Wiwynn closes out highly profitable yearBy Meryl Kao / Staff ReporterCloud computing equipment supplier Wiwynn Corp (緯穎科技) on Thursday reported a 95.7 percent year-on-year surge in net profit last quarter to NT$13.79 billion (US$436.46 million), a record high for the period, driven by strong customer demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers and data center equipment. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, third left, Wiwynn Corp chairwoman Emily Hong, and other guests attend a groundbreaking ceremony in Taipei last year. Last year, Wiwynn mainly shipped server racks powered by application-specific integrated circuits, but beginning last quarter it started supplying servers using Nvidia Corp’s graphics processing units, it said. Last year as a whole, Inventec shipped 21.3 million notebook computers, up 6.5 percent annually. Compal shipped 6.8 million notebook computers last quarter, down 12.8 percent year-on-year, bringing full-year shipments to 28 million units.

Rare Central Asian gull spotted for the first time in TainanVULNERABLE SPECIES: As the relict gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, it might be the same bird sighted in Changhua last year, birdwatchers saidStaff writer, with CNAA relict gull has been spotted in Tainan for the first time, in only the fifth recorded sighting of the vulnerable Central Asian species in Taiwan, the Wild Bird Society of Tainan said. Local birdwatcher Lin Kun-hui (林坤慧) spotted the gull on Wednesday after noticing it stood out among other birds at a salt pan in Tainan’s Jiangjun District (將軍). A relict gull is pictured in Tainan’s Jiangjun District in an undated photograph. As the gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, the society said it might be the same bird spotted last year, possibly moving south to escape cold surges. Earlier sightings were recorded in Kinmen County in 2013, Yilan County in 2016 and Pingtung County in 2024, it said.

“If the US chooses to attack another NATO country, everything will stop,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen said on Monday. The military alliance might well continue to exist, but its effectiveness would be called into fundamental question; the obvious beneficiary, an already aggressive Moscow. During the 2024 US election campaign, US President Donald Trump said he would not protect “delinquent” NATO members; countries that did not meet the then-target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. It was enough to provoke alarm in Europe, but diplomacy in the run-up to June’s NATO summit appeared to have massaged away the problem. Yet, rather than heal differences in opinion, it appears the NATO summit simply papered over a rift.

Taiwan reports captive breeding of C meridithiiBy Tsai Tsung-hsien and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA research team led by National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium assistant researcher Leu Ming-yih (呂明毅) has provided the first comprehensive account of natural spawning of Chaetodontoplus meridithii, or Queensland yellowtail angelfish, in an artificial environment. C meridithii is a marine ornamental species endemic to subtropical waters in Australia’s Queensland area. Queensland yellowtail angelfish are pictured in an undated photograph. Queensland yellowtail angelfish are “not easy to handle,” as they are very territorial and would often refuse to mate, museum Director Wen Chih-hung (溫志宏) said. The latest findings “expand understanding of Queensland yellowtail angelfish reproduction, supporting captive breeding, larval rearing, sustainable aquaculture and efforts to mitigate overfishing from the marine ornamental trade,” it added.

Ex-soldier indicted for selling secretsStaff writer, with CNAA former Marine Corps soldier has been indicted for allegedly pledging allegiance to China in exchange for money and selling military secrets, with prosecutors in Kaohsiung seeking a heavy sentence. Photo: Tsai Ching-hua, Taipei TimesHe allegedly received NT$200,000 after sending the video to Jixiang, the indictment says. Acting on a tip, prosecutors and military police searched Chen’s residence and arrested him in August last year. He was dismissed from service in November last year and formally indicted last month on charges including contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). His actions seriously endangered national security and military discipline, they said, urging the court to impose a heavy sentence as a warning.

Farmers advised to step up protection of crops from coldBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterThe Agriculture and Food Agency yesterday called on farmers to enhance measures to protect crops as the effects of a cold air mass and radiative cooling continued to affect the nation. Farmers are advised to refrain from planting rice seedlings during the cold surge and set up cold barriers around rice seedling nurseries, it said. Non-woven or plastic cloth can be used to shield growing seedlings from cold, but water pooling on the cloth must be promptly removed to prevent frost damage, it said. Tea plants could be affected by cold temperatures although most of them have entered winter dormancy, it said, adding that cold protection techniques like anti-frost fans are recommended to reduce cold damage. Fruit trees damaged by cold temperatures must be trimmed to remove the affected branches and leaves, it added.

Search expands for missing pilot of crashed F-16V jetStaff writer, with CNAThe military has expanded the scope of its search-and-rescue operation for the missing pilot of an F-16V jet, deploying sea, air and ground forces around the clock, but had made no further progress as of noon yesterday. The F-16V piloted by Hsin went missing off the coast of Hualien County during a nighttime training mission on Tuesday evening. Waves bound against a Coast Guard Administration vessle searching for missing air force Captain Hsin Po-yi off the coast of Hualien County yesterday. As of 9am yesterday, four vessels and 16 boat sorties had been dispatched, along with 132 vehicles and 296 personnel for shore operations, the coast guard said. The army’s Taitung Area Command said that about 40 personnel are deployed daily for coastal search operations.

Make correct choices for resilienceBy Roger LoA succession of disasters of natural and human origin over the course of last year have hit Taiwan hard. From earthquakes and extreme weather events to public security incidents, disasters became a part of everyday life. From a longer-term perspective, climate change and earthquake risks are compounding to amplify Taiwan’s disaster challenges. The issue is that this resilience comes not just from emergency response efficiency, but everyday investment choices. Accelerating the reinforcement of aging buildings, integrating cross-agency public safety governance and establishing more transparent risk-information mechanisms are tasks that can no longer be deferred.

Exports surged 43.4 percent from a year earlier to US$62.48 billion last month, extending growth to 26 consecutive months. Photo: EPADepartment of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) described the performance as “surprisingly outstanding,” forecasting export growth of 50 percent to 56 percent for this month, reflecting a low base due to the timing of the Lunar New Year. Together, the two categories accounted for over two-thirds of the month’s export growth, underscoring Taiwan’s pivotal role in supplying chips, servers and related hardware to global datacenter operators. Taiwan’s export expansion has accelerated rapidly in recent years. Last year’s export growth was the strongest in close to 15 years, far outpacing major economies, she said.

Legislators hold up placards stating their respective stances during a vote at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. The Cabinet has declined to earmark funds for the raises and has sought constitutional interpretations of the bills, which are still pending. Lawmakers from the two opposition parties also blocked a proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget unveiled by Lai on Nov. 26 last year. It was the sixth time opposition lawmakers had voted against the special budget. The opposition has demanded that Lai brief the legislature on the special budget and respond to lawmakers’ questions before any review of the spending plan begins.

KMT offers legal assistance to challenge pension cutStaff writer, with CNAThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday promised to provide legal assistance to retired police officers and firefighters affected by the government’s refusal to budget pension increases mandated by a bill passed by the legislature and signed by President William Lai (賴清德). Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien, center, speaks at a news confernce at party headquarters in Taipei yesterday. Lawyers who regularly work with the party are willing to represent affected retirees and the party would cover any legal fees, he said. The KMT would also file a lawsuit demanding that the Cabinet allocate funding for the pension increases, he added. In September last year, a coalition of retired police officers’ associations filed a lawsuit against Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), accusing him of malfeasance over the Cabinet’s refusal to earmark funds for the pension increases.

Hon Hai posts record growth in revenueREVENUE PERFORMANCE: Cloud and network products, and electronic components saw strong increases, while smart consumer electronics and computing products fell Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday posted 26.51 percent quarterly growth in revenue for last quarter to NT$2.6 trillion (US$82.44 billion), the strongest on record for the period and above expectations, but the company forecast a slight revenue dip this quarter due to seasonal factors. On an annual basis, revenue last quarter grew 22.07 percent, the company said. Analysts on average estimated about NT$2.4 trillion increase. Hon Hai, which assembles servers for Nvidia Corp and iPhones for Apple Inc, is expanding its capacity in the US, adding artificial intelligence (AI) server production in Wisconsin and Texas, where it operates established campuses. ThisBy Meryl Kao

South Korea looks aheadBloombergSouth Korea’s government is more optimistic about the economy’s prospects than the central bank, striking a more upbeat tone as authorities move to further open the nation’s currency and financial markets to global investors. In its economic growth strategy report for this year, the government forecast the economy would grow 2 percent, more than the Bank of Korea’s 1.8 percent estimate, the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement Friday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center, rear, speaks during a meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. The foreign exchange reforms are part of a broader push to attract foreign investment as South Korea pursues inclusion in global benchmarks such as MSCI Inc’s developed markets index. The strategy reaffirmed the government’s industrial priorities, with artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing positioned as key growth engines.

Rio Tinto and Glencore revive merger discussionBloombergRio Tinto Group is in talks to buy Glencore PLC to create the world’s biggest mining company with a combined market value of more than US$200 billion, a little over a year after earlier talks between the two collapsed. Glencore and Rio both own large copper assets, and the potential deal would create a new mining behemoth to rival BHP Group, which has long held the title of the biggest miner. The Rio Tinto Group logo atop Central Park tower, which houses the company`s offices, in Perth, Australia, yesterday. Trott, who ran Rio’s iron ore division before taking the helm in August last year, aims to sharpen an organization that critics say became bloated in recent years. Since then, Rio replaced its CEO, while Glencore made an effort to publicly outline its copper growth prospects.

Road safety groups call for driving test reformBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNARoad and pedestrian safety advocacy groups today called for reform of Taiwan’s driving test and certification system, citing five key demands. Among their demands were including commercial and urban areas with pedestrians in the driving test and establishing a nationwide curriculum. Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei TimesThe groups included the Taiwan Vision Zero Alliance and the Taiwan Traffic Safe Association, with Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yue-chin (林月琴) and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬) also in attendance. They then called for a nationwide driving curriculum in line with international practices, and speed differentiation training to ensure safety for young people on the roads. The groups also recommended increased oversight of driving schools to ensure that new drivers reach the legally mandated minimum hours of on-road training before taking the test.