Deaths and injuries among children under 14 in Taiwan rose 33 percent in 2025
compared with the previous year.

The Jing-juan (靖娟) Child Safety Foundation said traffic safety incidents
again accounted for the largest share.

The foundation said the figures were based on an analysis of 265 child
accident cases reported in the media during the year.

The incidents resulted in 47 child deaths and over 300 injuries, with traffic
safety remaining the most serious category.

The Foundation reminds people that proper use of a child safety seat can
reduce neck impact by about 73 percent and lower the risk of death in an
accident by about 70 percent.

Rear-facing seating can further improve safety by about 75 percent.

A longtime US Taiwan expert says the outlook for Washington's commitment to
Taiwan is positive despite recent mixed signals.

ICRT Washington correspondent Matt Kaye reports.

KMT Chair Zheng Li-wen has refuted media reports that her deputy agreed to
work towards "reunification" at a meeting with top Chinese officials.

Xiao Xu-ceng met with the CCP's number 4 ranking official, Wang Hu-ning, last
week on a trip to Beijing.

According to local newspaper Liberty Times, Wang clearly stated that “the
foundation of any peace framework must be guided by China’s unification,”
leaving no room for ambiguity.

Zheng, on the other hand, has called the report "completely fabricated",
saying that there was no political aspect to the conversations that took
place in Beijing between leaders of the two parties.

She said the Xiao-Wang meeting has already exceeded earlier expectations,
stressing that both parties hope to expand goodwill and sincerity on the
existing foundation.

(AH)

Doctors are warning travelers not to buy so-called “slimming injections”
overseas after social media posts showed people purchasing them in Japan.



A recent study analyzing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's
Adverse-Event Reporting System found that reports linked to these weight-loss
drugs jumped eightfold in two years.

Doctors said The most common problems are caused by dosing mistakes,
including injecting the wrong amount, skipping doses, or changing the
schedule.



they said one major risk is that Taiwan and Japan use different injection-pen
designs, which can easily confuse users.

Other risks include self-increasing doses, missing injections that reduce
effectiveness, and improper storage, since the medication must be kept at
specific temperatures.



Doctors urge people to consult medical professionals and avoid buying or
using the injections on their own, saying improper use can lead to serious
complications.

(JL)

Controversy over a proposed incinerator project in Nantou's Mingjian Township
is continuing...

with local leaders calling on the Ministry of the Environment to intervene.

The ministry says, it will closely follow communications between the local
and county governments and isn't ruling out assisting in an environmental
impact assessment.

Mingjian Township Chief Chen Han Li (陳翰立) says, the waste management
question is not Mingjian's responsibility, but rather said the Ministry of
the Environment must do something about it.

Environment Minister Peng Qi Ming says that there is a need for an
incinerator in Nantou, and noted that Nantou has a higher-than-average level
of trash generation.

The issue has been a contentious one, with protesters and politicans
demonstrating their opposition to the incinerator project as far back as
September.

(AH)

Taipei prosecutors are seeking detention for the man suspected of lighting
fires in two MRT stations on Sunday.

The man, surnamed Zeng, was arrested just hours after the alleged crimes.

Officials say that he traveled up from Taichung yesterday morning before
heading to Da'an Forest Park station, setting a fire in the men's bathroom,
and getting a bus to Taipei Main Station.

They believe that Zeng then walked to the Taiwan Railways administrative
building to deliver four petition letters.

He then headed to Xi-men-ding to change clothes before taking the MRT to
Shan-dao Temple station, where he set another fire.

He was caught some 10 minutes later on the street.

Zeng said that he committed these acts due to frustration with his repeated
unanswered petitions regarding a rezoning project in Taichung.

He is being investigated on charges of endangering public safety and
threatening public security, a crime punishable by at least 5 years' prison
time.

(AH)

DPP primaries in Taipei for city councilor positions will take place next
month, with registration open now.

