Long-term care expansion to start next week
Long-term care expansion to start next weekBy Lin Chih-yi, Lo Kuo-chia and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Ministry of Health and Welfare is to launch the second stage of its Long-term Care 3.0 on Thursday next week, expanding dementia services and upgrading community-based care as Taiwan transitions to a “super-aged” society. It also expanded the scope and payment limits of community-based transportation services, increased the reimbursement for nutritional care services and adjusted the content of home respite services. Under Long-term Care 3.0, eligibility for long-term care services would be expanded to include people with early-onset dementia — defined as those younger than 50 with functional impairments — to enable earlier intervention, the ministry said. People with very mild or mild dementia who retain mobility could attend community-based dementia centers, while those with BPSD could use designated centers, he said. Those with long-term care needs could access home-based or community care services, while people requiring 24-hour intensive care could move to group homes or designated sections of residential institutions.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
EDITORIAL: What is ahead for the AI industry
EDITORIAL: What is ahead for the AI industryBenefiting from the continued rise in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technology applications, Taiwan’s tech-driven exports rose significantly, and private investment further increased this year, prompting the central bank to revise upward its economic growth forecasts last week. In addition, the central bank said it has paid attention to the market’s recent concerns about an AI bubble after AI stocks corrected meaningfully from their highs, as the market began reassessing whether AI firms’ massive capital expenditures had sufficient end-demand support. The big question is whether the AI industry would face a bubble bursting in the near term, similar to the dotcom bubble in 2000. That explains why the market remains concerned about whether the massive capital expenditures of cloud service providers and other AI-focused firms have become imbalanced. However, as the central bank pointed out, the process of transforming new technologies into substantial productivity inevitably involves a transitional period of adjustment and adaptation, which is an unavoidable path for industrial innovation and upgrading.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Man who fought Taipei attacker honored
People lay flowers near exit M7 of Taipei Main Station yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei TimesMinister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that the ministry would respect the wishes of Yu’s family. He later died of sepsis and was enshrined at the Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine. Huang added that Yu's father had served in the military and that the couple had raised their sons with strict discipline. She described Yu as a devoted son who had shown courage and a strong sense of responsibility from a young age.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Car blast kills Russian general hours after US talks
Car blast kills Russian general hours after US talksAFP, MOSCOWA car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. People inspect a damaged Kia Sorento at the scene where Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed by a car bomb in Moscow yesterday. Photo: ReutersRussian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, was killed when the bomb, which had been placed under his parked car, detonated in a residential quarter of southern Moscow. He also commanded Russian forces in Syria in 2015 and 2016. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also met with the US team, which included Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Minister discusses use of public alerts
The 27-year-old suspect, identified as Chang Wen (張文), jumped off a building and died while being chased by the police. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang attends a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee in Taipei yesterday. “Earthquake alerts are sent when seismic intensity at some regions is expected to reach a certain level. While local government officials can use cell broadcasts amid a major attack, they must ensure that residents are informed on how to evacuate under such circumstances, she said. Lawmakers asked whether the attack will be included in the National Public Safety Guide for responding to major violent or public safety threats, and whether similar future attacks could trigger emergency text alerts to notify the public.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Japan takes final step to restart large nuclear plant
Japan takes final step to restart large nuclear plantReuters, NIIGATA, JapanJapan yesterday took the final step to allow the world’s largest nuclear power plant to resume operations with a regional vote, a watershed moment in the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, about 220km northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Protesters take part in a rally near the Niigata Prefectural Government Office Building in Niigata, Japan, yesterday, before a vote on the partial restart of the Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. Photo: ReutersKashiwazaki-Kariwa is to be the first restarted plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), which ran the doomed Fukushima plant. “There is no end in terms of ensuring the safety of Niigata residents.”A woman swims in the water near the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, one of the world’s largest nuclear facilities, in Kashiwazaki, Japan, on Sunday.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Majority oppose stalling on defense budget
Majority oppose stalling on defense budgetSUBSTANTIAL DISFAVOR: More than half of those polled said they disapproved of the opposition’s continued stalling of a special defense budget in the legislatureBy Chen Yu-fu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerMore than half of people disapprove of opposition lawmakers stalling review of the government’s proposed special defense budget, a poll found yesterday. Last month, President William Lai (賴清德) proposed a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget to be spent over the next eight years. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), using their combined legislative majority, have twice declined to schedule the bill for discussion. Among KMT supporters, 52 percent approved of holding up the budget, while 33 percent disapproved, it said. However, 33 percent of KMT supporters appreciated the comments, compared with 34 percent who did not.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
US to supply howitzers as part of new arms sale
The US government on Wednesday last week announced the potential sale of eight arms packages to Taiwan, including HIMARS, anti-tank missiles and drones, at an estimated cost of US$11.1 billion. It was the second round of arms sales to Taiwan during US President Donald Trump’s second term. Five of the eight arms packages — the M109 howitzers, HIMARS, TOW guided anti-tank missiles, anti-armor drones and Javelin anti-tank missiles — are covered in an NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget put forth last month by the government, pending lawmakers’ review. Taiwan is reported to have reduced the number of M109A7 howitzers requested to 120 from 168 out of concern that the delivery of the weapons might not be completed within the execution timeline for the special budget. The M109A7 is the latest variant in the M109 family of self-propelled howitzers.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 16:35 UTC
