President Lai Ching-te says his administration has approved almost 200
subsidy programs worth about 3 billion N-T under a plan to encourage medical
institutions to adopt 'smart health care' technologies.

The subsidy programs are part of the five-year Healthy Taiwan Cultivation
Plan, which the government launched last year.

Lai said the subsidy programs are designed to leverage the advantages of
smart health care to strengthen medical services.

Lai pointed out that although average life expectancy in Taiwan is currently
above 80, people spend an average of 8.4 years in poor health ...

.. that means "about 10-per cent of the average lifespan is unhealthy," with
some people bedridden, using wheelchairs or needing daily care.

The president said government's goal is that "the longer people live, the
longer they stay healthy" and his administration aims to train 500,000
"artificial intelligence professionals" by 2040 to help lead the 'smart
health care' technologies initiative.

A delegation led by Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang is
visiting the U-S capital this week for talks with Trump administration
officials.

Huang said the group is looking to discuss issues related to "arms
procurement and high tariffs" with US officials.

The delegation hopes to have "very frank and sincere discussions" and the
four-member delegation is seeking to obtain "direct and reliable" information
from the U-S side even as it conveys the Taiwan public's shared concerns on
those issues.

Huang did not name the agencies the delegation will be visiting or the
officials it will meet with -- saying the details cannot be made public at
this time due to "mutual trust and understanding" with the U-S side.

However, the T-P-P chair said he will hold a news conference after the
delegation returns to Taiwan on Wednesday morning to brief the public on the
trip's outcomes.

against Taiwan

Research from the National Security Bureau is said to show that China has
been using Chinese I-T and marketing companies to create fake news sites,
manage accounts, and collect and spread misinformation, as part of its
cognitive warfare against Taiwan.

The information was part of a recently completed analysis on China's
"cognitive warfare tactics against Taiwan in 2025."

The national intelligence gathering team said it identified over 45,000 fake
social media accounts and over 2.314-million pieces of disinformation being
spread using such tactics last year.

The disinformation was spread by both fake and bot accounts hired by Chinese
I-T companies which set up databases... the accounts are said to be managed
by automated programs under the instruction of the China's Central Publicity
Department and the Ministry of Public Security.

The accounts create fake news websites to spread narratives aligned with
China's official stances... they also operate content farms via Facebook fan
pages that tend to post sensational articles to attract clicks.

The Air Force says six aircraft, two Navy ships, and seven Coast Guard
vessels have been deployed as part of on-going efforts to locate an F-16V and
its pilot that went missing last week off the coast of Hualien.

Along with searching seas in the area, the Air Force says the Coast Guard
Administration is also searching seashores looking for wreckage.

F-16V training flights remain suspended, while inspections of the aircraft
type are carried out while an investigation into the cause of the incident
is ongoing.

The aircraft took off from the Hualien Air Base at 6:17PM Tuesday on a
routine night-time training mission and lost contact at 7:29PM.

The Air Force has said the pilot, Captain Hsin Po-yi, is believed to have
ejected from the aircraft some 10 nautical miles east of Fengbin Township.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang says the Health Promotion Administration
will issue new daily dietary guidelines later this year... in the first
update since 2018.

A draft of the new guidelines was completed late last year, but the
government is delaying the release of the new guidelines, since the
government needs to review newly released U-S dietary recommendations, and
the Lunar New Year holiday.

As a preview Shih said eggs will be promoted more than in the past, given the
growing body of research showing they are an excellent source of nutrition
...

.. and while earlier guidelines only recommended skim or low-fat milk, the
updated guidelines recognize that whole milk contains important nutrients, as
long as it is consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Kenting is seeking a continuing decline in visitor numbers - as data show the
amount of people visiting the southern seaside town fell to a new low last
year.

Tourism authorities say a total of 2.13-million tourists visited Kenting in
2025.

That's down slightly from 2.14 million in 2024.

Visitor numbers to the Kenting National Park are also down.

Park headquarters deputy director Tseng Tien-ting says his office has
released a plan to develop tourism this year, as the park and the town need
to take concrete steps to transform or lose more visitors.

Meanwhile, the Pingtung County Government's Transportation and Tourism
Division says its working on improving Kenting's branding with the aim of
attract more international visitors by increasing it multilingual services.

If you're looking for a quick nature break... around half of the 296 plum
trees in late President Chiang Kai-shek's former vacation retreat in
Taoyuan's Fuxing District are already in bloom.

This comes well ahead of the start of the 2026 Jiaobanshan Plum Blossom
Festival on January 17.

The Taoyuan Scenic Area Service Agency says peak flowering in Jiaobanshan
Park is expected in mid-January - and weekly updates on bloom conditions are
available on its Facebook page.

The Taoyuan Department of Tourism says special festival events will be held
in the park on the weekends of January 17 and 18 and January 24 and 25.

Those events include an "international tea gathering under the plum trees"
featuring local, British, Japanese and European teas, a 22-booth market
offering local produce and handicrafts, as well as live calligraphy sessions.

The Taoyuan City Government has also partnered with 34 businesses and
attractions in the Jiaobanshan, Luofu and Xiaowulai areas to offer
festival-only discounts from January 17 through 25.

Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control says it's carefully monitoring
influenza, RSV and rhinovirus incidence ... as lower temperatures increase
the likelihood of catching cold.

A CDC spokesman today noted that people in China are experiencing runny noses
and congestion because of rhinovirus, or the common cold -- not influenza.

In Taiwan, he says the flu is currently the most common cause of seasonal
symptoms ... despite increasing incidence of rhinovirus. The data show 44
percent of cases this season are influenza, followed by 16 percent adenovirus
and 15 percent rhinovirus.

With the Lunar New Year travel season coming up soon, there is some concern
about rhinovirus spreading in earnest to Taiwan ... The CDC says people
shouldn't be overly concerned about rhinovirus, which is less dangerous than
the flu.

People with infants who have caught a cold and have lingering symptoms should
be alert to their breathing rate. More than 50 breaths per minute is a
serious symptom that merits an emergency visit to the hospital.

CNA_zh_JvW

The search continues more than three days after Taiwan Air Force pilot Xin
Bo-yi was last heard from.

The F-16 pilot went missing on Tuesday night while he was on a night training
flight. The search has been hampered by rough seas.

The weather is clearer today, but the Coast Guard Administration says waves
are still about 2 meters high, with complex eddies adding to the changeable
conditions.

Xin is believed to have ejected around 10 kilometers east of Fengbin Township
in Hualian County.

CNY_zh_JvW

Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over rising tensions in East Asia and called
for peaceful dialogue during his annual New Year's address to the diplomatic
corps.

The New Year's audience is considered a cornerstone of Vatican diplomacy. The
Vatican is Taiwan's sole diplomatic ally in Europe.

Taiwan's ambassador to the Holy See ... Anthony Ho ... shook hands with the
Pope and conveyed greetings and well-wishes from Taiwanese President Lai
Ching-te.

Ho also thanked the Pope for twice offering public prayers for Taiwanese
people affected by typhoons since his inauguration last May.

In his speech, Pope Leo warned that war is once again prevailing, lamenting
that global peace increasingly relies on force rather than justice. In his
comments about East Asia, he didn't specifically mention China or Taiwan.

CNA_JvW

The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office has indicted internet influencer
Holger Chen for comments about "decapitating" President Lai Ching-te. Chen
made the remarks made during a livestream in October.

The influencer was charged with intimidation of the public and public safety.

Chen shouted "Decapitate Lai Ching-te's dog head" during the YouTube
livestream ... riffing on China's so-called decapitation strike exercises
against Taiwan.

The prosecutors said in a press release that Chen's remarks were sufficient
to instill fear in any ordinary person, regardless of the target's status as
president.

CNA_JvW

If you're thinking about embracing the newest US dietary guidelines that
emphasize the importance of meat and dairy, a Taiwan-based dietitians' group
is urging caution.

A Taiwan Dietitian Association official says the guidelines are designed for
Americans and reflect US conditions.

The comments come after the US this week released its 2025-2030 dietary
guidelines, which reorganized food groups into an inverted pyramid, placing
meat, dairy, and healthy fats alongside fruit and vegetables at the top. The
guidelines also advised Americans to limit highly processed foods and added
sugar.

Among the changes, the recommended daily protein intake was raised from about
0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight to 1.2-1.6 grams. The association
official said the previous recommendation was based on a low-protein diet for
people with kidney problems and that the updated range is better for the
general population.

Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration prioritizes food sources in the
following order: legumes, fish and seafood, eggs ... and then poultry or red
meat.

CNA_JvW

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Qi-mai took part in a "fastest dinosaur" relay race as
part of the Fubon Marathon 2026 this morning.