In the city's Beitou and Shilin districts, 5 DPP incumbent councilors
registered together, hoping to aid their party in bringing a DPP mayor to
power.

They emphasized their unity despite differences in factions.

The party will nominate 25 city councilors in the capital city, which is one
fewer than they nominated in 2022.

According to party regulations, incumbents must face primaries alongside
newcomers.

Registration for councilor positions in Taipei and the 5 other major
municipalities ends tomorrow.

If the party's negotiations fail to produce a consensus, primary polling will
be held next month into April.

(AH)

Members of the public can begin exchanging old banknotes for new ones today
ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Central Bank has designated 455 locations across eight financial
institutions to provide the service.

The exchange period will run for five business days, ending on February 13-th.

The bank says each person is limited to 100 new "100-NT bills" per visit,
while other denominations will be provided based on available stock.

The bank is also encouraging the public to consider "digital red envelopes"
or using clean, existing bills instead of new ones, as a way of supporting
"green finance".

(NS)

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An says, he hopes that the executive and legislative
branches can engage in "communication" over the stalled central government
budget.

That's as media reports say that Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu is set to
meet with President Lai Ching-te soon.

Asked about the special defense budget that is also stalled in the
legislature, Chiang said that he supported necessary arms purchases and added
that lawmakers must strictly examine such bills.

Separately, regarding a potential meeting between KMT and CCP leaders Cheng
Li-wun and Xi Jinping, Chiang said that cross-strait exchange must adhere to
the principles of equality, dignity, goodwill, and mutual benefit.

(AH)

Taiwan Railway is adding 29 extra train services to handle the expected
travel surge during the upcoming 2-2-8 Peace Memorial Day holiday.

The new services will run from February 26th to March 2nd, bringing the total
number of extra holiday trains to 113.

The expansion includes two Puyuma [普悠瑪] trains for the east coast and
thirteen Tze-Chiang [自強號] express services for the west coast, boosting
overall capacity by nearly six percent.

Tickets for these additional services go on sale at midnight on Wednesday.

Passengers can book seats via the Taiwan Railway app, official website,
convenience stores, or phone.

(IG)

Authorities will auction a collection of luxury supercars next month as part
of a major anti-fraud investigation into the Prince Group.

The Administrative Enforcement Agency says 33 vehicles will be sold on March
2-nd.

The collection includes four of the world’s most famous hypercars: a Bugatti
Chiron Sport, a Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1, and a Porsche 918 Spyder.

The vehicles were seized by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office during a
money laundering probe.

Prosecutors say the total value of assets seized in the case, including real
estate and luxury goods, exceeds $5 billion NT.

(NS)

Taiwan shares are up today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining 621 points to
close the session at 32404.

The turnover was 630.8 billiion NT

Taiwan Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun reportedly told the United States that it
would be "impossible" to move 40% of Taiwan's semiconductor capacity to the
U.S..

Cheng made the comments during an interview with television channel CTS.

During the interview Cheng said international expansion, including increased
investment in the United States, is based on the premise that "we remain
firmly rooted in Taiwan and continue to expand investment at home."

She added that Taiwan's overall capacity would only continue to grow, and
that it was possible to "expand the island's semiconductor presence in the
United States."

Cheng said that there would be no relocation of Taiwan's science parks, but
Taiwan was willing to share its experience in building an industry cluster
and help the U.S. develop a similar environment.

She also said she was confident that Taiwan's semiconductor capacity would
far exceed its investment in the U.S. or any other country.

U-S Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik has said that he had made the goal of
having 40% market share in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing based out
of the United States.

Issues with the Taipei MRT brown line continued this morning...

with officials saying that a train stopped in between stations this morning
due to an abnormality.

The train was heading to Nangang Exhibition Center Station from Nangang
Software Park Station just before 8:30 when it stopped on the tracks.

Authorities dispatched personnel to handle the situation and service resumed
11 minutes later.

They say that it appears that the incident was caused by a control line
malfunction.

Taipei MRT adds that it will continue to investigate the cause of the delay.

(AH)

Two U-S senators have urged Taiwan's political parties to end a legislative
stalemate and pass a 1.25 trillion N-T special defense budget.

Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen released a joint statement expressing
disappointment that the eight-year plan remains stalled in the Legislative
Yuan.

The senators cited China's large-scale military exercises in December, which
simulated a blockade of Taiwan, as a clear reminder of the need for urgent
funding.

The budget, proposed by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in November, is
intended to fund critical military reforms and strengthen ties with
Washington.

However, the opposition KMT and TPP have blocked the review, demanding the
President first brief lawmakers in person.

The TPP has since proposed an alternative bill that caps spending at 400
billion N-T and focuses on fewer weapons systems.

The KMT maintains it supports reasonable defense spending but accused the
government of misleading U-S lawmakers about the delay.

A Taiwanese national has been confirmed among the three dead in a car crash
in Los Angeles last week.

Taiwan's representative office in L-A also reported that three other injured
Taiwanese nationals are now in stable condition.

The incident occurred Thursday in the Westwood area near U-C-L-A, when a
92-year-old woman driving a sedan struck a cyclist before slamming into the
bakery section of 99 Ranch Market supermarket.

Three people died at the scene, and six others were injured, with two victims
remaining in critical condition.

Police believe the crash was an accident, likely caused by a sudden medical
issue that led the driver to lose control.

New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi says water service will be restored to around 10
thousand affected users in Xinzhuang District before noon today.

The disruption began Sunday when crews building a new pedestrian overpass on
New Taipei Boulevard accidentally struck a 500-millimeter water main.

The accident caused significant flooding on nearby roads and affected water
supply to households toward the New Taipei Industrial Park area.

Mayor Hou noted that while emergency repairs were carried out overnight,
water pressure adjustments were implemented to avoid a large-scale service
shutdown, and final system tests are currently underway.

(IG)

Chinese officials have warned American counterparts that a massive weapon
sales package planned for Taiwan risks derailing US President Donald Trump's
visit to Beijing in April. That's according to the Financial Times.

The FT cites eight unnamed sources in its report, which says a large arms
package that includes Patriot missiles and three other weapon systems is
being prepared that could be worth as much as US$20 billion. This appears to
be on top a $11 billion weapons package unveiled in December.

Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the issue of weapon sales to Taiwan in a
call with Trump on Wednesday. The FT cites a Brookings Institution China
expert as saying the public nature of the warning is "noteworthy."

FT said China's ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng, has warned the
administration about the arms sales, though the British newspaper couldn't
get direct confirmation from the embassy.

JvW

Foreign ministry spokesman Xiao Guang-wei responded today to the Chinese
foreign ministry's urging of Lithuania to rename its Taiwan representative
office.

China said yesterday that its door was open to Lithuania after the Balkan
country's prime minister said Tuesday that it was a "mistake" to allow the
entity to be called the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania rather
than the "Taipei" office. The Chinese spokesman said Beijing hoped Lithuania
would get on the right side of the so-called One China Principle and rectify
the "mistake."

A Taiwanese lawmaker in Taipei told CNA that using "Taiwanese" instead of
"Taipei" was a "tactical" error but it wasn't technically wrong.

Taiwan's Xiao said today that China uses its One China Principle to bully
nations that are friendly with Taiwan. He added that each country has a
legitimate right to choose its partners free of interference by authoritarian
forces.

Neither China nor Taiwan currently have official diplomatic relations with
Lithuania.

CNA_zh_JvW

The Control Yuan is planning to conduct an investigation into imports of
low-priced, small-value parcels from overseas e-commerce platforms.

Two Control Yuan members today noted the results of European investigations
of Shein that found harmful materials in clothing and children's sandals from
the China-based fast-fashion platform.

They said they'll be reviewing the adequacy of inspections conducted at
Taiwan's border for such items. They'll also look into the need for education
campaigns to ensure the public is aware of potential harm from low-priced
items bought on overseas e-commerce platforms.

