Japan-US alliance would collapse if Tokyo ignored Taiwan crisis: Takaichi
Japan-US alliance would collapse if Tokyo ignored Taiwan crisis: TakaichiReuters, TOKYO and BEIJINGJapan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese military response. “If something serious happens there, we would have to go to rescue the Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan. “And if the US forces, acting jointly with us, come under attack and Japan does nothing and simply runs away, the Japan-US alliance would collapse. With an eye on the electorate, Takaichi has stopped short of retracting the remarks from November, saying her stance was consistent with Japan’s long-standing policy.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Amendments aim to boost investment
In addition, new amendments to the statute are expected to boost angel investment to about NT$2.2 billion on local start-ups this year, while raising corporate equipment investment tax credits to more than NT$170 billion this year, Industrial Development Administration Deputy Director-General Tsou Yu-hsin (鄒宇新) told a news conference in Taipei. Amendments to Article 23-1 introduce a “pass-through taxation” mechanism for limited partnership venture capital funds investing in start-ups, and under the revised rules, such funds would no longer be subject to corporate income tax, Tsou said. The ministry extended investor’s locking period to three years from two years, but halved the minimum investment threshold to NT$500,000 from NT$1 million, he said. To minimize investment risks, the ministry relaxed the definition of a start-up, he said. A company can be considered a start-up within five years of its launch, compared with two years before, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Sabalenka beats heat and Jovic
1 Sabalenka tamed 18-year-old Iva Jovic of the US 6-3, 6-0 in 38°C temperatures, while last year’s runner-up Zverev sent down a barrage of 24 aces to crush another young US player, Learner Tien, in four sets. That match was played under the Rod Laver Arena roof as temperatures peaked at 43°C outside. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus returns to Iva Jovic of the US in their Australian Open women’s singles quarter-final in Melbourne yesterday. The decision came after the tournament hit its maximum “heat stress” rating of five for the second time in four days. Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Troubled Napoli staring at elimination against Blues
Troubled Napoli staring at elimination against BluesAFP, MILAN, ItalySSC Napoli are on the brink of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League as the troubled Italian club face Chelsea today racked by a deep injury crisis and a faltering Serie A title defense. Sat just inside the elimination zone on only eight points from seven matches after last week’s miserable 1-1 draw at Copenhagen, Napoli must beat Chelsea to scrape a place in next month’s playoffs. That will be no easy task with the Blues, Antonio Conte’s former club, needing a win to stay in the top eight and bag direct qualification for the last 16. SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte gestures during his side’s Serie A match against Juventus in Turin, Italy, on Sunday. It started with Romelu Lukaku suffering a hamstring injury which kept him out of action until the 79th minute of Sunday’s loss.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Doncic sparks Lakers over the Bulls in Chicago
Doncic sparks Lakers over the Bulls in ChicagoAFP, LOS ANGELESLuka Doncic on Monday produced a 46-point masterpiece as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Chicago Bulls’ four-game winning streak with a 129-118 victory on the road. Doncic rattled in eight three-pointers on 15-of-25 shooting from the field, finishing with seven rebounds and 11 assists to lead an impressive Lakers effort at the United Center. Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, right, shoots over Kevin Huerter of the Chicago Bulls in their NBA game in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday. Coby White led the scoring for Chicago with 23 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had 20 off the bench. McCollum came off the bench to produce 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals to spark the Hawks.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Clickbait and ‘AI slop’ distort memory of Holocaust
Clickbait and ‘AI slop’ distort memory of HolocaustAFP, BERLINAn emaciated and apparently blind man stands in the snow at the Nazi concentration camp of Flossenbuerg: the image seems real at first but is part of a wave of AI-generated content about the Holocaust. Among the AI-generated images that have gone viral is one of a little girl with curly hair on a tricycle. EXPLOITING ‘EMOTIONAL IMPACT’Several Holocaust memorials and commemorative associations this month issued an open letter warning about the rising number of these “entirely fabricated” pieces of content. Groschek said that none of the American social media giants responded to the memorials’ letter, including Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Some of the fake Facebook posts about Hannelore and Hank were still online on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Nipah to become category 5 disease in March: CDC
Nipah to become category 5 disease in March: CDCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Centers for Disease Control Director-General Philip Lo, left, gives an update on Nipah virus at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The five hospital infections in India were traced to a patient hospitalized last year, who died of suspected Nipah virus infection and had drunk raw date palm sap before the onset of symptoms, CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said. Local media reported that authorities collected samples from nine fruit bats and 24 date palm sap containers for testing, and Nipah antibodies were detected in one bat, suggesting prior exposure, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Taiwan AI corpus grows to 1.1bn data units
