ICRT

Posted on 2026-02-28 15:10:14

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-yan confirmed today that she's planning to spend 11
days in the United States starting March 11.

Lu told reporters at an event to mark 228 Peace Memorial Day that as
Taichung's mayor and as a citizen of the Republic of China, she should take
any opportunity to help progress country-to-country relations.

Tariffs and military procurement are among the topics she hopes she will
discuss there.

Lu said she hasn't been seen in public the past few days because she's been
attending back-to-back meetings -- not only to plan the US trip but also do
deal with a busy schedule upon her return to Taiwan. That includes
officiating at the official opening of the Taichung International Convention
and Exhibition Center

CNA_zh_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-28 14:08:15

Foreign representative offices in Taipei are sending messages to acknowledge
Taiwan's progress since the 1947 incident that led to the national holiday
marked today -- 228 Peace Memorial Day.

The British Office in Taipei noted the similarity of Britain's Remembrance
Day slogan "Lest we forget" and the Taiwanese expression "M'thang buei gi,"
which translates as "never forget." The British office notes that this day is
also about reflecting on Taiwan's journey to peace and democracy.

The German Insititute in Taipei emphasized the importance of democracy in
avoiding similar incidents from occuring in the future. It also noted that
democracies like Germany and Taiwan have an obligation to redress grievances
created during their authoritarian pasts.

CNA_zh_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-28 13:07:13

The KMT looks poised to support spending on eight military arms sales
totaling NT$350 billion, based on the explicit recommendation of a party
think tank.

A KMT think tank report supports the spending on already-announced US sales
while also recommending adding language to contracts that would penalize
American arms suppliers that delay deliveries.

According to CNA, party insiders say the recommendations still need to be
discussed and finalized before a March 6 legislative review.

Some KMT legislators are reportedly in favor of a much bigger special defense
budget of NT$800 billion, given media reports of a further US$20 billion in
planned US arms sales to Taiwan.

The Executive Yuan is requesting a special defense budget of NT$1.25 trillion.

CNA_zh_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-28 13:07:13

The Ministry of the Interior says the indigenous population reached 629,000
at the end of 2025, a 2.9% increase compared with a year earlier.

The indigenous population now accounts for 2.7 percent of Taiwan's overall
population.

The Amis population was 235,000 at the end of last year, accounting for more
than a third of the indigenous total, followed by the Baiwan at 114,000 and
the Atayal at 103,000.

Those three groups accounted for 72% of Taiwan's indigenous population, with
13 other officially recognized groups accounting for the remainder.

The median age of indigenous people in Taiwan was 34.9 years -- below the
45.7 years of the general population -- reflecting their continued growth
against the backdrop of a "super-aging" general population.

CNA_zh_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-28 12:08:17

Taiwan's interior ministry has denounced Beijing for intimidating Taiwanese
nationals working in China.

This comes after Chinese authorities announced an investigation into a nephew
of Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang , whom Beijing recently labelled a
"separatist."

Interior Vice Minister Ma Shih-yuan called the investigation an attempt to
create a "chilling effect" among public servants.

This followed a report by Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao alleging that Liu had
received political donations from her nephew, Yen Wen-chun.

Yen reportedly holds executive positions at three companies in China. Ta Kong
Pao said that at the same time he has been a strong supporter of Taiwan
independence and made political donations to Liu.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said the office was
aware of the allegations and was investigating ... noting that staunch Taiwan
independence supporters and their relatives aren't allowed to profit from
businesses in China while undermining cross-strait relations.

The Mainland Affairs Council said that the Taiwan government supports normal
cross-strait activity, noting that working or investing in China benefits
local economies, while Beijing's threats only deepen public distrust and
resentment.

CNA_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-28 11:07:13

Taiwan has recorded its first measles cases of the year.

The CDC said that two cases of measles have been diagnosed, including a
40-year-old man in New Taipei City who came into contact with an
eight-month-old boy who was infected in Vietnam while visiting family in late
January.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Its early symptoms
resemble a common cold, including cough, runny nose, and fever -- followed by
a red rash. The CDC says the rashes typically appear about two weeks after
infection.

The New Taipei City Department of Health has released the man's activity
history during the contagious period and listed 526 contacts, including five
living with him.

The CDC says anyone suspected of infection should wear a mask and contact the
health department for treatment options.

CNA_JvW

Posted on 2026-02-27 15:25:13

Traffic is moving smoothly on the Suhua Highway today as the 228 Peace
Memorial Day long weekend begins.

While officials expect nearly 10,000 vehicles to head south today, local
hotels report that booking rates are only around 30 percent.

The Highway Bureau’s Eastern Region Branch says about 3,000 vehicles
traveled south by 10 a.m. this morning.

