Several tennis players still stranded by warAFP, PARISA “small number” of tennis players are stuck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a men’s tournament last week, owing to the war in the Middle East, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said on Monday. “The health, safety and well-being of our players, staff and tournament personnel is our priority,” the ATP said in a statement on social media. Daniil Medvedev of Russia plays in Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne on Jan. 25, 2026. Photo: AP“We can confirm that a small number of players and team members remain in Dubai... The International Tennis Federation said the two World Tennis Tour tournaments, third-tier events set for March 16-28 at Fujairah, had been “postponed”.

India opens first semiconductor assembly facilityNEW IDENTITY: Known for its software, India has expanded into hardware, with its semiconductor industry growing from US$38bn in 2023 to US$45bn to US$50bn India on Saturday inaugurated its first semiconductor assembly and test facility, a milestone in the government’s push to reduce dependence on foreign chipmakers and stake a claim in a sector dominated by China. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened US firm Micron Technology Inc’s semiconductor assembly, test and packaging unit in his home state of Gujarat, hailing the “dawn of a new era” for India’s technology ambitions. “When young Indians look back in the future, they will see this decade as the turning point in our tech future,” Modi told the event, which was broadcast on his YouTube channel. The plant would convert

France to expand its nuclear arsenalUNPRECEDENTED PLAN: France maintains the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal, with about 290 warheads, while the UK is the only other European nuclear powerAFP, ILE LONGUE, FranceFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said that France would expand its atomic arsenal and could deploy nuclear-armed aircraft to allied nations for the first time, as he unveiled an unprecedented plan to bolster security on the continent. Macron said eight European nations had agreed to join his plan to use France’s nuclear stockpile to bolster security on the continent. He also said he ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads, but added that France would no longer be disclosing any details on its stockpile. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland was in talks with France and other European allies on further steps. The UK, which is no longer a member of the EU, is the only other European nuclear power.

Canadian senators eyeing trade deal with Taiwan‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark CarneyBy Jake Chung

Supporting guidelines of the act regulate drone activities in specific areas of seaports: the ports of Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Suao, Anping, Budai, Magong, Kinmen and Matsu, the bureau said. Under the new guidelines, drone operators are banned from engaging in behavior that endangers lives or risks damaging property, and cannot fly the devices while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said. Drone operators must be on high alert and keep the devices at least 30m from sea vessels and port facilities to ensure they do not compromise port safety, he said. In addition to the act and supporting guidelines, drone operators must abide by the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) and Regulations of Drones (遙控無人機管理規則). Prior to the amendments to the Commercial Port Act and supporting guidelines, drones were banned from seaports.

KMT and TPP agree to deliberations on bill on FridayBy Liu Wan-lin, Lin Hsin-han and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writerChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers yesterday agreed to deliberate on Friday the government’s military budget. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) previously told KMT lawmakers that the US has expressed a preference for Taiwan to pass a NT$900 billion defense budget. KMT Legislator Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋) on Monday said that KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) and several others support an NT$810 billion allocation instead of the leadership’s smaller proposal. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday criticized the KMT leadership’s proposal, saying that the Cabinet’s NT$1.25 trillion bill is an integrated package without superfluous elements for bargaining. The KMT leadership’s “punitive articles” would harm national security, Cho said.

The initial US-Israeli strikes killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Trump urged Iranians to overthrow their government. Trump’s initial announcement of the strikes listed several grievances, from concerns about Iran’s nuclear and missile programs to its leadership. An attack from two drones on the US embassy in Riyadh caused a “limited fire,” the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense said, as the embassy urged Americans to avoid the compound. The Iran-supported militant group Hezbollah has also attacked Israel, whose retaliatory strikes killed 52 people in Lebanon. Satellite photographs showed limited activity at two Iranian nuclear sites before the war.

CKD contributing to climate changeBy Chiu Chih-jou and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTreatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Taiwan emits an estimated 1.03 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually and is to cost NT$62.18 billion (US$1.97 billion) by next year, medical experts said yesterday, calling for stronger preventive healthcare. Taiwan Society of Nephrology and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s Taiwan branch made the remarks at a news conference marking the publication of a joint study on the impact of CKD on Taiwan. The research revealed that emissions from dialysis treatment for Taiwanese are the equivalent of 1,700 round-the-world flights by commercial jets, they said. CKD treatment should share resources with those diseases that also rely on managing blood sugar levels and blood pressure, such as cardiovascular conditions, Wu said. Doctors should also promote outpatient treatment for patients with late-stage CKD to cut costs associated with transporting patients to and from hospital, he said.

FSC alerts firms on Mideast exposureUS-IRAN WAR: With banks, insurers and securities firms’ exposure reaching NT$2.35 trillion, the FSC urged them to boost risks controls and monitor potential volatilityBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe intensifying military tensions between the US and Iran are beginning to ripple through Taiwan’s financial sector, with banks, insurers and securities firms holding sizable exposure to the Middle East, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said. A sign for the Financial Supervisory Commission is pictured at its office in New Taipei City in an undated photograph. Banks reported NT$599.2 billion in combined exposure to the Middle East, concentrated in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan and Oman, the commission said. Financial firms’ exposure to Israel totaled NT$136.7 billion at the end of last year, down 4 percent from a year earlier, the commission said. The decline was the largest among the seven Middle Eastern countries, suggesting that firms have begun trimming positions to mitigate geopolitical risks there.

CEC mulls suing Li Zhenxiu: sourceBy Chen Yu-fu, Lin Che-yuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Central Election Commission (CEC) reportedly plans to file a lawsuit to invalidate the election of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator-at-large Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) on the grounds that Li was ineligible to run for office under cross-strait law, a source said yesterday. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator-at-large Li Zhenxiu shows her Republic of China passport at a news conference in Taipei on Feb. 3. However, Li had no record of submitting the document to the National Immigration Agency or the Straits Exchange Foundation before March last year, the source said. The 10-year period begins after they submit proof of renouncing their Chinese residency, they said. The CEC yesterday said that it would resolve the Li case after a full committee can be convened.

President of Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj and Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani stand next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Tehran in 2022. Trump’s government has promised exemptions from its travel bans for athletes and coachesarriving for major sports events like the World Cup. Should Iran pull out of the World Cup — still hugely speculative — its soccer federation would forfeit at least US$10.5 million. One possible element of uncertainty is the language of the World Cup tournament rules. Just 13 teams instead of 16 took part in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, with India and Scotland among teams declining a place.

The US’ overwhelming strengthBy Michael Lin 林正二Since being re-elected, US President Donald Trump has consistently taken concrete action to counter China and to safeguard the interests of the US and other democratic nations. Iran and Venezuela are important allies and major oil suppliers of China, and the US has effectively decapitated both. Taken together, these developments clearly demonstrate strategic deployments to counter China — using overwhelming military strength to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from crossing that line by even a single step. However, in safeguarding US geopolitical, economic and strategic interests, Trump has already demonstrated that, under his “America first” framework, “Taiwan is Taiwan” — separate issues must be addressed one at a time. The US is using overwhelming military strength to safeguard its interests.

Some liquefied natural gas (LNG) traders spent all night on Monday speaking to contacts about available supply after Iranian attacks closed the world’s biggest export plant in Qatar, people familiar with the matter said. Importers in China, India and Japan have inquired about other sources of oil and LNG, they said. CPC Corp, Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas receiving terminal at the Port of Taichung is pictured in an undated photograph. At the same time, Chinese gas buyers say the country is pushing Tehran to keep Hormuz open. Alternatives outside of the Middle East are likely to be more expensive, with bloated freight rates adding to spiraling costs for importers.

Liao wrote that US material deterrence and the credibility of international law are indispensable pillars on which Taiwan’s security rests. The realist argument says that the demonstration of effective force and operational sophistication is sufficient deterrence, without the need for the cover of legal or moral legitimacy. One could argue that that realist argument stands in the short term, but is considerably weakened over the long term. For Taiwan, the crucial aspect is whether the chances of a potential war in the Taiwan Strait diminish after the US’ airstrikes. It comes down to the degree to which Xi is paranoid or secure in the Chinese populace’s satisfaction with his stewardship.

A man gestures while riding a motorcycle past collapsed and damaged buildings near Ferdowsi Square in Tehran yesterday. There would be absolutely no power rationing due to an LNG shortage, Kung said. The premier Cho Jung-tai, left, and the Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin answer questions from legislators as the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday. Taiwan could also discuss mutual assistance with other LNG buyers, including Japan and South Korea, the ministry said. Meanwhile, three major shipping firms have stopped accepting cargo for delivery to the Middle East or through the Red Sea, the Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday.