MOFA tells China not to ‘meddle’ in evacuationsSTAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said TaiwanBy Huang Ching-hsuan, Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington

Motion condemning the premier advances to second readingStaff writer, with CNAAn opposition-backed motion to condemn Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) over his refusal to countersign three legal amendments advanced to a second reading in the Legislature yesterday. Premier Cho Jung-tai speaks at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei today. The motion admonishes Cho and President William Lai (賴清德) to "immediately cease their illegal and abusive actions of not countersigning, not promulgating and not implementing." Lawmakers voted 53-29 to advance the motion to a second reading and deliberate it during cross-caucus negotiations. Under the Constitution, although the President cannot veto laws passed by the Legislature, laws must be countersigned by the premier before they can be promulgated.

Rare owl spotted nesting in PingtungBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterA juvenile eastern grass owl was spotted around Pingtung County’s Linbian River (林邊溪) last month, which was the southernmost sighting of the critically endangered species nesting in Taiwan, according to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Pingtung branch. The branch sent a team led by Hong Shiao-yu (洪孝宇), assistant professor of the Graduated Institute of Wildlife Conservation at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, to conduct eastern grass owl conservation projects in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County. Eastern grass owls are pictured at Pingtung County’s Linbian River in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Pingtung branchThe finding marked the southernmost sighting of eastern grass owls nesting in Taiwan and demonstrated the species’ adaptability for habitat choice and life cycle, it said. The eastern grass owl, known as the “monkey-faced owl,” is the only owl species that nests in grassland in Taiwan, the branch said.

More Filipinos being probed after alleged China leakBloombergThe Philippines’ top security official said more people are being probed after authorities apprehended three Filipino nationals for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Beijing, including data on Manila’s operations in the disputed South China Sea. “There are other cases that we’re investigating,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said yesterday. “We firmly oppose and strongly deplore irresponsible remarks made by certain Philippine agencies peddling so-called ‘Chinese spy’ narratives,” the embassy on Thursday. Such accusations are malicious smears against China and yet another attempt to hype up the so-called ‘China threat’ rhetoric,’” it added. The Philippines has said that Chinese coast guard vessels have previously fired water cannons and rammed Manila’s vessels engaged in resupply missions in the contested waters.

Ministry praises Prague for resolution on TaiwanBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with CNAMinister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked the Czech Senate for passing a resolution on Wednesday backing Taiwan’s participation in global organizations and rejecting China’s mischaracterization of UN Resolution 2758. The entrance to the Czech Senate in Prague is pictured in an undated photograph. UN Resolution 2758 only recognizes the People’s Republic of China as China’s sole legal representative in the UN, but does not mention Taiwan or the people of Taiwan, it added. The resolution urged the Czech government to address the misuse of UN Resolution 2758 at UN-related organizations and to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday quoted Lin as expressing thanks to the Czech Senate for its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.

French qualifier Diane Parry puts an end to Venus Williams’ desert dreamAFP, INDIAN WELLS, CaliforniaSeven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams on Thursday was sent crashing out at Indian Wells, falling in three sets to French qualifier Diane Parry. “You’ll have to ask her that,” Venus Williams said to the question that has bubbled in the tennis world since 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams re-entered the anti-doping testing pool. While Venus Williams remains in search of her first win of the year after first-round exits at the Australian Open and in Austin, Texas, she said Thursday’s game was not a good gauge of her form. “It could have gone either way, but I was able to stay very strong in the most important moments.”Dimitrov, a 2021 Indian Wells semi-finalist, now gets a shot at Alcaraz, who is undefeated in 12 matches this year and beat Dimitrov in the fourth round in Indian Wells last year. Alcaraz, whose Australian Open triumph in January made him at 22 the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, is to launch his bid for a third Indian Wells title today.

ITRI signs MOU with UK group to boost space dealsStaff writer, with CNAThe Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a UK-based trade organization to boost collaboration on a bilateral space supply chain. The MOU was signed by Lewis Chen (陳立偉), director general of ITRI’s Commercialization and Industry Service Center, and Alun Williams, deputy director of the space sector team at ADS Group, a trade organization representing the aerospace, defense and security industries. The signing ceremony was held at the Taiwan-UK Space Supply Chain Partnership Forum on the sidelines of the two-day Space-Comm Expo in London. Representative to the UK Vincent Yao (姚金祥) said that Taiwan has world-class innovation and advanced manufacturing, and that the complementary strengths of Taiwan and the UK would create many opportunities for cooperation. London-based ADS Group has considerable industry integration capabilities and international influence, and that formally establishing the partnership platform was strategically significant for Taiwanese suppliers seeking to enter the European market, ITRI said.

Parental shortened work schedule sees limited useStaff writer, with CNAOnly 2.9 percent of employees at companies with more than 30 workers have applied to reduce their work hours for childcare reasons in the past year, according to a Ministry of Labor survey. Under the law, employees at companies with 30 or more employees who are caring for children under the age of three can request a one-hour reduction in their daily work hours without pay, or apply for an adjustment of work hours. The survey found that 81.4 percent of companies said they would allow hour-reduction requests, with approved reductions averaging 1.1 hours per day. Photo: CNAAmong companies that allowed employees to reduce their work hours, 90.1 percent did not provide pay for the reduced hour, while 5.8 percent offered full pay and 4 percent provided partial pay. The ministry conducted the survey in autumn last year, collecting responses from 3,243 employers and 6,920 employees.

Court issues vote forgery sentencesStaff writer, with CNAThe Taichung District Court yesterday handed down mostly suspended sentences to workers at the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Taichung chapter for falsifying documents in an effort to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers last year. Wu and Chen were also stripped of their civil rights for two years and fined NT$300,000 and NT$250,000 respectively, the court said. A flag flies above the main entrance of the Taichung District Court in an undated photograph. Two other defendents, surnamed Chou (周) and Mai (買), received jail terms of nine months and one year respectively, with those sentences not suspended. The court did not specify why it did not suspend the sentences of Chou and Mai, saying only that the rulings can be appealed.

Honduran President Nasry Asfura speaks after his inauguration at the Hunduran Congress in Tegucigalpa on Jan. 27. Latin America’s ties with Taiwan have gained attention because they have become a barometer of the power balance between the world’s two largest economies. “While too many countries bow to the bullying of Beijing, Guatemala stands with the people of Taiwan and prospers through a strong trade relationship,” Moolenaar said. Amador hopes that Asfura restores ties with Taiwan for the benefit of the 330 shrimp farming companies that are still operating. Urdinez said that Asfura might go further and rebuild formal ties with Taiwan.

Groups urge re-examination of port impactDOLPHIN DEFENDERS Environmentalists pled with the environment ministry to reconsider the possible impact of a Taichung port land reclamation projectBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterEnvironmental advocates yesterday urged the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) to suspend a land reclamation project by Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) at Taichung port and put it through a second-stage environmental impact assessment (EIA) review. The Taichung port project has generated backlash from environmental advocates due to its impact on surrounding habitats of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, sometimes called white or pink dolphins. The project was exempted from EIA review when it was proposed in 2022, because it was judged to be “within existing breakwaters of the port,” and lawfully qualified for the exemption. Matsu’s Fish Conservation Union standing director Kuo Chia-wen (郭佳雯) said land reclamation would destroy local marine food chains, increase seawater turbidity and expose dolphins to higher health risks of heavy metals in water. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) asked that the MOENV withdraw the official document granting the exemption of an EIA review to the project.

Sexual harassment complaints surgeKNOW THINE ENEMY Ministry officials attributed a 22 percent rise in reports of verbal harassment from 2023 to a growing public awareness of disrespectful sexual languageBy Lo Pi and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan last year reported 3,656 sexual harassment complaints, up 45 percent from 2023, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday as officials recommendations to protect women in public spaces. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Chien-te, center, holds a placard at a conference about public sexual harassment in Taipei yesterday. Taiwanese judicial authorities imposed penalties in 1,527 sexual harassment cases, doubling the conviction rate when compared with 2023, officials said. Corporate policy should include mandatory sexual harassment prevention training and regular tests, as well as specialized training for managers and investigators, she said. Elsewhere, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union yesterday called on the government to protect flight attendants from sexual harassment in Taiwan-owned aircraft flying in foreign countries.

NTNU leads for international student numbersBy Yang Mien-chieh and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerNational Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) reported that international students accounted for 13.39 percent of its student body last year, making the college Taiwan’s most international public university for the second consecutive year. NTNU has increased the share of international students in the student body faster than any other public university in Taiwan between 2010 and last year, the school said in a statement yesterday. The university’s use of the Higher Education SPROUT Project’s provision for internationalizing higher education is a driver of its growth in its international student body, it said. NTNU has 1,942 international students from 73 countries and territories across the world, with Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau supplying the largest groups, it said. A mature bilingual educational environment is key to the university’s success in continually growing its international student population, offering six bachelor’s degree-level and 62 doctoral and master-level classes in the English language, it said.

The motion, proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), was fast-tracked to the second reading and cross-party negotiations on Jan. 16, bypassing committee review. The opposition parties convened cross-party negotiations on Jan. 22, but failed to reach a consensus with the executive branch and ruling party lawmakers. Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said there is no precedent for splitting the general budget. The budget bill should undergo three readings, according to Article 7 of the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), she said, calling the passage of the second reading of the motion unprecedented. Citing the urgency of the new projects, she urged legislative caucuses across party lines to begin substantive review of the general budget as soon as possible and complete the required legal procedures.

Acter revenue to grow on chip capacity expansionsBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterActer Group Co (聖暉), which specializes in installing cleanroom electromechanical integration and pipelining systems for semiconductor companies, yesterday said that revenue should rise by a double-digit percentage this year, benefiting from capacity expansions by foundries and major memory chipmakers amid the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. “We are targeting double-digit percent revenue and profit growth this and next year, building on a high base in 2025,” Acter spokesman Jeff Liang (梁鈞幃) told a media briefing. Rayzher Industrial Co president Kimi Tseng, left, Acter Group Co president Lai Ming-kun, center, and Nova Technology Corp president David Ma pose for a photograph during a media briefing in Taipei yesterday. Its overseas operations made up about 40 percent of the company’s total revenue last year. The US is to start contributing to revenue this year, accounting for about 7 percent of the total and rising to 20 percent next year, Acter said.