The mayor, dressed as a dinosaur, literally passed the baton to Qiu Yi-ying
... one of the people running to replace him in November's election.

Make of that what you will ...

The actual marathon will be held tomorrow morning.

CNA_JvW

Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu is defending Taiwan's cooperation with
Israel.

In an interview, he said, "Israel really respects our leadership position in
the semiconductor and AI sectors, and, in fact, cooperation between us in the
future is inevitable."

Hanging over the interview was a report by Reuters in December that Wu made a
recent "unpublicized" visit to Israel.

There was speculation that Taiwan is interested in Israel's Iron Dome system
to help with a "T-Dome" system that President Lai Ching-te has proposed.

Wu stressed that cooperation with Taiwan required "courage," as exchanges
could prompt negative reactions from China.

In terms of how Israel is benefiting from Taiwan technology, Wu pointed to US
Patriot missiles deployed by Israel to intercept Iran's missiles, which
contain many chips and components made in Taiwan.

He also noted that many chips needed to operate highly advanced medical
devices are sourced from Taiwan ... pointing to a non-military benefit to
closer cooperation between the two countries.

CNA_JvW

A man allegedly set himself on fire at a filling station in New Taipei
yesterday afternoon, leaving himself and another person injured.

The city's department said it received a report that a man had set himself on
fire at a CPC Corp. gas station on Minzu Road in Banqiao District.

By the time firefighters arrived, station staff had extinguished the blaze.

The department said the perpetrator sustained second-degree burns, and the
fire also injured a security guard who was standing nearby.

Both were conscious and taken to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Banqiao for
treatment. Neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Haishan Police Precinct declined to confirm whether the man set himself
on fire.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan posted trade records across the board in 2025, helped by booming
demand for advanced electronic components and ICT products.

Ministry of Finance data show that Taiwan's exports rose 35 percent last year
to a record US$641 billion. The previous record was less than US$500 billion.

Last year's imports rose 23 percent to a record US$484 billion.

The trade surplus was up 95.0 percent from 2024.

Exports boomed in two broad categories: The ICT and audio/video sector surged
90 percent, and the electronics component industry rose 26 percent.

The machinery industry posted a relatively modest increase of 7 percent for
exports, benefiting from demand in the semiconductor sector.

Meanwhile, exports of chemicals were flat, while exports of plastic and
rubber products fell 8 percent.

A stats department official said that many Taiwanese exporters are trying to
rely less on the China market.

The US accounted for 31 percent of Taiwan's total exports in 2025, displacing
China and Hong Kong for the top spot -- they accounted for 27 percent of
Taiwan's total exports.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan's Navy has expanded its search for a missing Air Force pilot, as
rescue teams race against shifting weather and ocean currents.

Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅) disappeared Tuesday night off the coast of
Hualien after his F-16V fighter jet vanished from radar during a routine
training mission.

To narrow down the pilot's location, the Navy is now using drifting
observation buoys and real-time data to track where the current may have
carried him.

Naval and Coast Guard vessels are working in tandem, utilizing international
distress frequencies to coordinate the high-stakes mission.

Military officials say the operation remains at "full strength" with
personnel rescue as the absolute priority.

They are also asking the public to refrain from speculation while the search
continues.

(IG)

Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang has announced new measures in
response to Taiwan officially becoming a super-aged society ...

... with over 20 percent of the population now aged 65 or older.

Shih outlined a four-pillar strategy focused on moving care out of the
hospital and into the home ... to prevent the nation's healthcare system from
being overwhelmed.

The plan prioritizes disease prevention to keep seniors healthy longer, while
shifting the insurance model to reward successful health outcomes rather than
just the volume of patients seen.

To tackle the shrinking workforce, the Minister says the government will rely
more on healthcare technology, including digital tools and AI

The government also plans to bring in more foreign workers.

(IG)

Workers across Taiwan are feeling less happy on the job.

A new survey from 1111 Job Bank shows this year's workplace happiness index
slid to 53 points, down from 57 last year.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents say their company is not a 'happy
workplace'.

The primary drivers of dissatisfaction are stagnant wages and salaries that
fall below market levels, compounded by heavy workloads and low year-end
bonuses.

Analysts attribute this rising anxiety to the 'triple threat' of inflation,
higher performance demands driven by AI, and general economic uncertainty.

Despite the frustration, employees are staying put.

Average tenure remains just over seven years, as many choose to wait out the
current instability rather than risk a job change.

(IG)

KMT Chair Zheng Li Wen says, she will make a statement tomorrow regarding a
potential meeting between the KMT and CCP in Beijing.

That's as rumors are circulating that the KMT-CCP forum will take place at
the end of this month, with deputy chair Xiao Xu Cen leading the charge.

Meanwhile former Speaker Wang Jin-ping says that the party has certainly
undertaken a detailed assessment, and will only go through with any plans if
they are helpful to resolving cross-strait tensions.

If the meeting does indeed take place, it would be the first of its kind
since the Ma administration.

(AH)

More than 30 KMT lawmakers have come out in support of their colleague Hsu
Hsin-ying's 徐欣瑩 magisterial run in Hsinchu.

Hsu says, she hopes that her party will use polls to decide who to put
forward as the KMT candidate in the race...

touting it as the most impartial and objective means of determining
candidacy.

She adds that she's confident that she can beat whoever the DPP puts forward.

This comes just on the heels of lawmaker Lin Si Ming's announcement that he
would withdraw from consideration to be the nominee.

Hsu's only other competition appears to be the current Hsinchu Deputy
Magistrate Chen Jian Xian 陳見賢.

Hsu today held a press conference at the legislature alongside KMT
heavyweights including Luo Zhi Qiang and Lin Pei Xiang...

who voiced their support for Hsu's run.

(AH)

A relict gull has been spotted in Tainan for the first time.

The Wild Bird Society of Tainan says, that's only the 5th recorded sighting
of the vulnerable Central Asian species in Taiwan.

A local birdwatcher spotted the gull after noticing that it stood out among
other virds at a salt pan in Tainan's Jiangjun district.

The species was later confirmed through photos.

Relict gulls usually live in the salt lakes of Central Asia, meaning an
appearance in Taiwan is an unusual case of vagrancy far outside the normal
range.

The most recent previous sighting in Taiwan occurred in Changhua County in
November.

As the gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, the society said it may be
the same individual spotted just months ago, possibly moving south to escape
recent cold surges.

The Taiwan Coast Guard used water cannons and radio warnings to drive a
Chinese fishing vessel out of restricted waters off the coast of Taichung
this week.

Officials say radar first detected nine unidentified targets, including
Chinese fishing boats, near Miaoli and central Taiwan on Tuesday morning.

The Coast Guard found one boat about 26 nautical miles north of Taichung
Port, and used radio messages, loudspeakers, and water cannons to force the
boat to leave.

Authorities say strong seasonal monsoon winds have recently caused more
Chinese fishing boats to appear in the area.

All nine targets were successfully driven out of restricted zones by
Wednesday morning.

(NS)

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs defended his ministry's relationship
with Israel, saying that Israel recognises the many ways in which working
with Taiwan can boost safety, health, and other benefits.

That's after deputy minister Wu Zhi Zhong 吳志中 came under fire last month
following a report by Reuters that he made a "secret" trip to Israel.

In an interview with the Liberty Times, Wu neither confirmed nor denied the
trip, but noted recent trips by Israeli delegations to Taiwan, saying that
"the interests of Taiwan and Israel are aligned."

(AH)

Civil groups are raising concerns over several municipalities' stated plans
to begin providing thousands of students with free school lunches, saying
that there may be unintended negative consequences.

The Action Alliance on Basic Education says that the new policies in Taipei,
Taichung, Keelung, and Kaohsiung are likely to see the quality of students'
meals drop, while waste is likely to increase.

They're calling for better dietary education to make sure kids get enough
vegetables and protein, and aren't just eating highly processed foods.

They also say that there should be a subsidy mechanism in place so that the
quality of food will not be compromised, even if the weather affects the
availability of certain foods.

Other advocacy groups in education have also raised concerns that the money
used for school meals might lead to budget shortfalls in other areas, such as
school infrastructure or teaching equipment.

(AH)

Rescue teams are continuing the search for a missing Air Force pilot today,
after an object that looked like a life jacket was determined to be unrelated
debris.

A coast guard ship spotted the debris this morning off the coast of
San-xian-tai in Taitung County, which is south of where Captain Hsin Po-yi
disappeared on Tuesday night.

Today, nearly 300 personnel are searching in waters and along the coastline,
conducting 14 flights, and utilizing a dozen ships.

The Ministry of National Defense says it will continue to coordinate with
multiple agencies to search the waters and the coastline.

(NS)

An ROC Marine Corps officer has been indicted for filming a pro-China video
and selling military secrets to a Chinese agent in exchange for cash.

Prosecutors say the staff sergeant surnamed Chen filmed himself holding a
Chinese flag at his home and pledging loyalty to China.

He reportedly received $200-thousand NT for the video.

Investigators say Chen also took photos of military documents, including
specifications and maintenance records for amphibious assault vehicles.

He is also accused of leaking information about a secret base visit by the
President and details regarding the Han Kuang military exercises.

Prosecutors are asking for a heavy sentence, alleging that Chen's actions
seriously harmed national security and military discipline for personal
profit.

Officials say the investigation is ongoing, and several other active and
retired military members have also been detained in connection with the case.

(NS)

The opposition coalition in the legislature has moved to block consideration
of a special defense budget again.

That's the sixth time in over a month that the KMT and TPP have united to
block the 1.25 trillion NT special budget from being examined in the
legislature.

In November, the Executive Yuan proposed the special budget for defense,
which would span 8 years.

The opposition says that it will not consider the budget until the 2026
central government budget accounts for changes passed by the legislature to
allocate pay raises for active-duty military and pension increases for
teachers and civil servants.

In an effort to get the budget on the agenda for today, DPP Caucus Leader
Chen Pei Yu and others lined up outside the chamber last night to submit the
budget for consideration first thing this morning.

But ultimately, the chamber failed to reach a consensus, so when speaker Han
Kuo-yu ordered a vote, the KMT and TPP succeeding in blocking the referral of
the bill.

(AH)

And, snow fell this morning on Taiwan's highest mountain, with about one
centimeter of snow recorded as of 8am...

while temperatures on Yushan were sitting at negative 4.1 degrees and snow
continuing at that time.

But by 10am, temperatures has risen slightly to just negative 3.6.

That's as the Central Weather Administration expects temperatures to fall to
6 degrees celsius in some of the higher altitude areas of New Taipei,
Taoyuan, and Hsinchu County.

And most of the rest of the country can expect lows of 10 degrees celsius
today.

Experts are also warning that the cold weather is likely to persist into the
weekend, although much of Taiwan will see sunnier conditions.

(AH)

Taiwan shares are down today, with the benchmark tai ex losing 71 points to
close the session at 30288.

The turnover was 676.3 billion NT

Taiwan has officially become a "super-aged society" as its senior population
reached more than 20 percent of the total population last year.

New data from the Ministry of the Interior shows that as of December, there
are more than 4.6 million people aged 65 or older in Taiwan.

That's out of Taiwan’s total population, now about 23.3 million.

According to the World Health Organization, a country is "super-aged" when
one out of every five people is a senior citizen.

The data also shows that birth rates in Taiwan have dropped for the 10th year
in a row, and marriage rates also saw a sharp decline, falling by about
18-thousand couples from the previous year.

(NS)

And at Taichung's Wuling Farm, temperatures dropped to negative 1.4 degrees
celsius today...

marking the third time that the farm's Wisteria plants have frozen solid this
year, lending the plants the appearance of Tanghulu.

The ice also formed in such a way that mimics a crystal palace and
chandelier.

Wuling Farm says today that they've put in place measures to prevent damage
to the irrigation system.

They note that ice typically forms once every two weeks at this time of year,
but in the only 9 days since 2026 began, ice has already formed 3 times at
the farm.

(AH)

systems

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

Defense Minister Wellington Koo says the Air Force will install automatic
ground collision avoidance systems on all of its F-16V fighter jets by next
year.

The statement comes after an F-16V jet and its pilot went missing off of
Hualien on Tuesday evening.

Speaking at a hearing of the Legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defense
Committee, Koo told lawmakers that the Air Force's 66 newly acquired F-16C/Ds
came with auto-ground collision avoidance systems as a standard feature ..

.... but its 139 F-16Vs lack the safety system.

The Air Force earlier this week said its urging the U-S to expedite work to
install the systems on its F-16V fighter jets and hopes the process can be
completed sooner than planned.

The project was initially slated for completion in 2028.

Search operations for the missing jet fighter and the pilot are continuing,
while the Air Force has suspended F-16V training flights while inspections of
the aircraft type are carried out.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it will continue its decades-long push
for Taiwan's inclusion in the United Nations climate negotiations, despite
the U-S' latest decision to withdraw from the Framework Convention on Climate
Change.

According to the ministry, it has been working closely with the Ministry of
Environment and the private sector to promote Taiwan's participation in the
framework's meetings and mechanisms ..

.. and those efforts have received strong support from friendly countries.

The foreign ministry says, its goal of participating in the Framework
Convention on Climate Change remains unchanged, and it will continue to seek
support from allies and like-minded countries to push for the nation's
meaningful participation.

The statement comes after U-S President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a
presidential memorandum directing federal departments and agencies to end
participation in and funding for 31 U-N entities and 35 non-UN organizations.

The Cabinet has unveiled draft revisions to the Animal Protection Act that
seek to tighten regulations on when pet owners can place their pets in
shelters and raises the maximum fine for abandoning animals.

The draft revisions state that pet owners may place animals in certified
shelters only after meeting "certain conditions" to relinquish ownership,
with unauthorized placement classified as abandonment.

Those conditions will be defined by the Ministry of Agriculture in
supplementary rules if lawmaker approve the proposed amendment.

The amendment also states that if an animal shelter asks an owner to reclaim
an animal, the owner must do so within seven days or be deemed to have
abandoned the animal, in which case they face a fine of up to 1-million N-T.

That is up from the current maximum penalty of 150,000 N-T.

Meanwhile, pet owners who lose a microchipped animal have five days to report
to local authorities, after which they are also deemed to have abandoned the
animal, another revision stipulates.

The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court has ordered a Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing employee to be detained for stealing the
company's 14-nanometer trade secrets.

Chen Wei-chieh was indicted on Monday on charges of reproducing trade secrets
relating to national core key technologies without authorization under the
National Security Act.

The court said it reviewed prosecutors evidence against him, which included
witness testimony, text message records, his nondisclosure agreement, and
employee monitoring system records provided by T-S-M-C before ordering his
detention without bail.

According to the court, Chen's statements regarding his actions were
inconsistent and evasive, and he replaced his personal mobile phone and
office computer after learning that co-defendant Chen Li-ming was under
investigation.

The case came to light while the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's
Intellectual Property Branch was investigating the alleged theft of T-S-M-C
trade secrets related to its 2-nanometer technology.

The probe centered on former T-S-M-C engineer Chen Li-ming, who was working
at Tokyo Electron Taiwan and is suspected of giving the trade secrets to the
company.

And finally,

Snow fell on Alishan Thursday morning for the first time in seven years.

According to the Central Weather Administration, the snow fall was due to the
a strong continental cold air mass that sent temperatures plunging across
Taiwan.

The Alishan weather station, which is located at an elevation of around
2,200-meters, recorded snowfall from 8:55AM to 9:15AM, when the temperature
dropped to around 1-degree.

The last time snowfall was recorded at the Alishan weather station was
January 10, 2018.

Snow also fell Thursday in other high-altitude areas, including Jiaming Lake
and the nearby Xiangyang Mountain Hut in eastern Taiwan, which recorded their
first snowfall of the year in the early morning.

fails

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the central government will face a 300-billion N-T
shortfall if the lawmakers fail to approve the Cabinet's general budget
proposal.

The warning comes as K-M-T and Taiwan People's Party lawmakers have refused
to approve the proposal until the Cabinet allocates funds for salary raises
for active-duty military personnel and pension increases for public school
teachers and civil servants.

Those pay raises were passed by lawmakers last year.

However, the government has requested constitutional interpretations, which
are still pending.

According to Cho, the central government will be blocked from accessing
299.2-billion N-T in funds.

Those funds have been earmarked for new initiatives, running expenses and
continuing programs, and the First and Second Reserve Funds and the Disaster
Reserve Fund if the budget is nor passed.

The Premier says the Ministry of National Defense will suffer the highest
funding shortfall - which will total 75.2-billion N-T.

And he's stressing that it's now been over four months since the Cabinet
submitted the budget proposal to the Legislature for review, but it hasn't
even advanced to committee review.

President Lai Ching-te says China's "cross-border pressure" against the
people of Taiwan proves that Beijing's authority does not extend to Taiwan
and confirms that Taiwan is not part of the People's Republic of China.

Lai referred to the visit to Taiwan this week by China-born Japanese lawmaker
Hei Seki for that statement.

Seki has been sanctioned by China and barred from entering the P-R-C.

After he arrived Taipei earlier this week, Seki said is trip to Taiwan this
week proves that "Taiwan is not part of China, Taiwan is Taiwan," and that
the two countries are not subordinate to each other.

Lai said he is proud of anyone who is subjected to China's cross-border
suppression and says he will safeguard the nation and absolutely not allow
Chinese pressure or China's hand to reach into Taiwan.

The Coast Guard Administration says a Chinese fishing boat captain convicted
of damaging the Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 undersea cable last year has been deported
back to China after he paid a fine and compensation.

The Mainland Affairs Council reportedly approved the deportation... the
fishing boat captain was then escorted out of Taiwan from Fu'ao Port in
Nangan to Huangqi Port in Fuzhou via ferry.

The incident occurred on October 7 of last year, when the "Min Lian Yu 60138"
was about 4.2-nautical miles north of a cable station in Dongyin.

Its net became entangled with an abandoned anchor, damaging the undersea
cable.

Coast Guard vessels later intercepted the Chinese fishing boat and arrested
the captain.

The Fuchien Lienchiang District Court sentenced him last month to three
months in prison, commutable to a fine, for negligently damaging the cable.

The captain paid 250,000 N-T in compensation to Chunghwa Telecom and more
than 90,000 N-T to commute his prison sentence.

Students at public elementary and junior high schools in Kaohsiung and
Taichung will receive free lunches starting from the 2026-2027 school year.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen said some 214,000 students in the city are
expected to benefit from the policy.

Lu says the city's budget for the free school lunch program will total
between 2.5 and 3-billion N-T per year... her administration will need to
propose additional budget allocations in March to fund the policy.

Lu says the expense is necessary and is urging city councilors to support the
plan.

At the same time, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai says some 180,000 of the
city's students will benefit from the free school lunch program, which will
be funded by an additional budget of 1.8-billion N-T.

Chen says the city will continue to push for school lunches to use
ingredients that hold the Certified Agricultural Standards, Traceable
Agricultural Products and Taiwan Organic labels, as well as a traceability QR
Code.

Taoyuan has been providing free school lunches for elementary and junior high
schools since the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year.

And Taipei announced free lunches for all elementary and junior high schools
on Tuesday of this week.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has updated guidelines to protect the rights
of foreign students interning in Taiwan.

The updated Guidelines Governing the Application of Foreign Students to the
ROC in the Capacity of Interns in Enterprises and Organizations includes
clearer rules on student eligibility, internship stipends and working hours.

Under the revised rules, students must be enrolled at overseas universities
officially listed by the Ministry of Education, and the economic ministry's
Department of Investment Review.

Students must have completed at least one semester of study before coming to
Taiwan and be of an age appropriate for their program.

They must also be studying a field related to their internship and have basic
Chinese or English communication skills to ensure the quality and
effectiveness of the internship.

Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin says a total of 1,805 foreign students were
approved to intern in Taiwan last year, with their internships covering the
food and beverage, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

The Food and Drug Administration says Nestle has preemptively recalled just
under 83,500 cans of baby formula powder over potential contamination of the
toxin cereulide.

The move comes amid a global recall of the food company's baby formula
products earlier this week.

Food and drug officials say Nestle Taiwan self-reported that two batches of
its products sold in Taiwan may have used potentially contaminated
ingredients.

Those products are batches of it Illuma Infant Growth Formula and Illuma
Toddler Growth Formula.

Nestle Taiwan says it initiated voluntary recalls as a precaution to
safeguard consumer health and safety.

The company says it has lso set up a dedicated hotline to handle returns and
exchanges.

The F-D-A is urged consumers who have purchased the products to stop
consumption and return the product.

A statement on Nestle's global website earlier this week said it is in
contact with authorities in the affected countries to ensure that appropriate
measures are taken, but no illnesses have been confirmed in connection with
their products to date.

And,

Traffic restrictions will in place in the capital this Sunday for the
Standard Chartered Taipei Charity Marathon.

The Taipei City Police Department's Traffic Division says there will be road
closures and traffic controls during the event, which takes place from 4AM to
12PM.

The restrictions will include banning pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,
from crossing or accessing the designated areas.

The marathon will be taking place on Ketagalan Boulevard, Aiguo East Road and
the Right Bank Riverside Park bike trail ..

.. while also covering a route that includes Hangzhou South Road, Xinyi Road,
and both Zhongshan South and North roads.

Police are advising commuters to avoid those roads and use alternative routes.

The Marathon is hosted by the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association and its
says some 26,000 participants will be taking part in this year's run.