The DPP legislative caucus is calling for collaboration with the opposition
parties on the central government budget.

The opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan has yet to allow the budget plan
to be reviewed by the legislative committees.

DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary General Zhong Jia-bin today urged the
opposition and ruling parties to work together to pass the budget.

Caucus leader Chen Pei Yu also said the delay of the budget passage will
affect T-PASS subsidies and flood control projects, among others.

Chen added that she hopes it will be able to be reviewed by lawmakers
tomorrow.

(AH)

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to use a "traffic light" warning
system to help people identify high levels of salt and sugar in restaurant
food.

The ministry says it's developing the "red, yellow, and green" labels for
food items, as those who often eat out consume too much salt, sugar,
saturated fat, and calories.

Officials also say that by the end of last year, the government had
established 85 community nutrition centers with 164 specialized dietitians to
serve the public.

And the government is also funding 32 education projects, including
salt-reduction workshops and interactive games for children.

The ministry hopes the system and other initiatives will help consumers make
healthier, more informed choices in their daily lives.

(NS)

Taipei seniors will soon be able to use their government subsidy points for
more leisure activities.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an says the city plans to allow seniors to use 60 points
from their Senior EasyCard for public hot spring pools starting before the
Lunar New Year.

The monthly subsidy on the card is also set to increase.

Starting in July, the points will rise from 480 to 600 per month.

Chiang says he is also considering adding YouBike to the program, to
encourage older residents to stay active and travel around the city.

And the mayor says the city's Department of Social Welfare will spend the
next month reviewing more ways to expand the senior card program.

(NS)

A man from New Taipei has been sentenced to 4 months in prison over allegedly
make threats to a Taiwan High Court judge.

The case stems from the judge's ruling that extended former Taipei Mayor Ko
Wen-je's detention in August last year over the Core Pacific City case.

The man, surnamed Xu, commented on his social media saying that the judge
"would not be able to go home until 7 days later" and attached 3 knife emojis
with the message.

The judge believed that Xu's actions may lead to copycats and reported the
case to police.

He was sentenced to 4 months, which can be commuted to a daily fine of 1000
NT over the same period.

(AH)

Costco Taiwan has announced a raise in its membership fees, saying that both
Gold Star and Business memberships will be rising to $1,500 NT a year.

For the Business card, it's an increase from $1,150 to $1,500, or 30-percent,
while fees for Executive, or Black Diamond members, will remain unchanged.

The store said new the new fees will take effect on April 1st this year.

Costco Taiwan said this is the first time in ten years that it adjusts
membership fees, adding that the company has continued to invest in the
expansion of professional service centers, including hearing aid, optical,
and gas station services.

It has promised to pass every cost saving back to members through highly
competitive pricing and quality products.

(JL)

The Central Taiwan Lantern Festival will open on February 15th in Taichung,
featuring characters from a Finnish book and comic series.

Mayor Lu Shiow-yen announced today that the city is partnering with the
Finnish IP "The Moomins", for this year’s theme, "Moomin On".

The festival will take place at Taichung Central Park, with a 21-meter-tall
Moomin installation as the main attraction.

The event will also feature 3D animations and mechanical devices to create an
immersive light show that look like northern lights.

To promote the event, Lu says Moomin decorations will be placed at major
landmarks, including Taichung Station, the High-Speed Rail station, and
Taichung Park.

Special Moomin-themed trains will also run on the Taichung MRT.

The festival runs through March 3rd, but officials say the displays will be
closed on New Year’s Eve.

(NS)

US forces in Korea are said to be reviewing their scope of operations in
preparation for a potential Taiwan contingency.

That's according to a report by the Nikkei Asia Review -- which focused on
comments made by the United States Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson
during a recent security forum in Seoul.

Brunson had told participants that Korea was "not simply here to respond to
threats on the Korean Peninsula.

He added that the country sat on "the crossroads of broader regional dynamics
that shaped the balance of power across Northeast Asia."

While the Korean government is said to remain cautious about the possible
deployment of USFK to third countries...

...while the US has also emphasised the "flexibility" of their forces in
Korea because of the likelihood of a conflict breaking out in Taiwan.

A woman has been ordered to pay 35,000 NT in fines for her role in protesting
the Taipei Gongguan roundabout demolition in August.

The woman, surnamed Su, blocked off an underpass on Roosevelt road with both
a sedan and a motorbike.

