All seven of President Lai Ching-te's picks for top court justice are rejected by the legislature, including by member's of Lai's own Democratic Progressive Party. New rules require Taiwanese citizens who live overseas to continue paying into the country's National Health Insurance program while abroad. And a Chinese ship suspected of cutting European undersea communication cables is continuing its voyage, despite concerns by Swedish officials of an incomplete investigation.
Plus:
●Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan announce merger plans, hoping to compete together against a rising Chinese auto industry.
●Vietnam finally opens its first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City after over a decade of delays.
●Taiwanese botanists breed a local poinsettia cultivar suited for Christmas in Taiwan's warming climate.
●President Lai oversees a disaster response drill in New Taipei, capping off a year that saw three major typhoons and a devastating earthquake.