Another 6,000 vehicles are expected to hit the road this afternoon.

To keep traffic moving, the government has banned large trucks weighing over
21 tons from the corridor during certain hours for the next three days.

Buses are also allowed to drive on the shoulders of the Suhua Highway.

Meanwhile, construction work on the Central Cross-Island Highway has stopped
for the holiday, though some traffic controls remain in place.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-27 14:24:14

KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) says a high-level meeting between
Party Chair Cheng Li-wun and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is still being
coordinated.

Speaking today at a memorial event, Chang said no date has been set yet due
to upcoming political events in Beijing and a planned visit by U.S. President
Donald Trump to China.

The vice chair says the goal of a potential meeting with Xi Jinping is to
pursue cross-strait peace, noting that has been 10 years since a KMT
chairperson last visited mainland China.

Under Cheng’s leadership, the party has recently resumed a joint forum
between KMT and Communist Party think tanks.

Chang says the KMT hopes to use its communication platforms to increase
exchange and reduce instability.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-27 14:24:18

Environmental groups are calling on CPC Corporation to halt its liquefied
natural gas expansion project in Taichung to protect the endangered Taiwanese
humpback dolphin.

Eleven conservation groups held a protest today, warning that the massive
land reclamation project will destroy a critical nursery and feeding ground
for the rare dolphins.

CPC held a public meeting in Wuqi today to discuss the fourth phase of its
Taichung plant expansion, and nearly a dozen conservation groups held a
protest, warning that the large land reclamation project will destroy a
critical nursery and feeding ground for the rare dolphins.

Activists say there are fewer than 50 Taiwanese humpback dolphins left in
the world.

The groups are demanding that all development projects in the area be
combined into a single environmental impact assessment.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-27 13:09:13

Taiwan's national baseball team may have lost an exhibition game to the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4-0 yesterday, but Taiwanese fireballer Hsu Jo-hsi's
dominant performance for the Hawks gave local fans reason for hope ahead of
the World Baseball Classic.

Hsu, who is set to represent Taiwan in the WBC, tossed three scoreless
innings for the Hawks, the defending champions of Japan's Nippon Professional
Baseball (NPB).

He threw 44 pitches and surrendered only one hit, with his fastball topping
out at 99 miles per hour, tying his career high.

Thursday's exhibition at the Taipei Dome marked the right-hander's first
formal game appearance in five months.

Hsu joined the Hawks in late December 2025 on a three-year deal worth up to
$15 million US dollars.

Team Taiwan will wrap up its domestic exhibition schedule against the
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at the Taipei Dome on Friday before departing
for Tokyo for the WBC.

(CNA - NS)

Posted on 2026-02-27 12:07:13

The Criminal Investigation Bureau is confirming that a scam ring bust in 2024
was the largest ever dismantled in Taiwan in terms of financial losses and
number of suspects.

An investigator said that 19 suspects were indicted in December, bringing the
total number of individuals indicted in the case to 24.

The two dozen suspects were charged with fraud-related crimes under the Fraud
Crime Hazard Prevention Act and other laws for defrauding at least 107
individuals out of 4.5 million NT through phising text messages.

The CIB says, the ring sent out text messages impersonating utility providers
and businesses, like Taiwan Water Corporation.

The messages contained links to fraudulent websites designed to mirror those
of the impersonated companies, tricking victims into providing credit card
details and verification codes that the scammers then used to make online
purchases.

Among the most notable cases was that of a man whose credit card was
fraudulently charged 60 times and a woman who lost NT$200,000 to the scam.

Posted on 2026-02-27 12:07:13

According to a survey by Newsweek and global data platform Statista, Taipei
Veterans General Hospital and NTU Hospital are two of the world's 250 best
hospitals in 2026.

Taipei Veterans made the list at No. 174, while NTU Hospital returned to the
rankings at No. 249 after three years of absence.

In its 8th year, the World's Best Hospitals rankings this year include data
on over 2-thousand 500 hospitals across 32 countries, including 35 in Taiwan.

The rankings were based on hospital quality metrics, hospital recommendations
from surveyed medical experts, and patient experience surveys

According to Newsweek’s 2026 rankings, three of the top five hospitals in
the world are in the United States, including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Canada's University Health Network - Toronto General Hospital stood at the
second place, while Sweden's Karolinska University Hospital was ranked number
4.

(CNA JL)

Posted on 2026-02-27 11:10:13

The former chief of the National Fire Agency has been found guilty on 7
corruption charges.

Huang Chi-min (黃季敏) has been handed a combined sentence of 55 years and 8
months, though four other counts will be subject to a retrial.

The Supreme Court thus upholds the Taiwan High Court's earlier ruling that
found Huang guilty on seven counts, including bribery, money laundering and
profiteering.

