Committee clears bill to expand preventive detention
Committee clears bill to expand preventive detentionBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNALawmakers today passed a preliminary review of partial amendments that would expand the scope of offenses subject to preventive detention. The Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee today discussed preventive detention amendments proposed by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus. It is therefore necessary to expand the scope of offenses subject to preventive detention to protect potential victims and ensure smooth investigations, Wu’s amendments say. During the committee meeting, the Judicial Yuan expressed support for the amendments and proposed an integrated draft incorporating the legislators' versions. After discussion and the adoption of motions of further revisions proposed by attending legislators, the committee approved the amendments, which do not require cross-party caucus negotiations.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 11:02 UTC
MOTC to ease rules on flashing pedestrian lights
MOTC to ease rules on flashing pedestrian lightsBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAPedestrians who step onto a crosswalk while the green light is flashing would no longer face fines, said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as it announced plans to ease regulations involving pedestrian signals. Under existing regulations, pedestrians are prohibited from entering a crosswalk once the green light begins flashing or are subject to fines. The flashing signal is intended to serve as a warning that the remaining crossing time is about to end, the ministry said. The flashing green pedestrian signal is not designed to urge people to hurry across the street, but rather to remind them to stop and assess the situation, the ministry said. The amendment is aimed at better protecting pedestrian safety, particularly for elderly people, it added.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 10:52 UTC
Indigenous submarine begins submerged sea trials
Indigenous submarine begins submerged sea trialsBy Hung Chen-hung and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNATaiwan's first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, this morning conducted its first submerged sea trial and was expected to dive to a snorkel depth of 10m to 20m. Taiwan's first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun, undergoes its first submerged sea trial at the Port of Kaohsiung this morning. Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei TimesThat would be followed by shallow-water submerged trials at depths of 50m to 100m to further verify watertightness and balance stability, it said. Deep-water submerged trials would then be conducted from 100m to the submarine’s maximum design depth, again testing watertightness and balance stability, with pressure resistance evaluated progressively from shallow to deeper waters, CSBC said. After the submerged trials are completed, the submarine would enter the evaluation testing phase, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 10:18 UTC
Military practices repelling Chinese sea assault
Military practices repelling Chinese sea assaultBy Yi-Chin Lee and Ann Wang / Reuters, KAOHSIUNGThe military today simulated repelling a Chinese sea assault, integrating shore-launched missiles and drones with fast patrol boats to stop an attempted invasion. A soldier operates a domestically made attack drone during a military exercise in Kaohsiung today. Taiwanese attack drones and fast, missile-armed patrol boats are then pressed into action. Earlier this week, the military showed how its US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) would be used to hit the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait should Chinese forces seize them first and use them as a base to launch strikes on Taiwan proper. The Lockheed Martin HIMARS, one of Taiwan's newest and most precise strike weapons, has been used extensively by Ukraine against Russian forces.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 09:51 UTC
Meta says revenue to beat estimates, supporting AI spending
The social-media company on Wednesday said first-quarter sales will be US$53.5 billion to US$56.5 billion, beating the US$51.3 billion average analyst estimate. The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp said full-year capital expenditures will be US$115 billion to US$135 billion, exceeding the US$110.6 billion average analyst estimate, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Capital expenditures last year topped US$72 billion, the company said on Wednesday. Meta’s virtual reality and AI-enabled hardware unit, known as Reality Labs, posted US$955 million in sales last quarter. Reality Labs reported an operating loss of more than US$6 billion for the quarter, bringing its total 2025 losses to more than US$19 billion.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 09:17 UTC
Microsoft drops amid slowing cloud growth, record spending
Microsoft drops amid slowing cloud growth, record spendingBloombergMicrosoft Corp’s spending surged to a record high and cloud sales growth slowed, sending the shares down sharply amid investor concerns that it could take longer than expected for the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) investments to pay off. The company expects Azure sales to rise 37 percent to 38 percent in the current quarter. A Microsoft Corp sign and logo are pictured at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on April 4 last year. Had all of the new capacity gone toward Azure, the growth rates would have been notably higher, she said. Analysts had expected sales of US$80.3 billion and per-share earnings of US$3.92.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 09:05 UTC
Cabinet moves to extend statute of limitations for child sex crimes
Cabinet moves to extend statute of limitations for child sex crimesBy Chung Li-hua and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan today advanced draft amendments to delay the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse until the victim turns 20. The statute of limitations for sexual offenses is 20 years, meaning any crimes committed before 2006 cannot be prosecuted. The proposed amendments would cover changes to Article 80 of the Criminal Code and Article 8-2 of the Enforcement Law of the Criminal Code of the Republic of China (中華民國刑法施行法). The statute of limitations is intended to maintain legal stability and urge law enforcement agencies to fulfill their duty to prosecute, the Ministry of Justice said. However, sexual assault crimes are inherently concealed, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 07:32 UTC
Ex-officers’ sentences upheld in final spy case ruling
Ex-officers’ sentences upheld in final spy case rulingBy Chang Wen-chuan and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNAThe Supreme Court today upheld the jail sentences of seven retired military officers, including Rehabilitation Alliance Party chairman Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), who were found guilty of spying for China. The Taichung branch of the High Court in June last year sentenced Chu to 10 years in prison for recruiting retired military officers to spy for China. The emblem of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: screen grab from the Ministry of the Interior's Web siteChu and six other retired officers were in August indicted for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法). Miaoli prosecutors then investigated the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and found that Huang and other party members were suspected of contravening the National Security Act.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 06:24 UTC
Court revokes death sentence for Malaysian student’s killer
Court revokes death sentence for Malaysian student’s killerBy Chen Wen-chan and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Kaohsiung branch of the High Court today revoked the death sentence of the man who was found guilty of raping and murdering a Malaysian student in 2020, handing him a life sentence in a second retrial ruling. He also received an eight-year sentence for robbery, to be combined with the life sentence. The Supreme Court in April last year overturned the High Court’s January verdict of a death sentence and ordered a new trial. The Kaohsiung branch of the High Court then sentenced Liang to death for the third time in January last year. The High Court today found that the defendant did not plan to murder the victim, but acted with indirect intent to kill.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 06:10 UTC
ITRI joins top global program as cybersecurity assessor
ITRI joins top global program as cybersecurity assessorStaff writer, with CNAThe Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has joined a program run by a leading global organization to evaluate uncrewed and autonomous systems, becoming its first cybersecurity assessor outside the US. Taiwanese and US representatives pose for a photograph after signing a cybersecurity collaboration agreement in Washington on Tuesday. The agreement would ensure Taiwanese uncrewed aircraft systems "meet the highest standards for cybersecurity, safety, and supply chain integrity," Helberg wrote. Meanwhile, ITRI welcomed the "responsibility," saying that uncrewed aerial vehicle development increasingly involves system safety, supply chain trustworthiness and overall governance. The AUVSI is the largest nonprofit organization globally that advances uncrewed systems, autonomy and robotics, representing companies and professionals from more than 60 countries.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 04:54 UTC
No need to ‘pick a side’ between US and China: KMT chair
No need to ‘pick a side’ between US and China: KMT chairStaff writer, with CNAThere is no need for Taiwan to “pick a side” between the US and China, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said yesterday, adding that while the former is a friend, the latter is "family." Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun speaks at a meeting of the party's Central Standing Committee in Taipei yesterday. "We don't need to pick a side between the United States and China," Cheng said. Asked about the possibility of the KMT chair meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) this year, Cheng said there is no need for speculation. Before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday arrived in Beijing for a state visit, he said that "there is no need [for the UK] to choose between the US and China," Cheng said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 04:07 UTC
Profitable pooch
China purge could disrupt chain of command: sourceMORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “seriousBy Su Yong-yao, Lo Tien-pin and Esme Yeh
Source:Taipei Times
January 29, 2026 03:44 UTC
Pharaohs in Formosa
Drugmakers take hit from the US’ anti-vax changesSweeping policy changes under US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr are having a chilling effect on vaccine makers as anti-vaccine rhetoric has turned into concrete changes in inoculation schedules and recommendations, investors and executives said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has in the past year upended vaccine recommendations, with the country last month ending its longstanding guidance that all children receive inoculations against flu, hepatitis A and other diseases. The unprecedented changes have led to diminished vaccine usage, hurt the investment case for some biotechs, and created a drag that would likely dent revenues andBy Bhanvi Satija
Source:Taipei Times
January 28, 2026 17:23 UTC
MOEA approves Nvidia investment on eve of Jensen Huang visit
MOEA approves Nvidia investment on eve of Jensen Huang visitStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has approved an application filed by artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp to remit NT$3.3 billion (US$105 million) into Taiwan for an investment in a new Taipei office,. The approval came just a day ahead of the scheduled arrival by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), who is expected to attend a "Weiya" banquet slated for tomorrow. The Nvidia logo is pictured at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, on Nov. 19 last year. Other than attending Nvidia’s Weiya in Taipei, Huang is also expected to meet with Taiwanese tech heavyweights at a second dinner banquet on Saturday including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. The Taipei City Government is hoping to sign an agreement with Nvidia witnessed by Huang during his stay in Taipei.
Source:Taipei Times
January 28, 2026 17:23 UTC
Approachable robots for humans
Approachable robots for humansNot ready for robots in homes? Forged by stealth startup Fauna Robotics over two years of secret research and development, Sprout’s public debut on Tuesday aims to jump-start a whole new industry of building “approachable” robots for homes, schools and social spaces. While being operated remotely, Fauna Robotics’ new robot named Sprout on Jan. 14 shows off its dexterity in New York. Photo: APThe usual hypothesis for the commercialization of humanoid robots is that they will get their first jobs in warehouses or factories long before they are ready for homes. The science journal Nature published his study on an AI-powered virtual rat, co-authored with another of Fauna’s research scientists, Diego Aldarondo.
Source:Taipei Times
January 28, 2026 17:23 UTC