Macronix president Lu Chih-yuan poses for a photograph at the company’s headquarters in Hsinchu in August last year. “Samsung announced its plans to stop producing and supplying eMMC [NAND flash memory chips]. To fully support the capacity expansion, Macronix plans to delay its development of 3D NOR flash memory chips for about two years, he said. In addition to NAND flash memory chips, the company also saw strong demand for 2D NOR flash memory chips used in AI servers and high-performance-computing devices, he said. Macronix expects its factory utilization rate to rise to about 100 percent this year to satisfy customer demand, Lu said.

Benefits of Israel’s pivot in AfricaBy Michele MarescaAt the end of last year, a diplomatic development with consequences reaching well beyond the regional level emerged. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a sovereign state, paving the way for political, economic and strategic cooperation with the African nation. The diplomatic breakthrough yields, above all, substantial and tangible benefits for the two countries, enhancing Somaliland’s international posture, with a state prepared to champion its bid for broader legitimacy. The new partnership could also generate benefits beyond its immediate scope, particularly for countries that maintain solid relations with both Israel and Somaliland. From the new alliance between Somaliland and Israel, Taiwan could gain significant advantages across multiple sectors.

EDITORIAL: Soft power with SomalilandThere is a modern roadway stretching from central Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa, to the partially recognized state’s Egal International Airport. Both Somaliland and Taiwan are self-governing states struggling to secure international recognition. Soft power works slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, but over time lays the foundations for the evolution of circumstances by forming recognition of desired narratives. It is helped when the application of the soft power is implemented in good faith and for mutual benefit. Hopefully the application of soft power will continue to aid Taiwan’s.

Japan-US alliance would collapse if Tokyo ignored Taiwan crisis: TakaichiReuters, TOKYO and BEIJINGJapan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese military response. “If something serious happens there, we would have to go to rescue the Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan. “And if the US forces, acting jointly with us, come under attack and Japan does nothing and simply runs away, the Japan-US alliance would collapse. With an eye on the electorate, Takaichi has stopped short of retracting the remarks from November, saying her stance was consistent with Japan’s long-standing policy.

In addition, new amendments to the statute are expected to boost angel investment to about NT$2.2 billion on local start-ups this year, while raising corporate equipment investment tax credits to more than NT$170 billion this year, Industrial Development Administration Deputy Director-General Tsou Yu-hsin (鄒宇新) told a news conference in Taipei. Amendments to Article 23-1 introduce a “pass-through taxation” mechanism for limited partnership venture capital funds investing in start-ups, and under the revised rules, such funds would no longer be subject to corporate income tax, Tsou said. The ministry extended investor’s locking period to three years from two years, but halved the minimum investment threshold to NT$500,000 from NT$1 million, he said. To minimize investment risks, the ministry relaxed the definition of a start-up, he said. A company can be considered a start-up within five years of its launch, compared with two years before, he said.

1 Sabalenka tamed 18-year-old Iva Jovic of the US 6-3, 6-0 in 38°C temperatures, while last year’s runner-up Zverev sent down a barrage of 24 aces to crush another young US player, Learner Tien, in four sets. That match was played under the Rod Laver Arena roof as temperatures peaked at 43°C outside. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus returns to Iva Jovic of the US in their Australian Open women’s singles quarter-final in Melbourne yesterday. The decision came after the tournament hit its maximum “heat stress” rating of five for the second time in four days. Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.

Troubled Napoli staring at elimination against BluesAFP, MILAN, ItalySSC Napoli are on the brink of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League as the troubled Italian club face Chelsea today racked by a deep injury crisis and a faltering Serie A title defense. Sat just inside the elimination zone on only eight points from seven matches after last week’s miserable 1-1 draw at Copenhagen, Napoli must beat Chelsea to scrape a place in next month’s playoffs. That will be no easy task with the Blues, Antonio Conte’s former club, needing a win to stay in the top eight and bag direct qualification for the last 16. SSC Napoli head coach Antonio Conte gestures during his side’s Serie A match against Juventus in Turin, Italy, on Sunday. It started with Romelu Lukaku suffering a hamstring injury which kept him out of action until the 79th minute of Sunday’s loss.

