A timeless trade
Taiwan’s economy in booming mode for first time in a yearIn the wake of strong global demand for AI applications, Taiwan’s export-oriented economy accelerated with the composite index of economic indicators flashing the first “red” light in December for one year, indicating the economy is in booming mode, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday. Moreover, the index of leading indicators, which gauges the potential state of the economy over the next six months, also moved higher in December amid growing optimism over the outlook, the NDC said. In December, the index of economic indicators rose one point from a month earlier to 38, at the lower end of the “red” light.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:14 UTC
January car sales come in below predicted amount
January car sales come in below predicted amountStaff writer, with CNACar sales in Taiwan fell about 26 percent last month from the month before to about 35,000 units, missing market expectations as analysts cited caution amid uncertainty over tariff policy on US auto imports. Photo: CNAData compiled by the auto industry showed car sales last month stood at 35,073 units, down 25.9 percent from a month earlier, but up very slightly from 35,064 units for the same period last year. Hotai Motor said sales of Toyota and Lexus vehicles this month are forecast to hit 8,000 units, or about a 30.8 percent share of the local auto market. The data showed sales of imported cars in Taiwan plunged 41.3 percent last month from a month earlier to 14,561 units, and the January figure was 12.2 percent lower than a year earlier. Sales of luxury cars last month dipped 44.7 percent from a month earlier and dropped 26.1 percent from a year earlier to 7,234 units, the data indicated.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:14 UTC
Oracle to attempt major fundraising to dig out of AI-based hole it has dug
The announcement coincides with persistent fears about whether massive AI-linked investments by tech companies such as Oracle can pay off. A succesful raise could help Oracle begin to dig itself out of its pit, said Gil Luria, an analyst at DA Davidson & Co. The company borrowed US$18 billion in last year in what was one of the year’s largest corporate bond offerings. As Oracle debt swelled and Wall Street raised concerns of an AI bubble, investors rushed to buy credit default swaps tied to Oracle, which by December pushed the prices on some of the derivatives to the highest since the 2008 financial crisis. Making this significant of an announcement on a Sunday afternoon is unusual for a mature company such as Oracle.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:14 UTC
Foreign affairs minister urges Lunar New Year travelers to take precautions
Foreign affairs minister urges Lunar New Year travelers to take precautionsBy Huang Ching-hsuan, Chen Yu-fu and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writerPeople planning to travel abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday should make sure they have a valid passport, and meet visa and entry requirements, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. In a video posted on Facebook, Lin urged people to check five items before leaving for the holiday. Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei TimesThird, ensure they meet the travel destination’s visa and entry requirements, and fourth, get fully insured for overseas travel, he said. Set up at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the center is open 24/7 throughout the year to help overseas travelers’ in emergencies, the ministry said. Separately, the Mainland Affairs Council yesterday warned against unnecessary travel to Macau or Hong Kong amid an “orange” level travel alert for the regions, due to local law enforcement and unstable situations.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:13 UTC
Prosecutors seek heavy sentence for teacher accused of sexual harassment
Prosecutors seek heavy sentence for teacher accused of sexual harassmentBy Wang Chieh and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerProsecutors in Tainan are seeking a heavy sentence for a teacher in Tainan who allegedly sexually harassed more than 25 girls and took photographs of them using a hidden camera in a bathroom. The Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office and police detained the suspect, surnamed Chang (張), and seized his mobile phone and camera. The Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office is pictured in an undated photograph. The Tainan District Court ordered his detention in October on suspicion of contravening the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), and extended the detention on Tuesday. Chang allegedly took advantage of his teaching position to inappropriately touch and photograph multiple children, violating professional ethics, prosecutors said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:13 UTC
Groups urge government to enhance sex education
Groups urge government to enhance sex educationBROADER VIEW: Sex education should not be reduced to biology and contraception, but should also address consent, self-worth and responsibility, the groups saidStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese civil society groups yesterday called on the government to enhance sex education, citing rising incidents of online exploitation and abuse of minors. Representatives from education advocacy groups pose with placards at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The 10 stories underscore that sex and emotional education is not limited to teaching biology, but also involves concepts such as dignity, consent, power, responsibility and values, the groups said. Traditional sex education overly focuses on physiology, while neglecting emotional and relationship factors, he added. If sex education focuses only on contraception without addressing self-worth, consent and responsibility, young people would continue to face risks associated with sexual encounters, Feng said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:13 UTC
KMT will act as Taiwan industry advocate, peacemaker on Beijing trip: Hsiao
KMT will act as Taiwan industry advocate, peacemaker on Beijing trip: HsiaoStaff writer, with CNAA Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation traveling to Beijing for a think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party will focus on advocating for Taiwanese companies and advancing peace, KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday. “The KMT wants to be a voice for Taiwan’s industry, a protector of everyday people, and a maker of cross-strait peace,” Hsiao told reporters before his departure from Taoyuan Airport. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen, center, speaks to reporters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei TimesThe delegation was slated to attend a dinner hosted by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday evening, and visit Tsinghua University tomorrow (Wed) before returning to Taiwan, Hsiao said. The KMT delegation’s current visit to China, however, will not be focused on political issues, Hsiao said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Doctor warns of winter sleep apnea risks
Doctor warns of winter sleep apnea risksBy William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNAMore than half of people with hypertension also have sleep apnea, leading to nighttime oxygen deprivation that can place undue stress on the heart, especially in the winter, a doctor said. “The most common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea is loud snoring. When combined with nighttime hypoxia from sleep apnea, the heart’s workload can reach its limit,” he said, adding that more than 50 percent of people with hypertension he treats also have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea also hampers weight loss, as breathing interruptions prevent deep sleep, reducing leptin secretion and making the brain less responsive to satiety signals, he said. “Home sleep testing allows professional evaluation of sleep apnea to be conducted in a familiar environment.”
