Chinese spouse’s residency revoked over pro-China statementsBy Wang Kuan-jen and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerChinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s Douyin page is pictured today. Guan Guan reportedly left Taiwan on Friday last week. In related news, another Chinese spouse recently complained online about how hard it is to write traditional Chinese characters, saying she hopes for reunification soon so that her child can write simplified characters instead.

Cho praises trade team’s achievements upon returnStaff writer, with CNAPremier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) today greeted the government's trade negotiation team on their arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, commending them for the tariff reduction and investment agreements reached with the US. Premier Cho Jung-tai, left, receives Taiwan's trade negotiation team at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport this morning after their return from Washington. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei TimesCheng said the trade agreement proved that "the hard work of Taiwanese, along with Taiwan's technology and industries, had become a key force in the world," and showed that the world "needs Taiwan." That implies that TSMC's US$65 billion investment to build three advanced wafer fabs in Arizona, prior to Trump's return to office last year, was not included in the US$250 billion figure. The terms of the agreement would be signed in the coming weeks as part of a formal trade pact, which would require approval by Taiwan's legislature.

Hospital suspends doctors after video shows vendor taking part in surgeryStaff writer, with CNATaichung Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) yesterday suspended three doctors from performing surgeries after video footage from July 2023 surfaced allegedly showing a medical-device vendor handling part of an operation. The hospital said it would fully cooperate with investigations by prosecutors and health authorities, adding that any illegal conduct would be dealt with in accordance with the law. Photo: Tang Shih-ming, Taipei TimesThe case involves allegations earlier this month that a medical-device vendor was allowed to enter multiple operating rooms and take part in procedures. TVGH has acknowledged that three physicians permitted a vendor to enter operating rooms without proper reporting, but said an internal review found no evidence the vendor participated in operations. Local health authorities could launch an investigation if the hospital's earlier report is found to be incomplete, he added.

Sunday Yilan quake an independent event: CWAStaff writer, with CNAThe Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The peak ground acceleration felt during a magnitude 4.9 earthquake at 4:47pm yesterday is pictured in a graphic. Since 1973, there have been 20 earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 or higher within a 20km radius of the epicenter of yesterday's magnitude 4.9 quake, including a magnitude 6 event on May 10, 2024, he added. Wu said earthquakes occurring in basins are typically shallow, citing the Friday and early Sunday quakes, which had depths of about 10km or less.

The command said it has added a new air-defense company under the 228th Battalion stationed in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) for the purpose. The unit — its only artillery unit — has been equipped with Stinger anti-air missiles and anti-tank Javelin systems, it added. Military personnel take part in an exercise at a metro station in Taipei on July 14 last year. “Deploying short-range, man-portable Stinger missiles enhances mobile air defense, while Javelin missiles can counter Chinese Communist Party landing craft attempting surprise assaults at the Tamsui River estuary,” he said. For example, Washington has the National Capital Region Air Defense, with rotating deployments of air defense artillery regiments, he said.

Initial concerns that school lunch programs would divert resources from other education and welfare initiatives were short-lived, as local governments quickly shifted their support toward the initiative. Some parents’ groups have said the program could affect school lunch quality or deepen disparity among regions. Their concerns are not unfounded, as local governments have different financial capacities and conditions, and the average cost of school lunches varies between regions. Now that local governments are fully funding school lunch programs, it is uncertain whether they would require catering companies to continue meeting the 3L1Q standard when sourcing ingredients. Some specialists have said that, unlike Japan and South Korea, Taiwan does not have a dedicated law regulating school lunch standards, such as on nutrition, the proportion of locally sourced ingredients and a dietitian-to-student ratio.

Taiwanese passports are pictured in an undated photograph. Investigators believe that gangs exploit the visa-free access Taiwanese passports provide to 139 countries and territories, selling them at premium prices to clients who treat the documents as “invisibility cloaks” for unrestricted international travel. Ho would pay NT$17,000 per passport upon receiving them, while the human-smuggling ring resold each document to Chinese buyers for about 10,000 euros (US$11,597). Cheng and Lai were sentenced to two years, and two years and two months respectively for participating in a criminal organization, trading passports and using passports to offset debts. Shen was sentenced to one year and four months for trading passports.

Ryan Hass on Taiwan: Five Questions for 2026-As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. President Trump and President Xi Jinping (習近平) agreed at their October 30, 2025, meeting in South Korea to call a truce on their trade war for one year. WILL CHINA’S ECONOMY WOBBLE IN 2026? These five questions represent some of the major external issues that could impact Taiwan’s economy and security.

Iran admits ‘several thousand’ deaths, blaming US, IsraelBloombergIranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest. Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely,” Khamenei said without offering detail in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic republic has evidence to support the claim. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Saturday. He said US President Donald Trump was culpable for “deaths, damage and accusations he has inflicted on the Iranian people,” and that Washington’s broader policy goal was to place Iran under military, political and economic domination.

Temperatures to drop as cold air mass approachesStaff writer, with CNAA strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). A Central Weather Administration chart shows the weather forecast for this week. The blue line indicates eastern Taiwan, the green line indicates central Taiwan, the orange line indicates southern Taiwan, while the white line indicates northern Taiwan and Yilan County. From Wednesday through Friday, the cold air mass is likely to linger and reach the level of a “strong continental cold air mass,” defined as Taipei temperatures dropping below 12°C, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said. The cold air mass is expected to weaken from Saturday, with daytime temperatures rebounding, but mornings and evenings remaining cool, Wu said.

Yet this part of Central Asia now offers a lesson in how conflict can give way to stability, even in historically tense regions. However, the improved climate reflects deliberate political and social choices, demonstrating that cooperation can be strengthened from the ground up. Home to about 15 million people, the Fergana Valley is one of the most densely populated parts of Central Asia. These factors make the Fergana Valley story a fragile achievement, not a settled one. The Fergana Valley suggests that peace and partnership can reinforce each other, but only if the effort is continuous.

EU expresses shock at Greenland tariffsAP, BERLINEuropeans were reeling yesterday from US President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries would face 10 percent tariffs for opposing US control of Greenland. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland in the past few days, saying they are there for arctic security training. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks during a protest in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday. It was not immediately clear if Trump’s tariffs would impact the entire bloc. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to continue their full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

Vietnam’s ruling party begins congressAFP, HANOIVietnam’s ruling Communist Party opens its twice-a-decade congress today, finalizing its leadership roster for the next five years and outlining plans for the fast-growing Southeast Asian manufacturing hub. The only legal party in Vietnam, it has so far followed consensus-based decisionmaking, preventing the emergence of a single all-powerful leader. Party General Secretary To Lam is challenging that model, seeking to become president as well as party chief. A woman walks past billboards advertising the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi on Thursday last week. Lam is set to retain his post as Vietnam’s top leader, according to sources briefed on party deliberations.

There have been protests every day since the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ramped up immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul by bringing in more than 2,000 federal officers. Protesters spray Jake Lang with water as he speaks during his rally calling for deportation of all Muslims in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday. In Minneapolis, snowballs and water balloons were also thrown before an armored police van and heavily equipped city police arrived. “We’re out here to show Nazis and ICE and DHS and MAGA you are not welcome in Minneapolis,” protester Luke Rimington said. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including while observing officers during the Minnesota crackdown.

NASA rolls out Artemis 2 spacecraftAFP, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FloridaNASA on Saturday rolled out its towering Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft as it began preparations for its first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years. “We’re making history,” Artemis 2 mission management team chair John Honeycutt told a press conference on Friday. Before the mission can take off, engineers must ensure the SLS rocket is safe and viable. The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission took place in November 2022 after multiple postponements and two failed launch attempts. NASA hopes to put humans back on the Moon, as China forges ahead with a rival effort that is targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission.