Billionaire Elon Musk speaks during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 22. The project is planned for an area near Tesla’s existing Austin headquarters and gigafactory, based on a photo shown during the presentation. Musk made the announcement in a downtown Austin venue to an audience that included Texas Governor Greg Abbott. If it succeeds, the project could help elevate Texas’ status as a chipmaking hub. The other would be a high-power chip, designed for space that could be used by SpaceX and xAI.

The Executive Yuan has approved the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ plan to spend NT$44.2 billion to cultivate the domestic UAV industry, Cho said. Taiwan has become indispensable in the non-red supply chain, Cho said, adding that the UAV industry is one of the nation’s 13 key strategic industries. “Taiwan’s drone industry would experience a huge blow if the legislature passes a version of the defense budget that does not take it into account. Taiwan can only gain truly dignified peace by building a “Taiwan shield” that is able to produce and supply high-technology products, he said. The continued delay by the legislature in reviewing the Cabinet’s draft special defense act could hinder the development of Taiwan’s UAV industry, she added.

Law changes to bolster safety, close loopholes: MACBy Chen Yu-fu and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerAmendments to the National Security Act (國家安全法) proposed by the Executive Yuan would support digital security, close legal loopholes, align with international conventions, and bolster enforcement and penalties, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a report to the Legislative Yuan. Sixty-four people were prosecuted for Chinese espionage in 2024, three times more than in 2021, the report said, citing National Security Bureau data. National security is no longer limited to physical boundaries, the MAC said. The committee also said that legislation should clearly specify the types of propaganda that are against the law and stipulate penalties, the MAC said. These changes would help counter infiltration and attacks by hostile forces, it said.

Democratic progress and defense resolveBy Gahon Chiang 江佳紘Today marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. A society that values open elections, civil liberties and a constitutional government must also take national defense seriously. National defense is essential to Taiwan’s democratic survival. Taiwan’s democratic story is still being written. Gahon Chiang is a congressional staff member in the office of DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting, focusing on Taiwan’s national security policy.

Military budget bill meetings beginBELEAGUERED BILLS The Cabinet’s NT$1.25 trillion special budget will contend with the TPP and KMT’s considerably smaller proposals in committee meetingsStaff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan is expected to host tense debates when it begins reviewing three competing special budget bills on arms procurement today, including a Cabinet proposal totaling NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.1 billion). The ruling and opposition legislative caucuses were expected to make sure all of their members on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee would attend. The Cabinet’s version of the national defense special act spans eight years and a budget of NT$1.25 trillion. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) has said that such a timetable was not realistic and would effectively block major procurement programs, including the HIMARS launchers. The MND has said that military investment planning follows a program-based budgeting system and that any version of the special budget act must comply with this system to be implemented.

Cubans left without electricity after its power grid collapses for the third timeAP, HAVANACuba’s power grid on Saturday collapsed, leaving the country without electricity for a third time in the month, as the communist government battles with a decaying infrastructure and a US-imposed oil blockade. The union later said the blackout was caused by an unexpected failure of a generating unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camaguey Province. People walk down a street during a national power outage in Havana on Saturday. Power outages have become relatively common in the last pwo years due to breakdowns in the aging infrastructure. Cuba produces barely 40 percent of the fuel it needs to power its economy.

“If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi speaks during the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 27 last year. Takaichi told reporters after the Washington summit that she had briefed Trump on what support Japan could and could not provide in the Strait under its laws. In other news, Motegi said one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has been released. The person, who has not been publicly identified, was released on Wednesday and would be returning to Japan, he said.