Vietnamese immigrant realizes acting dreams in Taiwan
Vietnamese immigrant realizes acting dreams in TaiwanStaff writer, with CNAVietnamese actress Trần Thu Liễu, also known by her Chinese name Chen Chiu-liu (陳秋柳), has realized her acting dream in Taiwan, a place she has called home for more than two decades. While pursuing her dreams on stage, Trần also works as an interpreter, providing judicial and administrative translation services for Vietnamese in Taiwan. "The entire movie conveyed to me the cultural uniqueness of Taiwan's night markets and challenged patriarchal traditions," Trần said. "Through a grassroots immigrant character like mine, the movie also showcased that Taiwan has a diverse society populated by immigrants." Trần said she wishes to use the unique opportunities her acting career has given her to bridge Taiwanese and Vietnamese cultures.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 13:16 UTC
Suspected drug smuggler arrested after airport chase
Suspected drug smuggler arrested after airport chaseStaff writer, with CNAA foreign national who fled yesterday when customs officials searched his suitcase at Kaohsiung International Airport has been arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling, authorities said. Police officers apprehend a suspected drug smuggler at Kaohsiung International Airport yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Aviation Police Bureau Kaohsiung branchAfter being stopped at customs, the man offered "various pretexts" to avoid having his luggage searched before running out of the security restricted area and into the arrival hall, a bureau spokesman said. The suspect, whose name and nationality have not been made public, was taken for questioning on suspicion of drug smuggling, the bureau said. As of yesterday evening, police had yet to confirm the type and quantity of drugs the man is suspected of carrying.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 12:56 UTC
Smoke grenade registration, AI scanners at MRT considered
Smoke grenade registration, AI scanners at MRT consideredBy Lee Wen-hsin and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerAuthorities are considering requiring real-name registration when purchasing smoke grenades following their use in an attack on the Taipei metro on Friday last week, as well as introducing scanners at public transportation entrances, National Police Agency Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said today. The Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee today invited Chang, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and others to discuss plans to improve safety in light of the attack. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shih-bao (賴士葆) asked whether smoke grenades and signal flares would be added to the Firearms, Ammunition and Knives Control Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例) for regulation. The orange crisis safety handbook published this year did not include responding to violence and robbery, as the likelihood was considered low, Liu said. Asked how to prevent copycats, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lue Jen-der (呂建德) said that Friday’s case was unusual.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 10:34 UTC
Poll shows majority oppose stalling defense budget
Poll shows majority oppose stalling defense budgetBy Chen Yu-fu and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerMore than half of people disapprove of opposition lawmakers stalling review of the government’s proposed special defense budget, a poll found today. Last month, President William Lai (賴清德) proposed a NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.63 billion) special defense budget to be spent over the next eight years. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) using their combined legislative majority have twice declined to schedule the bill for discussion. Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers hold up signs protesting the opposition over blocking discussion of the government’s special defense budget at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei in an undated photograph. However, 33 percent of KMT supporters appreciated the comments, compared with 34 percent who did not.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 09:57 UTC
Crackdown on threats after Taipei knife attack
Crackdown on threats after Taipei knife attackStaff writer, with CNAAuthorities have detained several suspects in recent days for violent acts and making threats, stepping up efforts to prevent copycat attacks after a deadly stabbing spree in Taipei on Friday. Armed police patrol in Taipei Railway Station today. Citing the risk of flight and repeat offenses, they sought Lu's detention, which was approved by the New Taipei District Court this morning. Authorities launched the crackdown following an indiscriminate knife attack late on Friday near Taipei Main Station and Zhongshan MRT Station that left four people dead, including the suspect, 27-year-old Chang Wen (張文). Police and prosecutors warned that any acts threatening public safety, whether online or offline, would be dealt with swiftly.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 07:49 UTC
MRT patrols increased after social media bomb threat
MRT patrols increased after social media bomb threatBy Wang Kuan-jen and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerPolice today said they are stepping up patrols throughout the Taipei MRT system, after a social media user threatened to detonate a bomb at an unspecified station this afternoon. Many copycat messages have been posted since Friday’s stabbing attacks at Taipei Main Station and near Zhongshan MRT Station that left three dead and 11 injured, police said. Police officers patrol in Taipei Main Station yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesLast night, a Threads user in a post said they would detonate a bomb on the Taipei MRT system at 1:30pm today, without specifying where. The stations include Songshan, Nangang and Taipei railway stations in Taipei; Banqiao station in New Taipei City; Songzhu, Daqing and Xinwuri stations in Taichung; and Xinzuoying in Kaohsiung.
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 06:01 UTC
OneRepublic thrills packed Kaohsiung crowd
OneRepublic thrills packed Kaohsiung crowdStaff writer, with CNAUS pop-rock band OneRepublic performed to a packed audience at Kaohsiung Arena on Friday night, with frontman Ryan Tedder delighting fans by wearing a Taiwanese temple-style vest and speaking Mandarin on stage. The show opened with the high-energy number Born, sending the crowd into a frenzy that grew as Tedder donned the vest on stage. OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder wears a temple vest while performing in Kaohsiung on Friday last week. OneRepublic performs in Kaohsiung on Friday last week. While performing Runaway, Tedder did some improvisations, changing the lyrics at one point to "My friends in Kaohsiung."
Source:Taipei Times
December 22, 2025 05:33 UTC