Ministry expects two new R&D agreements in EUBy Meryl Kao / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said it expects to sign two additional memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with European countries this year to promote research-and-development (R&D) collaboration under the A+ Corporate Innovation and R&D Enhancement program. The planned collaborations with two additional European countries would mainly focus on laser technology and another technology listed under Taiwan’s 10 major artificial intelligence (AI) projects, Kuo said. Department of Industrial Technology Director-General Kuo Chao-chung, center, and other guests pose for a photograph at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chia-ning, Taipei TimesThis year, the government aims to secure 25 international collaborative R&D projects under the program, he said. Taiwan has reached out to 14 EU countries and secured 86 projects so far since the program was launched in 2014, he said.

Lawmaker raises concerns over TAIEX distorted by TSMC weightingStaff writer, with CNAChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Te-fu (林德福) yesterday raised concerns that the heavy weighting of contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is distorting the performance of the TAIEX. A man stands in front of an electronic stock board at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei yesterday. Despite the significant gains, 749 stocks fell on the main board on Monday with only 156 stocks moving higher. Yesterday, TSMC closed at NT$1,675, down 1.76 percent on profit taking, pushing the TAIEX lower by 0.46 percent. If fears that an AI bubble will burst become a reality, the local stock market will be severely impacted with many investors hurt, he added.

Air force says search for pilot to be extendedSYSTEM FAULT? Contact with air force pilot Captain Hsin Po-yi’s (辛柏毅) fighter was lost off Hualien while on a routine training flight on Tuesday night. Air force officers attend a news conference in Hualien County yesterday. The air force said that it has been logging all faults found in F-16s, and has provided the data to the US to identify the sources of malfunctions and develop system patches to improve reliability. Hsin has logged 611 hours of flight time, of which he spent 371 hours in F-16Vs, the air force said, adding that Tuesday’s weather and sea state were within exercise standards.

Panama is critical to global oil shipping, while Venezuela is home to one of the world’s largest crude oil reserves. Reports last month estimated that Venezuela accounts for 4 to 7 percent of China’s overall oil supply. Beijing is even more reliant on Tehran, with Iran accounting for more than 13 to 15 percent of its total oil supply. Any attack on Taiwan, whether direct military invasion or a prolonged blockade, would require a massive oil supply. If China’s oil imports from Venezuela and Iran are reduced, it would significantly hamper Chinese ambitions against Taiwan.

Donovan’s Deep Dives: The TPP enters the year strong, but faces headwindsBy Courtney Donovan Smith(石東文) / Staff ColumnistTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) New Year’s resolution was to get healthy and fit. This should make their pan-blue coalition partners, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), nervous, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) very concerned. Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chair Ko Wen-je, left, and current Chair Huang Kuo-chang share a moment of comraderie at Huang’s campaign launch for New Taipei City mayor. STAVING OFF DISASTERTPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang’s before and after shots of his accomplishing his 2025 New Year’s resolutions, posted to his Facebook page on Dec. 31, 2025. Photo taken from Huang Kuo-chang’s InstagramIn August 2024, the TPP was in serious trouble.

EDITORIAL: Taiwan’s faltering green transitionTaiwan’s green energy industry was one of the most promising industries back in 2016, when the government pledged full support to green energy developments as part of its greater push to build energy resilience and combat climate change through a policy revamp. Since then, solar energy deployment has stagnated. The future of Taiwan’s solar industry and green energy industry is scattered and uncertain. To avoid being marginalized, the government has to speed up green energy deployment effectively and streamline the review processes. Only when the investment environment improves would green energy deployments gather pace.

Taiwan needs geothermal powerBy Marcin JerzewskiTaiwan’s energy debate is too often framed as merely a technical issue of emissions targets or electricity prices. Energy security is a crucial pillar of national security, and it must be treated as such. Unlike solar or wind, geothermal power provides constant, round-the-clock baseload electricity. Estimates vary, but even conservative assessments suggest that geothermal could supply a meaningful share of Taiwan’s electricity needs. Several European countries have accumulated decades of experience in geothermal energy, including newer technologies that enable access to geothermal resources beyond traditional hotspots.

Saudi Arabian strikes follow exit of Yemeni leaderAFP, ADEN, YemenA Saudi Arabian-led coalition yesterday struck the home province of Aidaros Alzubidi, Yemen’s United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed separatist leader, after he failed to show up for talks in Riyadh and was kicked out of the country’s presidential body. The coalition said that it had given Alzubidi a 48-hour ultimatum to travel to Riyadh for discussions, after his Southern Transitional Council grabbed swathes of territory last month. The Southern Transitional Council’s advance and the Saudi Arabian response have also sent relations with the UAE, a rival powerbroker in Yemen, plummeting. The Southern Transitional Council said that it was open to discussions, but warned that it had lost contact with its delegation in Riyadh, urging Saudi Arabian authorities to guarantee the group’s safety. The coalition carried out strikes to prevent Alzubidi from “escalating the conflict” and extending it into Dhale governorate, he added.

Russia sends sub to escort tanker pursued by USAFP and AP, WASHINGTON and HAVANARussia sent a submarine to escort an empty oil tanker that the US military has been pursuing and attempting to seize for weeks, US media reported on Tuesday. US officials said the tanker is part of a shadow fleet carrying oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in contravention of US sanctions. Russia sent “a submarine and other naval assets” to escort the tanker, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed US officials. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier on Tuesday said that it was “following with concern” the US pursuit. The uniformed personnel belonged to the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, it said.

Trump’s special military operation in VenezuelaThe framers of the US constitution designed a system, wagering that requiring justifications would discipline power and prevent its arbitrary exercise. US President Donald Trump announced his own version of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine on Truth Social before most Americans were awake. To this miscellany of publicly announced reasons can be added Trump’s undisguised desire to demonstrate that he has “superseded” all previous US presidents. What happens when colectivos or remnants of the old Venezuelan military launch an insurgency against foreign-controlled oil fields? True, “Project 2025,” the comprehensive policy blueprint that the Heritage Foundation designed for Trump’s second term, was a coherent plan of action.

Doctor warns of sexually transmitted intestinal infectionsBy Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNAIntestinal infections previously thought to be gastroenteritis or food poisoning may be linked to sexual activity, posing a new public health issue, a physician at National Cheng Kung University Hospital said today. This type of infection is more common among those with multiple sexual partners, men who have sex with men, HIV-positive people and those with a history of sexually transmitted infections, Tsai said. National Cheng Kung University Hospital infectious disease specialist Tsai Chin-hsiang displays data on a computer in his office in Tainan in an undated photograph. From 2020 to 2023, sexually transmitted disease monitoring at the hospital confirmed that rectal LGV is spreading in Taiwan for the first time, Tsai said. The key to treatment is accurate diagnosis, which can include stool tests and sexually transmitted infection screenings, Tsai said.

Nestle says baby formula in Taiwan safe amid global recallStaff writer, with CNANestle Taiwan today said that tainted batches of baby formula have not been sold in Taiwan, as at least 30 countries have issued recalls over concerns that the products contain the toxin cereulide. In a statement, the company said that its products sold in Taiwan are all safe for consumption. Photo: ReutersIt that it has implemented necessary control measures to protect consumers' trust in its product and safety. The company said it is in contact with authorities in the affected countries to ensure that appropriate measures are taken. No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with their products to date, the company said.

Taichung hospital probed over unlicensed surgery allegationsBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAAuthorities today said they are investigating claims that Taichung Veterans General Hospital allowed unlicensed medical device vendors to perform surgeries on patients in its neurosurgery department. Taichung Veterans General Hospital deputy superintendent Lee Cheng-hung, center, speaks to reporters at the hospital today. Photo: CNAThe Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the case, which involves unlicensed medical practice and false claims for medical expenses, would be referred to investigators. A task force has been assembled to investigate the matter, hospital deputy superintendent Lee Cheng-hung (李政鴻) said. The ministry today is to issue an official letter to the Taichung Health Bureau requesting a thorough investigation, Department of Medical Affairs Deputy Director-General Liu Yu-ching (劉玉菁) said.

New cancer drug fund ‘not enough,’ oncologists sayBy Chiu Chih-jou and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerOncologists yesterday said that President William Lai’s (賴清德) new fund to purchase cancer drugs is “not enough,” while the application process and usage guidelines are unclear. The NT$5 billion (US$158.92 million) fund allocated over this year and next year aims to shorten the waiting time for cancer patients to access new drugs not available under the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei TimesHospitals also need access to the fund, but are unsure how to do so, he said. Taking colorectal cancer as an example, annual drug expenditures for one patient are between NT$1 million and NT$3 million, he said. More than 40 percent of colorectal cancer cases are only detected during the later stages, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital oncologist Hsu Hong-chih (徐鴻智) said.

China sanctions education, interior ministers over ‘separatism’By Chen Yu-fu and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerChina’s Taiwan Affairs Office today listed Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳), Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) and a high prosecutor as “Taiwan independence diehards,” banning them and their families from entering China and its territories. The sanctions also ban businesses associated with the “separatists” from operating in China, applicable for life. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang speaks to reporters ahead of a plenary session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on March 12 last year. The office also listed Chen Shu-yi (陳舒怡) of the High Prosecutors’ Office as an accomplice in separatist activities. By targeting “pro-independence” officials across the education, interior and judicial sectors, China is framing the Democratic Progressive Party government as persecuting Chinese spouses and its judiciary as suppressing dissent, the professor said.