■ Health
CDC reports malaria case
The Center for Disease Control confirmed on Monday the country's first malaria case of the year. Center officials said the patient, a 48-year-old man, had been on a business trip to Madagascar from Jan. 1 to last Thursday. He developed a fever on Jan. 4 and sought medical treatment upon his return to Taiwan last Thursday. The hospital alerted the center after suspecting that he had malaria. The officials noted that the center received notification of 132 confirmed malaria cases between 2002 and last year, with 130 of those being contracted overseas, mainly from Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Myanmar and Malawi. Since Taiwan eradicated the mosquito-borne disease in 1965, most malaria cases reported have been contracted abroad, with an average of about 30 cases per year.
■ Society
Chen Ding-nan hall planned
A preparatory committee has been formed to oversee the construction of a memorial hall in commemoration of the late minister of justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南), who died of lung cancer in November, the committee's spokesman, Lai Juei-ting (賴瑞鼎) said. Lai said construction of the hall would cost an estimated NT$50 million (US$1.5 million), and an additional NT$200 million would be needed for maintenance operations. The committee has so far collected just NT$ 9.1 million, Lai said, adding that the committee had not yet decided on a location for the planned memorial hall. According to an initial blueprint, Lai said the hall would include a main gallery to display Chen's manuscripts and other documents, particularly those from his eight years as Ilan County commissioner.
■ Diplomacy
WHA decision explained
Director-general of the Department of International Organizations John Chen (陳忠) yesterday explained why Taiwan did not apply for observer status at this year's Executive Board of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held on Monday. Chen said the decision was made following strategic considerations rather than time pressure. The Executive Board of the WHA is not a policy-making body that has the power to decide whether Taiwan could become a WHA observer, Chen said, adding that El Salvador was the only ally of Taiwan that is in the 35-member board. Therefore, it might have a negative effect if Taiwan were to insist on applying for observer status, he said. Lai added that "Taiwan will never give up its efforts to gain membership in the WHO" and will take effective and practical action to accomplish this goal.
■ Health
Visually impaired get advice
Visually impaired people need to exercise regularly to stay healthy, said Weng Lin-chung (翁林仲), superintendent of the Renai branch of Taipei City Hospital. Weng said that he found a higher rate of obesity and health issues among the visually impaired after the hospital launched a free physical check-up service. During the check-ups, one blind man who worked as a masseur admitted that he hardly did any exercise because of a loss of strength and time constraints. Weng added that many visually impaired people do not make a habit of taking regular exercise, except for walking, and do not have balanced diets. He added that it could be difficult for the visually impaired to access health information. Weng advised the visually impaired to take 30-minute exercises at least three times a week.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as