Su also plastered her vehicles with banners expressing her opposition to the
demolition before leaving on foot.

Taipei prosecutors today gave her one year probation over endangering public
safety and a fine of 35,000 NT, which must be paid within 4 months.

Meanwhile, prosecutors opted not to indict 2 others who were arrested on
charges of making threats against Mayor Chiang Wan An.

Those two also allegedly participated in protesting the demolition in
September, where they held a sign with a photo of the mayor that read
"death."

Prosecutors decided not to indict the pair, citing the lack of concrete
threats and Chiang's decision not to press charges.

(AH)

Taiwan shares broke records today, with the benchmark tai ex closing at 30105
after gaining 755 points.

The turnover was 765.8 billion NT.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's share price gained 65 N-T this morning
to hit yet another record high, as it reached 1,650 N-T in early trading on
the Tai-Ex.

The rise pushed T-S-M-C's market capitalization to 42.78-trillion N-T.

T-S-M-C's rise this morning led the Tai-Ex higher - and the local main board
surged 619 points to reach 29,968-points to set a new intraday record and
move closed to 30,000-point mark.

Other electronics heavyweights, including Hon Hai, Delta Electronics, A-S-E
and MediaTek also gained solid ground in early trading.

T-S-M-C is slated to hold an investor conference next Thursday - and the
market is optimistic that it will release positive results and guidance due
to continuing strong demand for artificial intelligence applications.

The Ministry of National Defense says it detected three Chinese Air Force
sorties operating in the Taiwan Strait from between 6AM Sunday and 6AM today.

Of those sorties, all three aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan
Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern air defense identification zone.

Two balloons were also spotted.

One of them was seen some 55-nautical miles northwest of Keelung before
disappearing, while the other was seen some 32-nautical miles northwest of
Taichung before disappearing.

Eight Chinese Navy ships and one maritime patrol vessel were also detected
operating in the general vicinity of the Taiwan Strait over the same 24-hour
period.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs say it welcomes a recent pledge by Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines' new prime minister that his government will
maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

It said the Lai administration "welcomes and appreciates" Friday's open
pledge to maintain his country's decades-long relations with Taiwan.

The ministry says it will continue close communications with the Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines' government to deepen bilateral cooperation for
the benefit of both peoples.

Godwin Friday assumed office in late November and he made the comments during
a recent radio interview.

Friday was quoted as saying that formal relations with Taiwan be maintained,
as will relations with all countries with which Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines has diplomatic ties.

Friday also reassured Vincentian students in Taiwan that their studies would
not be affected.

Many of those students are on scholarships from the Taiwan government.

The National Security Bureau says China launched 2.63-million intrusion
attempts against Taiwan's critical infrastructure every day last year.

That figure represents a 6-per cent increase from 2024.

The bureau says the cyberattacks conducted by China involve four major
tactics: hardware and software vulnerability exploitation, distributed
denial-of-service, social engineering, and supply chain attacks.

Exploitation of hardware and software vulnerabilities accounted for more than
half of the intrusion attempts.

The N-S-B said the island's energy and hospital sectors experienced the "most
significant year-on-year surge in cyberattacks from Chinese threat actors."

The bureau has named the top five Chinese hacker groups as BlackTech, Flax
Typhoon, Mustang Panda, APT41, and UNC-3886.

The security agency has did not said how many of the intrusion attempts were
successful.

A political talk show that was to be hosted by former President Chen
Shui-bian has been abruptly pulled ahead of its planned YouTube debut.

The show was meant to be broadcast online by cable news provider Mirror TV.

Chen said the show was cancelled following an order by Premier Zhu Rong-tai..
who warned the former president not to air the show... and adding that he
could be sent back to prison if it was broadcast.

Chen had said the interview-based program would have featured "unprecedented
in-depth discussions."

It was scheduled to premiere at 10 o'clock Sunday morning on the Mirror TV
YouTube channel... Chen announced the cancellation about two hours before
airtime.

Chen said the National Communications Commission had cleared the program for
online broadcast, but the Agency of Corrections subsequently told him by
phone that Cho had ordered it not to air.

The Agency of Corrections says compliance requirements for inmates on medical
parole are enforced by correctional authorities in accordance with
regulations through inspections and supervision.

The agency has not confirmed whether it received any instructions from the
premier.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs says satellite images of D-P-P lawmakers Puma
Shen's home and workplace have been scrubbed from social media platforms.

The statement comes after the images were originally posted by a Chinese
Weibo user late last week.

The post included threats to have the lawmaker arrested for "secession" and
was later circulated by Chinese media outlets.

The digital minister is condemning what it's describing as "digital coercion"
by Chinese state media -- accusing it of maliciously exposing a Taiwanese
lawmaker's home and workplace on platforms including Facebook and YouTube.

The ministry says it immediately requested platform operators handle the
posts, adding that Meta and Google reported on Sunday that all relevant
posts, including images, text and videos, had been removed.

The digital minister also says that using social media to publicly threaten a
lawmaker in a democratic country crosses a clear line ..

.. and it's urging platform operators to uphold their social responsibilities
by safeguarding digital human rights and democratic values.

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier that ran aground off Hualien County on New
Year's Day has been successfully refloated and towed into Hualien Port.

Authorities says no oil pollution has been detected.

The C-S-E Prosperity Express was refloated by two tugboats under coast guard
escort after passing hull inspection and safely berthed at Wharf No. 22.

The Maritime Port Bureau also said no oil leakage was observed during or
after the operation, even though the ship carrying more than 200-metric tons
of residual fuel.

The carrier is operated by China Steel Express.

It lost main engine power last Thursday morning while approaching Hualien
Port and was later pushed onto a sandbank by strong northeasterly winds.

Rescue efforts were initially delayed by rough seas.

The Keelung District Court has sentenced a man to two months in prison for
calling a city service hotline and threatening to kill Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang
over an unresolved issue with water provision to his home.

The man reportedly called the city's 1999 citizen hotline on March 14 of last
year after becoming frustrated by an ongoing water supply issue.

He threatened Hsieh by name, before going on to warn that he will go to
Keelung City Hall and start killing people.

The hotline worker notified the police.

The man later admitted to having threatened the mayor during questioning
following his arrest.

The man was charged with endangering public safety by putting the public in
fear of injury under Article 151 of the Criminal Code.

The court ruling can be appealed.

A report released by the National Communications Commission shows that nearly
half of the island's population has viewed TikTok content -- with usage
growing fastest among people aged between 16 to 25.

The N-C-C's 2025 Communications Market Report indicates 47.5-per cent of
respondents said they had watched TikTok content, an increase from 18.7-per
cent in 2019.

Growth was most pronounced among those aged between 16 and 25, with the share
of TikTok viewers in this age group surging from 24-per cent in 2019 to
72.5-per cent in 2025.

The report says more than 80-per cent of people aged 16 and older reported
watching content on online video-sharing platforms, highlighting the public's
growing reliance on such services.

However, the report found that YouTube remains the most widely viewed
platform, with viewership consistently exceeding 95-per cent across survey
years.

And,

A wild Formosan Reeves's muntjac that wandered into Taipei Zoo this past
weekend has been released back into nearby forest after staff confirmed it
was healthy.

Zoo staff used capture nets and tarps to contain the small deer and place it
in a cage.

After checking the animal's appearance and body size, staff determined the
animal didn't belong with the zoo, and it was released later the same day
into forested areas surrounding the facility, which is located in Taipei's
Wenshan District.

The zoo says it's not uncommon for wild animals from the surrounding
environment to enter the zoo grounds and its advising visitors to keep a safe
distance if they encounter one.

The Formosan Reeves's muntjac is one of three deer species native to Taiwan.

The Ministry of Labor says the number of workers on formal unpaid leave in
Taiwan in the second half of December rose slightly from the first half of
the month, with the old-economy sector feeling the pinch the most.

The number of workers placed on furlough rose by 3.6 percent from 15 days
earlier to 7,371 as of the end of December. The Dec. 15 number was a
three-month low thanks to an increase of rush orders ahead of the holidays.

The metal and electric machinery industry reported the largest number of
furloughed workers, at 5,140, accounting for about 70 percent of the total in
the export-oriented manufacturing sector.

Analysts said the rebound in furloughed workers at the end of December showed
the manufacturing sector remained haunted by US tariff policies.

CNA_JvW

The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics expects Taiwan's
armed forces to curtail activities in 2026 due to the legislature's failure
to review the government's full budget.

The DGBAS has submitted a report to the Legislative Yuan's finance committee
ahead of an appearance scheduled for Monday by its director-general.

According to the report, the total unreviewed amount of 299 billion NT
includes 180 billion NT for recurring expenses and continuing projects.

If the budget is delayed, the report said, it will affect reserve force
enhancement, troop combat training and exercises as well as military
preparedness and personnel training.

Other impacts include disruption of planned upgrading of Coast Guard
equipment, including outdated 3G and 4G mobile reconnaissance systems and
even needed repairs to unsafe piers.

CNA_zh_JvW

1 year: NIA

The National Immigration Agency says the foreign parents of naturalized
Taiwanese citizens with household registration can now extend their stays in
Taiwan for up to one year to assist with the care of grandchildren under the
age of 2.

Only naturalized citizens whose parents are from places other than China,
Hong Kong or Macau are eligible, given that the residency and entry rules for
residents of the People's Republic of China are governed by different laws.

The Ministry of the Interior said the new policy is part of a broader effort
to care for newly naturalized Taiwanese nationals with household
registration, giving them more flexibility for childcare and the option of
returning to work earlier than might otherwise be possible.

CNA_JvW

Former President Chen Shui-bian says he'll host a show on a local cable TV
news provider's YouTube channel, in a move that's likely to stir debate over
the conditions of his medical parole.

In a Facebook post, Chen said his interview-based program, which will feature
"unprecedented in-depth discussions," is scheduled to premiere on the YouTube
channel operated by Mirror TV tomorrow morning.

Chen was granted medical parole in January 2015, after serving over six years
of a 20-year sentence stemming from multiple corruption-related convictions.

The Taichung Prison said that it has issued an official letter warning Chen
to strictly abide by the regulations governing medical parole, one of which
involves not being engaged in political activities.

CNA_JvW

The Presidential Office has announced the appointment of former Vice
President Chen Chien-jen as the next Academia Sinica president.

He'll replace James C. Liao whose term ends in June. Chen's posting will last
five years, ending in June 2031.

The announcement follows a recent meeting of the Academia Sinica Council,
which selected the top three candidates and submitted their names to
President Lai Ching-te for final selection.

Chen has served in various posts at Taiwan's elite research institution,
including as a distinguished research fellow in the Genomics Research Center
from 2006 and as vice president from 2011 to 2015.

He specializes in epidemiology, human genetics, public health, and preventive
medicine.

Chen Chien-jen served as Taiwan's vice president from 2016 to 2020 and as
premier from 2023 to 2024.

CNA_JvW

The Ministry of Labor's Bureau of Labor Funds says investments it manages are
expected to post gains exceeding a trillion NT in 2025.

The bureau said on-year gains as of November totaled NT$976 billion on the
back of strong financial markets. The gain for November alone was NT$117
billion.

The 11-month gains translate into a return of 14.1 percent.

During the same period, the Taiex gained 20 percent. The Taiex gained 26
percent in the full year.

The bureau says, 58 percent of the investments in labor funds were overseas
in the 11 months, with the remainder invested in the local market.

The combined value of the funds was just short of NT$7.7 trillion as of the
end of November, with the biggest fund being the new Labor Pension Fund,
which was launched in 2015. Its value was NT$5.1 trillion at the end of
November.

CNA_JvW

The Central Weather Administration has issued a low-temperature warning for
New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and points south as far as Yunlin County -- with
temperatures expected to dip below 10 degrees overnight.

The CWA says a continental cold air mass and radiative cooling are
responsible for the lower temperatures. It urges residents to take
precautions ... including while driving on potentially icy mountain roads.

CWA_zh_JvW

Taiwan's manufacturing activity expanded for the third consecutive month in
December, as strong global demand for AI applications continued to bolster
the export-oriented manufacturing sector.

Data from the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research showed the
purchasing managers' index rising 3.9 points from a month earlier to 55.3 in
December. That's the highest level in 18 months.

A level of 50 or higher indicates expansion.

The non-manufacturing index fell 1.2 points to 54.6 in December. It was still
the 10th consecutive month of expansion for the service sector.

The five major factors that make up the PMI all moved higher last month, with
the subindexes on new orders and production rising 6.7 percent and 7.7
percent, respectively.

CIER President Lien Hsien-ming said Taiwan is the major supplier of AI
devices, with an 80-90 percent global market share, so the technology is
expected to continue to drive Taiwan's PMI higher in the future.

CNA_JvW

Taipei Metro and buses in Taipei and New Taipei have started accepting QR
code ticket payments.

The system works with QR codes from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay,
Jkopay and PXPay Plus.

Other acceptable QR codes include E.SUN Wallet, PLUS PAY and LINE Pay.

Transfer discounts will be available only for EasyWallet, iPass Money and
iCash Pay users.

Metro officials say QR users will still qualify for the same MRT loyalty
rebates as EasyCard, iPass and iCash card riders.

President Lai Ching-te says Taiwan's rapid aging is driving a major expansion
of long-term care services.

He says the Long-term Care Plan 3.0 budget is set to rise to $120 billion NT
as the policy rolls out this year.

Lai made the comments during a visit to a long-term care facility in Yilan
County earlier today.

He says long-term care service sites have grown from 720 under former
President Ma Ying-jeou to more than 15-thousand today.

Lai adds that Taiwan now has over 100-thousand long-term care workers,
through central-local and public-private cooperation.

He says the new plan expands institution-based care, caregiver respite
services, and support for milder dementia and disability cases.

Lai warns the budget has not yet cleared the legislature, and delays could
affect services for older adults.

(PB)

KMT lawmaker Fu Kun Chi will continue on as his party's legislative caucus
whip.

That's following a caucus vote today that also elected Lin Pei Xiang as the
caucus' secretary-general, replacing Luo Zhi Qiang...

while Xu Yu Zhen will take over as the deputy secretary-general.

According to the KMT's former internal policy, Fu had been set to be
term-limited out of office at the end of this month, but changes made last
year allowed him to run again.

After the election, TPP chair Huang Kuo-chang and former chair Ke Wen Zhe
visited the KMT caucus leadership before praising the collaboration between
the two parties in the current legislative term.

(AH)

Taipei's Astronomical Museum says the Quadrantids meteor shower will reach
its peak this coming Sunday.

It says the shower opens Taiwan's first major skywatching event of 2026.

Officials estimate a zenith rate of about 80 meteors an hour.

They say the moon will be near full, so actual visibility may drop to around
25 an hour.

The museum says the best viewing time is after midnight through before dawn.

It adds the Quadrantids can still deliver bright fireballs despite strong
moonlight.

(PB)

The Central Weather Administration has just revised its low temperature alert
from yellow to orange for areas north of Miao-li, including greater Taipei.

An orange alert means the temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius or lower
and stay that way for the next 24 hours.

The CWA says with the arrival of the continental strong cold air mass, the
central and southern regions are affected as well.

Forecasters have put areas from Taichung to Kaohsiung, as well as outlying
Kin-men under a yellow alert, which means low temps can slide to below 10.

(JL)

New Taipei City is increasing its subsidies for electric scooters, offering
residents up to nearly $40-thousand NT to make the switch.

The city’s Environmental Protection Department announced today that the 2026
program includes higher bonuses for people who retire older, polluting
scooters.

In addition to the original subsidies of up to $10-thousand NT for replacing
an old gas scooter, the city is also offering an "early bird" bonus of
another $10-thousand NT for the first 4-thousand-500 applicants.

And a limited number of New Taipei residents who scrap two old scooters to
buy one new electric one and will also receive $9-thousand NT.

Officials say when combined with central government rewards and scrap fees,
the total payout can reach $39-thousand-600 NT.



Low-income residents can receive an extra $10-thousand regardless of
whether they are buying a new scooter or replacing an old one.

(NS)

With a continental cold air mass likely to bring temperatures in Taipei below
10 degrees celsius, the city is upping efforts aimed at helping the homeless
avoid the cold.

The city's Department of Social Welfare says, it's already begun making the
rounds to let homeless individuals know about temporary shelter available.

They add that their efforts aim to ensure the safety of the 400 homeless
individuals in the city.

Officials say that they carry out such efforts when temperatures drop to 12
degrees and lower where most homeless people in the city stay...

near Taipei Main Station and in Wanhua district.

They note that they also offer clothing and sleeping bags to the residents,
while offering a place to sleep, no questions asked.

(AH)

Three men have been detained after a chain of "sesame oil chicken"
restaurants in Taipei and New Taipei City reported that an unknown powder was
poured into their soup pots on New Year’s Eve.

Police say ten different branches were targeted, including shops in the
Beitou, Shilin, and Tamsui districts. Investigators believe the substances
added to the soup were wasabi powder and sugar.

Authorities arrested three suspects within hours of the incidents, after
tracking the men’s vehicles through surveillance footage.

Prosecutors have charged the trio with criminal intimidation, property
damage, and involvement in organized crime.

(NS)

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

President Lai Ching-te says moves by opposition lawmakers to impeach him will
be "impossible to clear the legislative floor" and therefore are a "waste of
time."

According to Lai, they should instead focus on reviewing budgets.

Lai says the impeachment vote will amount to nothing but a "waste of time" -
as the opposition does not have a two-thirds majority of all lawmakers to
advance to the Constitutional Court for deliberation,

And he say lawmakers from the K-M-T and Taiwan People's Party should be
spending their time reviewing the general budget, the special defense budget,
and bills that would drive the country's economic growth.

Opposition caucuses have stalled the review of the 2026 general budget
proposal submitted by the Cabinet ..

.... and have blocked Lai's 1.25 trillion N-T special defense budget bill
from being placed on the agendas of plenary sessions for review five times.

K-M-T spokesperson Niu Hsu-ting says Lai is calling for reconciliation, while
at the same time failing to address demands raised by opposition parties, and
with those demands unmet, there is now way the budget review process can
proceed smoothly.

K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is calling for political reconciliation --
saying cooperation is needed to enable the Legislature to "function
normally."

Speaking during the party's New Year's Day flag-raising ceremony at its
headquarters in Taipei, Cheng said she hopes ruling and opposition parties
can work together, put aside past prejudices, and actively pursue
reconciliation for the sake of the country and its people.

Cheng said the goal is to "break the current constitutional deadlock and
jointly promote important policies."

The K-M-T chair also responding to Xi Jin-ping's New Year's address - saying
the meaning of the "1992 consensus" that Xi spoke of in reference to Taiwan
was "not open to doubt."

And according to Cheng, the consensus means that both sides of the Taiwan
Strait belong to one China, and while she respect that the other side has its
own expectations, policies and positions," Taiwan and its outlying islands
"also have their own way of life and systems."

Cheng also attended the New Year's Day flag-raising ceremony at the
Presidential Building - and said she was "very happy and very excited" to
participate in that.

She said she briefly greeted Premier Cho Jung-tai, but did not meet President
Lai Ching-te in person at the flag-raising ceremony.

The New Taipei Metro Coporation says it set a ridership record in 2025 --
carrying more than 30-million passengers over the year.

According to the coporation, the Danhai Light Rail Transit, the Ankeng Light
Rail Transit and the Circular Line also posted single-day ridership record
highs during the city's New Year's Eve celebrations in Tamsui.

The Danhai L-R-T carried more than 36,000 passengers on New Year's Eve
despite the rainy weather, marking the second-highest single-day total on
record.

Single-day ridership on the Circular Line, which was boosted by heavy
transfers from the Taipei Metro and bus systems, exceeded 90,000 passengers
on Wednesday.

And together, the Danhai L-R-T, the Circular Line and the Ankeng L-R-T
carried more than 135,000 passengers in a single day, breaking the system's
previous single-day ridership record.

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says a continental cold air mass that
began affecting the north yesterday will likely weaken on Sunday.

The cold front has seen the mercury in some low-lying areas drop to below
10-degrees and possible to has low a 7-degrees.

Residents of some areas north of Taichung could continue to see temperatures
are 10-degrees or less through this evening.

The weather administration has issued a "yellow" cold surge advisories for
parts of Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan ...

.. and those advisories are in effect until this evening.

A "yellow" cold surge advisory means there's the chance of minimum
temperature dropping below 10-degrees.

The mercury is forecast to rebound on Sunday, when sunny skies can be
expected pretty much islandwide.

Another cold air mass will move in next Monday afternoon or early Tuesday
morning and temperatures will fall again through Friday, but that front is
forecast to bring little moisture and clear to sunny skies are expected for
much of early next week.

President Lai Ching-te has used his New Year's address titled "Island of
Resilience - Light of Hope"-- to call for continued resilience, awareness and
unity.

Lai thanked the people of Taiwan for their unity and resilience in the face
of challenges - which he said had allowed Taiwan to move steadily forward...
this despite the continuing rise of China's expansionist ambitions and the
occurence of natural disaster and heartbreaking social events.

The president also outlined his four overall goals for Taiwan in 2026.

Those goals include building a safer and more resilient Taiwan, advancing
toward a smart and prosperous Taiwan, achieving even more balanced
development and promoting nationwide democratic unity.

Lai said the government will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the
people, unite social forces, strengthen national resilience, and promote
various policies to move Taiwan further forward.

cooperation

Meanwhile...

The opposition K-M-T responded to President Lai Ching-te's New Year address
by calling on Lai and the D-P-P need to to show respect for legislative
oversight.

The statement comes after Lai used his address to call for cross-party
cooperation in the new year and for lawmakers to break the political
gridlock.

K-M-T spokeswoman Chiang Yi-zhen says Lai's speech "failed to address any of
the opposition party's demands," and instead resorted to "emotional
blackmail."

Chiang said although Lai listed numerous achievements from the past year, he
failed to address issues the public cares most about, including high housing
prices, low wages, public safety and energy stability.

Chiang also says although Lai has repeatedly called for cooperation between
the ruling and opposition parties in the name of national unity, he should
first respect legislative oversight instead of oversimplifying differing
opinions as "boycotts or confrontations."

President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim greeted members of
the public and handed out commemorative items and snacks during the Office of
the President's New Year's Day public opening.

The compound opened its doors to the public at 9AM.

Areas of the presidential compound which wer opened to the public included
the Main Entrance, the third-floor Reception Hall, the South Courtyard and
the North Courtyard.

A special exhibition set up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs titled
"Resilient Taiwan" also opened on New Year's Day... and Lai toured the
exhibition accompanied by Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin.

The president also visited a baseball merchandise market where he signed
items at booths selling candied fruit and tofu.

The Pentagon says Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract that allows
Taiwan to meet what Washington is describing as an "urgent operational need"
of Taiwan's Air Force.

The contract has a ceiling value of 328-million U-S dollars.... and is said
to be for the procurement and delivery of 55 Infrared Search and Track Legion
Enhanced Sensor Pods, processors, pod containers and processor containers.

The work is expected to be completed by June of 2031.

The announcement comes after the Trump administration announced an
11.1-billion U-S dollars arms sales to Taiwan.

A rescue helicopter airlifted has five people from a tugboat off the coast of
Hualien. after a crew member was injured while trying to assist a drifting
bulk carrier.

The Coast Guard Administration says the tugboat crew member sustained a head
injury when the tugboat became entangled in a cable due to poor weather and
lost propulsion.

A coast guard patrol vessel sent to the scene requested a helicopter from the
National Airborne Service Corps, as rough seas prevented the use of small
boats to evacuate the crew members.

The Port of Hualien dispatched the tugboat to assist the bulk carrier that
was waiting to dock and unload cargo, when it suffered an engine failure,
resulting in it being swept away by strong winds.

All 17 crew members on board the Panama-registered cargo ship owned by China
Steel are safe.

Alishan

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency says a Formosan black bear broke
into a worker's hut in Alishan's Dabang Village and pilfered food from a
refrigerator and from canned goods.

Agency personnel were sent to inspect the site and set up infrared cameras
to track the bear after receiving the report.

It has since released photos showing an open refrigerator, broken eggs in a
carton, and empty food cans inside the hut - which sits at an elevation of
1,190-meters in Alishan.

Experts found footprints near the worker's hut and, based on the damaged
canned food, concluded that a Formosan black bear was responsible.

Although Formosan black bears are occasionally sighted in the Alishan area,
the Dabang Village incident marks the first officially recorded case of a
bear entering a worker's hut and eating food.

People hiking in the area are urged to carry bear bells or devices that make
noise to keep bears away and bear spray.

And,

The Taipei Metro and buses in Taipei and New Taipei will begin accepting Q-R
code payments from five electronic payment providers from tomorrow - January
3rd.

The move means passengers will be able to use transportation QR code features
from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay and PXPay Plus.

Other platforms including E.SUN Wallet, PXPay Plus, PLUS PAY, and LINE Pay
will also be accepted.

While transfer discounts will only be available for passengers using
EasyWallet, iPass Money and iCash Pay....

... QR code users will qualify for the same M-R-T loyalty rebates as those
who use the existing system for transit cards such as EasyCard, iPass and
iCash cards.

The Taipei Metro Corporation completed its hardware setup for the Electronic
Gate Main Unit Module Reset Project in October.

It has said it will accept mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and
Samsung Pay beginning in July following a trial period.

The metro operator says the system is now in line international standards
used in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Singapore's advanced transit payment
systems... making travel more convenient for tourists.