The yen and government bonds stayed noticeably calmer than many had feared following weeks of volatility fueled by concerns about fiscal sustainability. “Importantly, a large governing majority should also ensure that fiscal spending remains more restrained, reducing the risk of bond market jitters,” he added. Meanwhile, Takaichi said she would conduct a responsible and proactive fiscal policy. “The LDP landslide victory does not give Takaichi free rein to just spend,” Aberdeen Investments senior research economist Sree Kochugovindan said. Sectors such as defense and semiconductors that are likely to benefit from Takaichi’s spending plans might get another leg up, analysts said.

Outbound shipments jumped 69.9 percent from a year earlier to US$65.77 billion last month, the strongest monthly export performance on record, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was also the 27th consecutive month of expansion, despite the sector’s traditionally low season, it added. Exports to Taiwan’s major markets reached record highs for the month. Imports also climbed sharply, rising 63.6 percent year-on-year to US$46.87 billion last month, the second-highest level on record, the ministry said. The increase reflected strong purchases of capital equipment and deeper international collaboration across the AI supply chain, it added.

Scientists tracking endangered fish using satellitesBy Yang Yuan-ting and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerResearchers used satellites to track five critically endangered Taiwanese wedgefish, identifying the waters off the west coast and Penghu County as key habitats essential to the species’ survival, the Fisheries Research Institute said yesterday. A Taiwanese wedgefish is pictured in an undated photograph. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora included all species of wedgefish in its list of trade controls in 2019. It has since been working with fishermen in Yunlin and Penghu counties to carry out tagging and release operations, it said. Last year, the institute attached satellite tags to five Taiwanese wedgefish to track their movements and swimming depths over the span of one year, it said.

New egg policy unlikely to push prices up: ministryBy Shelley Shan / Staff ReporterThe government’s proposed policy of requiring large restaurant and breakfast store chains to use washed and graded eggs is unlikely to push consumer prices up, the Ministry of Agriculture said. More consumers are aware of the importance of egg production and traceability information since the ministry introduced the policy mandating traceability through spray-marking eggshells in 2022, the ministry said, adding that this has boosted the consumption of washed and graded eggs. “The new policy is essentially an extension of the existing egg traceability framework, expanding its scope to include food and beverage chains of a certain scale as well as large corporations. There is minimal price difference between washed and graded eggs, and unwashed and ungraded ones, it said, adding that costs of delivering and processing washed and graded eggs would decrease with the larger scale of operation and improved operating procedures. Most egg producers affirmed the new policy during a meeting with ministry officials in July last year, as it helps elevate the quality of egg products and boost the trust of consumers, it said.

HK reporter discusses decline in press freedomBy Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerYoung people studying journalism and communication in Hong Kong no longer aspire to become reporters after graduation, according to Kwan Chun-hoi (關震海), the founder of independent news outlet Hong Kong Feature (誌). Kwan Chun-hoi, founder of Hong Kong news outlet Hong Kong Feature, poses for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times“The goal of Hong Kong Feature is to leave behind diverse records of Hong Kong. “If something absolutely must be discussed, it would not be done in Hong Kong,” he said. “If Hong Kong has less freedom than before, then the journalistic spirit is even more necessary now,” he said.

Plane loses tire landing at Taoyuan AirportBy Shelley Shan / Staff ReporterThe Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday that it would launch investigations into an incident involving a T’way Air plane that lost a tire when landing at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Sunday and three flights that sent distress signals afterwards. The tire failure occurred at 3:52pm as flight TW687 from Jeju Island, South Korea, landed, Taoyuan International Airport Corp said. A T’way Air plane is pictured at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Sunday. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei TimesThe incident caused the airport to temporarily close the north runway to locate the missing tire and to ensure that the runway and ground lighting system were not damaged. Separately, seven flights that were scheduled to land in Taoyuan were diverted to Taichung, Kaohsiung, and China’s Shantou and Wenzhou cities due to bad weather conditions, the airport said.

Lai congratulates Takaichi on victoryLANDSLIDE WIN: Wishing the Japanese leader the best, the president said that he looks forward to working with her to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific regionStaff writer, with CNAPresident William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday night congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on their historic landslide victory in Japan’s general election earlier in the day. The decisive win “clearly demonstrates the trust and expectations of Japanese voters for Sanae Takaichi’s leadership and vision,” Lai wrote in Chinese and Japanese on X. As Taiwan and Japan continue to face regional challenges, Lai said he looks forward to working with Takaichi, based on shared values and the spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation, to jointly promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters on general election day in Tokyo on Sunday. The LDP and its coalition partner the Japan Innovation Party jointly won 352 seats.