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Lai to brief press on Taiwan-US affairs
Lai to brief press on Taiwan-US affairsBy Chen Yun / Staff reporterPresident William Lai (賴清德) is to hold a press conference today alongside senior officials in charge of national security, economic and foreign affairs to outline the next steps in advancing Taiwan-US cooperation, the Presidential Office announced yesterday. It comes on the heels of the conclusion of the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue in Washington on Tuesday last week. US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jacob Helberg, left, Representative to the US Alexander Yui, second right, and Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin, right, pose for a photograph after signing statements on the Pax Silica Declaration in Washington on Tuesday last week. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis year’s dialogue was led by US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on the US side, while Taiwan was represented by Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫). The government will continue to prioritize national interests, broaden its network of international economic and trade partners, and enhance Taiwan’s resilience and strategic importance within global supply chains, it added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Man faces potential lawsuit after botched iguana hunt sparks power outage
Man faces potential lawsuit after botched iguana hunt sparks power outageBy Hung Ting-hung / Staff reporterTaipower Co said it might seek financial compensation from a Kaohsiung man whose botched attempt to capture an iguana sparked a power outage and left the lizard bounty hunter covered in second-degree burns. The 22-year-old man, surnamed Chou (周), and another person were filmed attempting to capture an iguana near Kaohsiung’s Linyuan Industrial Park (林園工業區) on Saturday. The site where a man was electrocuted in Kaohsiung on Saturday attempting to catch an iguana is pictured. “These are large petrochemical plants at the industrial park, which have high power demands, requiring high-voltage electricity wires. The Kaohsiung Agriculture Bureau said that local governments have offered NT$250 to NT$300 per iguana captured to control the reptiles’ population.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Barbie Hsu statue unveiled at her resting place
Barbie Hsu statue unveiled at her resting placeStaff writer, with CNAA statue of late Taiwanese singer and actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) was unveiled by her mother, nicknamed “S Mom,” and Hsu’s South Korean husband Koo Jun-yup yesterday in her resting place in New Taipei City, one year after her death. Designed by Koo, the statue is surrounded by nine cubes that he described as representing nine planets. Family members and friends of late singer and actress Barbie Hsu gather at the unveiling of her statue at Chin Pao San cemetery in New Taipei City yesterday. Barbie Hsu died of pneumonia at the age of 48 on Feb. 2 last year while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday. Off-screen, Barbie Hsu was a well-known celebrity across Asia.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Ten AI projects to create NT$15tn in value: Lai
Ten AI projects to create NT$15tn in value: LaiSMART NATION: Launched last year with a projected investment of NT$1.5 trillion, the projects aim to support 500,000 people to maintain Taiwan’s competitivenessBy Chen Yun and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan aims to create NT$15 trillion (US$474.8 billion) in production value by 2040 through the 10 major artificial intelligence (AI) projects launched last year, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at a meeting with the winners of the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards. The government launched the 10 major AI projects last year with a projected investment of NT$1.5 trillion, the president said. The investment is expected to support 500,000 people specializing in AI applications and create NT$15 trillion in output by 2040, he added. The real value of technology lies in solving problems and improving people’s lives, Lai said. That would create a better, smarter and more inclusive digital future not only for Taiwan, but also for the Indo-Pacific region as well, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Man indicted for illegally importing bird flu vaccines from China
Man indicted for illegally importing bird flu vaccines from ChinaStaff Writer, with CNAA duck farmer in Yunlin County surnamed Liu (劉) was indicted Monday for illegally importing bird flu vaccines from China, in a case that authorities said underscores Taiwan’s blanket ban on such products. Taiwan has not approved any bird flu vaccines, and the manufacture, importation, sale or use of such products is illegal under the Veterinary Drugs Control Act, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said the same day. Prosecutors and staff from the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine count illegally imported avian influenza vaccines at an unidentified location on Jan. 23, 2024. Liu was released on bail of NT$50,000 before prosecutors concluded their investigation and formally indicted him, they said. Although Liu claimed the vaccines were for personal use and not sold to others, prosecutors said the quantity imported far exceeded his farming needs.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
TPP legislator’s nationality still in question
TPP legislator’s nationality still in questionBy Chen Yu-fu and Jason Pan / Staff reportersThe controversy over the nationality of Chinese spouse Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), who is slated to be sworn in as Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislator-at-large today, continues amid demands that she provide proof that she has renounced her Chinese citizenship. Prior to taking office, legislators-elect must comply with Article 20 of the Nationality Act (國籍法), which prohibits people holding dual nationality from serving in public office, the Ministry of the Interior said. The Legislative Yuan should re-examine regulations related to national security and measures to enhance the protection of state secrets, Wu added. TPP caucus director Vicky Chen (陳智菡) yesterday said that Li, in line with Taiwan’s regulations, has applied in China to renounce her nationality. Li would explain the process of her renouncing her Chinese nationality when she takes the oath today, Chen added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
President bemoans opposition’s failure to pass critical bills
hold a majority in the legislature, yet they neither reviewed the general budget plan nor the special defense budget plan this past legislative session. “People can judge if this is reasonable.”The Legislative Yuan in Taipei is pictured on Friday. “As president, I have no criticisms against Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜). I am only pleading with him to consider the long-term development of national security, the economy and public welfare, and facilitate the passage of the proposed general budget and special defense budget. TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said it is unfair to the public when the president of a country takes the lead in spreading false information.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC