US House bill warns China off Taiwan
Photo: ReutersThe bill makes it clear that China must be prepared to face consequences if it engages in conflict with Taiwan, Lucas said. Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, China may not use force, coercion, boycotts or embargoes to force Taiwan to submit to the Chinese Communist Party and become part of “one China,” Republican Representative French Hill said. The PROTECT Taiwan Act would ensure that China pays a significant economic and diplomatic cost for attempting to invade Taiwan, Hill said. “I voted for the bipartisan PROTECT Taiwan Act to push for China’s removal from major international orgs if it ever poses an immediate threat to Taiwan,” Stanton wrote. The PROTECT Taiwan Act must be passed by the US Senate and then signed into law by the US president to take effect.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Taiwan in talks with Honolulu over Chinatown Cultural Plaza: MOFA
Taiwan in talks with Honolulu over Chinatown Cultural Plaza: MOFAStaff Writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday it has been in talks over the potential rebuilding of the Taiwan government-owned Chinatown Cultural Plaza in Honolulu, following repeated complaints from the city’s Mayor Rick Blangiardi that the property has become a magnet for crime. In response, MOFA told CNA on Tuesday that Taiwan’s government “attaches great importance to Mayor Blangiardi’s concerns” over the Chinatown Cultural Plaza and “has taken concrete steps to address these issues,” without providing further details. MOFA said that Taiwan’s representative office in Honolulu will continue to assess the possibility of rebuilding the plaza and maintain close contact with the Honolulu city government over the matter. Regarding poor public order near the plaza, MOFA said it respects the local government’s authority to take steps to address the problem. MOFA added that the plaza will review and enhance its security and safety management plans and work closely with the city government to uphold public order in the area.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Premier reaffirms support for nuclear new technology
Premier reaffirms support for nuclear new technologyBloombergPremier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday reiterated Taiwan’s support for nuclear power as the world’s chipmaking hub looks to secure a stable electricity supply. “We will fully embrace advanced nuclear technologies from around the world,” Cho said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s advanced semiconductor research and development base. They would complement efforts to expand renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and storage, and strengthen the power grid, he said. Premier Cho Jung-tai, left, poses with a shovel during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s advanced semiconductor research and development base in Hsinchu County’s Jhudong Township yesterday. The government is exploring the possibility of restarting two nuclear power plants and procedures to revive one of them could begin in 2028 if safety reviews proceed smoothly.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Starlux becomes first Taiwan carrier to operate A350-1000
Starlux becomes first Taiwan carrier to operate A350-1000Staff Writer, with CNAStarlux Airlines became the first carrier in Taiwan to operate Airbus’ next-generation long- haul A350-1000 aircraft with a maiden service from Taoyuan to Tokyo on Tuesday morning. Before the departure of Flight JX802, Taiwan’s newest international carrier held a launch event with airline staff and passengers at Gate A8 in Terminal 1 of Taoyuan International Airport. A Starlux Airlines Airbus A350-1000 receives a water salute at Taoyuan International Airport on Tuesday, marking Taiwan’s first operation of the aircraft type. According to Starlux, the A350-1000 is a new-generation long-range wide-body aircraft offering improved fuel efficiency, extended range and enhanced cabin comfort. In early January, Starlux became the first airline in Taiwan to take delivery of an A350-1000.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Obtaining AI-made child porn a crime, ministry says
Obtaining AI-made child porn a crime, ministry saysBy Lin Chih-yi and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with writerThe Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday said that making or obtaining artificial intelligence (AI)-generated explicit images of children is a crime punishable by a jail sentence, after activists urged the government to regulate such content. Ministry of Health and Welfare Department of Protective Services Director Kuo Tsai-jung (郭彩榕) said the ministry has not received complaints about AI-generated child porn, but would exercise greater vigilance on the matter. Creating, reproducing, distributing or possessing AI-generated child porn is an offense punishable by a prison sentence under 2023 amendments to the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), she said. The definition of child porn is any sexual visual or audio content featuring a minor, including deepfakes or drawings, she said. The ministry would conduct internal deliberations to decide whether new regulations are necessary to deal with the use of generative AI platforms in making child porn, she said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Take precautions before China travel: agency
