Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yuan Wei-jen dies at 57
Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yuan Wei-jen dies at 57Staff Writer, with CNATaiwanese singer-songwriter and record producer Yuan Wei-jen (袁惟仁), also known as “Xiao Pang Lao Shi” (Little Fat Teacher), died Monday at the age of 57, his family said. Singer and songwriter Yuan Wei-jen. Photo: Taipei TimesIn 2020, Yuan was again hospitalized in intensive care after another fall at his home in Taitung. Yuan’s second eldest sister Yuan Ai-chen (袁藹珍) said in a message posted on record producer Chen Tzu-hung’s (陳子鴻) Facebook page that Yuan passed away peacefully and was finally free. When Yuan collapsed in Shanghai, Lu traveled from Taiwan with their two children to visit him, according to local media reports.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
LeBron selected to 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star Game
LeBron selected to 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star GameAFP, NEW YORKLeBron James was on Sunday selected to his 22nd consecutive NBA All-Star Game, with the 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward being named among reserves from the Western Conference. James was not selected as a starter, but was chosen among seven reserves from both the Eastern and Western conferences made by NBA head coaches. The 75th NBA All-Star Game is to be contested on Feb. 15 in Los Angeles with a new tournament format featuring a World team and two sets of US stars, each roster of at least eight players. The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James dribbles during their NBA game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday. East All-Stars include Greek big man Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
‘Health coins’ to be integrated into apps
‘Health coins’ to be integrated into appsHEALTHY LIVING: Many businesses have expressed willingness to participate in the ‘health coin’ program, including convenience stores and health brands, an official saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe government’s “health coin” system, to be launched this year for people to accumulate and spend on healthy food, products and services, would be integrated with government health apps, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) in October last year announced the program aimed at raising health awareness. Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Chuang Jen-hsiang speaks at an event in Taipei yesterday. The app would have a designated “health coins” section, he said. Many businesses have expressed willingness to participate in the program, including insurance companies, convenience stores, health management apps and sports brands, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
Man City held by Solanke stunner
City were cruising toward what would have been another damaging defeat for Spurs boss Thomas Frank as they led 2-0 at halftime. However, Solanke scored twice in the second half to leave Pep Guardiola’s men six points adrift of leaders Arsenal. Just a second defeat in nine league games dealt a blow to Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season. Villa laid siege to the Brentford goal after the break, but lacked the invention to break the visitors down. Crystal Palace also failed to make the most of a man advantage in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
China Airlines to fly national team to WBC
China Airlines to fly national team to WBCBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterChina Airlines yesterday announced that it would fly the national baseball team to Japan for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) next month, adding that it is offering discounted flights to Japan for all travelers from now until Feb. 22. The airline also sponsors three Taiwanese baseball players competing in the WBC: including pitcher Lin Yu-min (林昱? Models pose in a China Airlines poster showing support for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic next month. The Team Taiwan logo would appear on pillows, cups and headrest covers on the charter flights, the airline said. Starting on Feb. 24, participants of interactive games designed by the airline would have a chance to receive codes for airfare discounts, China Airlines said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 17:12 UTC
China exploiting duty exemptions
China exploiting duty exemptionsBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌According to statistics from the European Commission, 5.8 billion duty-free, low-value e-commerce parcels entered the EU last year, a 26 percent increase from the year before. Yet, as the dumping of ultra-low-priced goods has intensified, a flood of duty-free parcels has hit brick-and-mortar retail channels and the broader labor market hard. In late August last year, US President Donald Trump took drastic action by fully abolishing the duty-free exemption for parcels valued under US$800. Beginning on Jan. 1, Bangkok abolished the duty-free exemption for parcels valued below 1,500 baht (US$47.46). Chuang last week told the Legislative Yuan that there are no plans to abolish the duty-free exemption for low-value parcels.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
Uncertainty around US Fed chair hits TAIEX hard
The TAIEX ended down 439.72 points to 31,624.03 with turnover of NT$740.40 billion (US$23.4 billion). “Fortunately, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) benefited from late session bargain hunting to recoup part of the TAIEX’s losses,” Tang said. Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corp (士林電機) shed 5.68 percent to close at NT$216.00, and Fortune Electric Co (華城電機) slid 2.89 percent to end at NT$942.00. “Judging from today’s movement, the TAIEX seemed to have technical support ahead of the 20-day moving average of 31,300 points for now,” Tang said. Foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$48.12 billion of shares on the main board yesterday, the Taiwan Stock Exchange said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
Tariff deal gives manufacturing a boost
The Taipei-based think tank attributed the heating up largely to the conclusion of reciprocal tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the US. All six major manufacturing sectors reported expansion, while the six-month outlook index surged 10 points to 61 — the fastest pace of expansion since March 2022. Supply Management Institute in Taiwan (中華採購與供應管理協會) advisor Jerry Pai (白宗城) described manufacturing conditions as “red-hot,” based on a wave of genuine restocking demand ahead of holidays. Services activity strengthened, with the NMI remaining in expansion for an 11th straight month, the institute said. Hospitality, finance, transport and logistics all improved, while construction and real estate returned to expansion on demand for semiconductor and high-end technology facilities, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
