Putin has weaponized the peace talks, but the US can stop him
That threat lost its power through overuse, but in the era of US President Donald Trump the Kremlin has been handed a still more potent weapon — the peace process. Instead, Trump’s policies have enabled further monstrous cruelty, as Putin drew the only logical conclusion — keep peace talks alive yet ineffectual, while pressing home the advantages gained. That is also because Russia’s remarkably resilient economy is finally showing real signs of strain, meaning that the clock is ticking for Putin, too. Both populations are exhausted, with opinion polls in Russia and Ukraine alike trending toward acceptance of some sort of settlement. All of these measures to persuade Putin he can gain nothing more by fighting should have been taken long ago.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 16:06 UTC
Ukrainian cities without power as Russia strikes
Ukrainian cities without power as Russia strikesTALKS? Russia pounded Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles overnight, targeting energy systems and injuring at least seven people in the capital, Kyiv, and the cities of Dnipro and Odesa, officials said. Ukraine’s major private energy company DTEK said that Russia attacked its thermal power plant overnight, causing significant damage to the plant’s equipment. Two people were hurt in a “massive” attack on Kyiv, which also hit various buildings, city Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian officials have met Russian officials under US mediation in Abu Dhabi in the latest US push to end the war.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 16:06 UTC
Corruption perception rank needs improving
Corruption perception rank needs improvingBy Tsao Yao-chun 曹耀鈞Transparency International on Tuesday released its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores and rankings for last year. This latest score marks a historical high for Taiwan — the nation’s best since CPI evaluations began in 1995. Taiwan’s steadily rising rank in the CPI can be a source of pride for the public. However, if the goal is to make substantial, qualitative advances in its perceived integrity, Taiwan need not initially aspire to the top-tier standards of Nordic countries. Tsao Yao-chun is a researcher with Transparency International Taiwan and an external expert with the Ministry of National Defense on corruption index evaluations of governments.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 16:06 UTC
GDP per capita likely to top US$40,000 this year, premier says
GDP per capita likely to top US$40,000 this year, premier saysBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s GDP per capita could exceed US$40,000 this year and the monthly minimum wage could top NT$30,000 if the economy continues its steady growth trajectory, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. Taiwan reported economic growth of 8.63 percent last year, with GDP per capita rising to US$39,477 amid favorable economic conditions, Cho said, adding that the nation’s stock market reached 33,000 points. Photo: CNAEchoing President William Lai’s (賴清德) call for the Legislative Yuan to pass the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.81 billion) special defense budget, Cho said he sees signs of hope emerging in the legislature. Regarding controversies involving military pay rises, the Executive Yuan would seek a constitutional judgement, Cho said. Cho said he hopes that after the Lunar New Year recess, the legislature will conduct reviews of the special defense budget and the general budget to improve the nation’s security.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 10:13 UTC
High Court overturns acquittal in China-funded junket case
High Court overturns acquittal in China-funded junket caseBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThe High Court today overturned a lower court’s acquittal of two people who were accused of accepting Chinese funds to organize trips to China to buy votes. The entrance to the Taipei branch of the High Court is pictured in an undated photograph. Prosecutors appealed the acquittal and the case was sent to the High Court. During the trial, Yao asked the High Court to reject the prosecutors’ appeal. The High Court found the pair guilty of vote-buying by accepting funding from an infiltration source.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 09:54 UTC
Support for death penalty reaches 10-year high: survey
Support for death penalty reaches 10-year high: surveyBy Liu Ching-hou and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe number of people in Taiwan opposed to abolishing the death penalty has reached a 10-year high, survey results released by National Chung Cheng University today showed. Of the survey’s respondents, 84.67 percent said they oppose abolishing the death penalty, while 66.91 percent said they are “completely opposed” to the idea. The landline telephone survey was conducted on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, with 1,802 valid responses collected from adults across Taiwan. Empirical evidence remains inconclusive on whether the death penalty is a more effective deterrent than life imprisonment, it said. However, the majority of people in Taiwan still favor retaining the death penalty, viewing it as a deterrent and a reflection of retributive justice, the report said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 09:50 UTC
President Lai extends condolences after Canada school shooting
President Lai extends condolences after Canada school shootingStaff writer, with CNAPresident William Lai (賴清德) today expressed condolences to the victims of a fatal school shooting in Canada, offering sympathies to the families of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Nine people were killed and 27 injured in the shooting on Tuesday in the rural town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. "Our hearts go out to the community of Tumbler Ridge following the recent tragedy," Lai wrote on X. President William Lai’s post on X expressing his condolences to the victims of a school shooting in Canada. Photo: Screen grab from President William Lai’s X accountThe incident was among the most serious school shootings in the country's history, Canadian authorities said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 09:18 UTC
China using ‘lawfare’ to coerce Taiwan: Australian think tank
China using ‘lawfare’ to coerce Taiwan: Australian think tankBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAChina has built an “army of lawyers” to intimidate and constrain Taiwan, threatening “long-arm jurisdiction” beyond its own borders to persecute what it calls “die-hard Taiwan independence separatists,” the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released on Tuesday. Taiwan is the target,” said that Beijing’s “lawfare campaign” last year shifted from declaratory threats to active enforcement. The “trend sits alongside a more overt legal escalation: Beijing’s move to ‘prosecute’ alleged Taiwanese ‘separatists,’” the report said. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been targeting political figures, social media influencers and Taiwanese who travel to China, it said. “These actions are intended to chill political speech, constrain international engagement with Taiwan, and signal that support for Taiwanese democracy carries personal costs,” it added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 08:56 UTC
President Lai warns countries in region ‘next’ if China attacks
President Lai warns countries in region ‘next’ if China attacksAFP, TAIPEIIf China were to take Taiwan, Beijing would become "more aggressive, undermining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the rules-based international order," President William Lai (賴清德) said in an interview published today. "If Taiwan were annexed by China, China's expansionist ambitions would not stop there," Lai told Agence France-Presse in an exclusive interview at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. President William Lai waves at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Nov. 30, 2024. The US does not need "to frame Taiwan as a bargaining chip in any discussions with China," he added. "In the context of US-China trade competition, China seeks far more from the US than the US does from China," he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 06:00 UTC
Ten lawmakers indicted over Legislative Yuan brawls
Ten lawmakers indicted over Legislative Yuan brawlsBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThe Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today indicted 10 legislators on charges including causing injury, while four others were not prosecuted, following a series of physical altercations in the Legislative Yuan throughout 2024 and last year. During the investigation, several legislators cited Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. However, intentional physical actions are clearly unrelated to the exercise of official duties and are not protected under constitutional provisions, prosecutors said. A scuffle breaks out in the Legislative Yuan on May 17, 2024. KMT lawmakers Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷), Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡), Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲) and Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) were not prosecuted.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 05:57 UTC
New US arms strategy favors Taiwan, but ambiguity remains: experts
New US arms strategy favors Taiwan, but ambiguity remains: expertsStaff writer, with CNAThe US’ new "America First Arms Transfer Strategy" could benefit Taiwan, though much would depend on how it is implemented and whether Taipei approves sufficient funding, US defense experts said yesterday. Montgomery was referring to US President Donald Trump's signing of an executive order titled "Establishing an America First Arms Transfer Strategy." The order's "vague" wording made it hard to assess how the new policy would affect Taiwan, said John Dotson, director of the Global Taiwan Institute, a Washington-based think tank. The language in that section could be interpreted to mean that arms sales would prioritize larger-ticket items, such as aircraft, missiles or heavy artillery such as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Dotson said. The language referring to "critical geography" and the connection to US economic interests "could be taken as a veiled invocation of support for Taiwan," he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 05:40 UTC
KMT sues ‘Liberty Times’ over reports on CCP exchanges
KMT sues ‘Liberty Times’ over reports on CCP exchangesStaff writer, with CNAThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said it has filed civil litigation against the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) and its editor-in-chief Tzou Jiing-wen (鄒景雯), accusing the paper of publishing "entirely untrue" reports on exchanges between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Liberty Times published seven reports on Jan. 25, Jan. 26 and Sunday last week that were “fake news,” KMT spokesperson Chiang I-chen (江怡臻) told a news conference. Photo: CNAThe reports made claims about a planned meeting between KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Chiang said. The civil complaint names the Liberty Times, Tzou and two reporters as defendants, he added. The newspaper's reports "all had basis" and underwent "reasonable verification," Liberty Times spokesperson Su Yu-hui (蘇宇暉) said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 05:17 UTC
KFC branch could face NT$200m fine over battery in egg tart
KFC branch could face NT$200m fine over battery in egg tartStaff writer, with CNAA KFC branch in Kaohsiung could be fined up to NT$200 million (US$6.35 million) after a customer found a AAA battery in an egg tart, city officials said yesterday. Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei TimesThe Kaohsiung Department of Health yesterday dispatched personnel to inspect the store. Because the presence of a AAA battery in an egg tart contravenes the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), the department said it would impose a fine ranging from NT$60,000 to NT$200 million and refer the case to prosecutors. It also urged restaurants to improve staff training and enhance food safety oversight. People with purchase disputes can contact Kaohsiung’s Consumer Service Center or call 1950 for assistance, the department said, adding that suspected food safety contraventions can be reported directly to health authorities.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2026 03:47 UTC
CDC urges safe sex ahead of Valentine’s Day
CDC urges safe sex ahead of Valentine’s DayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterAhead of Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year long holiday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) urged people to practice safe sex to prevent HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It also announced a limited-time discount for ordering HIV self-test kits on its Web site from Saturday to Feb. 28. CDC official Lee Chia-chi (李佳琪) on Tuesday said that this year’s Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year long holiday are connected, and many people might have plans to enjoy intimacy and sexual activity with loved ones, so the CDC is reminding people to practice safe sex. Safe sex involves using a condom from start to finish and properly applying water-based lubricant to prevent condom breakage, she said. Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease ControlIf people have engaged in unprotected sex, they should get tested for HIV or STIs regularly, she added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 11, 2026 20:17 UTC
Female driver sentenced to death for killing police station chief
Female driver sentenced to death for killing police station chiefStaff Writer, with CNAA female motorist who fatally dragged the head of a police station to his death while trying to evade a roadside check in September last year was sentenced to death by the New Taipei District Court yesterday. The parents of slain Chingshui Police Station chief Liu Tsung-hsin, center, speak to reporters yesterday after hearing the sentencing of their son’s killer. During court of first instance proceedings earlier Wednesday, Liu’s family publicly pleaded for the death penalty. After the verdict was announced, Liu’s family broke down in tears and kowtowed in court to thank the judges, saying Taiwan’s judiciary had upheld justice. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, when a death sentence is imposed, the trial court must automatically refer the case to the appellate court, regardless of whether an appeal is filed.
Source:Taipei Times
February 11, 2026 18:47 UTC