Tropical storm forming, cold air mass expectedBACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,By Lin Chih-yi

Orchid growers urge support to expand in US marketBy Yang Yuan-ting / Staff reporterThe government should help expand the growth of Taiwan’s Phalaenopsis orchids, also known as moth orchids, to consolidate its competitive position in the US, the Taiwan Orchid Growers Association said. Taiwan exports orchids to more than 60 countries, with the moth orchid being the most prominent variety and the US its largest market, Ministry of Agriculture statistics show. Photo: Hung Jui-chin, Taipei TimesLast year, Taiwan’s moth orchid exports to the US totaled 4,284 tonnes, down 214 tonnes, or 4.7 percent, from 4,498 tonnes in 2024. Many orchid growers hope to expand their production in the US, but they are concerned about the high costs there, he said. The association hopes the government would assist Taiwanese orchid growers in transforming their business and expanding supply chains in the US, he said.

Final chaos leaves huge stain on Morocco’s AFCONAFP, RABATThe chaotic scenes which tarnished Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final will forever overshadow a tournament that had until that point been a great success for hosts Morocco, on and off the pitch. Senegal supporters clash with security personnel after a controversial penalty was awarded to Morocco during their Africa Cup of Nations final match in Rabat on Sunday. Morocco will also be at the World Cup as they look to turn the page and bounce back from this disappointment. An ambitious project to build a 115,000-seat stadium near Casablanca, served by high-speed rail, is well under way as the country prepares to cohost the 2030 FIFA World Cup. FIFA would have to look into any organizational issues and ensure they are not repeated during the World Cup.

New flu epidemic period may begin this week: CDCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTaiwan could enter another influenza epidemic period as soon as this week, and cases might continue to increase to about 130,000 per week at the Lunar New Year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Tainan Municipal HospitalSeventeen severe flu cases and two flu-related deaths were also reported between Tuesday last week and Monday, Lee said, adding that among the accumulated 458 severe cases this flu season, 83 percent have chronic illnesses and 87 percent were unvaccinated. CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠) said that as the percentage of emergency room visits for flu-like illness increased to 10.3 percent, nearly approaching the epidemic threshold of 11 percent, Taiwan could enter a flu epidemic period this week. “After entering an epidemic period, we predict the peak would be at the Lunar New Year holiday, with maybe about 130,000 to 140,000 hospital visits per week,” he said. CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said she had been reported as a severe flu complication case, but the CDC’s laboratory test for flu came back negative.

LeBron’s All-Star streak over as starters namedAFP, LOS ANGELESLeBron James’ 21-year NBA All-Star Game starting streak on Monday came to an end, after the Los Angeles Lakers star was excluded from the 10 starters named for next month’s mid-season showpiece. The 10 starters — five from the Western Conference and five from the Eastern Conference — will be joined by 14 players selected by the All-Star Game coaches. The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James walks out during team introductions prior to their game against the Toronto Raptors in Los Angeles on Sunday. Photo: Getty Images via AFPThe Western Conference starters include James’ teammate Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led the voting for the Eastern Conference starters.

From left, Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun and Premier Cho Jung-tai attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesBroad tariffs that apply to most other Taiwanese exports to the US would fall from 20 percent to 15 percent. Taiwanese companies are to invest US$250 billion to boost the production of semiconductors and AI in the US, while Taiwan would also guarantee an additional US$250 billion in credit to facilitate further investment. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that the US$250 billion in private investment by enterprises and the US$250 billion in credit guarantees provided by the government are separate, urging the media to stop reporting them as a combined total of US$500 billion. As for how the credit guarantee mechanism would be established, Cheng said that, in principle, the government would not use the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Fund.

The court sentenced Zhou Manzhi (周滿芝) to eight years for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法). Photo: CNAAs chair of the Taiwan New Residents Care Association, Zhou was accused of acting at the direction of Chinese organizations — including the Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association — to develop organizations in Taiwan. She was a member of the Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association and the China Patriotic Volunteer Association, civilian groups commissioned by the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, the court said. Prosecutors suspected Zhou of forming “united front” organizations and transferred the case to the Kaohsiung High Prosecutors’ Office. In its second ruling, the court cited evidence from the National Security Bureau as proving that the Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteer Association is under the control of China’s “united front” apparatus.

Fortune Electric shares surge after net profit reportBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterElectric machinery supplier Fortune Electric Co’s (華城電機) shares yesterday surpassed NT$1,000 to reach a new closing high this year, after the company on Monday reported that it made a net profit of NT$760 million (US$24.04 million) last month, up 18 percent year-on-year. That translated into earnings per share of NT$2.41, reaching 70 percent of the NT$3.45 per share it made in the third quarter of last year, company data showed. People walk past the entrance to Fortune Electric Co’s Jhongli plant in Taoyuan on March 10 last year. Shares of Fortune Electric yesterday closed 4.36 percent higher at NT$1,005, having moved up 28.85 percent so far this year, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. Fortune Electric is among several local heavy electrical equipment makers — including Shihlin Electric & Engineering Corp (士林電機) and Chung-Hsin Electric & Machinery Manufacturing Corp (中興電工) — that have seen shares surge since last year due to their rising exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) data center deployments, especially in the US.

