Post office, driver’s license changes comingSHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operatorsBy Shelley Shan

Arsenal reach League Cup semis in shoot-outAFP, LONDONKepa Arrizabalaga was Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final hero on Tuesday with the decisive penalty shoot-out save that completed a miserable evening for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix. Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma, left, and Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze vie for the ball during their English League Cup quarter-final in London on Tuesday. It was a cathartic moment for the Spanish goalkeeper, who infamously refused to be substituted before Chelsea’s League Cup final penalty shoot-out defeat against Manchester City in 2018-2019. Kepa also missed a spot-kick in the Blues’ 2021-2022 League Cup final shoot-out loss to Liverpool. The north Londoners have only won the League Cup twice, with their last triumph coming in 1992-1993, before any of their current squad were born.

Health ministry policies to take effect in new yearEXPANSION: The policies are to include an additional subsidy for low-income households, wider eligibility for long-term care services, and elderly care initiativesBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday announced new health policies that would take effect next year, including a monthly subsidy increase of NT$1,000 (US$31.77) per month to low-income households, and the launching of the Long-Term Care 3.0 Program with expanded eligibility. The Ministry of Health and Welfare building in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei TimesThe Department of Long-Term Care said the 10-year Long-Term Care 3.0 Program would be launched next month, and eligibility for the services would be expanded to include two more groups of people. The two groups are “individuals of any age with dementia and disability,” and “patients of the National Health Insurance Administration’s [NHIA] Post-acute Care Program that meet the criteria of Long-Term Care Level 2 or higher,” it said. The program is expected to improve long-term care accessibility and quality, and an estimated 745,000 people might use the services, it added.

Yulon’s board approves the disposal of its EV unitTAIWAN VALUE CHAIN: Foxtron is to fully own Luxgen following the transaction and it plans to launch a new electric model, the Foxtron Bria, in Taiwan next year Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車) yesterday said that its board of directors approved the disposal of its electric vehicle (EV) unit, Luxgen Motor Co (納智捷汽車), to Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進) for NT$787.6 million (US$24.98 million). Foxtron, a half-half joint venture between Yulon affiliate Hua-Chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co (華創車電) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), expects to wrap up the deal in the first quarter of next year. Foxtron would fully own Luxgen following the transaction, including five car distributing companies, outlets and all employees. The deal is subject to the approval of the Fair Trade Commission, Foxtron said. “Foxtron will beBy Lisa Wang

Broker fined over NT$10 mil for illegally charging migrant worker fees: MOLStaff Writer, with CNAA labor broker has been fined more than NT$10 million (US$318,000) for illegally charging migrant workers job-placement fees, the highest penalty ever imposed in such a case, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said yesterday. The broker illegally charged “multiple” migrant workers job-placement fees, over-collecting around NT$1 million in total under the guise of end-of-contract transfer or contract renewal fees, MOL official Su Yu-kuo (蘇裕國) said at a news conference in Taipei. Charging migrant workers job-placement fees, known locally as “job-buying fees,” falls outside the items permitted under the law, he said. So far this year, 10 brokers have been found to have illegally overcharged migrant workers and been fined by local governments, Su said. Urging brokers to comply with the law, Su also said migrant workers who are asked to pay job-placement fees when seeking to switch employers should call the ministry’s 1955 Hotline for advice or to file a complaint.

N Korean POWs seek ‘new life’ in SouthDEFECTING VIA UKRAINE: Two North Korean soldiers wrote that with the support of the South Korean people, ‘new dreams and aspirations have begun to take root’AFP, SEOULTwo North Korean prisoners of war (POW) held by Ukraine have said they hope to start a “new life” in South Korea, a letter seen by reporters yesterday said. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. At least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates. North Korean soldiers are instructed to kill themselves rather than be taken prisoner, according to South Korea’s intelligence service. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Ukraine not to “forcibly repatriate North Korean prisoners of war against their will” and has asked that their desire to go to the South be respected.

FSC is to update insurers’ rules to ease FX hedgingA REVAMP: Under current rules, short-term exchange-rate movements generate major volatility in reported earnings, even if they are unrealized, the FSC saidBloombergTaiwan is set to overhaul accounting rules to help life insurers ease the impact of foreign-exchange fluctuations on their financial statements, a move that is likely to save billions of dollars in currency hedging costs. Taiwanese insurers last month proposed changes to accounting rules that would allow exchange-rate fluctuations to be partially recognized over time, rather than having their full impact reflected immediately. The plan was estimated to save US$2.9 billion in annual hedging costs and reduce their reliance on offshore NT dollar forwards as a hedging tool. Insurers began reducing their currency hedging positions in the second half of the year. That underscores the high cost of hedging relative to its limited effectiveness, the FSC said.

US denies ex-EU commissioner visaAFP, WASHINGTONThe US Department of State on Tuesday said that it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to “coerce” US social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. “These radical activists and weaponized NGOs [non-governmental organizations] have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” the department said in a statement announcing the sanctions. Then-European commissioner Thierry Breton attends an event at Sorbonne University in Paris on April 25 last year. The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content. The visa ban also targeted Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that fights online hate, misinformation and disinformation that also fell in the crosshairs of Elon Musk after his takeover of Twitter, later renamed X.

US slams China policies on chips, but would delay imposing tariffs to 2027AFP, WASHINGTONUS trade officials determined that China should be penalized for employing unfair tactics to dominate the semiconductor industry, but would wait 18 months to impose tariffs, US authorities said on Tuesday. A central processing unit is displayed among miniature flags of the US and China in an illustration photograph taken on Feb. 17, 2023. “We urge the United States to quickly correct its erroneous practices,” Lin told a regular news briefing. USTR officials launched the probe in December last year in the final weeks of then-US president Joe Biden’s term, extending the initiative when US President Donald Trump took office in January. The White House has jousted with Beijing, but reached a broad truce with China after a major escalation in the spring.

How Trump is exerting control in Latin AmericaTrump’s interference in the region has been aided by the collapse of the leftist forces that once pushed back against US imperialismBy Jordana Timerman / The GuardianFor the past generation, Latin America has been a place of unstable stability. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit with the EU last month avoided condemning the US strikes. Anti-imperialism once formed the common political grammar of the Latin American left. In a recent Bloomberg/Atlas poll, 53 percent of Latin American respondents said they would support US military intervention to remove Maduro. She compiles the “Latin America Daily Briefing” and is part of the “Ideas Letter” editorial team.

Book review: Taiwan in 50 bike routesAside from a few minor errors, this guide is comprehensive and even inspirationalBy Steven Crook / Contributing reporterIt’s surprising, given how many foreign velocipedists say they’ve been profoundly inspired by Taiwan, that so few cycling-focused English-language books about the country have appeared. Compiled by a couple from that great cycling nation, the Netherlands, this guide describes 50 numbered routes around the country. A Cyclist’s Guide to Taiwan: Pedalling Across Paradise, by Viola & Erik van Onselen. The Tourism Bureau has been upgraded to the Tourism Administration, and the Central Weather Bureau likewise promoted to Central Weather Administration. A Cyclist’s Guide to Taiwan is available at several bike stores around the country and can be ordered online.

Japan bear crisis sparks culinary crazeAFP, CHICHIBU, JapanSince Japan recorded a spike in deadly bear attacks, Koji Suzuki has struggled to keep up with booming demand for grilled cuts of the animal at his restaurant. A restaurant worker grills fish over a hearth at a restaurant that offers bear meat in Chichibu, Japan, on Dec. 12. People eat bear meat hot pot at a restaurant in Chichibu, Japan, on Dec. 12. However, much of the bear meat still goes to waste, partly due to a shortage of government-approved processing facilities. “Bear meat is a tourism resource for us,” he said.

Waymo to update software after jam amid power lossReuters, WASHINGTONWaymo on Tuesday said that it would update software used to operate its self-driving vehicles and improve its emergency response protocols after its robotaxis stalled in parts of San Francisco on Saturday due to a widespread power outage that snarled traffic and gridlocked parts of the city. Videos posted on social media showed Waymo robotaxis stuck at intersections with their hazard lights on as traffic lights stopped working due to the outage. A Waymo autonomous taxi navigates in San Francisco on Wednesday last week. Waymo is implementing fleet-wide updates that provide vehicles with “specific power outage context, allowing it to navigate more decisively.”Waymo also said it would improve its emergency response protocols by incorporating lessons from this event. On Monday, the California Public Utilities Commission said that it was reviewing the issue of stalled Waymo vehicles.

Prosecutors appeal Mickey Huang suspended sentenceStaff writer, with CNAThe High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday appealed the sentence handed down last month to former television personality Mickey Huang (黃子佼) for purchasing child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors argued that Huang’s actions seriously harmed the physical and mental development of children and teenagers, and therefore he should not receive a suspended sentence. Television personality Mickey Huang arrives at the High Administrative Court on Oct. 21. Photo: CNAGranting a suspended sentence on the grounds that he had reached settlements with the victims and paid compensation was an incorrect application of the law, they said. However, considering Huang had no previous criminal record and reached settlements with the victims, the court granted him a suspended sentence, and required him to perform 180 hours of community service and attend three legal education sessions.

CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) on Tuesday said flu activity remained at a relatively low level last week, which is “rare” for this time of the year, although there were 16 severe flu cases and six flu-related deaths confirmed last week. Among the 16 severe cases, 13 were unvaccinated in this flu season (beginning on Oct. 1), and among the six deaths, all had chronic illnesses and five were unvaccinated in this flu season, Lee said. Globally, flu activity is rising, with nearby countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, at high levels, and rising activity reported in Europe, the US and Canada, she added. As of Monday, 6.547 million doses of government-funded flu vaccines had been administered this flu season, and there were only about 280,000 doses remaining, so eligible recipients are advised to get vaccinated as early as possible before they run out, he said. As seasonal flu activity usually peaks around the Lunar New Year holidays in Taiwan, he said the centers expect flu cases in the holidays in February to be lower than previous years.