Taiwan not moving 40% of chip production to US: vice premierStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese trade negotiators told Washington that Taipei would not relocate 40 percent of its semiconductor production to the US, and that its most advanced technologies would remain in the nation, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said on Sunday. “I told the US side, we can’t distribute production capacity, but we can expand our layout in the US,” she said. Taiwan’s science parks would not be relocated to the US, she said, adding that she had made it clear during negotiations that Taiwan’s most advanced semiconductor technology would not be transferred to other countries. Taiwanese semiconductor companies “will only rationally expand their investments to other countries after they have set up factories in Taiwan and confirmed they can mass produce,” Cheng said. For that reason, the most advanced R&D and manufacturing processes must be “carried out first in Taiwan,” she added.

Taiwan congratulates Thailand on electionStaff writer, with CNAThe government yesterday congratulated Thailand on the completion of its general election on Sunday, in which the country’s ruling conservative party secured a solid victory. The election was held to fill all 500 seats in the Thai House of Representatives, including 400 constituency seats and 100 party-list seats. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts as he arrives at Thai Government House in Bangkok yesterday. The ministry said Taiwan and Thailand have long maintained close and cordial ties in areas including trade, investment, tourism, culture and education. Building on this foundation, Taiwan looks forward to further deepening cooperation across various fields under Thailand’s new government and parliament, it added.

The PLA last month sent an average of 5.4 aircraft per day across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to data from the Ministry of National Defense. A map shows the sighting of a Chinese balloon near Taiwan in the 24 hours that ended at 6am yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense“More experienced pilots can now devote more time to tactical training, rather than training aimed at increasing individual flight hours,” he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has been conducting a purge of the military’s top ranks, most recently taking down the nation’s top general. Those developments were probably unrelated to recent training activity by PLA warplanes, said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

The Kenting National Park Administration said the footage was from several years ago and does not reflect current conditions. A dead sika deer is pictured trapped under netting and a fence in Pingtung County in an undated photograph. The park administration said it contacted the original poster and determined that most of the videos were filmed years ago and the locations were unclear. The park administration acknowledged limitations in fencing, but said overpopulation remains the core problem. The wild sika deer population in Kenting is estimated to exceed 3,600, far beyond the area’s ecological carrying capacity, it said.

Car crashes lead cause of child deathsMORTALITY RATES More than 100 children or teenagers were killed last year in car crashes, although correct use of child car seats can help cut fatality risk substantiallyBy Yang Mien-chieh / Staff ReporterCar crashes were the leading cause for child mortality and injuries last year, according to a study released by the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation yesterday. Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation executive director Hsu Ya-jen speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei TimesAs in 2024, car crashes remained the main cause of deaths and injuries of children and teenagers, with 164 children killed or injured in 114 crashes. They were followed by 49 deaths and injuries caused by negligence, 46 deaths or injuries by fire, and 18 deaths or injuries from games and toys, the foundation said. Studies showed that correct use of child safety car seats can reduce the impact on children’s necks by 73 percent and lower their chances of death by 71 percent, Hsu said, adding that safety would be elevated by 75 percent if child car seats are installed aft-facing.

Taiwan to freeze fuel prices over LNY, gas rates through FebruaryStaff writer, with CNAThe Executive Yuan said yesterday it would freeze gasoline and diesel prices from Feb. 16 to 23 to help stabilize prices around the Lunar New Year holiday in Taiwan, and keep natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices unchanged until the end of February. A scooter rider fills their tank at a CPC, Taiwan gas station in Taipei in an undated photograph. This includes ensuring fuel prices at CPC Corp, Taiwan stations can fall but not rise during the holiday period and maintaining current prices for car wash services at CPC- operated gas stations. The Cabinet said the MOEA found prices for popular Lunar New Year dishes to be stable at both chain retailers and traditional markets. The Cabinet added that the MOEA has maintained close communication with retailers and encouraged the creation of discount sections.

Lai seeks meeting with heads of governmentRECONCILIATION? Karen Kuo said that while the meeting is planned, it requires coordination due to the heavy workloads of each government branchBy Chen Yun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerPresident William Lai (賴清德) has invited the heads of each branch of government to a meeting after the Lunar New Year, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday. Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. Kuo confirmed that while the meeting is planned, it would require careful coordination due to the heavy workloads of each branch. While political parties might hold differing positions, the country is one,” she said.

Taipei Zoo home to rare, seasonally appropriate critterTaipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has beenBy Fabian Hamacher, Ann Wang and Yi-Chin Lee