Taiwan AI corpus grows to 1.1bn data unitsLANGUAGE TOOLS: The dictionaries category of the training corpus consistently ranks among users’ most frequently searched topics, the Ministry of Digital Affairs saidBy Chiu Chiao-chen and Shelley Shan / Staff reportersTaiwan’s Sovereign AI Training Corpus has grown to include more than 1.1 billion tokens just more than a month after its official launch, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The platform initially contained more than 2,000 datasets totaling more than 600 million units of data, also known as tokens, Department of Data Innovation Director-General Chuang Ming-fen (莊明芬) said. Ministry of Digital Affairs officials introduce the Sovereign AI Training Corpus at a news conference in Taipei on Dec. 24 last year. “That shows that people in research institutions, government agencies and the corporate world pay close attention to the high-quality data released by the government to train sovereign AI databases. In related news, the government’s Open Data Platform has attracted about 175.84 million views and 22.27 million downloads more than a decade since its launch.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Minister Lin touts tech governance
Minister Lin touts tech governanceBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s democratization and technological innovation have been inextricably linked since 1987, but the information technology boom has brought new challenges to urban governance, as malicious actors use it to manipulate information and create division, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at the AI x Democracy Forum in Taipei yesterday. Lin spoke ahead of a discussion centered on the use of innovative urban governance and global collaboration to boost democracy. Local governments have transformed into innovators in democratic governance, and have shared their experiences through international networks and global cooperation, he added. Smart applications assisted in local governance during his time as Taichung mayor, although malicious manipulation of information could make it harder for the public to reach a consensus on many issues, posing new challenges for urban governance, Lin said. Han said he hoped that participants would examine the benefits, opportunities, risks and responsibilities of AI in democratic governance, respect democratic values and use AI appropriately.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Travelers should renew passports before holiday
Travelers should renew passports before holidayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterPeople planning to travel abroad during the Lunar New Year should check their passport validity as early as possible, and pick up new passports before Feb. 13, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said yesterday. Holiday travelers should ensure their passport is valid for at least six months beyond their intended date of departure, bureau Director-General Cheng Cheng-yung (鄭正勇) said. He also urged people not to place souvenir stamps in their passport, or otherwise damage or comprise the document’s integrity. Emergency assistance in China, Hong Kong or Macau is handled by the Mainland Affairs Council. Travelers are also encouraged to add the bureau’s official Line account (@boca.tw) or download its Travel Safety Guidance (旅外安全指南) app for useful information such as travel warnings and emergency assistance information, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Reports increase of Taiwanese missing, detained in China
Reports increase of Taiwanese missing, detained in ChinaBy Chen Yu-fu and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerReports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Previously, Taiwanese in China who encountered travel contingencies could contact the two associations for assistance, the MAC said. However, with communications suspended between the two associations, Taiwanese in China no longer have the same safety protections and face heightened risk, it said. Before traveling abroad, Taiwanese should check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advisory table on the bureau’s Web site to assess the safety of their destination, Cheng said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Tomb raiders
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 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
Taiwan rises to 36th in UN tourism ranking
Taiwan rises to 36th in UN tourism rankingSHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activitiesBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterTaiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. “The data showed that growth in Taiwan’s international tourism revenue outpaced the number of international tourists, indicating that inbound tourists’ spending patterns are also changing,” it said. Meanwhile, Taiwanese outbound travel surged to a record-high last year, figures released on Wednesday last week by the Tourism Administration showed. Japan was Taiwan’s largest source for international travel, followed by Hong Kong and Macau, while South Korea ranked third. Despite the tourism deficit, outbound travel by Taiwanese continues to benefit domestic carriers, as well as the travel, insurance and retail sectors.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
New Indian envoy backs interactions
New Indian envoy backs interactionsStaff writer, with CNAIndia would continue to deepen people-to-people exchanges and industrial cooperation with Taiwan, especially in the high-tech and value-added sectors, Ninad Deshpande, the country’s new representative to Taiwan, said at an Indian Republic Day event on Monday. Indian Representative to Taiwan Ninad Deshpande gestures at an Indian Republic Day event in Taipei on Monday. To that end, Taiwan and India have signed more than 20 memorandums of understanding, while bilateral trade has risen to about US$10 billion a year, the envoy said, adding that he expected the momentum to continue. His other overseas posts include Beijing, Shanghai, Bangladesh and Singapore, the ITA said. Deshpande filled the vacancy at the ITA left with the departure of former director-general Manharsinh Yadav.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC
TPP’s budget bill not viable: military
Photo: CNACiting the TPP’s budget for buying HIMARS as an example, Huang said that the bill fails to fund vehicle depots, and maintenance and repair facilities, as well as combat positions necessary to keep the artillery operational. The ministry’s budget proposal was written after careful assessment of operational realities, he said, adding that enacting the TPP’s bill would lead to problems. The armed forces would not be able to field the systems if the TPP’s bill were passed, Hsieh said. “The DPP is using national defense and Taiwan-US ties as a pretext to pass a NT$1.25 trillion special budget to benefit foreign arms manufacturers,” it said. The DPP caucus urged opposition lawmakers to allow the government’s budget to be deliberated concurrently with the TPP bill.
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2026 16:05 UTC