Childbirth accidents drop to 7-year lowCORRELATION? The decline in cases is not surprising due to the nation’s continuous birthrate drop, and the ministry said it would continue enhancing the quality of perinatal care, supporting women and families, and strengthening social responsibility. A plaque bearing the name and logo of the Ministry of Health and Welfare is pictured at its headquarters in Taipei in an undated photograph. Fetal death accounts for more than half of all childbirth relief cases, and aside from uncontrollable factors such as umbilical cord accidents, delayed intervention for conditions like gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia can significantly increase the risks, Huang said. Conceiving a baby at a suitable age and maintaining a healthy physical condition during pregnancy are the primary keys to reducing overall risk, he said.

MOE to reform study program to attract top talentKEY INDUSTRIES: If the reform proves successful, it would bolster Taiwan’s pivotal role in the technology landscape, National Chi Nan University president Wu Tung-hsing saidBy Rachel Lin / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday said that it would pilot a major reform of the government-funded overseas study program for the “five key trusted industries” by loosening regulations and boosting scholarships by about NT$1 million (US$31,668) to attract top technology talent. The ministry’s plan for the pilot program would adopt a selection method utilizing a 60 percent document review and 40 percent interview weighting. The engineering group includes six disciplines: materials technology, advanced manufacturing technology, energy engineering, maritime engineering, aerospace engineering, and aircraft positioning and guidance, with a total of 21 positions. The government financial support to accepted applicants would be increased from the three-year funding cap of US$90,000 to US$120,000, a 33 percent increase, bringing the level in line with other international competitors to retain and attract top-tier tech talent, Lin added. If the reform proves successful, it would help establish a steady supply chain for high-level technical talent and strengthen Taiwan’s pivotal role in the global technology landscape, he said.

Plants ‘greener’ than fertilizers: researchBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterResearch by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Taiwan Livestock Research Institute (TLRI) found that interplanting Napier grass with sunn hemp can effectively increase carbon storage of forage fields without causing soil acidification such as in using nitrogen fertilizers. Napier grass is a perennial forage crop that has become commonly adopted in Taiwan since it was introduced from the Philippines in 1961. TLRI director-general Huang Jeng-fang (黃振芳) said on Wednesday that the institute conducted research on applying carbon-negative farming to Napier grass fields from 2023 to last year. Research showed that only using nitrogen fertilizers in cultivating Napier grass still yielded the most production with the highest crude protein content in the forage crop, showing that nitrogen fertilizers remain more capable of stabilizing the crop’s production and quality, Huang said. However, interplanting Napier grass with sunn hemp — combined with reduced amounts of nitrogen fertilizers — showed a better ability to prevent soil acidification and increase soil carbon storage, he said, adding that the application of cow dung fertilizers had similar effects.

Pentagon document prioritizes homeland securityAFP, WASHINGTONThe US military would prioritize protecting its homeland and deterring China while providing “more limited” support to allies in Europe and elsewhere, a Pentagon strategy document released on Friday said. “As US forces focus on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense with critical but more limited support from American forces,” the document said. The cover of the US’ 2026 National Defense Strategy. Both the Biden and Trump strategies say homeland defense is important, but their descriptions of the threats facing the US differ significantly. “Border security is national security,” and the Pentagon “will therefore prioritize efforts to seal our borders, repel forms of invasion, and deport illegal aliens,” it said.

Taiwan and China must rather focus on dialogues: SEFStaff writer, with CNAFormer legislative speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) on Friday took over as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), and said that cross-strait relations should be based on mutual understanding rather than confrontation. Su assumed the post in a special board meeting of the SEF, a semi-official body tasked with handling technical matters involving China. Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Su Jia-chyuan speaks during a foundation meeting in Taipei on Friday. The SEF would continue to focus on the people, with an emphasis on cross-strait dialogue and exchanges, he said, saying he hoped that China would do the same. SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said he hoped that the SEF and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits could engage in normal exchanges.

Ex-Olympian turned drug baron arrested, FBI saysAFP, LOS ANGELESRyan Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin, has been arrested in Mexico and brought to the US to face cocaine trafficking and murder charges, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Friday. Patel said Wedding — whose aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant” and “Public Enemy” — was arrested on Thursday night in Mexico City. Patel said Wedding is believed to have been hiding in Mexico for more than a decade, and has been wanted on cocaine trafficking and murder charges since 2024. Seven people allegedly connected to Wedding’s cocaine smuggling operation were arrested in Canada in November last year, including his lawyer, Deepak Paradkar, and the US is seeking their extradition. Wedding competed for Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, finishing 24th in the parallel giant slalom.

‘A Foggy Tale’ grounded and humanBy Chen Hsueh-chiang 陳學獎Last year’s film A Foggy Tale (大濛) is an ode to years past, capturing the anguish of 1950s Taiwan. The narrative stays human and grounded, capturing not the heights of the raging political storm, but the texture of life of those who are caught in its floods. A Foggy Tale captures not just the form and feeling of Taiwan under martial law, but, through the subtleties of language and accent, brings out the diversity of society and cultural identities under latent power structures. In that era of generational change and political upheaval, language was linked to boundary lines of power. Perhaps the most painful thing about A Foggy Tale is that it captures a piece of how the Taiwanese have been forced to face a recurring displacement of identity and spiritual uprooting.

Joseph Wu vows defense investmentCOLLECTIVE DETERRENCE: Whether the Legislative Yuan passes the special defense budget matters to the mutual trust between Taiwan and its allies, a researcher saidBy Su Ying-yao / Staff reporterAlthough the US Department of Defense’s newly released 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) report does not mention Taiwan like previous versions, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday emphasized that Taiwan, as a key nation in the Indo-Pacific region, would continue to increase defense investment to deter aggression and maintain peace. Wu posted the remarks on social media in English, saying that the core objective of the US is to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region. Wu wrote: “@DeptofWar’s #NDS sets the goal of preventing countries like #China from dominating the #IndoPacific, & erecting strong denial defense along the #1stIslandChain. #Taiwan is a key player in the region & will continue to invest in defense to deter aggression & achieve peace.”National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu speaks at an event in Taipei on Oct. 21 last year. The Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s Shen Ming-shih (沈明室) said the defense strategy needs to align with the White House’s National Security Strategy, which has repeatedly emphasized the importance of Taiwan and the first island chain.

Nepal eye new World Cup summitAFP, COLOMBONepal captain Rohit Paudel said that his side have “nothing to lose” in next month’s T20 World Cup as they target more famous upsets and a place in the tournament’s Super Eight second phase. The Himalayan nation stunned two-time T20 World Cup winners the West Indies last year for their first series win over a Test-playing side in the shortest format. Nepal made their T20 World Cup debut in 2014 and returned in 2024, pushing South Africa and Bangladesh close in narrow defeats. “First we had a dream of playing in a World Cup. Now this is our third time at a World Cup.”

Passenger accident turns into ad hoc airport artBy Liu Hsin-te and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerWhat might have started as an incidental act by random travelers has become a piece of spontaneous installation art in the C6 lounge area at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The area features four electric outlets, each with its own table, and an acrylic sheet between the wall and the passenger, allowing passengers to charge their cellphones, tablets, or laptops before boarding their flight. A charging area in the C6 lounge area at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is pictured on Friday. As for whether the feature would be kept or if Taoyuan International Airport Corp intends to remove it, the company said on Friday that the space is still reserved for passenger rest and device charging. However, it would keep tabs on public comments and suggestions for future reference, it added.

Taiwan, US collaborating on systems to boost resilience of nation’s supply chainBy Fang Wei-li and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Combined with GTOC’s capabilities, the systems would enable Taiwan to speedily modify and manufacture uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) to suit shifting operational needs, he said. Firestorm CEO Dan Magy said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of drones in modern warfare. GTOC general manager Chung Yu-hsin (鍾又新) said the three groups are in the process of integrating their capabilities to establish self-sufficient supply chains. Applying the technology on drone wings could significantly reduce drag, increasing airspeed and battlefield survivability, he said.

KMT backer calls for firm defense spending stanceEQUALLY PROSPEROUS: The KMT said backer Yang Chien-kang does not aim to block military procurement, but to ensure that Taiwan’s development is balancedBy Fang Wei-li and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerYi Kang chairman Yang Chien-kang (楊建綱), a long-time financial backer of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), during a gathering at party headquarters on Friday urged KMT lawmakers to stand firm on the party line regarding arms procurement. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei TimesThe procurement budget is also not in compliance with due process, Yang was quoted as saying. DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said Yang’s message served only to put out erroneous information on national defense and stir up political strife, as is Beijing’s intent. Taiwan’s national defense budget is patterned after the NATO standard, equal to 3 percent of the nation’s GDP, not half of the national budget, Wu said. He was also rumored to be KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) backer during last year’s chairperson election.

When fancy speech replaces moralsBy John ChengCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at Davos was widely praised. Twenty years ago, such a speech — invoking the decline of the postwar order, the anxieties of middle powers and the need to “live the truth” — would have been greeted as a serious contribution to global debate. When Carney’s words are placed alongside his government’s decisions, the moral coherence of the speech begins to unravel. However, history suggests that middle powers that blur moral distinctions in the name of realism often discover too late that they have preserved neither influence nor integrity. That world is not safer for middle powers.

Kyiv endures new air barrage as Abu Dhabi talks endBloombergTwo days of talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at finding a path to end the four-year war yesterday wrapped up in Abu Dhabi as Kyiv came under a massive Russian air attack. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is likely to then issue comments. A Ukrainian firefighter works to extinguish a fire at the site of an air attack in Kyiv yesterday. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha denounced the strikes as a “cynical” move by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Separately, Russia reported that 75 Ukrainian drones targeted various regions overnight, with no information on damage.

Photo: EPA-EFEThe Chinese Ministry of Defense made the announcement yesterday, but did not mention details of the alleged wrongdoing. The purging of Zhang and Li is believed to be part of efforts to reform the military and ensure its loyalty to Xi. Meanwhile, the security official said Zhang’s and Liu’s removal would disrupt the chain of command, and that the PLA’s joint operational command capabilities would likely fall into confusion and require reorganization. National Taiwan University political science associate professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said the PLA’s command system is in a vacuum and the purges indicate Xi that has a deep mistrust of the military. Fearing potential defections in the event of war, Xi is unlikely to take major military action against Taiwan in the short term, Chen added.