Liverpool and Chelsea lose again‘HURTS A LOT’: Liverpool coach Arne Slot said key injury absentees and a swift turnaround from Champions League commitments had a role in the defeatAFP, LONDONChelsea on Saturday failed to take advantage of another Liverpool stumble in the race to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, hammered 3-0 by Everton to remain outside the top five. Champions Liverpool had slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion in the early kickoff — their 10th loss of a dismal English Premier League title defense. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scores their second goal during their English Premier League game against Liverpool in Brighton, England, on Saturday. Liverpool coach Arne Slot pointed to key injury absentees and a swift turnaround from Champions League commitments to explain the damaging defeat. Chelsea are still in the FA Cup, but are licking their wounds after a humiliating 8-2 aggregate defeat by PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Japan beat Australia to win Women’s Asian CupReuters, SYDNEYJapan on Saturday edged tournament hosts Australia 1-0 in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final to win the continental title for the third time in the last four editions and disappoint a record crowd of 74,357 at Stadium Australia in Sydney. Japanese players react as Yui Hasegawa, front, brings the trophy on stage after winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final against Australia in Sydney on Saturday. The Nadeshiko were forced into desperate defense in the final 10 minutes as Australia, roared on by the largest crowd in Women’s Asian Cup history, poured forward in search of an equalizer. Substitute Emily van Egmond had two shots blocked, and Alanna Kennedy’s header from Ellie Carpenter’s cross was well saved by Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita. Former world champions Japan, playing in their seventh Asian Cup final, held onto add another Asian title to their 2014 and 2018 triumphs.

New US drones readiedStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese officials attended a ceremony last week for the delivery of the first two of four MQ-9B Skyguardian drones purchased from the US, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced yesterday. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) and joined by Taiwan’s Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?) The MND has said Taiwan has ordered four MQ-9B surveillance drones from the US, with deliveries scheduled in two batches of two in 2026 and 2027. This means Taiwan and its US counterparts could instantly share battlefield intelligence, enhancing cooperability during a conflict. The aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year.

No chip supply shortage: SEMIPRICE HIKES: The war in the Middle East would not significantly disrupt supply in the short term, but semiconductor companies are facing price surges for materials Taiwan’s semiconductor companies are not facing imminent supply disruptions of essential chemicals or raw materials due to the war in the Middle East, but surges in material costs loom large, industry association SEMI Taiwan said yesterday. The association’s comments came amid growing concerns that supplies of helium and other key raw materials used in semiconductor production could become a choke point after Qatar shut down its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and helium output earlier this month due to the conflict. Qatar is the second-largest LNG supplier in the world and accounts for about 33 percent of global helium output. Helium isBy Lisa Wang

The Israeli military said hours later that it was striking Tehran in response. Israeli rescue forces yesterday work on a site in Arad, Israel, that was hit by an Iranian missile. Iran yesterday said it would attack US infrastructure, including energy facilities in the Gulf, if Trump carried out his threat. Passage through the waterway was possible by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran, he added. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters said that if the US hit Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure, Tehran would launch attacks on all US energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure in the region.

The Tsuruga nuclear power plant in Japan’s Fukui Prefecture is a representative example. While the Japanese government has strong demand for nuclear energy, it still adhered to the safety first principle. It differs from natural gas, which has limited storage capacity, and nuclear power plants, which carry the risk of being seized or targeted during an armed conflict. Any restart of the Ma-anshan nuclear power plant should prioritize overall safety, rather than being driven by temporary fuel shortages or emotional blackmail and intimidation from those with particular interests. Only by truly upholding nuclear safety considerations could a restart effectively dispel public doubts — a point that even proponents of nuclear energy would likely agree on.

Attacks on premier’s Japan trip infuriatingBy John ChengOn March 7, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) stood among fans, cheering as the national team defeated Czechia 14-0 in the World Baseball Classic. However, instead of applauding this moment, opposition lawmakers chose to echo Beijing’s outrage. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) spent weeks hammering the trip as some sort of scandal. Meanwhile, Beijing screamed provocation and labeled the trip as an effort toward Taiwan independence, warning Japan that it would “pay the price,” for allowing such behavior. The message from China was crystal clear — Taiwan’s leaders should stay home, stay small and never dare show their faces abroad.

Zombie LNG ship appears to transit Strait of HormuzBloombergA ship that appears to be taking on the identity of a scrapped gas carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, showing how strategies to get through the waterway are evolving as the Middle East war progresses. The vessel identifying as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Jamal left the Strait on Friday morning, ship-tracking data show. The ship claiming to be Jamal is likely a zombie vessel that takes on the identity of a scrapped, legitimate ship. Cargo ships sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday last week. Photo: ReutersBloomberg News could not immediately confirm the identity of the zombie ship, and if it is a real LNG carrier or another vessel type.