But the Supreme Court vacated the Taiwan High Court's rulings on four other
counts and remanded the cases to the High Court for retrial, citing factual
ambiguities and insufficient reasoning.

Huang's total prison term will then be determined by the Taiwan High Court,
and he may begin serving the sentence before the court rules on a
consolidated sentence and concludes the retrial on the 4 remaining charges.

Huang was indicted in 2012 and 2013 for pocketing NT$20.76 million by rigging
bids for disaster relief equipment procurement between 2002 and 2006,
spanning much of his tenure as agency chief from 2003 to 2009.

Posted on 2026-02-27 11:10:15

And taking a look at traffic across the island at this hour,

several areas coming out of Taipei are looking pretty backed up,

in particular National Highway 1 southbound from Taishan all the way down to
Toufen is seeing various levels of traffic,

while National Highway 3 from Sanying to Guanxi also has some traffic, but
less so than National Highway 1.

Areas around Xizhi and Nangang can also expect some backups.

Meanwhile areas in and around Taichung can also expect some traffic including
on southbound areas of both National Highways 1 and 3

Finally areas around Tainan are also pretty congested, particularly near
Yongkang and Xinji.

Posted on 2026-02-27 09:09:13

Premier Zhuo Rong Tai has ordered Taiwan's ministries and agencies not to
provide any sensitive information to TPP Lawmaker Li Zhen Xiu...

at least until her legislative eligibility is confirmed.

He also instructed the Central Election Commission to carry out necessary
administrative procedures following communications sent by the Mainland
Affairs Council and the Ministry of the Interior.

Li was born in China but became a naturalized Taiwanese citizen through
marriage.

However, concerns remain regarding her nationality.

The MOI has sent 3 requests to the Legislative Yuan and to Li for her to
provide proof of renunciation of her Chinese nationality prior to taking
office, but it has yet to receive such documentation.

Posted on 2026-02-27 09:09:13

Prosecutors in New Taipei have indicted a gynecologist for allegedly
possessing and distributing child pornography.

Some of the material he collected is believed to have been secretly recorded
during medical consultations with underage patients.

Prosecutors say that the defendant, surnamed Luo, abused his professional
position to obtain and circulate illicit material.

They're seeking a prison sentence of at least 2 years and 2 months.

Prosecutors say that a search of Luo's workplace and residence last year led
to the seizure of computers and external storage devices containing about 2
terabytes of child pornography.

The case came to light after police in Tainan uncovered an online group used
to share child sexual images and identified Luo as a member.

Investigators believe that Luo began acquiring the material as early as 2016.

Posted on 2026-02-27 08:16:13

Taiwan and Japan have raised the lifetime limit on working holiday visas to
two per person.

The revised agreement, which took effect Feburary 1st, raises the allowance
from just one visa per person.

That's according to a statement from Premier Zhuo Rong Tai yesterday.

Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee says the change was made through a recent
exchange of documents between Taiwan and Japan which is aimed at deepending
bilateral youth and cultural exchanges.

The Premier says, the program gives young Taiwanese people opportunities to
gain cross-cultural experiences, build independent living skills, and develop
a global perspective.

He also urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue expanding
international engagement opportunities for young people.

Zhuo says, the Taiwan-Japan working holiday scheme was first signed in 2009
and implemented later that year.

The program is open to applicants aged 18 to 30, with each visa valid for one
year from the date of issue.

Posted on 2026-02-27 08:16:13

National Taiwan University Hospital says, it has developed an AI blood model
capable of detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer.

The high-performance diagnostic model is capable of detecting precancerous
lesions using 110 microliters of blood serum, boasting an accuracy rate of up
to 90%.

The model was developed through collaboration between NTUH and Academia
Sinica.

The hospital says that the approach integrates AI with nuclear magnetic
resonance analysis.

Experts note that pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage
because early symptoms are not obvious and screening methods are lacking.

But they say, advances in AI technology allowed the research team to
integrate the technology into a platform that requires only a blood sample
for precise detection.

Posted on 2026-02-27 07:08:13

The Ministry of Labor says, women in Taiwan must work an average of 59 more
days than men to earn the same annual salary.

Those numbers based on the 2025 data represent one day more than in 2024.

Last year, the gender pay gap stood at 16.1%, meaning women earned almost 84%
of men's average hourly wages.

Women earned an average hourly wage of 340 NT last year, compared with 405
for men.

The disparity in earnings in the electric components manufacturing sector in
particular has widened in recent years, likely due to gender distribution
across different roles.

When that sector is excluded, the gender pay gap narrows to 11.3%, which is
an improvement from last year.

