Final batch of M1A2T tanks to be delivered soon, source saysThe manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion

Students were required to list their ancestral homes then, and when Pan wrote “Taipei,” his teacher rejected it as impossible. Kipatauw descendant Weng Cheng-te, right, passes the torch to a younger community member during last November’s autumn festival at the Ketagalan Culture Center in Taipei. But with his music career gaining momentum and still feeling new to his Ketagalan identity, he says he remains unsure how much time and knowledge he can meaningfully contribute. “We also wanted to expose our child to temple culture. But what he believes later is up to him.”Pan says he has little interest in researching Ketagalan identity himself, noting that even growing up, elders rarely spoke about it.

US senators criticize defense budget delaysSTANDING FIRM: The KMT said it supports a reasonable defense budget and that it would promptly review the budget once money is allocated for soldiers’ salary raisesBy Su Yung-yao / Staff reporter, with CNABipartisan US lawmakers have once again criticized and expressed disappointment that Taiwan’s efforts to enhance its self-defense capabilities are being hindered. “We urge Taiwan’s political parties to work in good faith across party lines to fully fund Taiwan’s self-defense,” the senators said. The special defense funding is critical for military reforms and improvements to whole-of-society resilience, for Taiwan’s security, and its partnership with the US, they added. Taiwan’s budget system differs from that of the US, the KMT said, adding that the legislature last year approved more than NT$600 billion in defense spending, and that this year’s budget would remain at the same level, unaffected by the passage of this year’s general budget. When the DPP government includes the increased military salary in its budget, the opposition would immediately review and approve the defense budget, the KMT said, adding that the “treatment of soldiers should also be an important part of the defense budget.”

The order establishing the “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” marks a significant shift in US arms sales policy. US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on Thursday. “Future arms sales will prioritize American interests by using foreign purchases and capital to build American production and capacity,” the White House said. The previous “partner-first” approach led to production backlogs and delivery delays, as orders were mismatched with US manufacturing capabilities, the White House said. Under the new policy, arms sales would depend on loyalty and shared interests, he said.

Panamanian envoy summoned over CK Hutchison’s rulingReuters, BEIJINGHong Kong’s commerce chief on Friday summoned the Panamanian Consul General to condemn a court ruling that annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. Containers are docked at Panama Ports Co in Panama City on Wednesday after Panama’s Supreme Court annulled key port contracts held by the CK Hutchison-owned firm. “Hong Kong companies operating and investing in Panama should receive fair and reasonable treatment and protections,” Yau said. CK Hutchison has moved to challenge the ruling, with its Panama Ports Company unit launching international arbitration proceedings. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday called the court’s decision definitive and said he does not expect the situation to escalate.

Cold surges during warm winters pose health risksBy Wu Po-hsuan and Esme Yeh / Staff reportersIn response to extreme weather conditions, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are collaborating on an action plan, making “cold-weather adaptation” a key component, the environment ministry said yesterday. People have adapted to warm winters, as temperatures have climbed over the past few years due to climate change, the environment ministry said. The human body has therefore become less responsive to sudden cold temperatures caused by cold air masses or cold waves during warm winters, it said. The health ministry has issued health warnings and self-protection measures to inform the public of the dangers of cold temperatures, the environment ministry said. Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu De-rong (吳德榮) said temperatures in lowland areas could even drop below 6°C today and tomorrow, marking Taiwan’s second significant cold surge of the season, after the surge in early January.

Greek air force officer detained for spying for ChinaAFP, AthensGreek authorities on Friday formally detained a senior air force officer accused of spying, his lawyer said, while another source and the media said the intelligence was given to China. Members of the Greek army hold Greek flags during a military parade in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Oct. 28 last year. The source and Greek media said the officer provided the information to contacts in China. The officer told investigators he was recruited a few months ago by a Chinese national, media reports said. Skai Television said a western intelligence service detected the officer’s transmissions, and informed Greek intelligence and the military.

Great Britain bags place in Davis Cup qualification roundAFP, PARISGreat Britain (GB) secured their place in the final round of Davis Cup qualifying after Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool won the doubles on Friday to seal a 3-0 win over Norway. Wimbledon champions Cash and Glasspool beat Norwegian pair Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Viktor Durasovic 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) to send Great Britain through to the next round in September. “It means the world to get our first point and win the tie for GB,” Cash said. “Bit different with Casper not playing, but we’ve done our job.”Great Britain are to face either Australia or Ecuador for a place in November’s eight-team Davis Cup Finals. Yannick Hanfmann beat Gonzalo Bueno 6-4, 6-4, and Jan-Lennard Struff dispatched Juan Pablo Varillas 6-4 6-2.

Biathletes return to familiar terrain at classic venueAP, ANTERSELVA, ItalyDuring the past three Winter Olympics, biathletes had to race at night on icy snow and lighted trails, at venues that had rarely been used, since they were built just for the Games — conditions that made racing more challenging for the athletes. That all changes with the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Biathlon races, which start today, are to run in the afternoon, like they usually are on the international circuit. Poland’s Marcin Zawol, front, trains ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Anterselva, Italy, on Friday. The Anterselva biathlon range sits at 1,600m above sea level, making it the highest venue on the World Cup circuit — although it is slightly lower than the venue used during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

So Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) blinking at one such commitment to OpenAI is worthy of notice. STRUGGLESFor all the outward charm, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s management of the company has been unsettling. Microsoft Copilot cannot do any of this, despite Microsoft owning Windows, Office and LinkedIn. The company has invested heavily in building its own AI models to broaden its strategy beyond OpenAI. Huang’s hesitation should be taken as a warning: Microsoft needs to turn its privileged access into better products.

Nantou needs to speak with residentsBy Shieh Jyh-cherng 謝志誠Having failed to keep up with the government’s early plans to build one garbage incinerator per county or city, Nantou County is the only county in Taiwan without an incinerator. To strengthen its autonomous waste-treatment capacity, the Nantou County government in 2024 began preliminary planning for the construction of an incinerator. Since the Nantou County incinerator project was proposed, it has been met with nonstop criticism from various sectors. I am not a resident of Nantou County. I sincerely suggest that the Nantou County government set aside the dispute, suspend the proceedings, return to square one and begin rebuilding the entire process step by step, taking action to improve communication with local stakeholders.

Thailand needs to break free from its political doom loopBy Karishma Vaswani / Bloomberg OpinionThailand is falling behind its peers in Asia — and today’s election is unlikely to stop that slide. Thailand has been shaped by a tug-of-war between parties tied to the conservative royalist-military nexus, and those that challenge them. The nation of about 70 million must find a way to break out of this doom loop. Pheu Thai, the populist party aligned with former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is also competing. A political system that repeatedly produces fragile governments, invites judicial intervention and rewards short-term coalition bargaining is ill-equipped to deliver the sustained reform Thailand needs.

In the absence of meaningful resistance, both are likely to remain on their course, with middle powers forced to comply with their demands or face retaliation. First, middle powers should develop a new network of free-trade agreements, such as the one just reached between the EU and India. Fourth, the legitimacy of any coalition of middle powers depends on its ability to support the world’s most vulnerable economies. A united middle-power alliance would have considerable leverage, as its members would each wield outsize influence over specific domains. However, to be effective in a future middle-power alliance and address the “rupture” in the liberal international order highlighted by Carney, middle powers must reconsider their “business model.”The EU remains an “incomplete” superpower.

Galthie lauds his team after France ease past IrelandAFP, SAINT-DENIS, FranceFrance head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. The variety between kicking and keeping the ball in hand was remarkable.”France’s Theo Attissogbe, right, scores a try against Ireland in their Six Nations match in Saint-Denis, France, on Thursday. Ireland began the day ranked fourth in the world, one place above France. “We’re very disappointed, through something I never thought I’d say about this Ireland team: a lack of intensity in the first half,” Farrell told ITV.

Wistron is “very positive” about revenue growth from AI servers, as it is well-positioned to benefit from its major clients’ rapid expansion, Lin said. Wistron Corp chairman Simon Lin, right, and president Jeff Lin attend the company’s year-end banquet in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNAThe company counts Nvidia Corp, Dell Technologies Inc and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) as its main AI server clients. The newly added Texas facility leverages faster access to power and proximity to the market, focusing on later-stage assembly, testing and delivery to serve North America’s AI server market and improve overall delivery efficiency, he said. Over the long term, Wistron is considering increasing its US capacity allocation to cope with rising customer demand, he said.