Oman mediates talks between Tehran and Washington
Oman mediates talks between Tehran and WashingtonAFP, MUSCATIran and the US were yesterday holding talks in Oman that were seen as a critical chance to avert any new escalation between the foes, after US President Donald Trump threatened military action. The talks come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead according to rights groups. Photo: Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFPUS Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi are leading their delegations at the talks. Iranian state media described the talks as indirect and as of press time last night, there was no indication yet of the Iranian and US officials meeting directly. Images published by Oman showed both sides meeting separately with Oman Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:09 UTC
MND seeks US arms delivery extension
The first installment must be paid by March 31, but the legislature has not yet sent the government’s defense spending proposal to the committee for review, it said. Over the past year, China has used more complex and precise military pressure, cyberattacks and psychological warfare against Taiwan, Koo said. The Consolidated Appropriations Act bundles five bills, and includes measures covering defense spending and national security. The act allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) under the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide program, with funding available through Sept. 30 next year. At least US$4 million in funding under the National Security Investment Programs is to be allocated for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which is administered by the AIT.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:09 UTC
Prosecutors indict man over online threats against president Lai
Prosecutors indict man over online threats against president LaiBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today indicted a man for allegedly posting social media threats calling for the decapitation of President William Lai (賴清德). The 42-year-old man, surnamed Hsu (許), is facing charges of endangering public safety and threatening the public under the Criminal Code after posts he made on Threads in March last year, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is pictured in an undated photograph. The first, posted on March 4, read: “Kill the Green bird toads first, then behead President Lai and there will be peace in East Asia,” the indictment said. The second, posted on March 14, said: “Decapitate President Lai, save Taiwan!
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:00 UTC
Military police deploy tactical vehicles in Taipei key facility drill
Military police deploy tactical vehicles in Taipei key facility drillStaff Writer, with CNAVarious types of wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) cruised through the streets of Taipei Thursday as the military police conducted a drill to protect key facilities in Taiwan’s capital, the Military News Agency reported. The "combat reconnaissance patrol drill," conducted by the 239th Military Police Mechanized Infantry Battalion, included CM33 and CM34 IFVs, which rapidly maneuvered to tactical positions, according to the report. An infantry fighting vehicle is pictured during the military police conduct exercise in Taipei yesterday. The capture of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January by the United States has sparked discussions in Taiwan over whether China’s People’s Liberation Army has the capacity to carry out a similar "decapitation strike" on Taiwan’s president. Asked about the issue, Vice Defense Minister Hsu Szu- chien (徐斯儉) told reporters last month that the defense ministry has established rules of engagement regarding contingencies, and Taiwan’s armed forces are prepared for "all kinds of scenarios."
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 20:12 UTC
Costume capers
Final batch of M1A2T tanks to be delivered soon, source saysThe manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:42 UTC
Iran’s options: war, a US deal or internal regime collapse
Trump’s actions during his first term as president included abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal, reimposing sweeping sanctions and the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani in 2020, and foreshadowed a new approach toward a longstanding adversary. Since Oct. 7 last year, Israel’s systematic campaign against Iran’s so-called axis of resistance has steadily eroded Tehran’s sense of security. The US would coordinate strikes against the Iranian leadership, missile forces, air defenses and remaining nuclear infrastructure, seeking to cripple the regime. Under combined external pressure and internal unrest, the regime fractures, producing not liberal transition, but a power vacuum. Whether through forced compromise, limited war or regime collapse, none of the likely paths ahead point toward immediate stability or democratic transition.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Taiwan-US relations ‘rock solid’: Lai
“The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence,” Xi was quoted as saying. President William Lai speaks during a news conference on the Taiwan-US Economic Prosperity Partnership in Taipei on Tuesday. All cooperation programs will continue and will not change,” Lai said, adding that US commitments to Taiwan also remain unchanged. “The only concern that is going to impact the future of arms sales is our opposition parties’ attitude ... toward the defense budget,” Chen said. As the department and AIT have repeatedly stated, the US welcomes Taiwan’s announcement of the US$40 billion special defense budget, the official said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Passports are not proof of loyalty
Passports are not proof of loyaltyBy Liu Che-ting 劉哲廷On a political figure’s first day in office, they are expected to lay out their governing direction, institutional responsibilities and public commitments. However, when the conversation immediately revolves around passports, the issue is less about the law and more about managing anxiety. The crux of Li’s gesture lies not in whether she does or does not possess a particular passport. It lies in her deliberate attempt to make a passport possess functions it was never meant to carry — a symbol of loyalty, proof of political identity and a moral shield against scrutiny. The country does not need to see the color of its cover, nor does it wish to participate in your identity performance.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
What do new files reveal about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein?
What do new files reveal about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein? Blanche’s interview underscored the administration’s aggressive efforts to downplay Trump’s links to Epstein and get ahead of any potential negative exposure for the president. Then-US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene last year said Trump told her that his friends would get hurt if the files were released. Indeed, the files released last week do connect people close to Trump to Epstein for the first time. Steve Bannon, a top Trump strategist, also corresponded extensively with Epstein and conducted an extensive video interview with Epstein, the files show.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
ICE is trying to rewrite the law
Federal law permits ICE to make warrantless arrests under only two circumstances. That brings us to the new memo, which addresses whether ICE agents can then arrest the person who has been stopped. In practice, that made it relatively unusual for ICE agents to carry out a warrantless arrest. The total package amounts to a sweeping authorization for ICE agents to roam the streets, grab just about anyone they want, arrest and detain them. The warrant requirement for an ICE arrest, established by statute, is meant to function as a protection against exactly the kind of massive, non-specific sweeps ICE is now performing.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
ASE increases capital spending to record US$7bn
ASE increases capital spending to record US$7bnBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterASE Technology Holding Co (ASE, 日月光投控), the world’s biggest chip packaging and testing service provider, yesterday said it was increasing capital expenditure to a record US$7 billion this year to meet demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and a broader recovery in non-AI sectors. ASE Technology Holding Co chief financial officer Joseph Tung, left, and chief operating officer Tien Wu attend an earnings conference in Taipei yesterday. The Kaohsiung-based company expects leading-edge advanced packaging (LEAP) services revenue to at least double to US$3.2 billion this year, from US$1.6 billion last year, ASE said. Gross margin for its chip packaging and testing services is expected to improve to 24 to 25 percent this quarter, compared with 23.5 percent last quarter. Net profit for the full year expanded 25 percent to NT$40.66 billion from NT$332.48 billion in 2024, hitting a three-year high.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Old trees need new growth, too
Old trees need new growth, tooBy Chen Chien-hsien 陳劍賢Taiwan launched its first 10-year long-term care program in 2007, followed by long-term care 2.0 in 2017. Its latest reincarnation, long-term care 3.0, was brought forward to be launched ahead of schedule this year. Dedicated care services are needed, but the associated costs are beyond the scope of the government’s general long-term care budget as it stands. At present, legislators from across party lines have proposed a draft act for long-term care insurance. Under the proposal, long-term care insurance would coexist with the National Health Insurance (NHI) system under a dual-track model.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Space cooperation bill with Taiwan advanced by US
Space cooperation bill with Taiwan advanced by USStaff writer, with CNAA bill aimed at deepening space cooperation between Taiwan and the US cleared the committee stage in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. The Taiwan and American Space Assistance Act (TASA Act) was included as an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act, which the US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology passed with a 37-0 vote. The TASA Act was first introduced in September last year by US representatives French Hill and Gabe Amo. The TASA Act would not only give NASA and NOAA additional authority, but would also instruct them to “work with Taiwan in areas of mutual benefit, including satellite programs, space exploration programs, and atmospheric and weather programs,” the representatives said. The bill would provide an avenue for “voluntary exchange of personnel from NASA and the NOAA to the Taiwan Space Agency to further advance Taiwan’s space capabilities,” the statement said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Xi held ‘rare’ back-to-back calls with Putin and Trump
Xi held ‘rare’ back-to-back calls with Putin and TrumpAFP, BEIJINGChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) held back-to-back calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump this week, which analysts said was rare and significant as Beijing positions itself as a stable global power. Xi and Putin spoke for 1.5 hours, the Kremlin’s foreign policy aide said, while Trump said they had a “long and thorough” conversation. Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Xi and Putin hailed the deepening of Chinese-Russian ties as they try to present a united front against the West. Analysts said that while Zhang’s investigation would likely not have been discussed with Putin and Trump, the timing of the calls could be a way for Xi to project confidence domestically.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC
Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul likely to keep top job after Sunday’s election
Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul likely to keep top job after Sunday’s electionPOLITICAL CLIMATE: The Shinawatras’ grip on power is faltering, while a wave of nationalism from a border conflict has bolstered support for BhumjaithaiAFP, BANGKOKThai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is widely expected to remain the country’s head after this weekend’s general election, regardless of the result. “So it is clearly democratic.”Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul greets people while campaigning in Bangkok on Jan. 20 ahead of the general election. Its most likely partner is probable third-placed Pheu Thai, the party of the Shinawatra clan, which has dominated politics for two decades, although founder and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is now in prison. His father was acting prime minister during a 2008 political crisis and went on to spend three years as interior minister. Anutin joined Thaksin’s party, then named Thai Rak Thai, in his early 30s and was banned from political activity for five years when it was dissolved in 2007.
Source:Taipei Times
February 05, 2026 18:09 UTC