CNA_zh_JvW

The central government is looking to extend a March 31 deadline to formally
accept a payment timeline for weapons that the US government has agreed to.

The Taipei Times reports that the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday
that a delay by KMT legislators to approve spending for the military
purchases could scuttle the deal.

The KMT has said it won't issue "blank checks" for military spending, the
Taipei Times reports, though it does acknowledge the need for some defense
spending.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the sale process has become streamlined
on the US side. This comes after President Trump signed a sweeping
appropriations bill on Tuesday that includes US$1.4 billion in arms sales to
Taiwan.

Koo said Taiwanese risk becoming "numb" to China's daily pressure tactics.

The MND reported a relatively low level of PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait
in the 24 hours to 6am today. The ministry said it detected six aircraft
sorties and seven PLA ships operating in the area.

JvW

Taiwanese shipbuilder CSBC Corp. says it aims to deliver the first
domestically built submarine prototype by the end of June.

CSBC Chairman Chen Jeng-horng said the Hai Kun, or Narwhal, prototype will
undergo numerous submerged tests, with each dive gradually reaching greater
depths.

It completed its fourth submerged test yesterday.

Responding to media reports that the company expects to deliver the submarine
to the Navy by the end of June, Chen said such estimates are reasonable,
adding that CSBC will coordinate with the Navy's requirements.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan's National Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based
defense company Kratos have announced that they've successfully completed
system integration of a payload and mission system for the Mighty Hornet IV
attack drone.

Kratos said the Mighty Hornet IV represents a "revolutionary transformation"
of its MQM-178 Firejet target drone, which the Taiwan drone is based on.

The drone is planned for volume production in Taiwan this year if flight
tests are successful.

CNA_JvW

households

Premier Cho Jung-tai says he won't countersign a law passed by the
legislature that sets the stage for relocating 50 households in a Taipei
veteran village to a defense ministry housing project.

Cho told reporters that he wouldn't countersign the amendments to a relevant
law that cleared the Legislative Yuan on Jan. 17.

The amended law scrapped a provision that restricted eligibility for
relocation or reconstruction of veteran villages built before 1980.

The law appears to have been written specifically to enable relocation of 50
households from Tzu-jen 8 Village -- a complex in Taipei's Da'an District
commissioned in 1989 -- to Wanlung in Wenshan District. It would reverse a
2012 defense ministry ruling that rectified an administrative oversight that
permitted the relocation despite the village's ineligibility.

The law can't be implemented without both President Lai Ching-te's and
Premier Cho's signatures.

CNA_JvW

A partner company of Line TV, a video streaming platform with more than 6
million users, reported that some users' data were hacked in late January.

They said the incident did not affect Line or related services, which operate
on a separate server and information security system from Line TV.

Choco Media Entertainment Co., a service provider for Line TV, said yesterday
that it discovered that part of its user data had been accessed without
authorisation between January 24 and 26.

The leaked data include user IDs, email addresses, phone numbers, passwords,
birthdays, nicknames, and profile photos.

The company stressed that no financial information, such as bank account or
credit card details, was compromised.

Line TV will grant free access to users as compensation.

It said it had fixed the system vulnerability and strengthened data
protection.

The Taipei Blood Centre says there is an urgent shortage in blood stocks as
donor numbers drop with recent temperature swings.

It says Taipei has only about 4 days of blood supply left overall.

Type B is down to 4 days, and type O is at 3 days, near the critical line.

The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation says the national supply is about 5
days, with type O at 4 days.

Officials say more people are sick with colds, while hospitals are using more
blood, so reserves keep falling.

The centre says demand will not drop during the Lunar New Year holiday and
urges eligible people to donate before the break.

It also says the age range for donation expanded to between 16 to 70 since
July of last year, with extra rules for older donors.

(PB)

Yunlin prosecutors say task forces busted 2 etomidate "zombie vape cartridge"
packaging sites in Kaohsiung and Yunlin.

Prosecutors indicted 2 men for alleged drug offenses.

In a November raid, police say they seized heroin, methamphetamine with net
pure weight of up to 120 grams, and etomidate liquid, worth over $1 million
NT.

Prosecutors say one of the suspects used a rented home in Mailiao (麥寮) to
make and package drugs, including etomidate powder and finished cartridges.

They say officers also seized tools used for heating, mixing, and filling
cartridges, along with a press mold, grinder, bags, and electronic scales.

(PB)

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has confirmed that NVIDIA has completed pricing
negotiations to move into the Beitou–Shilin Technology Park, clearing the
way for final procedures.

Deputy Mayor Lee Szu-chuan says the agreed rights fee totals 12.2 billion NT.

Lee says negotiations with NVIDIA concluded smoothly, and the contract could
be signed as early as February 11th, or no later than February 13th, ahead of
the Lunar New Year holiday.

City officials say NVIDIA will now complete its internal contract review,
with further details to be released later.

Once the deal is signed, the project can move into permit applications, with
city officials hoping construction can begin before June.

The project would see NVIDIA establish its Taiwan headquarters at the
technology park, marking a major boost for Taipei's technology and innovation
hub.

(IG)

TSMC plans to hold a board meeting in Kumamoto on Monday, its first board
meeting in Japan.

A source says National Development Council head Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯), a
government representative on TSMC's board, will travel there to attend.

The plan follows yesterday's meeting between TSMC chairman C.C. Wei and
Japan's Prime Minister Sana-e Taka-ichi.

The source said Wei told Takaichi that TSMC aims to make advanced 3-nanometer
chips at its second Kumamoto fab to meet AI demand.

TSMC began mass production at its first Kumamoto plant in late 2024, with
support from partners including Sony and Toyota.

The second fab, now under construction, had been set to make 6- to
12-nanometer chips and is scheduled to start production in late 2027.

Economy minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said overseas expansion is unlikely
to reduce TSMC investment at home.

(CNA-PB)

Team Taiwan has announced its 30-man roster for the 2026 World Baseball
Classic.

The squad has 16 pitchers, 3 catchers, and 11 position players, and captain
Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲).

Two Taiwanese Americans, outfielder Stuart Fairchild and infielder Jonathon
Long, will make their Taiwan debuts.

Both were born to Taiwanese mothers and now play in Triple-A systems for the
Guardians and the Cubs.

Pitchers to watch include Lin Yu-min (林昱民) of the Diamondbacks and Lin
Wei-en (林維恩) of the Athletics, both invited to MLB spring training.

The World Baseball Classic runs from March 5th to March 17th, and Taiwan will
compete in Pool C of the games agaisnt Australia, Japan, the Czech Republic,
and South Korea at Tokyo Dome.

(CNA-PB)

Tainan's Health Bureau says the city has confirmed its first imported dengue
case of the year.

Officials say the patient is a Vietnamese woman in her 40s who lives in
Guanmiao District (關廟區).

They say she entered Taiwan on Jan. 31st through Kaohsiung Xiaogang Airport
(高雄小港機場).

The bureau says she developed fever, muscle pain, cough, and a runny nose on
Feb. 2nd.

Officials say she sought medical care two days after showing symptoms and was
reported after a rapid test.

The case was lab-confirmed yesterday as dengue virus serotype 2.

Tainan's dengue control center says teams were sent to remove mosquito
breeding sites near her home and plan chemical control work.

(PB)

An orange low temperature warning is now in place for greater Taipei,
Taoyuan, Xinzhu, Yilan and outlying Kinmen, as the mercury can drop to 10
degrees Celsius or lower for long periods of time on Sunday and Monday
morning.

The Central Weather Administration says with the arrival of a cold surge
tomorrow, there'll be a noticeable drop in temperatures and rain across
central and northern Taiwan.

Temperatures should range between 9 and 12 in the north, and between 10 and
14 in the center.

Other areas will also experience cold mornings and evenings from early
morning on the 8th to the 9th.

In Kaohsiung, low temp can plunge to 13 degrees.

Forecasters are calling on everyone to stay warm and be careful when using
gas water heaters.

(JL)

Taiwan shares edged lower along with most Asian markets after Wall Street
extended losses driven by technology stocks.

The TaiEx lost 18 points to close the session at 31-thousand-782.

The turnover reached 676 billion NT.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo is raising concerns over an increase in PLA
harassment in 2025.

Koo says, PLA planes and drones made over 3700 intrusions into Taiwan's
airspace last year...

marking a 23% increase from in 2024.

The defense minister adds that he blieves the CCP is intending to slowly
incorporate Taiwan into China by exerting pressure through gray zone warfare.

Koo added that statistics show that Chinese planes and drones frequently
crossed into Taiwan's Air Defense Identificaiton Zone last year to enter the
southwest and eastern airspace.

Additionally, PLA warships entered Taiwan's response zone over 2500 times
last year, representing an increase of about 7% to the previous year.

Koo says, the multilayered repression raises fears of the Taiwanese public
being lulled into a false sense of security.

Authorities in Taipei have arrested 6 people after a woman was robbed of over
7 million NT.

The woman, surnamed Hsu, fell victim to an online romance and fake
crytocurrency scam.

Police say that officers arrested the suspects in New Taipei and recovered
most of the stolen money.

Officials say, they received reports that cash linked to a fraud case had
been snatched in Datong district.

Hsu had met a man online months earlier and was drawn into a romance scam
before being persuaded to invest in a fake crytocurrency scheme.

Last month, Hsu handed over 1 million NT as an initial inevstment, after
which the scammers encouraged her to invest more.

She then arranged to meet a man surnamed Hsieh who posed as a broker, to
deliver over 7 million NT.

But during the handover, another man grabbed the cash and fled in a nearby
getaway car.

The Taichung City government has moved to close a Japanese restaurant after
several people developed symptoms of food poisoning.

Officials say, just under half of those that dined at the West District
establishment reported discomfort.

Inspectors visited the site earlier this week to collect samples.

Results are expected in about 2 weeks.

The case came to light after one diner posted online about seeking medical
treatment after eating at a sukiyaki restaurant.

The Tourism Administration joined airlines and travel firms at a major travel
fair in Mumbai, India.

Officials promoted a new marketing theme, "Taiwan never sleeps," aimed at
high-end and incentive travel.

The Taiwan pavilion used the brand "Taiwan - Waves of Wonder" and hosted
business matching and public activities.

Opening-day events included a performance by Lei Sheng Art Group
(雷昇傳藝劇團) and a "Sword Lion" painting workshop from Lukang (鹿港).

Taiwan highlighted daytime scenery and late-night city life, along with
nightlife options and 24-hour services.

Office head Shih Chih-chung (施志忠) said safety and convenience are key
selling points for Indian travelers.

He said 24-hour convenience stores help visitors, especially women, feel
secure even late at night.

Organizers say the Outbound Travel Mart runs until tomorrow in Mumbai, with
over 60 countries and more than 2-thousand-200 exhibitors.

(PB)

Weather expert Wu Derong (吳德榮) says Taiwan is forecast to be mostly cloudy
to sunny today, but northern areas will cool after dark.

He says a front moves in tonight, bringing local rain to northern Taiwan and
falling temperatures.

Wu says temperatures drop sharply tomorrow, with rain in the north and the
east, and more clouds in central Taiwan.

He says Sunday and Monday turn drier but stay cold, with the east seeing
occasional brief showers.

He says European and U.S. model runs show Taipei could touch 10 degrees early
Sunday to Monday, the second cold wave this winter.

Wu says some lowland areas could fall below 6 degrees, and high mountains may
see snow as the snow line drops to about 1-thousand-200 meters.

He says it stays very cold early next Tuesday, then warms in the day, before
a smaller cold push arrives on Wednesday.

(PB)