Doncic sparks Lakers over the Bulls in ChicagoAFP, LOS ANGELESLuka Doncic on Monday produced a 46-point masterpiece as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Chicago Bulls’ four-game winning streak with a 129-118 victory on the road. Doncic rattled in eight three-pointers on 15-of-25 shooting from the field, finishing with seven rebounds and 11 assists to lead an impressive Lakers effort at the United Center. Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, right, shoots over Kevin Huerter of the Chicago Bulls in their NBA game in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday. Coby White led the scoring for Chicago with 23 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had 20 off the bench. McCollum came off the bench to produce 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals to spark the Hawks.

Clickbait and ‘AI slop’ distort memory of HolocaustAFP, BERLINAn emaciated and apparently blind man stands in the snow at the Nazi concentration camp of Flossenbuerg: the image seems real at first but is part of a wave of AI-generated content about the Holocaust. Among the AI-generated images that have gone viral is one of a little girl with curly hair on a tricycle. EXPLOITING ‘EMOTIONAL IMPACT’Several Holocaust memorials and commemorative associations this month issued an open letter warning about the rising number of these “entirely fabricated” pieces of content. Groschek said that none of the American social media giants responded to the memorials’ letter, including Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Some of the fake Facebook posts about Hannelore and Hank were still online on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Nipah to become category 5 disease in March: CDCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Centers for Disease Control Director-General Philip Lo, left, gives an update on Nipah virus at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The five hospital infections in India were traced to a patient hospitalized last year, who died of suspected Nipah virus infection and had drunk raw date palm sap before the onset of symptoms, CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said. Local media reported that authorities collected samples from nine fruit bats and 24 date palm sap containers for testing, and Nipah antibodies were detected in one bat, suggesting prior exposure, he said.

Taiwan AI corpus grows to 1.1bn data unitsLANGUAGE TOOLS: The dictionaries category of the training corpus consistently ranks among users’ most frequently searched topics, the Ministry of Digital Affairs saidBy Chiu Chiao-chen and Shelley Shan / Staff reportersTaiwan’s Sovereign AI Training Corpus has grown to include more than 1.1 billion tokens just more than a month after its official launch, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The platform initially contained more than 2,000 datasets totaling more than 600 million units of data, also known as tokens, Department of Data Innovation Director-General Chuang Ming-fen (莊明芬) said. Ministry of Digital Affairs officials introduce the Sovereign AI Training Corpus at a news conference in Taipei on Dec. 24 last year. “That shows that people in research institutions, government agencies and the corporate world pay close attention to the high-quality data released by the government to train sovereign AI databases. In related news, the government’s Open Data Platform has attracted about 175.84 million views and 22.27 million downloads more than a decade since its launch.

Minister Lin touts tech governanceBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNATaiwan’s democratization and technological innovation have been inextricably linked since 1987, but the information technology boom has brought new challenges to urban governance, as malicious actors use it to manipulate information and create division, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at the AI x Democracy Forum in Taipei yesterday. Lin spoke ahead of a discussion centered on the use of innovative urban governance and global collaboration to boost democracy. Local governments have transformed into innovators in democratic governance, and have shared their experiences through international networks and global cooperation, he added. Smart applications assisted in local governance during his time as Taichung mayor, although malicious manipulation of information could make it harder for the public to reach a consensus on many issues, posing new challenges for urban governance, Lin said. Han said he hoped that participants would examine the benefits, opportunities, risks and responsibilities of AI in democratic governance, respect democratic values and use AI appropriately.

Travelers should renew passports before holidayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterPeople planning to travel abroad during the Lunar New Year should check their passport validity as early as possible, and pick up new passports before Feb. 13, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said yesterday. Holiday travelers should ensure their passport is valid for at least six months beyond their intended date of departure, bureau Director-General Cheng Cheng-yung (鄭正勇) said. He also urged people not to place souvenir stamps in their passport, or otherwise damage or comprise the document’s integrity. Emergency assistance in China, Hong Kong or Macau is handled by the Mainland Affairs Council. Travelers are also encouraged to add the bureau’s official Line account (@boca.tw) or download its Travel Safety Guidance (旅外安全指南) app for useful information such as travel warnings and emergency assistance information, he said.

Reports increase of Taiwanese missing, detained in ChinaBy Chen Yu-fu and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerReports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Previously, Taiwanese in China who encountered travel contingencies could contact the two associations for assistance, the MAC said. However, with communications suspended between the two associations, Taiwanese in China no longer have the same safety protections and face heightened risk, it said. Before traveling abroad, Taiwanese should check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advisory table on the bureau’s Web site to assess the safety of their destination, Cheng said.

China purge could disrupt chain of command: sourceMORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “seriousBy Su Yong-yao, Lo Tien-pin and Esme Yeh