They would be the first attempt to regulate the flow of AI chips to US allies and partners since US President Donald Trump’s administration said it rescinded its predecessor’s so-called AI diffusion rules. The proposed rules would not affect blacklisted countries such as Russia, which cannot obtain US AI chips under rules set by the Biden administration. China, which was among those countries, got a greenlight in December to receive Nvidia’s second-most advanced AI chips. According to a document seen by Reuters, even small chip installations of less than 1,000 chips could need a license. The Trump administration already required Saudi Arabia to provide such assurances in order to purchase advanced chips, it says.

More attacks hit Tehran in ‘new phase’REGIONAL REPERCUSSIONS: The fight has drawn in neighboring Gulf countries, killing civilians, and has expanded as far as the Sri Lankan coast and AzerbaijanAFP, TEHRANHeavy attacks were reported in Tehran yesterday after Israel said it was hitting “regime infrastructure” in a “new phase” of the war it launched with the US against Iran. Mourners in Qom, Iran, on Thursday attend the funeral of people killed in the US-Israeli war with Iran. The conflict has drawn in Lebanon after Iranian-backed Hezbollah launched missiles in retaliation for the war. “Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83 percent since day one,” Cooper said.

Suspected drug-influenced driver kills one in YilanStaff writer, with CNAA driver who police suspect may have been under the influence of drugs caused collisions among multiple vehicles in Yilan City late yesterday, resulting in one person dead and many others injured. Vehicles involved in a fatal accident in Yilan City are pictured yesterday evening. The driver of the first car rammed into by Lin was the only fatality in the accident, police said. Lin, his passenger, and the scooter driver were all taken to a hospital to treat their injuries. The Yilan District Prosecutors' Office has taken over the case and would be investigating Lin for potential offenses against public safety under the Criminal Code and contraventions of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).

Suspected food poisoning in Kenting under investigationStaff writer, with CNAHealth authorities in Pingtung County have launched an investigation into a possible food poisoning case involving high-school students on a graduation trip in Kenting (墾丁) who got sick after eating oysters baked in their shells at a local restaurant. Officials from the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau yesterday said that inspectors would visit the restaurant and conduct an administrative inspection, epidemiological investigation and environmental sample collection. An official from the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau yesterday inspects a seafood restaurant linked to a suspected food poisoning case. Six of the seven students later experienced high fevers, vomiting, diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps, prompting concerns about possible food poisoning. The bureau said that as of yesterday, it had not received any reports of suspected food poisoning from medical institutions.

Taroko trails reopening as restoration continues following 2024 quakeBy Hua Meng-ching and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerAlthough the Changchun Shrine (長春祠) in Taroko National Park would not reopen until 2029, it is definitely “worth the wait,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday during a trip to check restoration progress since a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the area on April 3, 2024. While several trails and many areas of the road in Taroko National Park have been reopened since the quake, some sites that were more heavily damaged, including the shrine, could still take years to restore. The Changchun Shrine at Taroko National Park in Hualien County is pictured yesterday. Repairs to the Changchun Shrine Trail were complicated due to the risk of rockfalls, which require additional insurance, he said. Cho visited Changchun Shrine yesterday along with park officials to pay their respects to pioneers and soldiers who helped build the road.

Education ministry releases teaching resources for 228 IncidentBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Education today released a new Web page providing supplementary educational materials on aspects of the 228 Incident and the White Terror not included in the school curriculum. The Web page was designed to use accessible digital resources to fill gaps in the current history curricula, the ministry said. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, center, visits the National Human Rights Museum’s Jingmei White Terror Memorial Park in New Taipei City earlier this week. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Education via CNAThe “108 curriculum,” implemented in high schools in 2019, does teach transitional justice, although older curricula lack teaching materials on the subject, it said. The Web page can be accessed at www.hre.pro.edu.tw/bukeliaoma.

Limited general budget passes second readingBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNALawmakers today passed the second reading of a motion that would authorize the disbursement of NT$71.8 billion (US$2.27 billion) for 38 projects under the central government budget. The motion, proposed by the KMT and the TPP, was fast-tracked to the second reading and cross-party negotiations on Jan. 16, bypassing committee review. Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said there is no precedent for splitting the general budget. The budget bill should undergo three readings, according the 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.

TPP proposes authorizing US arms deals before budgetBy Liu Wan-lin and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taiwan People Party’s (TPP) caucus today introduced a motion that would authorize the Executive Yuan to sign letters of offer and acceptance (LOA) for three major US arms purchases before the relevant budget has been formally approved. As the LOAs are set to expire on March 15, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) has urged the Legislative Yuan to grant prior authorization to ensure the deals remain on track. Taiwan People's Party caucus deputy convener Wang An-hsiang speaks to reporters in Taipei this morning. TPP caucus deputy convener Wang An-hsiang (王安祥) said that the party is willing to respond to the ministry’s request for prior authorization amid widespread concern over the looming deadline. The TPP in its motion accused the Cabinet of lacking transparency in the planning and decision-making process for its NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.46 billion) special defense budget, proposed in November last year.

Court sentences 34 KMT members for recall document forgeryBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Taichung District Court today sentenced 34 members of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Taichung chapter to sentences ranging from three months to one year and 11 months for forging signatures in last year’s recall movement. The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) Taichung chapter is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: CNAThe 34 defendants were charged with document forgery under the Criminal Code and contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法). An additional 30 KMT members were sentenced to between one year and two months and three months in prison, suspended for two to three years. Two staff members were sentenced to one year and nine months respectively, and were not granted suspended sentences.

Taiwan, Tuvalu sign double taxation agreementStaff writer, with CNAThe government on Wednesday signed an agreement to avoid double taxation, and donated funds to cover the maintenance costs of Tuvalu's first undersea cable, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. Lin, who is currently visiting Tuvalu as a special envoy of President William Lai (賴清德), arrived in the Pacific ally early on Wednesday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, left, and Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo hold up a signed agreement in Tuvalu on Wednesday. During the banquet, both parties signed an Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, which is expected to boost trade and encourage Taiwanese investment in Tuvalu, Lin said. However, the foreign minister did not disclose the amount donated.

Second measles cluster of year reportedStaff writer, with CNATwo cases of measles have been diagnosed in central Taiwan, marking the second cluster of the year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Contacts of the second case, totaling 87, would have their health monitored until March 22, he added. Taiwan has seen four measles cases so far this year, Lin said. Although measles is highly contagious and has spread worldwide, Lin said Taiwan has a high vaccine-coverage rate and is unlikely to see an outbreak. However, those who have been in contact with measles patients should observe Taiwan's measles protocols, report their status to local health agencies and seek further instructions, he said.

Snow falls on Yushan as mercury set to drop tonightStaff writer, with CNASnow fell again on Taiwan's highest peak early this morning, as temperatures dropped to minus-3.7°C at a weather station on Yushan (玉山, Jade Mountain), the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. On its Facebook page, the CWA shared images from the Yushan Weather Station showing about 5cm of snow still on the ground, while nearby peaks were dusted with white powder. About 5cm of snow is pictured at the Yushan Weather Station earlier today. Rain would be more persistent along the coast of Keelung in the north and in northeastern Taiwan, with occasional heavier downpours, the CWA said. Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said that temperatures are forecast to drop as northeasterly winds strengthen later today, sending lows to about 13°C at night.

Premier refuses to countersign three more billsStaff writer, with CNAThe Cabinet yesterday said that Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) would not countersign three legal amendments passed this year by the opposition-controlled legislature, citing what he claimed were flaws in their constitutionality. Premier Cho Jung-tai speaks at a Cabinet meeting in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Executive YuanBased on the Cabinet's interpretation, Cho's refusal to countersign the laws effectively means the revisions would not be enacted. That was the first time a premier had ever refused to countersign a law passed by the legislature in the history of the Republic of China. There is also an instance in which — although Cho and Lai signed bills into law — the government still refused to implement them.

Firms passive in preventing sexual harassment: pollBy Yang Yuan-ting and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerAbout 46 percent of people feel that company attitudes toward preventing sexual harassment are passive, while 60 percent say that training exercises are not effective, a Modern Women’s Foundation poll released yesterday found. The foundation released the results two years after the passage of amendments that aimed to address sexual harassment, including incidents in the workplace. About 96 percent of the respondents said that companies should focus on preventing sexual harassment, foundation employee Huang Chuan-hsin (黃傳馨) said. The poll showed that while more than 70 percent said they knew of channels to report sexual harassment, trainings only lasted 20 minutes, or multiple issues were covered in one session. One-quarter of respondents who had experienced sexual harassment said company reactions were passive, Huang said, adding that only 40 percent reported the incidents.

Taiwan fans make statement in Tokyo before WBC openerReuters, TOKYOThousands of Taiwanese fans yesterday descended on the Tokyo Dome for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) opener, displaying banners proclaiming “Team Taiwan” as opposed to their official designation in the tournament, Chinese Taipei. Taiwan has long competed in international sport as “Chinese Taipei” to avoid objections from China. Outside the Tokyo Dome, self-described “fan activists” clad in the red, white and blue of Taiwan’s flag led chants of “Go Taiwan” in Mandarin and “Team Taiwan” in English. Taiwan fans wave flags and hold a banner outside Tokyo Stadium before Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic Pool C opener against Australia yesterday. “Especially after [the 2024 Premier12] games, I feel like they had a huge, huge impact on all of Taiwan.