Posted on 2026-02-27 07:08:14

Taiwan's representative to Australia says, he's hoping to strengthen ties
with the country in areas like critical minerals and drones.

Douglas Hsu assumed his post in 2023, and recently returned to Taipei for a
routine debriefing.

He says, Australia in recent years has begun to realize it should reduce its
economic reliance on China, its largest trading partner.

Hsu adds, he's been trying to convince Australia to engage with Taiwan "on
its own merit" rather than treating it as a subordinate issue in its
relationship with China.

He says that Canberra is now more willing to engage with Taiwan, and said
that Australia has significant reserves of almost all key critical minerals.

Hsu noted that Taiwan lacks expertise in the mining industry, but said that a
critical minerals pact signed by the US and Australia late last year provides
a potential framework to follow in promoting possible cooperation.

He says, Other areas for closer partnership include drones, underwater drones
and anti-drone systems.

Posted on 2026-02-27 07:08:14

Forecasters say that norther and central Taiwan can expect cooler
temperatures and scattered rain showers over the long weekend.

Today, we can expect partly cloudy weathr with occasional clear skies in most
of Taiwan, with comfortable temperatures in the north and slightly warmer
weather in the center and south.

A weather front that arrived yesterday is bringing rain and cooler
themperatures to the north, though.

Conditions tomorrow into Sunday morning are expected to be similar to today,
with parts of the south also receiving rain.

From Sunday afternoon through Monday, there will be a brief window of drier
and warmer weather across the country.

The Central Weather Administration says, temperatures in northern and central
Taiwan will remain in the low to mid 20s today and tomorrow before rising to
the high 20s Sunday.

Posted on 2026-02-26 20:07:13

Taiwan shares kicked off the Lunar New Year of the Horse with a strong rally.

Today the Taiex closed at 35-thousand 414, surging some 1-thousand 800 points
for the week — a gain of nearly 5.4 percent.

Despite having only four trading sessions this week, the market closed higher
every day and repeatedly set new records.

The total market capitalization of listed companies climbed to $115 trillion
NT, up $5.87 trillion from the previous week and a record high.

Posted on 2026-02-26 20:07:13

Premier Zhuo Rong Tai has instructed all central government agencies not to
provide TPP at-large legislator Li Zhen-xiu with any information until her
eligibility to serve as a lawmaker is confirmed.

The Premier has also directed the Central Election Commission, the Mailand
Affairs Council and the Interior Ministry to deal with Li's case carefully.

Li, who was born in China, has submitted a certificate of renunciation of her
Chinese citizenship to prove that her Chinese household was cancelled in
1993.

However, the M-A-C raised concerns about the certificate, saying it would
only accept the date that the certificate was returned to authorities in
2025.

The MAC said that means Li had dual household registration when she signed up
to run as a TPP at-large legislator in 2023.

Meanwhile former TPP Chair Ke Wen Zhe said that if Zhuo openly admits that
so-called "Mainland wives" do not have political rights under the DPP, the
TPP would relieve her of her post.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 19:07:14

The Consumers’ Foundation says some towing operators are engaging what it
described as "exploitation enabled by regulatory neglect," and is urging the
government to set clear fee standards.

The comments follow one netizen's social media post saying a private towing
company charged him $100-thousand NT to tow the car from New Taipei's Wu-lai
to Xin-dian.

Another person complained that he was charged 50,000 NT to tow his motorcycle
just two kilometers.

The Foundation says when a vehicle breaks down or an accident occurs, it
should be a moment when the social safety network comes into play.

However, for some operators, it has become the perfect opportunity to take
advantage of the situation and demand inflated prices.

Noting that Taiwan currently only has standardized roadside assistance fee
regulations for highways and expressways, the Foundation says there should be
rules for regular roads, parking lots, and suburban or mountainous areas as
well.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has also weighed in on the issue, saying that he's
directed the Transport Department and the Legal Affairs Department to
publicize guidelines for towing operators to follow.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:50:13

According to a Reuters report, Chinese Military drone has used false signals
in South China Sea Flights, raising concerns over escalating Grey-Zone
tactics.

The report said a large Chinese military drone has conducted regular flights
over the South China Sea in recent months while transmitting false
transponder signals that made it appear to be other aircraft.

The aircraft included a sanctioned Belarusian cargo plane and a British
Typhoon fighter jet.

Security analysts scrutinising the operations say the flights represent a
step-change in China's grey-zone tactics in the contested South China Sea.

The flights appear to be testing possible decoy capabilities in the event of
a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The report said since August, at least 23 flights have been logged under the
call sign Y-I-L-O4200, a known long-endurance Chinese military drone, but the
aircraft transmitted registration numbers of other aircraft.

Experts said while the masking is unlikely to fully deceive air traffic
controllers or military-grade radars, it could sow time-wasting confusion in
a conflict.

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:50:15

According to a survey by Newsweek and a global data platform, Statista,
Taipei Veterans General Hospital and NTU Hospital featured on Newsweek's list
of the world's 250 best hospitals in 2026.

Taipei Veterans made the list at No. 174, while NTU Hospital returned to the
rankings at No. 249 after three years of absence.

In its 8th year, the World's Best Hospitals rankings this year include data
on over 2-thousand 500 hospitals across 32 countries, including 35 in Taiwan.

The rankings were based on hospital quality metrics, hospital recommendations
from surveyed medical experts and patient experience surveys

According to Newsweek’s 2026 rankings, three of the top five hospitals in
the world are in the United States, including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Canada's University Health Network - Toronto General Hospital stood at the
second place, while Sweden's Karolinska University Hospital was ranked number
4.

(CNA JL)

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:50:15

Former National Fire Agency Director Huang Ji-min has been sentenced to a
prison term of 55 years and 8 months on corruption charges.

The verdict is final.

The Supreme Court today rejected his appeals on seven counts, including
bribery, money laundering, and profiteering, finalizing convictions.

Prosecutors have been notified to initiate measures to prevent him from
fleeing, while other counts have been remanded for further trial.

A lower court already confiscated his illegal profits, at 20.76 million NT,
in 2017.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:07:13

The KMT says that registration will open for city councilor primaries in
Taipei next month.

Registration begins March 23rd for those running in districts 1, 2, and 3, as
well as the two Indigenous seats...

while those running in districts 4, 5, and 6 can register starting April 7th.

Polling will then be conducted from April till May.

The KMT currently holds 28 out of 61 seats in the council, but combined with
allied TPP and New Party councilors, they have a simple majority at 33 seats.

The KMT alone will nominate 33 candidates to run in the November elections.

Percentage-wise, the KMT is most popular in District 6 of Taipei City,
Da'an/Wenshan, while it faces the toughest odds in District 1, Beitou/Shilin.

Meanwhile, the ruling DPP is set to hold primaries in March to thin out its
own field of candidates.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:07:13

A Keelung prosecutor has been detained incommunicado on suspicion of
long-term loan sharking and allegedly forcing a contractor to sign a $100
million-NT debt agreement.

The Keelung District Court said Lin Yu-jun (林渝鈞) has denied all
wrongdoing, despite facing charges of abusing his official position to commit
intimidation and violate the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

The Court ordered him detained wthout communication on risks of destroying
evidence and collusion.

According to investigations, Lin allegedly lent $22 million NT to the
contractor, who agreed to hand over interest payments ranging from several
hundred thousand to over one million NT dollars.

After the contractor was unable to repay the high-interest loans, Lin
allegedly had him sign an agreement recognizing a $100 million liability.

The investigation is ongoing.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-02-26 17:07:13

Taiwan’s gender pay gap grew slightly last year, with women now having to
work an extra 59 days to earn the same amount as men.

The Ministry of Labor announced today that this year's "Equal Pay Day" is
February 28th, which is one day later than in 2025.

Government data shows that the current pay gap between men and women stands
at 16.1 percent.

Officials say the gap widened mainly because of the electronics industry,
with experts suggesting that men hold more high-paying positions in research,
development, and engineering.

The ministry says outside of the electronics industry, the pay gap actually
improved, dropping to 11.3 percent.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-26 16:07:13

The Ministry of Digital Affairs says, online retail company Coupang will be
punished according to law over data protection deficiencies.

That's after the Taiwan branch of the company suffered a major data leak last
year.

That incident results in 200,000 Taiwan account holders having their data
accessed without consent.

MODA says that it carried out an investigation at the Taiwan offices of
Coupang yesterday, and found that the data management mechanisms had flaws.

After the data leak occurred in November, Coupang said that there was
initially no evidence to suggest that the leak involved Taiwanese users'
data.

But Coupang later reported that an investigation revealed that the data of
some Taiwanese users had indeed been accessed.

MODA says, the data accessed included names, contact information, addresses,
and, in some cases, order records.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 16:07:13

The KMT will nominate a candidate to run for Chiayi magistrate by the end of
next month.

KMT chair Zheng Li Wen says today that the party is working to find the
optimal candidate for the position, and the person doesn't have to be a KMT
member.

Zheng notes that Chiayi County is one of the districts in which the KMT faces
the toughest odds.

She said the party does not want areas south of Chiayi to remain a “sea of
green” in this year’s elections.

Whoever the opposition parties put forward to run in the county, they will
face the DPP's Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) in November.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 16:07:13

Health officials in Kaohsiung are cracking down on food companies that use
fake medical claims to sell products.

The city's Department of Health announced today it issued fines totaling over
35.2 million NT last year.

Officials say many of these ads targeted the elderly, including claims that
food supplements could treat eye diseases, heart conditions, and even shrink
tumors.

The department says many of these illegal ads appear on TV shopping channels
and the internet, using fake medical terms and false testimonials to mislead
the public.

The city says companies that use misleading ads face fines of up to $4
million NT, and if a company claims a food product has medical effects, the
fine can increase to $5 million NT.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-26 14:27:13

Companies in Taipei can now apply for a new government program that pays for
parents to work shorter days.

The pilot program starts in March, where private companies registered in
Taipei that allow eligible employees to arrive an hour late or leave an hour
early can apply to have the city subsidize 80 percent of the wages for that
missing hour.

Officials say 139 companies have already expressed interest in similar
support programs in the past.

Meanwhile, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Sichuan (李四川) says New Taipei City
could adopt parts of the policy if the pilot program proves successful.

Lee noted that Taipei has fewer manufacturing businesses than other areas,
making it a good place to test the shorter workday, and New Taipei should
review the results and adopt the parts that fit its own environment.

The deputy mayor made the comments today as he prepares to resign from his
current post to seek the nomination for New Taipei City mayor.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-26 14:27:13

The Ministry of Environment is warning the public to properly recycle
batteries from holiday lanterns to prevent fires and environmental pollution.

With the Lantern Festival approaching on March 3-rd, officials say the small
button-cell batteries found in many colorful lanterns can cause short
circuits or fires if they end up in garbage trucks or landfills.

The ministry recommends removing the battery for use in low-energy devices
like alarm clocks or remote controls.

If the battery is out of power, officials suggest using tape to cover the
positive and negative ends, providing simple insulation for safety.

Used-up batteries may be dropped off at convenience stores, supermarkets, or
large retail warehouses, or handed to recycling trucks.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-26 14:27:13

Taiwan Railways Corporation says, it's adding another 165 train trips for the
upcoming Tomb Sweeping holiday.

Those tickets will be available for purchase starting early next Tuesday.

Those additional trains during the April 2rd through 7th holiday period are
split across the south, east, and west.

TRC notes that passengers can purchase tickets starting at midnight on March
3rd from the TRC website or app.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 14:27:13

Taiwan shares are up just by a hair today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining
just one point to close the session at 35414.

The turnover was 1.1 trillion NT.

Posted on 2026-02-26 13:07:13

A US-based thinktank is encouraging the US and other Taiwan partners to do
more to help deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

That's as Ukraine just marked the four year anniversary of Russia launching
its full-scale invasion of the country.

The German Marshall Fund points out in a new report that the Russian invasion
has pushed Taiwan to work more on social resilience and preparing for a
potential Chinese invasion...

going so far as to put together the first civilian defense handbook just two
months after the Russian invasion began.

The report notes that Taiwan under President Lai Ching-te has taken concrete
steps to improve whole-of-society resilience by establishing the
Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.

They also state that Lai has been more direct with the public with regards to
the threat Taiwan faces from China.

But experts say, Taiwan partners should be doing more to protect against
Chinese gray-zone warfare through helping Taiwan become more resilient.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 13:07:13

The Ministry of Education is extending the deadline for its local language
teaching resource competition to March 31st.

The competition is open to early childhood educators, to create songs, poems,
and picture books in Taiwanese, Hakka, and Indigenous languages to help young
children learn their mother tongues.

Officials say preschool is the best time for children to pick up new
languages, and it will continue to promote local languages in the classroom.

It hopes these creative teaching plans will give educators better tools to
keep these languages alive in the next generation.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-02-26 13:07:13

A fire in Tainan has left one elderly woman dead.

The fire took place this morning in a residential building in the east
district.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, after which time they
discovered the body of a 70 year old woman.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:13

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The K-M-T says it will finalize and submit its version of the defense budget
by next Friday.

The statement comes after lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties
agreed earlier this 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, but along with other related special
act drafts, has not yet to be submitted for any formal review process.

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 the K-M-T is now hoping to add its
version by to that review process.

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:15

More than 60 civic groups have announced plans to hold a joint 228 Memorial
Day commemorative event in Taipei tomorrow.

The annual action was launched in 2017 by the Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation
and the Tsai Rui-yue Dance Foundation.

However, it has expanded this year to include dozens of participating
organizations.

Organizers say the event will begin with a march at 1:30PM at the Taipei
Municipal Rixin Elementary School, pass several sites linked to the 228
Incident, and conclude in front of the Cabinet Building.

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:15

The International Trade Administration says Taiwan's investment in the
European Union has surged by over 600-per cent over the past decade as trade
ties between the two economies continue to strengthen.

