French walnut oil stopped at border over banned additiveStaff writer, with CNAA 30kg shipment of walnut oil imported from France was recently blocked at the border after tests found it contained the color additive copper chlorophyllin A, which is banned in edible oils. The walnut oil was imported by a Taiwanese company that advertised its products as natural, non-toxic and environmentally friendly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today. However, testing showed that the oil contained 0.1 parts per million of copper chlorophyllin A, which is not permitted in edible oil products under the Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives (食品添加物使用範圍及限量暨規格標準), the agency said. French walnut oil is pictured in an undated photograph. The importer is to face stricter inspections of its shipments, while walnut oil products from France are also to face heightened scrutiny at the border.

Second US arms package proceeding on schedule: defense ministerBy Ben Blanchard and Roger Tung / Reuters, TAIPEIMinister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) today said he believed the US' internal review process for the sale of a second arms package to Taiwan is proceeding on schedule. Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo speaks to reporters outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei today. "As we understand it, their internal review procedures are proceeding on schedule," he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) last month told Trump that arms sales to Taiwan must be handled with "prudence." The US, which in December last year unveiled a US$11 billion sale of weapons to Taiwan, has not formally ‌unveiled a second package.

Cabinet to mobilize NT$71.8bn amid budget gridlock, sources sayBy Chung Li-hua, Lin Che-yuan and Sam Garcia / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan plans to instruct ministries to mobilize the NT$71.8 billion (US$2.25 billion) limited budget approved by the Legislative Yuan for advanced spending while opposition lawmakers continue to block the central government’s general budget, sources said. Premier Cho Jung-tai speaks to reporters outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei today. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesHigh-level executive officials plan to allow ministries to mobilize funds in advance, people familiar with the matter said. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has submitted administrative documents to the Executive Yuan for approval, they said. Cho today said that the legality of a budget that has not passed a third reading is highly questionable.

Kaohsiung mayor talks up sovereign AI plan at Nvidia GTCStaff writer, with CNAKaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) yesterday promoted Kaohsiung's Smart Lighthouse Project on the sidelines of the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose, California, highlighting its potential for partnerships with international tech firms. As demand for computing power surges amid a shift toward generative artificial intelligence (AI) inference and "AI factory" development, the project is aimed at applying a "sovereign AI" approach to city governance, Chen told reporters at Nvidia GTC. Sovereign AI refers to a country or region's ability to develop AI using its own infrastructure, data, workforce and industry networks. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai speaks to reporters at the Nvidia GTC conference in San Jose, California, yesterday. He said that Kaohsiung also hopes to work with Nvidia to develop what he described as the world's largest city-scale large language model with local features.

Taiwan-Vietnam literary exchanges foster people's diplomacyStaff writer, with CNAA key figure behind Taiwan-Vietnam literary exchanges said he hopes mutual understanding can be reinforced through "people-to-people diplomacy," as Taiwan marked Taiwanese Poetry Day on Saturday with an event promoting literary dialogue. Taiwanese Poetry Day was established to commemorate the death of Ong Iok-lim (王育霖), a Tainan-born poet and prosecutor who was killed during the 228 Incident in 1947. This year's event was held along with the Taiwan-Vietnam Literary Festival at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan. Taiwanese Poetry Day and Taiwan-Vietnam Literary Festival participants pose for a photograph in Tainan on Saturday. While she previously knew Taiwan mainly as a travel destination, literary exchanges helped her better understand its history and its people's pursuit of democracy and freedom, she said.

Beware diseases, WBC fans toldWATCH FOR HITCHHIKERS: The CDC warned those returning home from Japan to be alert for any contagious diseases that might have come back with them People who have returned from Japan following the World Baseball Classic (WBC) games during the weekend are recommended to watch for symptoms of infectious gastroenteritis, flu and measles for two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Flu viruses remain the most common respiratory pathogen in Taiwan in the past four weeks and the influenza B virus accounted for 55.7 percent of the tested cases, exceeding the percentage of influenza A (H3N2) infections and becoming the local dominant strain, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said at a news conference on Tuesday. There were 82,187 hospital visits forBy Lee I-chia

Push Hands: Reinventing indigenous danceA Kaohsiung-based troupe is blending hip-hop and tribal traditions to reconnect urban Aboriginal youth with their heritageBy Julien Oeuillet / Contributing reporter in KaohsiungIn Kaohsiung’s Indigenous People’s Park (原住民主題公園), the dance group Push Hands is training. MIXING CULTURESThe Push Hands dance crew blends rap imagery and aboriginal traditions. This is what makes Push Hands unique: while retaining their Aboriginal roots, and even reconnecting with them, they are adamant about doing something modern. Push Hands bring younger, urban aborigines together. “And dances and songs, along with language, are the most important things to learn.”Ljakuon is the founder of Push Hands.

US advance to third straight WBC finalTHRILLING GAME: The loaded US roster featuring Paul Skenes, Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge reached their third straight WBC final game, after 2017 and 2023AP, MIAMIGunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony on Sunday homered, and the US limited the Dominican Republic’s electric offense to win a thrilling semi-final 2-1 and move one win from capturing their second World Baseball Classic (WBC) championship. The loaded US roster led by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and featuring stars Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge reached their third straight WBC title game after winning in 2017 and falling to Shohei Ohtani and Japan in 2023. The US are to face the winner of this morning’s (Taiwan time) semi-final between Italy and Venezuela a day later. The Dominican Republic threatened in the ninth when Julio Rodriguez drew a walk and advanced to third against Mason Miller. Judge got it started in the third with a 95.7mph (154kph) laser from right field to get Fernando Tatis Jr at third.

Synagogue attacker’s brother HezbollahMICHIGAN SHOOTING: The Israeli military alleges that Ayman Ghazali’s brother was a Hezbollah commander who managed weapons for a unit that fired rockets at IsraelAP, JERUSALEMThe man who attacked a Michigan synagogue was the brother of a Hezbollah commander killed earlier this month in an Israeli airstrike, Israel’s military said on Sunday. The FBI’s Detroit office, which is investigating the synagogue attack, declined to comment on the claims by Israel’s military about Ibrahim Ghazali. The Israeli military alleges Ibrahim Ghazali was a Hezbollah commander who managed weapons for a unit that fired rockets at Israel. No staffers or children inside the synagogue were hurt, likely due to beefed up security. He lived in a single-story brick home in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights about 60km south of the synagogue.

Taiwanese comic artists to attend Manga-Comic-Con in GermanyStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese comic artists Wu Shi- shan (吳十三) and Rice Dumpling (穀子) are set to showcase the diversity of Taiwan’s comic scene during Manga-Comic-Con 2026 later this week in Germany, the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The event, one of Europe’s major cosplay and comic culture events, will take place March 19-22 at the Leipzig Exhibition Center as part of the Leipzig Book Fair. Preview editions in English and German will also be available to introduce Taiwanese comics to international readers and publishers. A German edition of the title is scheduled to be published by German comic publisher Splitter this month. The program will also include cosplay activities that enable visitors to dress up as characters from Taiwanese comics and learn more about the country’s comic creations.

P4P program to improve breast cancer care: ShihNT$40 MILLION: With over 180,000 people seeking treatment for breast cancer every year, the program aims to promote early diagnosis and reduce mortalityBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterWith tens of thousands of people seeking treatment for breast cancer each year, the government has allocated about NT$40 million (US$1.25 million) to improve treatment quality, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) told a news conference yesterday. Photo: Hou Chia-yu, Taipei TimesShih, along with NHI Administration Director-General Chen Lian-yu (陳亮妤) and representatives from the Taiwan Breast Cancer Society, yesterday announced the official launch of the P4P Breast Cancer Care Quality Improvement Program. “Breast cancer care is a national challenge that cannot be overlooked, as breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women,” Shih said. The WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative has set a goal to improve early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, with the key performance indicator being at least 60 percent of invasive breast cancers being diagnosed and treated at stage 1 or 2, he said, adding that Taiwan’s is more than 70 percent. The P4P program aims to gradually transform the medical payment from a “fee-for-service” model to a “value-based” model, he said.

Taiwan win 3 gold, 2 bronze medals in taekwondo eventStaff writer, with CNATaiwan won three gold and two bronze medals at the Dutch Open Taekwondo Championships in the Netherlands over the weekend. Wang Chieh-ling, 17, captured gold in the women’s 46kg category in her Dutch Open debut, defeating China’s Wang Shiyi 5-0, 17-1 in the final at Eindhoven. Members of the Taiwanese team pose for a photograph at the Dutch Open Taekwondo Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in an undated photograph. Meanwhile, Liu You-yun and Chen Liang-hsi secured bronze medals in the women’s 49kg and men’s 87kg categories respectively. The team were to rest for one day before heading to Lommel for the Belgian Open Taekwondo Championships, which is to take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Soeverein Arena, Su said.

Manila rejects PRC sovereignty claim in South China SeaReuters, MANILAThe Philippines yesterday said that it rejects Beijing’s assertion of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, disputing a claim by China’s embassy that a Filipino diplomat had once conceded the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) was not part of Philippine territory. A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ship, rear, sails past a Philippine fishing boat near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sept. 2 last year. Photo: AFPThe remarks are the latest in a war of words between Philippine officials and the Chinese embassy in Manila over disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines and China both lay claim to Scarborough Shoal, which is effectively under Beijing’s control through continuous deployment of its coast guard. The Philippines won a landmark case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 that found China’s sweeping claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea had no basis under international law, a decision that Beijing continuously rejects.

Ex-Munich Security Conference chair urges united stance against ChinaStaff writer, with CNAFormer Munich Security Conference Chair Christoph Heusgen has urged global democracies to stand united to preserve the rules-based international order, given the challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to Taiwan and the world. In an address delivered at a dinner during the annual Yushan Forum, Heusgen said the PRC, Taiwan’s large neighbor, "is a challenge" as it repeatedly shows no respect for the rules-based international order. Economic security and technological resilience have become inseparable from national security, he said, which explains "precisely why Taiwan matters." "This is also why forums like the Yushan Forum are so important. Both guests were invited to attend the two-day 2026 edition of the Yushan Forum that opened yesterday.

Agency allocates NT$90 million for tourism educationStaff writer, with CNAThe Tourism Administration has budgeted NT$90 million (US$2.82 million) to fund tour operators and tourism associations nationwide to host educational sessions for tourism professionals and develop e-commerce management systems. The funding is part of the agency’s initiative to upgrade the digital capabilities and service quality of the travel industry, while also helping tourism operators obtain sustainability certifications. The educational sessions should focus on improving tourism service quality, marketing skills, digital capabilities, travel safety and protection, as well as other related issues, the agency said. The Tourism Administration estimates that the budget could support about 50 educational sessions. Part of the funding would also subsidize tour operators’ performance bond insurance premiums, capped at NT$10,000 for operators and NT$2,500 for their branch offices.