Take precautions before China travel: agencySTAY SAFE: Public Wi-Fi is often not secure and vulnerable to cyberattacks, while public USB chargers are often infected with malware, the cybersecurity agency saidBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNAThe Administration for Cybersecurity yesterday issued cybersecurity and privacy guidelines for Taiwanese who plan to travel to China during the Lunar New Year holiday. It recommended that Taiwanese visiting China prepare their own power banks, as public USB chargers are often infected by malware. In addition, they should not use devices in China to work or communicate with work-related contacts, it said. People should not purchase Chinese devices in general, or buy any devices in China, as they could be compromised by backdoors and malware before being packaged for sale, it said. Taiwanese should take the cybersecurity risks into consideration before deciding to travel to China, and government workers must follow official cybersecurity guidelines, it added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
What to expect after Takaichi’s election victory
What to expect after Takaichi’s election victoryBy Tomohiko TaniguchiJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country’s general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member Japanese House of Representatives (the Japanese Diet’s lower house), up sharply from 198. With that, there was no guarantee that she could secure a majority in the lower house to become prime minister. Unlike the lower house, the Diet’s upper house cannot be dissolved by the prime minister. Tomohiko Taniguchi, a former special adviser to late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, is chairman of Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference), a conservative lobbying organization.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 17:21 UTC
Sri Lanka’s palm-sap tappers ride UNESCO boost
Sri Lanka’s palm-sap tappers ride UNESCO boostAFP, AMBEGODA, Sri LankaWhen Sri Lankan mechanic Sarath Ananda left his job in Kuwait to make traditional palm sweets, he never imagined the career switch would bring global acclaim. Sarath Ananda, a kithul tapper, serves jaggery freshly made from kithul sap at Ambegoda Village in Sri Lanka on Jan. 26. Sarath Ananda collects sap from kithul palm trees at the Ambegoda Village in Sri Lanka on Jan. 26. The UNESCO inscription has boosted recognition for the rural industry, which is still regarded as a lowly occupation in caste-conscious Sri Lankan society. “Kithul is not unique to Sri Lanka — it is found across South and Southeast Asia,” KDB chairwoman M. U. Gayani said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 16:30 UTC
S Korea spy agency raided over drone flight into North
S Korea spy agency raided over drone flight into NorthAFP, SEOULInvestigators yesterday raided South Korea’s spy agency, as they probed possible government links to a drone incursion over the North Korean border. The North Korean military downed a drone carrying “surveillance equipment” early last month, according to a statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Lee has taken a softer approach to North Korea than his predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol, who was accused of using uncrewed drones to scatter propaganda leaflets over North Korea in 2024. He has vowed to mend ties with North Korea by stamping out provocations, and has even suggested a rare apology may be warranted. Yoon is standing trial on charges he illegally sent drones into North Korea to help create the pretext for declaring martial law in late 2024.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 16:30 UTC
Villarreal win to close gap to Atletico
Villarreal win to close gap to AtleticoAFP, BARCELONA, SpainVillarreal on Monday beat RCD Espanyol 4-1 in La Liga, drawing them level on points with third-placed Atletico Madrid. Atletico lost to Real Betis Balompie on Sunday, offering Villarreal the chance to close the gap. Villarreal’s Georges Mikautadze, left, scores against RCD Espanyol in their La Liga match in Villarreal, Spain, on Monday. Georgian forward Mikautadze opened the scoring on 35 minutes with an acrobatic swiveling volley from close range after Tajon Buchanan’s knock-down. Villarreal doubled their lead three minutes before halftime when Salinas turned Moleiro’s square-ball into his own net.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 16:18 UTC
Thailand's ‘Almost Prime Minister’ reflects on democracy at Taipei book fair
Thailand's ‘Almost Prime Minister’ reflects on democracy at Taipei book fairStaff writer, with CNAFormer Thai lawmaker Pita Limjaroenrat on Sunday spoke at the Taipei International Book Exhibition about democracy, hope and political perseverance while promoting his memoir The Almost Prime Minister (未竟之路：被體制封殺的泰國準總理皮塔，點燃一個世代的民主之戰), which saw its first overseas translation published in Taiwan. After the party was dissolved the following year, he went on to lead its successor, the Move Forward Party, to victory in Thailand's 2023 general election. Despite winning the most seats, Pita was blocked from becoming prime minister by the Thai Senate, whose members were appointed by the previous military junta. Describing himself as the "designated survivor" of the Future Forward Party, Pita said he took the lead in its successor following the party's dissolution. Ultimately, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party won Sunday's general election.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 14:49 UTC
US House passes bill penalizing China if Taiwan threatened
US House passes bill penalizing China if Taiwan threatenedBy Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNAThe US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. Photo: ReutersThe bill makes it clear that China must be prepared to face consequences if it engages in conflict with Taiwan, Lucas said. The PROTECT Taiwan Act would ensure that China pays a significant economic and diplomatic cost for attempting to invade Taiwan, Hill said. The PROTECT Taiwan Act must be passed by the US Senate and then signed into law by the president to take effect.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 14:49 UTC
China pledges support for ‘reunification’ forces in Taiwan
China pledges support for ‘reunification’ forces in TaiwanBy Chen Yu-fu and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writer and ReutersChina would offer firm support for "patriotic pro-reunification forces" in Taiwan and strike hard against "separatists," the top Chinese official in charge of Taiwan policy said today. This year's annual "Taiwan Work Conference" was held in Beijing yesterday and today. Addressing the meeting, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧), the CCP’s fourth-ranked leader, said officials must advance the "great cause of national reunification," Xinhua news agency reported. Photo: ReutersWang stressed the need to uphold the “one China” principle and the “1992 consensus” to firmly combat "Taiwan independence separatist forces and oppose interference by external forces,” Xinhua said. Beijing’s creation of task forces at the "Taiwan Work Conference" was “a form of aggression against Taiwan,” Taiwan Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 14:30 UTC
Diapers behind raised radiation levels in Nantou trash
Diapers behind raised radiation levels in Nantou trashStaff writer, with CNAElevated radiation levels detected at a waste incineration facility in Nantou County last weekend were likely caused by diapers used by a patient undergoing radionuclide therapy and would not pose a danger to the public, the Nuclear Safety Commission said yesterday. On Saturday last week, elevated radiation levels were detected in two garbage trucks transporting trash from Nantou's Puli Township (埔里) to a waste incineration plant outside the county, prompting the facility to refuse service, Chinese-language media reports said. Photo courtesy of the Nuclear Safety CommissionAfter conducting testing yesterday, nuclear safety officials identified the source of the radiation as paper diapers contaminated with Lutetium-177 (Lu-177), the commission said. Thirteen contaminated diapers were found in the heap where the trash was being stored, which had slightly elevated radiation levels of up to 10 microsieverts per hour, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported. The diapers have been quarantined by the Puli sanitation team and would be sent for incineration after their radiation levels decay naturally to background levels, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 14:13 UTC
No name change for Taiwan’s Lithuania office: MOFA
No name change for Taiwan’s Lithuania office: MOFABy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThe name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was based on a consensus reached by both sides and there is no discussion about changing it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said today. A plaque hangs on a door at the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania in Vilnius in an undated photograph. Both sides look forward to deepening bilateral relations and substantive cooperation, he said, adding that Taiwan would continue to maintain close communication with Lithuania. China downgraded relations with Lithuania after Taiwan opened the office. In contrast to Lithuania, countries such as the UK, the US and Australia host offices that are usually known as “Taipei” representative offices, which avoids the implication of statehood and sovereignty.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2026 13:48 UTC