‘Hai Kun’ underway for sea trialsStaff writer, with CNATaiwan’s first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” continued sea trials yesterday, drawing many naval enthusiasts to Kaohsiung’s waterfront. The submarine sailed out to sea from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s shipyard for its sixth sea trial, or sea acceptance test. People watch the indigenous-built submarine Hai Kun undergoing tests in Kaohsiung yesterday. CSBC, the main contractor for the prototype of the Hai Kun, completed the fifth acceptance test for the submarine on Nov. 28 last year. People watch the indigenous submarine Hai Kun undergoing tests in Kaohsiung yesterday.

AI’s greatest challenge is managerial, not technologicalBy Gautam Mukunda / Bloomberg OpinionA recent IBM survey of 2,000 executives on their expectations for artificial intelligence (AI) in 2030 revealed something noteworthy. Thomas Edison invented the electric lightbulb in the 1870s, but by 1900, less than 5 percent of the power used by US factories came from electric motors. Electric lighting allowed factories to work far more efficiently at night, but their fundamental operations remained unchanged. The real transformation came later, once smaller and cheaper electric motors made it possible to abandon centralized power. Automating routine tasks and optimizing workflows is like swapping steam engines for electric motors.

Ivorian cocoa growers rue ‘curse of brown gold’AFP, GUIGLO, Ivory CoastLaurent Kone’s wattle-and-daub house, with its tarpaulin roof and no electricity, lies down a bumpy red-earth track in western Ivory Coast. In his field, just a stone’s throw from his house, Kone still works only with a machete and wears open-toed shoes. However, the strategy is limited, as Ivory Coast has already lost 90 percent of its forest cover in 60 years. According to the World Bank, productivity in Ivorian cocoa groves has stagnated in the past 20 years, at about 450kg to 550kg per hectare. Additionally, Ivory Coast receives only 6 percent of the profits from the global cocoa industry.

Kid-friendly spaces may help with populationBy Jimmy Hsu 徐正雄Taiwan’s population decline has since 2020 outstripped its growth. There are many reasons behind why people have fewer children. I remember the time I saw a young mother board a Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train with her baby, who disturbed the carriage’s peace and quiet. Despite there seeming to be a designated area for dogs in every park these days, truly baby-friendly spaces remain scarce. Libraries should offer sound-proofed spaces with toys and children’s books as a temporary retreat where parents and their children could play safely.

Minneapolis is under ‘siege’ by emboldened ICEBy Maanvi Singh / The GuardianThe Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board described the administration of US President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities as “a military occupation.” Local leaders have used words such as “siege” and “invasion.” After a week of reporting in Minneapolis and St Paul, I would not know how else to describe the scene. I was in Chicago in January last year, when the administration assigned hundreds of federal agents to conduct “enhanced targeted operations” in the city. The government has assigned about 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota in what it is calling its largest enforcement operation to date. Minneapolis’ 911 dispatchers have been overwhelmed by calls from residents who have encountered immigration enforcement. Some restaurants that are still open have posted signs barring federal agents and locked their doors — urging patrons to knock or ring a bell for entry.

EDITORIAL: Brace for AI’s labor disruptionUS President Donald Trump last week stole the spotlight during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, before artificial intelligence (AI) took center stage. Just as people’s responses to any developing technology in the past, there are mixed views on the impact of AI on the labor market. The emergence of new technologies generally has three effects on labor demand: displacement, productivity and reinstatement, academic studies have shown. The displacement effect means that the emergence of new technologies would replace the existing workforce, reducing labor demand. According to the productivity effect, new technologies would increase manufacturers’ productivity and profit, prompting them to further expand their operations and thus increasing labor demand.

This year, it is something far simpler: An app for people worried about dying alone. The bluntly named “Are You Dead?” platform rocketed to the top of the app store charts in China before going viral globally. DeepSeek was China’s splashy tech moment; “Are You Dead?” is the hangover. In the race to make machines more human, China’s first breakout app of the year just asks if you still have a pulse. Catherine Thorbecke is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asia tech.

Navigating sanctions and tradeBy Shishir PriyadarshiWhen commercial vessels are seized or taken off their routes under tightening sanctions enforcement, disruption rarely stops at the intended boundary. What begins as a geopolitical signal quickly turns into an operational shock — felt most acutely by economies that depend on smooth global trade. When trade routes are disrupted or compliance rules shift abruptly, the impact is absorbed first by firms, ports, insurers and producers — not by policymakers. However, sanctions disperse risk across global markets in diffuse and unpredictable ways. Taiwan’s economic strength is in connectivity — its ability to source inputs globally, transform them through advanced manufacturing and serve markets worldwide.

Republicans waver after fatal shootingOPPOSITION: The Senate Democratic leader vowed to block a massive spending bill unless Republicans strip funding for homeland security, raising risks of a shutdownBloombergCongressional Republicans showed signs of wavering on US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the wake of another shooting of a US citizen in Minnesota. Until now, Republicans have backed Trump, as he deploys federal agents and National Guard to US cities. Democratic opposition to the funding package potentially affects not just Homeland Security, but also the departments of defense, labor, education, state, Treasury and health and human services. None of the Republicans speaking on Sunday mentioned the looming shutdown fight. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who voted to end the last shutdown, said in statements on Saturday they would oppose funding for homeland security without changes.

Japan’s nuclear blunder a reminderBy Lin Ren-bin 林仁斌The kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture was again forced to suspend operations after a control rod alarm malfunction. Taiwan, too, has long felt public unease over nuclear safety amid last year’s referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant and long-standing energy debates. Talks about restarting nuclear power plants is a test of governance. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa blunder is a wake-up call that nuclear safety cannot be a mere slogan — it must be a core principle of decisionmaking and operations. If Taiwan wishes to seriously contemplate restarting nuclear power, it must first revive institutional trust and governance capacity.

Japanese political system lessonsBy Yang Chih-chiang 楊智強After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last week announced her plans to dissolve the Japanese parliament and call a snap election, some people saw this as a potential model for institutional reform. However, what people should pay attention to is whether Taiwan’s political parties have the capacity to ensure the country’s regular functioning. However, unlike in Taiwan, the Japanese prime minister can dissolve parliament in the event of a political deadlock and call snap elections to seek a new mandate. Once political parties refuse to cooperate, governance grinds to a halt. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party must take their positions seriously.

Historic winter storm in US kills at least 10 peopleAFP, WASHINGTONA monster storm barreling across swathes of the US has killed at least 10 people and prompted warnings to stay off the roads, mass flight cancelations and power outages, as freezing conditions persisted into yesterday. People walk across Sixth Avenue, as snow falls in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Sunday. Photo: AFPNew York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outside over the weekend in freezing temperatures. The storm was moving on Sunday into the northeast, dumping snow and sleet on heavily populated cities, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Residents in Washington awoke to a blanket of several inches of snow on sidewalks and roads, followed by heavy sleet.

Central bank adjusting forex reserves‘NOT NERVOUS’: Taiwan’s exposure to US dollar-denominated assets was 20 times its foreign exchange market size, the central bank head said, disputing an IMF estimateStaff writer, with CNAThe central bank has adopted dynamic adjustments in its portfolio management of Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves to reduce possible risks from fluctuations in US Treasury bonds, central bank Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) said yesterday. Yang said the central bank would seek to lower risks in foreign exchange reserves by cutting or adjusting US Treasury bond positions. As of the end of last year, Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves was US$602.55 billion, its second-highest ever, central bank data showed. Therefore, the central bank would have no need to use any of the country’s foreign exchange reserves as credit guarantees in the short term, Yang added. Taiwan’s surplus savings is NT$5.42 trillion (US$172.02 billion), enough to support overseas investments by Taiwanese enterprises, the central bank said.

Increased overseas investments needed as Taiwan lacks land: TIERStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese companies will have to increase their foreign direct investments given the limited availability of land in Taiwan and growing external demand, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) president Chang Chien-yi (張建一) said yesterday. "Regardless of tariffs, these companies would not necessarily invest in Taiwan, as limited land availability remains a constraint on domestic investment," Chang said at a news conference in Taipei. Taiwan Institute of Economic Research president Chang Chien-yi speaks at a news conference in Taipei in an undated photograph. Wei (魏哲家), Chang said TSMC’s investments in the US are driven primarily by customer demand. Such a move would benefit Taiwanese consumers but pose challenges to some local companies, Chang said.

Samsung nears Nvidia’s approval for key AI chipsBloombergSamsung Electronics Co is getting close to securing certification from Nvidia Corp for the latest version of its artificial intelligence (AI) memory chip, called HBM4, making progress in narrowing the gap with rival SK Hynix Inc. Nvidia uses vast quantities of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to enable its AI accelerators. Samsung Electronics Co’s HBM4 chips are displayed at the Korea Tech Festival in Seoul on Dec. 4 last year. So far, Nvidia has leaned most heavily on SK Hynix for the most sophisticated memory chips it pairs with its top-of-the-line AI accelerators. Samsung and SK Hynix are slated to hold their earnings calls on Thursday, and they are expected to discuss progress on their HBM4 chips.