According to the administration, data shows that from 2016 to 2025, Taiwan's
total investment in the E-U reached about 13.88-billion U-S dollars.

That was compared with 1.85-billion U-S dollars from 2006 to 2015 and
represents an increase of approximately 650-per cent.

The E-U is now Taiwan's fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade
totaling more than 68.64-billion U-S dollars in 2024.

The E-U is also Taiwan's largest source of foreign investment.

EU-Taiwan trade rose sharply in 2021, the year after the outbreak of the
COVID pandemic, reaching 68.76-billion U-S dollars, up 32.51-per cent from
2020.

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:15

President Lai Ching-te has bestowed one of Taiwan's highest honors on Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Bowman in recognition of her
contributions to bilateral ties.

Lai has confered the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on Bowman.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Presidential Office, Lai thank Bowman for her
outstanding contribution to deepening diplomatic ties between Taiwan and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ..

... and noted that Bowman became the Caribbean island nation's first
ambassador to Taiwan in 2019 and established the country's first permanent
embassy in Asia, "marking a milestone in bilateral relations."

According to Lai, with Bowman's support, the two countries had steadily
deepened exchanges over the past six years in areas such as trade and
investment, infrastructure and agriculture.

Bowman said she was "honored to receive this distinguished medal" on behalf
of the government and people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:15

The Ministry of Finance is adding 700,000 additional 500 N-T prizes to the
cloud invoice lottery for each bimonthly draw from January to June.

The increase will raise the total number of 500 N-T prizes to 3.85-million
per draw.

According to the ministry, the move is aimed at encouraging consumers to
store receipts digitally using mobile barcodes or other carriers.

The deputy director of the ministry's Taxation Administration says funding
for uniform invoice prizes and promotional expenses is a statutory
expenditure ..

.. and the agency annually determines the number and categories of prizes
based on the approved annual budget and redemption rates from the previous
year.

For each drawing from January to June, the ministry will draw one special
prize and one grand prize, while first through sixth prizes will each have
three winning numbers.

Cloud invoice prizes per drawing will include 30 prizes of 1-million N-T,
16,000 prizes of 2,000 N-T, 100,000 prizes of 800 N-T and 3.85 million prizes
of 500 N-T.

Posted on 2026-02-26 08:13:15

And finally,

The annual Taiwan-Japan baseball exchange series got underway last night at
the Taipei Dome.

The Chinese Professional Baseball League's C-T-B-C Brothers lost 3-7 to the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the opening game in front of 17,560 fans.

That figure set a new record for the lowest attendance in the history of the
Taipei Dome's Taiwan-Japan exchange games and marked the first time game in
the series have failed to surpass 20,000 spectators.

Taiwan's World Baseball Classic team will be playing the SoftBank Hawks this
evening in the second game of the series.

The national team plays the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters tomorrow.

And the C-P-B-L's Wei Chuan Dragons meet the Nippon-Ham Fighters on Saturday
in the final game of the Taiwan-Japan exchange series.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:14

Taiwan People's Party chairman Huang Kuo-chang is urging the government to
seek further trade talks with Washington to determine whether there is a need
to revise the US-Taiwan Reciprocal Trade Agreement.

This comes after the U-S Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs imposed by
President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
were ruled as unconstitutional ..

That, in turn, prompted the administration to impose a global 15-per cent
tariff in addition to the most-favored-nation tariff rate.

That move has created some uncertainty here for Taiwan, as the government has
just signed the Reciprocal Trade Agreement.

Huang said there was a need for an undertaking from the U-S side that it
"would not impose an additional 15-per cent tariff under the 1974 Trade Act."

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:15

President Lai Ching-te says confronting Taiwan's past requires truth rather
than fear and... and he is stressing that a clear understanding of history is
essential to strengthening the foundation of democracy.

The president's comments come ahead of the 79th annivesary of the 2-2-8
incident.

During the D-P-P's Central Executive Committee Meeting, a spokesman said Lai
referred to the episode as "the deepest trauma in Taiwan's history."

Lai said the trauma was compounded by decades of authoritarian suppression,
led many people to choose silence and bury painful memories to avoid further
harm ..

.. and Lai said such silence, can blur collective memory and create openings
for those seeking to distort or rewrite history.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:19

The Taipei City Government is launching pilot subsidies for businesses that
reduce daily work hours by one hour for eligble parents of children aged 12
and under.

The pilot program ensures that such employees don't incure pay cuts.

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

Taipei-registered businesses are eligible for a subsidy of up to 100,000 N-T
to support the program from March 1 through October 31 - regardless of when
or for how long the company implements reduced work hours during the trial
period.