EDITORIAL: New Fed head signals stark change
EDITORIAL: New Fed head signals stark changeUS President Donald Trump on Friday last week nominated former US Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who Trump has repeatedly criticized for not cutting interest rates more swiftly. The decision was widely expected, and not unanimous, as two of the 12 Fed officials backed a quarter-point rate cut. Economists considered Warsh as the safest choice of Trump’s Fed chair candidates, which also included Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, as well as US National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. Despite his long-standing tendency to be tough on inflation, Warsh has more recently talked about the need to lower rates, aligning with Trump’s stance. Choosing a Fed chair is never merely a personnel change; it is a significant decision that signals the direction of US economic policy.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
MSCI rates Taiwan highly
MSCI rates Taiwan highlyBloombergTaiwan has overtaken China as the market with the top weighting in a key emerging-markets stock index for the first time in about two decades, driven by a rally in artificial intelligence (AI) shares. The Asian chipmaking hub accounts for 21.06 percent of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, squeaking past China’s 20.93 percent at the end of last month. It marks the first time Taiwan has surpassed China since July 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “It underscores increasing interest in the laggard plays in Asia AI given better valuations.”MSCI’s Taiwan Index rose more than 11 percent in January, compared with a 5 percent gain in the MSCI China benchmark. Citigroup Inc strategists upgraded Taiwan equities to overweight from neutral in December, citing their exposure to global AI supply chains and a more favorable earnings outlook.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
Drone strike kills at least 12 in Ukraine
The strike injured several more people and sparked a fire that was subsequently put out, emergency services said. The site of a Russian strike on a civilian bus transporting miners in Ternivka, Ukraine, is pictured on Sunday. Hours earlier, Ukraine’s emergency services reported that Russian attack drones injured six people at a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, southern Ukraine, on Sunday morning. Earlier on Sunday, Russian attack drones struck a maternity hospital in southern Ukraine, the emergency service reported. The Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday said that air defenses shot down 21 Ukrainian drones flying over southwestern and western Russia.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
Regime risk is constraining the CCP
Regime risk is constraining the CCPBy Simon H. Tang 湯先鈍International debate on Taiwan is obsessed with “invasion countdowns,” framing the cross-strait crisis as a matter of military timetables and political opportunity. Beijing is constrained not by a lack of capability, but by an acute fear of regime-threatening military failure. If Xi cannot trust his hand-picked military leadership, he cannot trust them with a high-stakes war where failure could trigger a blame cascade and threaten the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) survival. These tactics allow the CCP to impose cumulative costs on Taiwan while controlling the domestic narrative and avoiding the “all-or-nothing” gamble of a full-scale invasion. Third is crisis stability: bolstering communication channels to prevent miscalculations from spiraling into the war the CCP fears.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
‘CCP out’ chants echo through Seoul as anti-China protests grow
A MOVEMENT’S FAST GROWTHAn anonymous protester wearing “destruction of commie” cap on Jan. 10 in Seoul, South Korea. Lee Saya, a Student at Jeonbuk University, majoring in art, and a member of “Free University,” an anti-China protest organizer is pictured on Jan. 19 in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Don HuhAnti-China sentiment in South Korea has been building for more than a decade. As a result, some Taiwanese tourists now wear badges stating “I am Taiwanese” while visiting South Korea. As anti-China sentiment increasingly moves from opinion polls to the streets, the protests are evolving from purely political concerns into cultural and everyday-life issues.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 16:06 UTC
Military plans to build submarine rescue ship
Military plans to build submarine rescue shipStaff writer, with CNAThe military is planning to build a submarine rescue vessel after the completion of its first domestically built submarine prototype, a Ministry of National Defense report said. The funds would be allocated by the navy to build a vessel that would boost its submarine rescue capabilities, the report said. The indigenous submarine Hai Kun is pictured in an undated photograph. The report was released a day after Taiwan’s first indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” began its long-awaited submerged tests. When the Hai Kun is completed, a second submarine is scheduled to be built by next year, the ministry said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 11:56 UTC
Child exploitation tops list of 2025 sexual health news
Child exploitation tops list of 2025 sexual health newsBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAA significant increase in child sexual exploitation cases topped a list of the 10 most impactful sexual and reproductive health news stories from last year, announced today by sex education advocacy groups. They advocated for more comprehensive sexual education that focuses not only on anatomy, but interpersonal relationships and emotional awareness. Sex education advocacy groups hold a news conference in Taipei today. The top-voted story of last year was that child and youth sexual exploitation cases increased 2.2-fold from 2017 to 2024, while complaints involving sexual images of children last year increased eightfold compared with 2023. The story reflects a shift of child sexual exploitation into the digital sphere, while perpetrators exploit trust or intimate relationships to groom and emotionally manipulate victims, Taiwan Association for Sexuality Education board supervisor Yang Tsung-tsai (楊聰財) said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 02, 2026 11:50 UTC