relations.

Lai told a group of China-based Taiwanese business people that maintaining
the status quo" was "key" to safeguarding national security and preserving
cross-strait stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific.

The annual event is organized by Straits Exchange Foundation and saw around
300 attendees.

Unlike comments made at the same event last year, Lai this year did not
mention the term Republic of China during his speech.

In last year's comments, Lai reiterated the position that the R-O-C and the
People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other.

Lai's remarks on defense were also more limited this year - and he only
touched on his 1.25-trillion N-T special defense budget.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Taiwan will join the Pacific Islands
Forum Leaders Meeting when it takes place later this year in Palau.

The bloc's non-members were barred from having any role in the annual event
in 2025.

The event will be taking place from August 30 to September 4.

The ministry's Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs has not released
many details outlining what Taiwan's participation might entail.

But the department says it could involve holding side events at the forum as
has been the case in previous years.

Department head Michael Lin says Palau's government is focusing on enhancing
regional good governance, development and resilience together with democratic
partners at the 2026 summit.

Taiwan has been a "development partner" in Pacific Islands Forum mechanisms
since 1993.

It usually holds the Taiwan Forum Countries Dialogue and other events on the
sideline of the annual summit in the host country.

The Taipei District Court has ordered the detention of a Kaohsiung man, who
was arrested after making a false report about killing people on an M-R-T.

Police had arrested the 36 year old suspect on charges of endangering public
safety.

The man has a history of making prank calls threatening violence.

The incident occured Monday evening, when the suspect claimed he would kill
people in a subway car between Nanjing Sanmin Station and Songshan Station.

Police sent officers and fire department personnel to the Songshan MRT
Station after the metro operator reported the threat.

An on-site inspection revealed there were no injuries and no individuals at
the station were in possession of weapons or other dangerous items.

The Centers for Disease Control says a 3-month-old boy has become the
youngest severe flu case of the current flu season after contracting
influenza B and developing bacterial pneumonia.

The infant was admitted to an intensive care unit, but later transferred to a
general ward after his condition stabilized on the seventh day of
hospitalization ..

.. he was discharged in mid-February after a total of 10 days in hospital.

The C-D-C reported just over 58 thousand outpatient and emergency visits for
flu-like illness during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Five new severe cases and two deaths were reported during that period.

Flu-related visits accounted for about 12-per cent of all emergency
department visits during the holiday, but only one day saw all counties and
cities exceed the epidemic threshold of 11-per cent, and levels dropped the
following day.

Based on that trend, the C-D-C is estimating that flu activity will not enter
an epidemic period after outpatient services resume, and expanded eligibility
for publicly funded antiviral medication will end on Saturday.

The Ministry of Labor has released a reference guide to help local businesses
prevent forced labor and "reduce operational risks"

The ministry's Workforce Development Agency says the guide is intended to
help businesses build "effective mechanisms" to prevent forced labor and
embed "respect for human rights" in supply chain management.

Agency head Lydia Huang, says there have been multiple cases showing that
once forced labor conditions arise in a company or its supply chain, it can
face consequences such as product detention, import bans or even the return
of shipments.

Huang also says the guide introduces the International Labour Organization's
11 forced labor indicators, including signs of forced labor such as debt
bondage, restriction of movement, excessive overtime and retention of
identity documents.

The guide has been issued following the recent signing of the Taiwan-US
Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.

Under that agreement both sides agreed to include labor protections, such as
a ban on imports of goods produced with forced labor.

And,

The Coast Guard Administration says four of the 11 pygmy killer whales
stranded on a beach in Pingtung have died, while the remaining seven will be
returned to the open sea after being deemed fit for release.

This comes after the administration mobilized around 60 personnel, including
whale experts from conservation groups and academic institutions, to respond
to a mass stranding of pygmy killer whales in Checheng Township.

Four of the whales showed no signs of life when rescuers arrived... their
remains were taken to National Cheng Kung University's Marine Biology and
Cetacean Research Center for necropsies to determine the cause of death.

Center director Wang Hao-wen says the pod may have become stranded during low
tide while staying behind to care for weakened companions, as the seven
survivors showed no signs of injury or malnutrition.

Nearly 20 mass standings of pygmy killer whales has been reported since
authorities began recording cetacean stranding in 1994.

Most of those standings have occured along the southwestern coast from
Pingtung and Kaohsiung to Tainan, mainly between late February and April.

French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted the resignation of the Louvre
Museum’s president.

Laurence des Cars had been under fire in the wake of a stunning and
embarrassing heist of the French crown jewels.

Des Cars' resignation was announced by the presidential office in a statement
on Tuesday.

Macron praised des Cars’ resignation decision as “an act of responsibility
at a time when the world’s largest museum needs calm and a strong new
impetus to carry out major projects."

Thieves took less than eight minutes in October to steal 88 million euros or
$102 million worth of crown jewels.

The U-S women's ice hockey gold medal-winning team declined an invitation
from President Donald Trump to attend his State of the Union address.

Gethin Coolbaugh explains.


-----------

In news from the N-B-A,

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has had surgery to repair a fractured left
hand and will miss at least the next four-to-six weeks before being
re-evaluated.

The 30-year-old Brooks was hurt during Saturday's game against the Orlando
Magic.

He's averaging a career-high 20.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

The Suns have been one of the N-B-A's surprise teams this year with a 33-25
record, but have suffered a recent rash of injuries.

The team's top three leading scorers were sidelined for a 92-77 loss to the
Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

---------------

Captain Harry Brook's maiden Twenty20 century propelled England into the
Twenty20 Cricket World Cup semifinals after a two-wicket win over Pakistan.

Brook's 100 off 50 balls lifted England to 166 for 8 in 19.1 overs.

Pakistan made 164 for 9 after choosing to bat first on a fresh pitch.

England is the first team to reach a fifth consecutive semifinals at the
Twenty20 World Cup, with a game to spare in the Super Eights.

It's two for two in the Super Eights after beating tournament co-host Sri
Lanka.

Pakistan has had a washout and a loss and still has to play Sri Lanka in
Group 2 -meaning its chances of advancing may depend on others.

Sri Lanka plays New Zealand later today.

-

Meanwhile,

Eight years since the "Sandpapergate" scandal rocked test cricket, Australia
will return to South Africa to play three test matches preceded by three
one-day cricket internationals in September and October.

It will be Australia's first test series in South Africa since the Cape Town
ball-tampering scandal in 2018 when Australian fielder Cameron Bancroft was
caught by TV cameras roughing up the ball with sandpaper hidden in his pants.

Bancroft was suspended for nine months and the then-skipper Steve Smith and
his deputy David Warner were each given unprecedented 12-month bans by
Cricket Australia.

-----------------

Fiji will be based 16,000-kilometers from home for the inaugural rugby
Nations Championship in July.

Fiji is staging matches outside of its own country during the tournament -
but will be considered the home team when it faces Wales, England and
Scotland on their turf.

The Fiji has organized games against Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on July 4,
England at Liverpool's Hill Dickinson Stadium on July 11, and Scotland at
Murrayfield on July 18.

Fiji is relieving opponents from trekking to the Pacific islands while at the
same time trying to maximize revenue at bigger stadiums.

England will fly to Johannesburg to play world champion South Africa on July
4, return "home" to face Fiji, then head off to play Argentina.

Scotland will go to Argentina and South Africa and finish at its traditional
home against Fiji.

The Nations Championship pits the Six Nations teams against the Rugby
Championship sides plus Fiji and Japan.

----------------

And finally,

A former early-round N-F-L draft pick and A-P All-American standout has been
found dead in his Indiana hometown

Gethin Coolbaugh has more.

weapons-buying

Defense Minister Wellington Koo says, he's hoping for a swift signing of
Letters of Offer and Acceptance for three items of arms purchases from the
US.

Those offers are set to expire mid-March.

Koo says, he hopes the legislature will quickly authorize the Defense
ministry to sign the letters even if the special defense bill cannot be
passed before the deadline.

The Executive Yuan in November proposed a special defense budget bill worth
1.25 trillion NT for defense spending over the next 8 years, and those 3
items are part of the bill.

It won't be reviewed by the Legislature until March 6th.


(AH)

Nearly three years after amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act
took effect, authorities across Taiwan have issued a total of $880 million NT
in fines.



The Health Promotion Administration say the fines came after hundreds of
thousands of inspections of e-cigarettes and unauthorized heated tobacco
products online and in-person.

As the new school semester begins, the H-P-A is emphasizing that tobacco
prevention efforts must take root on campuses to prevent adolescents from
exposure that could affect brain development.



Health officials remind people of the danger of e-cigarettes, which remain
illegal in Taiwan, saying that they often contain various chemical substances
that maybe carcinogenic.

As for heated tobacco products and their devices, they must pass a health
risk assessment review before they are allowed to be manufactured or
imported.

(JL)

Today's magnitude 5.6 earthquake in northeastern Taiwan was probably an
aftershock of December's magnitude 7.0 quake.

The Central Weather Administration also said further aftershocks possible but
likely minor.

Today's temblor struck off the coast of Yi-lan at 12:37 p.m., with its
epicenter in the sea some 17 kilometers east-southeast of Yilan County Hall
at a depth of 67 kilometers.

The CWA said it could be an aftershock of the earthquake on Dec. 27, given
the two events' similar locations and the two-month interval consistent with
an aftershock sequence,

The December quake's epicenter was at sea about 32 kilometers east of Yilan
County Hall at a depth of 73 kilometers.

(CNA)

Two workers were rescued from a vehicle that fell into a river at a
construction site near Minquan Bridge in Taipei this afternoon, leaving one
without vital signs.

Authorities said the incident occurred at around 1 p.m. near the No. 6
watergate on the Keelung River, when the vehicle returned to the site after a
lunch break and was parking.

The victims, a woman and her husband, were driving a personal small vehicle
when it went into the river for reasons that remain under investigation.

The Public Works Department said firefighters and other construction
personnel immediately launched a rescue operation using a lifeboat at the
site.

The woman was conscious when rescued, while the 59-year-old man was in
out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and was rushed to a hospital, where medical
staff continued resuscitation efforts.

The Taipei City Department of Labor said it has dispatched personnel to the
site to conduct a labor inspection and assess safety compliance.

Authorities in Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand, are investigating the
deaths of dozens of tigers at a popular tourist attraction.

Seventy-two tigers died in the span of less than two weeks this month, across
two facilities of Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai, a park where visitors can touch
and interact with the big cats.

The local livestock department said samples from the tigers showed canine
distemper virus - though authorities have not confirmed how the outbreak
happened.

Officials said today that the virus was no longer spreading and no more
tigers were dying.

No humans had been infected.

The big cats were among more than 240 tigers living across the two facilities
at Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai.

The three political parties have agreed to put the Executive Yuan's draft
special defense bill and the TPP's caucus version on the Legislative Yuan's
March 6 plenary agenda and refer them for review.

The Legislative Foreign and National Defense Committee and the Finance
Committee will jointly review them.

The move came today when a new Legislative session opened.

President Lai Ching-te yesterday met with the heads of the five branches of
Taiwan's constitutional system, including Legislative Speaker Han Guo-yu at a
tea party at the Presidential Office.

Han said afterward that he had invited Lai to answer questions reagarding key
issues like the special defense bill at the Legislative Yuan, and that Lai
"gladly" accepted.

The Executive Yuan proposed a special NT$1.25 trillion defense bill in
December last year, to be spent over eight years, but the opposition-led
Legislature has repeatedly blocked it from being reviewed, citing a lack of
transparency.

The TPP brought forward its own version of the defense procurement bill early
this year with a budget cap of 400 billion NT.

(CNA JL)

Premier Zhuo Rong-tai has criticized the opposition-led Legislature for
rejecting all four NCC nominees that the Cabinet proposed in November last
year, calling it "absurd and outrageous."

Zhuo made the comment today when asked by the press if he will soon submit
new nominees for the National Communications Commission again.

Under the N-C-C Organization Act, the commission is composed of seven
members, and more than half of the commissioners must agree for resolutions
to pass.

After four commissioners stepped down in mid-2024, the Executive Yuan
announced the new nominees in July, 2025, but they were all rejected by the
Legislature four months later.

Meanwhile TPP legislative caucus head Chen Qing-long (陳清龍) has suggested
that the Executive Yuan allow ruling and opposition parties to jointly
recommend suitable and neutral candidates for the N-C-C.

(JL)

Eslite Spectrum announced today that it will open a new location in
Taipei’s Gong-guan district after acquiring property usage rights.

The new store will be part of the Taipei Water Department’s newly planned
“Water Park New World” project, located very close to the Taipei MRT
Gong-guan Station.

The site covers about 10-thousand square meters, with usage rights valued at
$430 million NT.

Eslite said it will develop a nearly 3,000-ping retail space within three
planned mixed-use buildings in Gongguan.

The move is part of the group's strategy to expand both large flagship stores
and smaller outlets across Taiwan.

The area features two hectares of landscaped green space and views of the
Xindian River waterfront.



Eslite said the opening date and further details will be announced later on.

(JL)

Stargazers in Taiwan will have a chance to witness a total lunar eclipse on
the evening of the Lantern Festival.

The Central Weather Administration says on March 3rd, as the moon rises
during sunset, it will already be partially covered by Earth's shadow.

But the most spectacular part of the eclipse will happen between 7 and 8pm,
when the moon will take on a dark red color.

During this time, the moon will be completely in the Earth's shadow.

The CWA says those who miss this celestial event will have to wait until
December 31st, 2028, to see a full lunar eclipse from start to finish in
Taiwan.

(NS)

Newly-minted DPP Caucus Whip Tsai Chi-chang says, he hopes that the
opposition and ruling parties will be more rational and harmonious in the new
legislative session.

Tsai's election today ends Ke Jian-ming's 25-year streak in the position.

But the whip position isn't the only one to see a new face today; other top
positions in the 7-person caucus also saw turnover as well.

DPP Lawmaker Zhuang Rui Xiong will take over from Zhong Jia Bin as
Secretary-General...

while Fan Yun moves up into the third-in-command position to replace Chen
Pei-yu.

Up until yesterday, there was still no consensus between Ke and Cai, with
neither wishing to yield to the other.

Even as of this morning, Ke reportedly told lawmakers of his party to
coordinate privately with Cai in order to stave off a vote.

Ultimately, Ke said that he would not participate if a vote were to be
forced, effectively declaring a win for Cai.

(AH)

Taiwan will send a delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum summit this year
as the event moves to its diplomatic ally, Palau.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that the Palau government is
already coordinating with Taiwan and other partners, including the United
States, Japan, and Australia, to prepare for the regional meeting.

MOFA says Taiwan will participate under its official title as a "Development
Partner" of the forum.

The ministry says Palau plans to use the summit to showcase cooperation
between democratic partners and Pacific island nations, with the goal of
promoting regional development, good governance, and increased resilience.

(NS)

And in the US,

a record-setting snowstorm has prompted the Boston Globe newspaper to call
off printing for the first time in its 153 year history.

The newspaper said on its website that snow and winds prevented staff from
being to safely arrive to the printing plant to get Tuesday's paper printed.

Officials say that the area in Massachusetts where the printing plant is
located got 81 centimeters of snow.

Readers are much less reliant on newsprint for their news in today's internet
age.

A 2025 survey found that only 7% of U.S. adults often got their news from
printed newspapers or magazines.

That's compared to 56% who said they often got their news from a smartphone,
computer or tablet.

Tuesday marks the first time Globe management has called off the newspaper's
daily production since its 1872 founding. \

DPP Lawmaker Cai Qi-chang has been elected to his party's caucus whip
position.

He will succeed Ke Jian-ming, who has held the position for 25 years.

In other changes to the caucus leadership, Zhuang Rui Xiong will takeover as
the caucus secretary-general from Zhong Jia Bin...

while Fan Yun will takeover as the third-in-command from Chen Pei-yu.

(AH)

The Civil Aviation Administration says travel to Taiwan’s outlying islands
grew by 9 percent this Lunar New Year compared to last year.

CAA data shows that airlines flew over 3,000 flights during the holiday
break, transporting nearly 200-thousand people.

The busiest travel days were February 18-th and February 22-nd, with daily
passenger numbers hitting 21-thousand.

Despite heavy fog and long standby lists, officials say the travel season
remained smooth thanks to extra commercial flights and support from military
aircraft.

In total, the government added 14 extra commercial flights and used eight
military planes to ensure everyone made it back to the main island safely.

(NS)

Asian shares are mixed today after US stocks slumped on heavy selling of
shares in companies that could be losers in the AI boom.

Chinese markets gained more than 1%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell.

South Korea's Kospi gained 1.8%, while shares in Australia closed slightly
lower.

Meanwhile here in Taiwan, the benchmark Tai ex gained 927 points to close the
session at 34,700.

The turnover was 837 billion NT

Now turning to international news...

China has placed 20 Japanese companies on an export control list and 20
others on a watchlist.

That's as tensions over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's comments
about Taiwan continue to simmer.

Chinese exporters will be banned from selling dual-use goods, i.e. goods that
can be used for both civilian and military purposes, to 20 Japanese
companies.

That's according to a statement from China's Commerce Ministry.

Some of the comapnies targeted include Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, and Fujitsu,
among others.

China had earlier criticized Takaichi, who in November implied that Japan
could militarily intervene in a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.

The Dominican Republic has been hit by a blackout in the second such outage
in the past three months.

The incident has triggered concerns about the stability of the country's
power grid.

Today's blackout snarled traffic, disrupted public transit, and forced some
businesses to close as crews scrambled to restore power.

The country's main power plants abruptly stopped supplying energy before
noon, causing all other plants to shut down.

But the country's energy minister said that, by mid afternoon Monday, the
electrical system was operating at nearly a third of its capacity.

He noted that essential services like hospitals and airports were operating
with backup systems.

Officials say that the failure was caused by a trip in a transmission line
switch, which caused the system to go into protection mode.

A massive blackout that hit the Dominican Republic last November was blamed
on human error during line maintenance work.

New Zealand conservationists have been fighting to keep the kakapo- the
world's only flightless parrot- from disappearing.

But now they're expecting a record number of chicks after a bumper crop of
rimu berries sparked rare mating activity.

Over the past 30 years, the number of kakapo has gone from about 50 to more
than 200.

Kakapo live on three remote, predator-free islands.

Each bird gets a name, a tracker, and managed matches to protect genetic
diversity.

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake took place at 12:37 PM today with the epicenter in
the sea off the coast of Yi-lan.

It was a relatively deep quake with a depth of 67 kilometers, and people
across most of Taiwan reported having felt it.

The intensity level in parts of greater Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsin-chu,
Miaoli, Yilan and Hualian registered at level 3.

Taiwan High-speed Rail has not been affected, while Taipei Metro trains have
slowed down in response to the shaking.

(JL)

Taipei police say, police in Kaohsiung arrested a man wanted for making a
false report on the MRT.

Police in the capital say that the MRT received a report that a man was going
to kill someone on the train.

After receiving the report, the train stopped at Songshan Station and police
were dispatched to the scene.

When police checked the scene, they did not find anyone hurt or any weapons,
leading them to believe that someone had submitted a false report.

Initial investigations led police to believe that a 36 year old man had
submitted the report- and police believe it wasn't his first time doing so.

The suspect was ultimately arrested in Kaohsiung early this morning on
charges of threatening public safety.

(AH)

The Tourism Administration says, bookings for hotels in 9 municipalities have
reached at least 40% over the upcoming 228 holiday.

They note that the municipalities with the highest booking rates are Yunlin,
Tainan, and Miaoli.

Over 60% of hotels in Yunlin are booked for the Feburary 27th to March 1st
period...

while Tainan and Miaoli are each sitting at around 54%.

The other municipalities to have reached at least 40% capacity include New
Tapei, Taichung, Nantou, Chiayi City and County, and Kaohsiung.

That means, even in the more popular destinations, there is still plenty of
space to accomodate last-minute planning.

(AH)

Parts of the northeastern US are getting pummeled with snow this week.

Millions of people have been forces to stay home amidst blizzard warnings,
transit shutdowns, and school and business closures.

The storm came just as snow from an earlier storm had melted away.

Officials have declared emergencies from Delaware to Massachusetts.

Hundreds of thousands of people are dealing with power failure from downed
electrical lines.

Even as emergency services begin digging out procedures, officials warn that
dangerous conditions may persist.

Meteorologists say the storm is the strongest in a decade, dumping more than
60 centimeters of snow in parts of the metropolitan Northeast.

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

Opposition parties are calling for cross-party negotiations over how
President Lai Ching-te should deliver a national affairs report at the
Legislative Yuan.

The statement comes after Lai announced that he's willing to deliver a
national affairs report at the Legislative Yuan "in accordance with
constitutional procedures" following a meeting with the heads of the five
branches of government at the Presidential Building.

K-M-T and Taiwan People's Party lawmakers are seeking a question-and-answer
format.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu proposed a questions-first-answers-second
format after Lai hosted the meeting - saying he invited the president to
personally explain issues of concern to lawmakers.

According to Han, Lai "gladly accepted" the invitation.

K-M-T legislative caucus convener Fu Kun-chi says the party respects Lai's
willingness to give the report and "accept oversight and questioning" ...

... but is also stressing that the question-and-answer format "must be
confirmed through cross-party negotiations."

While the T-P-P legislative caucus also says the format should follow the
Legislative Yuan Functioning Act and be decided through cross-party
negotiations ..

... and regardless of the format, the core objective should be "real
questions and real answers."

The K-M-T is set to announce its mayoral nominees for New Taipei, Yilan
County and Chiayi City on March 11.

According to KMT Organizational Development Committee head Lee Zhi-hua, the
party will then begin talks with the Taiwan People's Party to field joint
opposition candidates.

Lee says the two parties will set up a task force to discuss coordination
mechanisms and determine the most electable contenders in the three key
battlegrounds for the 2026 local elections.

The K-M-T has consolidated behind Taipei Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Shu-chuan
for his possible run for New Taipei's top job, but the T-P-P has nominated
its chairman, Huang Kuo-chang for that race.

Huang says his stance on cooperation "has not changed" and the party will
work with "the greatest sincerity and goodwill" to form the strongest team.

Huang has proposed a three-stage process - drafting joint policy platforms,
signing a cooperation agreement to clarify rules and then implementing the
agreed framework.

The T-P-P chair also says he's willing to join Lee's team if Lee becomes the
unified candidate in New Taipei.

The Ministry of Health says visits to emergency rooms over the Lunar New Year
period were down from last year as more clinics stayed open and urgent care
centers expanded capacity during the holiday.

According to the ministry, data shows there were 232,397 visits to hospital
ERs from February 14 to 21 - and that total was down by 22.5-per cent from
the number of visits reported during the same holiday period of last year.

Visits to the hospital ERs over the holiday period this year were closely
watched after what happened last year - when ERs across Taiwan became so
overcrowded that the Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine called the
situation "unprecedented."

The government spent 1.6-billion N-T in funding to encourage medical
providers to stay open during this year's holiday.

The National Health Insurance Administration says some 37 percent of all
clinics were open on Lunar New Year's eve, then fell to between 7 and 9-per
cent on February 17 and 18 ...

.. but rebounded to 12-per cent on February 19, to 27-per cent on February
20, before peaking at 45-per cent on February 21.

The government launched the urgent care centers in Taiwan's six major cities
in early November of last year.

The Navy says it will decommission its "Kaohsiung" Second World War-era
US-built tank landing ship this week after nearly seven decades in service.

A retirement ceremony will be held for the vessel tomorrow in Kaohsiung.

The ship was first commissioned as the USS Dukes County in April 1944.

It was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater that same year and first
decommissioned by the United States in March of 1946.

It was reactivated in November 1950 for service in the Korean War.

The R-O-C Navy took ownership of the ship in 1957.

It was originally renamed the "Chung Hsi," but later renamed the "Kaohsiung"
after it was outfitted as an amphibious command ship in 1962.

The ship has served as a test vessel for the National Chung-Shan Institute of
Science & Technology in recent years to develop indigenous naval weapons and
radar systems.

The Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office has indicted an unemployed man for
allegedly taking to social media to threaten attacks on people at that Chiayi
High Speed Rail Station.

Prosecutors have charged the man with endangering public safety by putting
the public in fear of injury to life, body, or property.

According to the prosecutors' office, the man used his smartphone at his
residence in Chiayi City on January 24 to publicly post in a Facebook group
that will be "the next Chang Wen" - who carried out the December knife and
smoke attack in Taipei.

The man's post said he will bring Molotov cocktails and a machete to Chiayi
High Speed Rail Station and "wipe out everyone there."

Members of the public took screenshots of the message and reported it to law
enforcement authorities.

The suspect was then identified and a search warrant for his residence.

He was later detained and police seized the mobile phone he used to make the
post.

No Molotov cocktails or other dangerous items were found at his residence.

The Chiayi District Court later released him on bail of 20,000 N-T.

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says conditions islandwide will turn
unstable tomorrow, as new systems move in - with rain and a chance of snow on
high mountains expected over the 228 Memorial Day holiday weekend.

From tomorrow, a passing front and strengthening northeasterly seasonal winds
will bring showers to mountainous parts of northern Taiwan, the north coast
area, the east and the Hengchun Peninsula.

Although the seasonal winds are forecast to weaken on Thursday, another
approaching front will lead to ongoing rain in northern and eastern Taiwan,
with showers gradually intensifying.

Rainfall will become more widespread during the 228 holiday weekend and from
Friday to Sunday, temperature and moisture conditions may support sporadic
snowfall on mountains above 3,500 meters.

President Lai Ching-te says he's willing to deliver a national affairs report
at the Legislative Yuan "in accordance with constitutional procedures."

Lai made the statement after a meeting with the heads of the five branches of
government at the Presidential Building.

This marked the first time ever that the heads of the five branches have
attended such a meeting at the president's invitation.

Present were Premier Zhu Rong-tai, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, Acting
Judicial Yuan President Hsieh Ming-yang, Examination Yuan President Chou
Hung-hsien and Acting Control Yuan President Lee Hung-chun.

Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo says the meeting lasted an hour
and a half and they discussed issues including the general budget, U-S
tariffs, the Fiscal Equalization Act and arms procurement legislation.

Speaker Han said he invited Lai to personally explain to lawmakers "the
current situation of issues everyone is concerned about, and issues the
president hopes the legislature can resolve in the next session."

Han said the session would adopt a question-and-answer format, and the
Legislative Yuan would "certainly attach special importance" to that.

Premier Zhu Rong-tai says the government is hoping to safeguard the most
favorable terms of a trade deal recently signed with the United States amid
changes in America's tariff policy.

This comes after a seven-hour meeting on Saturday which was held to assess
the impact of the U-S Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the Trump
tariffs.

Zhu cited the Taiwan-US investment memorandum of understanding and
most-favored treatment for high-tech goods under Section 232 of the U.S.
Trade Expansion Act as the terms the government wants to protect.

The premier said those foundations must be safeguarded, and the government is
now taking to steps to confirm that with the U-S and also to clarify legal
procedures and possible follow-up actions.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the government will continue to monitor
the Trump administration's corresponding measures and assess follow-up
responses, including whether the reciprocal trade agreement will be submitted
to the Legislature for review.

The National Security Bureau says it has completely declassified tens of
thousands of political archives it possessed from the Martial Law period and
transferred them to the National Archives.

The Bureau says it took 16 months to review, digitize, and transfer all the
hard copies and digital files it possessed to the National Archives
Administration.

The declassified archives cover a wide range of subjects.

They include "public security and counterintelligence systems during the
Martial Law period," "records on surveillance and public security work
conducted by intelligence agencies," as well as "activities of overseas
independence groups."

But even though it conducted a thorough review, the agency said it could not
determine whether some of the classified files were lost or destroyed ..

.... as archives from decades ago were compiled into folders and stored by
individual officers in charge and there were no itemized records for each
document within each folder.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu is proposing to relocate the Legislative Yuan
to Taipei's Grand Hotel.

Han says he believes the hotel could be converted into a conference and
office venue, while the current Legislative Yuan site is converted libraries
or a legislative museum.

Han says he has discussed his proposal with caucus whips from the D-P-P, the
K-M-T and the Taiwan People's Party, but has yet to have received any
positive feedback.

The Legislative Speaker says he's also been considering constructing a new
complex for the Legislature at the site of the former Ministry of National
Defense Air Force Command Headquarters in Taipei, but he believes that would
be too expensive ..

.. costing upwards of 100-billion and taking up to 17 years to complete.

The D-P-P has slammed Han's idea of moving the Legislative Yuan to the Grand
Hotel.

TaiDoc Technology's union is calling on authorities to freeze the medical
device maker's migrant-worker hiring quota.

They staged a mass action after the New Taipei labour department said the
company is ineligible to apply to bring in more migrant workers... because of
its ongoing dispute with the union.

Its the union's fifth mass action in months.

Workers say it wants TaiDoc to come to the negotiating table... they've taken
issue with the company's rules for hiring and managing migrant workers.

They accuse the company of charging illegal job-placement fees and for union
busting because it dismissed seven union officials.

In response, the Ministry of Labor says it will freeze the company's
migrant-worker quota during the labor dispute and subject any future
applications to heightened scrutiny.

The Supreme Court is upholding a 15-year sentence for a Filipino migrant
worker convicted of murdering a fellow countryman and endangering the lives
of others in 2023.

The ruling is final and upheld the lower courts' sentences after finding no
legal errors in the lower court judgments.

The Changhua District Court found Dizon Benjie San Agustin guilty of homicide
and endangerment for murdering a fellow migrant worker in Changhua County and
endangering the lives of others in his first trial.

The district court said evidence showed Agustin decided to kill his victim
when his attempts to reconcile with his estranged wife failed.

He doused the room occupied by the victim and a roommate with gasoline and
set it ablaze on November 23, 2023.

He blocked the door to prevent the occupants from escaping, but both the
victim and his roommate still managed to escape.

Agustin then attacked his victim with a sickle in an effort to force him back
into the room.

The victim died of his injuries several weeks later.

And,

Good news for Hualien's tourism industry which saw a major boost during the
Lunar New Year holiday period.

Data from the Hualien County Tourism Department shows major tourism hotels
there saw average occupancy rates of between 70 and 80-per cent over the
holiday period.

Hotels in several southern parts of Hualien, including Ruisui, and Fuli,
reported occupancy rates of over 90-per cent.

Officials say the rise in visitor numbers is evidence that the unique hot
springs, organic farm tours, and natural scenery have built a stable group of
loyal travelers.

They also say the steady growth across all types of lodging shows that
Hualien remains a top choice for travelers seeking high-quality service and
deep-travel experiences.

The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from meeting
members of the French government...

This, after Kushner failed to show up at the Foreign Affairs Ministry on
Monday.

A source at the French foreign ministry told Reuters that they wanted to
discuss the U.S. Embassy's comments on a tragedy that -- quote-- "occurred
in France and concerns only our national public debate – which we refuse to
allow to be exploited."

The U-S embassy had referred to the death of a French rightwing activist as
proof that "violent radical leftism was on the rise" and should be treated as
a public safety threat.

This was the second time Kushner did not show after being summoned.

Opposition parties are calling for cross-party negotiations over how
President Lai Ching-te should deliver a national affairs report at the
Legislative Yuan.

Legislative Speaker Han Guo-yu proposed a questions-first-answers-second
format after Lai hosted a gathering of the heads of the five Yuans earlier
today.

Han said Lai "gladly accepted" his invitation to go to the Legislative Yuan
and deliver the report.

KMT legislative caucus leader Fu Kun-qi stressed that the question-and-answer
format "must be confirmed through cross-party negotiations."

Fu said he expected Lai to clearly address major issues of concern, including
the general budget and national security challenges, so that they were
understood by lawmakers and the public.

The TPP caucus also said the format should be decided through cross-party
negotiations, but regardless of the format, the core objective should be
"real questions and real answers."

The TPP caucus said the president should provide a "specific and in-depth
report" on major national issues, including transparency over the military
procurement budget and the U.S.-Taiwan trade agreement.

Chen Pei-yu, secretary-general of the DPP caucus, said Lai has "always been
very willing" to report to the Legislature, provided the process complies
with the constitution.

(CNA)

The KMT is getting ready to announce its mayoral nominees for New Taipei,
Yilan County and Chiayi City on March 11th.

KMT official Li Zhe-hua (李哲華) said today that it will then begin talks
with the TPP to field joint opposition candidates.

Li said the two parties will set up a task force to discuss coordination
mechanisms and determine the most electable contenders in the three key
battlegrounds for the 2026 local elections.

In New Taipei, the KMT has consolidated behind Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee
Si-chuan, who said he has submitted his resignation to prepare for a mayoral
run.

The TPP has nominated its chairman Huang Guo-chang for the race.

Huang said his stance on cooperation "has not changed," adding that the TPP
will work with "the greatest sincerity and goodwill" to form the strongest
team.

Taipei police have arrested a man who held a fruit knife in his hand when
going down the street in the vincinity of Taipei Main Station yesterday.

Police said they received the report yesterday afternoon and immediately
activated its fast response team to the cross section of Park Street and
Xu-chang (許昌) Street.

Police said the man had already left by the time officers arrived, and
according to surveillance cameras' footage, he didn't wave the knife or
attack anyone.

The man later put the weapon into his backpack.

Police identified him, surnamed Li, and arrested him at around 10 AM in New
Taipei's Lin-kou today.

Following questioning, Li was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of making
threats against the public.

(JL)

Starlux Airlines will launch direct flights on June 1 between Taoyuan and
Busan, as well as the first direct route between Taichung and Busan by a
Taiwanese carrier.

The carrier announced today that tickets for both routes will go on sale
starting Thursday.

Flights between Taoyuan International Airport and Busan will be offered every
day, while flights from Taichung International Airport and Busan will be
offered on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.

The Taichung-Busan line will be the first of its kind by a Taiwanese carrier.

According to Tourism Administration statistics, South Korea was the third
most popular destination among Taiwanese in 2025, behind Japan and China in
first and second.

(CNA)

Premier Chuo Rong-tai said today that Taiwan is hoping to safeguard the most
favorable terms of a trade deal it recently signed with the United States
amid changes in U.S. tariff policy,

Zhuo said relavant government officials held a meeting on Feb. 21 to assess
the impact of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last Friday that struck down
President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act.

He cited the Taiwan-U.S. investment MOU and most-favored treatment for
high-tech goods under Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act as terms
Taiwan wanted to protect.

They are both part of the overall bilateral agreement.

The Premier said Taiwan must immediately confirm this with the U.S., adding
that Taipei is in touch with Washington to clarify legal procedures and
possible follow-up actions.

Deputy Penghu County Magistrate says Magistrate Chen Guang-fu's condition is
stable.

Chen has been hospitalized following a fall after which he lost consciousness
and was Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest at a public event.

Deputy magistrate Lin Jie Xing (林皆興) said that Chen's family was grateful
for the well wishes, but hoped that they could be given some privacy in this
time.

Lin said the county government will continue operations as normal and serve
the people.

(AH)

The Netherlands has a new minority government led by Rob Yetten (Jetten), the
country’s youngest-ever and first openly gay prime minister.

King Willem Alec-shangder (Alexander) swore in Yetten (Jetten) and his
ministers today at the royal palace in The Hague.

Yetten (Jetten) leads a three-party coalition with only 66 seats in
parliament. He needs opposition votes for every new law.

The newly merged Green Left and Labor already oppose his plans to cut health
and welfare costs.

Yetten (Jetten) says he wants a new era of consensus and a stronger role in
the European Union.

His Cabinet keeps the finance minister but changes foreign affairs, defense,
and migration posts.

The government has moved one step closer to releasing the contents of
archives on the martial law period previously kept secret.

The National Security Bureau says it has transferred the full, unredacted
files to the National Development Council for examination.

The files were reviewed by the NSB over nearly a year and a half.

In total, there are 94 boxes of previously classified political documents
with 51-thousand files in addition to digital files.

The files date back to 1992 and include information such as surveillance and
security systems and intelligence data...

as well as the activities of overseas activists and personnel information in
sedition cases.

The NDC's Archives Administration has so far received some 140-thousand
declassified documents from the Bureau.

President Lai Ching-te previously ordered the government to accelerate the
opening of political archives from the martial law era.

(AH)

Hualien’s tourism industry saw a major boost during the Lunar New Year
holiday, with hotels in the southern part of the county reaching full
capacity for several days.

The Hualien County Tourism Department released new data today, showing that
major tourism hotels in the region saw average occupancy rates between 70%
and 80%.

And in southern districts including Ruisui, and Fuli, hotels reported
occupancy rates of over 90%.

The county says this shows that the south’s unique hot springs, organic farm
tours, and natural scenery have built a stable group of loyal travelers.

Officials say the steady growth across all types of lodging shows that
Hualien remains a top choice for travelers seeking high-quality service and
deep-travel experiences.

(NS)

The R.O.C. Navy will decommission a historic amphibious command ship this
week, marking the end of a career that spanned two wars and the development
of modern missile systems.

Originally built as a tank landing ship for the US Navy, officials say the
vessel served during World War II and the Korean War.

The ship was transferred to Taiwan and later renamed the "Kaohsiung", making
it the first ship named after a location in Taiwan.

The vessel has served as a high-tech command center and as a testing platform
for home-grown weapons, aiding in the development of several critical systems

Now, a ceremony will be held in Kaohsiung to honor the vessel, which
officials have named a "hero of maritime research."

(NS)

Taiwan Railway Corporation is emphasizing that smoking is not allowed on its
trains.

That's as the company was forced to remove a man from a train for smoking.

The issue came to light yesterday when members of the public posted online
about the man's behavior.

According to posts online, other passengers repeatedly asked the older man to
stop smoking, but he continued.

The TRC says, they dispatched police after receiving reports that a passenger
was smoking on the train.

They note that smoking on the train not only violates TRC rules but also
violates the tobacco hazards prevention act.

(AH)

Transport Minister Chen Shi-kai says domestic tourism saw a significant
growth during the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday,

He says national scenic areas, theme parks, and other major attractions saw
an average of 730-thousand visitors per day, that's an increase of 109
percent from 350-thousand per day last year.

According to Tourism Administration's data, 3.8 million people visited the
island's national scenic areas from the first day of the Lunar New Year to
the sixth day.

Amusement parks islandwide also attracted 526-thousand visitors during that
period of time.

Chen says those venues will continue linking seasonal events with unique
regional attractions to maintain strong momentum in domestic tourism.

(JL)

Taiwan shares are up today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining 167 points to
close the session at 33773.

The turnover was 902 billion NT

Now turning to international news...

School was canceled in several Mexican states as local governments warned
people to stay inside.

That's after the military killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation
Cartel, spurring new violence.

President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm as authorities announced that they had
cleared most of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states.

Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes was the boss of one of the fastest-growing
criminal networks in Mexico, notorious for trafficking fentanyl, meth, and
cocaine to the US...

as well as for attacking government officials who challenged it.

He was killed during a shoot-out in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican
military attempted to capture him.

Cartel members responded with violence across the country, blocking roads and
setting fire to vehicles.

As the 4th anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches,
the pressure on Russia's economy is starting to show.

Oil revenues are dwindling, while the budget deficit is up and military
spending- which fueled robust economic growth- has leveled off.

The Kremlin has tapped consumers and small businesses for funds in an effort
to make money, upping taxes and revenue thresholds for requiring businesses
to pay it have been lowered drastically.

Business owners inteviewed by the AP describe a steady decline in demand for
their products...

along with a sudden icnrease in costs as suppliers adjust to the tax reform.

A crowded bus has crashed in Nepal, killing 17 people.

Authorities say the bus drove off a mountain highway before rolling down a
slope and landing on the bank of the Trishuli river.

Rescuers were able to reach the site quickly after the crash, pulling the
injured from the wreckage for medical treatment.

About 25 people were hurt as police were investigating the cause.

Nepal sees frequent deadly bus crashes, in large part because of run-down
roads and poorly-maintained vehicles.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an says, he'll keep the public updated on the pending
resignation of Deputy Mayor Li Si-chuan.

That's as Li said earlier this month that he would resign from his position
at the end of Feburary to run for mayor of New Taipei.

When journalists asked Chiang about the status of Lee's resignation, he asked
whether it "made sense" on the first day back at work after the holiday to
ask such a question.

He pledged to inform the public if there was any news.

Chiang also downplayed other rumors as to if he would campaign for others in
his party or even consider a run for president in 2028, emphasizing that his
priority is working for the people of Taipei, rather than thnking about an
election.

(AH)

DPP polling begins next month for city coucilors in the 6 major
municipalities, and the party announced today that Kaohsiung would be the
first to step up to the plate.

The primaries will take place in Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung,
Tainan, and Kaohsiung in March to determine who the party will nominate to
run for city councilor.

DPP Secretary-General Xu Guo Yong drew lots to determine that Kaoshiung would
begin polling one week from today.

After Kaohsiung does polling in the first week of March, Taipei and Tainan
will follow in the second week...

while Taoyuan will come next, with New Taipei and Taichung closing out the
month.

(AH)

Now turning to international news...

A Hong Kong court is dismissing all appeals in the city's biggest case under
a Beijing-imposed national security law.

11 activists who appealed their convictions all lost their bids.

The democracy advocates were among 47 pro-democracy activists charged in 2021
with conspiracy to commit subversion for their involvement in an unofficial
primary election.

The vast majority of those defendants were sentenced to between 4 and 10
years in prison back in 2024.

During the trial, prosecutors said the activists aimed to paralyze Hong
Kong’s government and force the city’s leader to resign.

Critics say the case shows the city's shrinking civil liberties after Beijing
imposed a national security law to quell massive protests in 2019.

In Ethiopia, tensions in the Tigray region are raising fears of a wider
conflict.

Three years ago, warring parties signed a peace deal, but Tigray authorities
accuse the federal government of breaching the agreement with drone strikes.

That's as the Ethiopian government accuses its former ally, Eritrea, of
pivoting to mobilize and fund armed groups in Tigray.

Previous fighting killed thousands of people and led to widespread
allegations of sexual assault and the use of hunger as a weapon of war.

Some fear that Eritrea would team up with the Tigray People's Liberation
Front, which governs Tigray, in armed hostilities against Ethiopian forces.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito is expressing his concerns about scars that remain
for surviviors of the 2011 natural disaster.

The emperor made the comments in remarks commemorating his 66th birthday just
weeks before the March 11th anniversary of the disasters.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people, forced hundreds
of thousands of people from their homes, and caused reactor meltdowns at the
Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Most communities that were evacuated due to radiation have since reopened,
but few people have returned due to the lack of jobs and sense of community.

The emperor said that, while recovery has made progress, the resconstruction
of livelihoods and community still needs to be addressed.

He emphasized that emotional scars from the disasters may have yet to heal.

President Lai Ching-te said his administration is monitoring the U-S' moves
on tariffs and remains in contact with government officials there...

.. as it works to ensure that the island's Most Favored Nation Treatment
remains unaffected by recent changes.

The statement comes after U-S President Donald Trump imposed an additional
10-per cent tariff on all countries goods entering the U-S market last
Friday, before raising it to 15-per cent the following day.

Trump made those moved after the U-S Supreme Court ruled that that the
tariffs he claimed were "reciprocal" were in fact, unconstitutional.

Lai the government is taking steps to ensure that Taiwan can withstand any
challenges posed by the Trump administration's decision to impose a global
import duty of 15-per cent for 150 days.

The Ministry of National Defense says it closely monitors the skies and
waters around Taiwan... and reiterates that the Taiwan Strait is an
international waterway for which all countries enjoy the right of freedom of
navigation.

This comes after an Australian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait... in
the latest transit by a western ally.

The Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate Toowoomba reportedly sailed
through the Taiwan Strait" at the weekend as part of a "Regional Presence
Deployment in the Indo-Pacific region."

It joins ships belonging to allies including the U-S, France, Britain, and
Canada which have made occasional transits.

The Nantou County Fire Bureau and the National Police Agency are
investigating the cause of a blaze which broke out in a wooded area of Puli
Township last week.

The fire first broke out on February 15 and burned through nearly 30 hectares
of land before it was contained.

Firefighting crews remain onsite to continue clean up operations.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency needed to deploy nearly 100 staff
to contain the fire, with the help of the Army's Aviation and Special Forces
Command and the National Air Service Corps.

The Grand Hotel in Taipei is warning customers a possible data breach...
after the hotel discovered unauthorized access to its information systems
last week.

The hotel says it issued the notice as a precaution, since the scope and
targets of the attack have yet to be fully assessed.

Its has also issued apology to the members of the public for any concern
caused by the situation.

Customers are being urged to remain on the alert against suspicious emails
and to verify any messages requesting payment or personal financial
information.

The hotel has requested the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau to
investigate the incident.

A 41-year-old man has died in an industrial accident at an Innolux plant in
the Southern Taiwan Science Park.

The Tainan Fire Department says a male worker was found with a forehead
laceration after he was pinned down by a large machine.

He was transported to Chi Mei Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The incident has prompting a labor inspection by science park authorities.

Initial inspections indicate the worker had been operating the machine when a
suspected malfunction disengaged its safety interlock.

Innolux says it will conduct a comprehensive review of its standard operating
procedures and on-site safety protections.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday "no thanks"
to U.S. President Donald Trump's idea of sending a hospital ship to
Greenland.

In a social media post, Nielsen said that Trump's offer was noted, but
unncessary, as Greenland had a public healthcare system where treatment was
free for citizens... and was a deliberate choice.

The hospital ship idea came as Denmark’s military says its arctic command
forces evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine off the coast of Greenland
for urgent medical treatment.

The crew member was evacuated on Saturday some 7 nautical miles off Nuuk —
the capital of the vast, ice-covered territory — and transferred to a
hospital in the city.