The city government's Department of Labor says it has allocated 5.5-million
N-T for the eight-month pilot program, which is expected to cover 55
companies.

However, department officials say varying wage levels make it difficult to
estimate exactly how many workers will benefit.

Participating businesses must implement the policy for at least 10 days per
month over a three-month period without reducing employee pay.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:20

The Taichung District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a father and son for
tampering with evidence after African swine fever broke out at their pig farm
in the city's Wuqi District last October.

The prosecutors' office has charged the farm owner and his son with fraud,
document forgery and filing false reports under the Waste Disposal Act and
has recommended that the court give them heavy sentences.

This comes after Taiwan saw its first-ever domestic African swine fever
outbreak in late October of last year, after 117 pigs at the farm died.

Prosecutors say the farm was registered to recycle kitchen waste as pig feed,
which must be boiled at over 90 degrees for at least one hour before being
fed to pigs and properly reported with photo or video proof.

But they found evidence that the farm owner's son had uploaded old photos
taken in 2022 intending to prove they were in compliance between January 2023
and September 2025.

The farm also allegedly overstated its use of kitchen waste, aside from
reselling surplus waste to other farms, and filing false monthly reports.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:21

The government has approved the appointment of Amino Ji as its news
ambassador to Belize.

Ji currently serves as the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in
Los Angeles.

He'll be replacing incumbent ambassador to Belize, Lily Hsu, who is set to
conclude her three-year tenure in the Central American country.

It will be the third time that Ji will have been posted to Belize in his
diplomatic career.

He previously served as first and third secretary at the Republic of China
embassy there.

His other overseas postings have included the United Kingdom, Malaysia and
Miami.

Hsu has headed the embassy in Belize since February 2023 and will return to
Taipei to serve at the Foreign Ministry's Institute of Diplomacy and
International Affairs.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:21

Passenger traffic at Taoyuan International Airport between February 13 to 23
totaled about 1.706-million people -- up by roughly 5.8 percent from the same
period of last year.

The airport's operator says daily passenger throughput during the Lunar New
Year holiday averaged about 155,000 people during the 11-day period ...

... with passenger volumes exceeding 160,000 four times.

Passenger traffic hit a single-day peak of around 169,000 during the period,
surpassing the previous single-day record for the Lunar New Year holiday of
166,000 set in 2019.

The airport operator says its forecasting average daily passenger traffic of
about 147,000 this coming 228 Peace Memorial Day long weekend holiday.

Outbound traffic is expected to peak at roughly 153,000 today, while inbound
traffic is projected to peak at about 149,000 on March 2.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:23

Authorities in New Taipei has announced that traffic controls to manage
crowds during the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival.

The annual tradition celebrates the first full moon of the lunar year... it
sees participants release glowing paper lanterns inscribed with wishes that
symbolise the shedding of old burdens and the start of a hopeful new year.

The event takes place at the Pingxi Junior High School tomorrow and and at
Shifen Square next Tuesday.

The New Taipei City Transportation Department says controls will be enforced
on City Route 106 and the Shifen section of Provincial Highway 2-C from 10AM
to 11PM on both days.

All vehicles, including motorcycles, will be subject to the restrictions.

Exemptions will only be granted to residents with a valid permit and vehicles
transporting lanterns.

Local officials are calling on people to take the train to Pingxi or Shifen
stations, or to use shuttle buses departing from multiple locations,
including Taipei Zoo, Keelung Station, and Shuangxi Station.

Posted on 2026-02-26 06:56:25

And,

Yang Shuang-zi's "Taiwan Travelogue" has been longlisted for the
International Booker Prize for translated fiction.

Judges have described the novel as "a delicious romance and an incisive
postcolonial novel."

The novel tells the story of a same-sex romance between a Japanese author and
her local interpreter in 1930s Taiwan.

It's the second novel by a Taiwan writer to have been longlisted for the
International Booker Prize for translated fiction, after Wu Ming-yi, whose
work, "The Stolen Bicycle" made the list in 2018.

Yang says she believes more Taiwanese novelists will see their names appear
on the prize's lists in the future.

The International Booker Prize is an annual U-K award for translated fiction.

It comes with a 50,000 pound prize split equally between the author and
translator.

A total of 13 titles were longlisted this year from 128 submissions.

The six finalists will be named on March 31 and the winner will be announced
in London on May 19.

Posted on 2026-02-25 19:55:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 19:55:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 19:07:14

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 19:07:14

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 18:08:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 18:08:15

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 17:10:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 17:10:18

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 14:06:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 14:06:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 14:06:13

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

Posted on 2026-02-25 13:08:13

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 13:08:17

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)

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 08:14:13

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:14

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

Posted on 2026-02-25 06:55:15

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.

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