Taiwan Machine Tool and Accessory Builders’ Association chairman Patrick Chen, center, vice chairman Alan Lin, third left, and other association representatives pose for a photograph at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. The US was the second-largest export market for local machine tool and accessory companies, accounting for about 16 percent of total exports last year, behind China. “This year represents a pivotal shift in the machine tool industry’s trajectory,” Chen said. Last year, Taiwan’s machine tool exports fell 9.6 percent year-on-year to US$2 billion and shipments of machine tool components fell 0.3 percent to US$1.506 billion, as demand dipped almost across all markets, hitting the weakest level since the global financial crisis in 2019, association data showed. Metal-cutting machine tool exports fell 10 percent to US$1.65 billion, machine centers slumped 8.3 percent to US$603.48 million, lathes dropped 18.3 percent to US$435.77 million and metal-forming machinery slid 7.8 percent to US$353.35 million, the data showed.

Politicians talk ’reconciliation’ at Jaw Shau-kong book launchStaff writer, with CNAFigures from the three main political parties reminisced about a 30-year-old "reconciliation coffee" meeting in the context of Taiwan’s current political deadlock, during a book launch for media personality and politician Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) yesterday. The event, held to promote Jaw’s new book reflecting on his career in politics, was attended mainly by members of the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei TimesIn their speeches, several of the guests made reference to Jaw’s participation in a 1995 meeting at the Legislative Yuan coffee shop now known as the "grand reconciliation coffee" (大和解咖啡). "At this point I want to ask -- when will the cup of reconciliation coffee be refilled? Speaking later, Jaw, the KMT’s 2024 vice presidential nominee, said: "If I had the opportunity, I would be willing to invite all three parties for a ’reconciliation coffee’.

Crash in Japan sparks rescue missionBy Tsai Yun-jung and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNASearch teams were able to track a sightseeing helicopter that went missing in southwestern Japan yesterday with two Taiwanese passengers on board, but rescue operations were delayed until the weather improved, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Fukuoka said. Two Taiwanese passengers and a pilot were believed to be aboard a sightseeing helicopter that went missing at about noon near the summit of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyodo news agency reported. The helicopter departed at 10:52am from the Aso Cuddly Dominion zoo and contact was lost at about 11am, Kyodo cited the operator as saying. A crater of Mount Aso in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture is pictured in `an undated photograph. The Japan Air Self-Defense Forces, based at Ashiya Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture, also dispatched a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft to assist with aerial searches.

Vice Premier Yang Sung-ho was sacked “on the spot,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said, in a speech in which Kim attacked “irresponsible, rude and incompetent leading officials.”“Please, comrade vice premier, resign by yourself when you can do it on your own before it is too late,” Kim reportedly said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech during a ceremony at the Ryongsong Machine Complex in North Korea on Monday. Put simply, it was like hitching a cart to a goat — an accidental mistake in our cadre appointment process,” Kim said. Impoverished North Korea has long prioritized its military and banned nuclear weapons programs over providing for its people. The North Korean leader is “using public accountability as a shock tactic to warn party officials,” he added.

Local consumer confidence rises modestly: reportREAL-ESTATE WOES: While the willingness to spend improved, housing sentiment remained weak, with the home-buying index falling to minus-42.2By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwanese consumer confidence improved modestly this month, supported by a stable economic outlook and rising optimism toward local equities, although concerns over inflation and a sluggish housing market continued to weigh on sentiment, a survey released yesterday by Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) showed. The figures suggest that consumer pessimism has eased, although confidence has yet to turn decisively positive. The improvement reflected greater confidence in income stability and employment conditions, Cathay Financial said. However, housing sentiment remained weak. The stock market confidence index rose to 37, while the risk appetite index climbed to 23.9, both near record highs, the survey showed.

DPP caucus seeks interpretation of pension cut revisionBy Chen Cheng-yu, Lin Hsin-han and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with taff writerThe Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday said it is seeking a constitutional interpretation and an injunction against amendments to the pension bill passed by the opposition-dominated legislature last month. Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming, center, holds a placard along with other caucus officials at a press conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesThe amendments would result in an earlier-than-anticipated bankruptcy of the Public Service Pension Fund, and challenge the principles of separation of powers and the rule of law, the DPP said. The caucus’ move came after that of the Executive Yuan and the Examination Yuan. The Cabinet last month filed a petition for constitutional interpretation and a temporary injunction regarding the amendments, arguing that there were significant procedural flaws, contravening the constitutional requirement for proper legislative processes.

Immigration as a force for goodBy Eason Chen 陳裕翔The situation in Japan unfolding over immigration in the past few years, and its social implications, are well worth Taiwan’s attention. The objectives of Taiwan’s immigration and long-term resident policy system remain hazy at best. They are important choices to be made in the process of ensuring that the immigration system is able to foster social integration and not exacerbate division. Japan’s tightening of its immigration policy is a forced and direct response to mounting social pressures. Rather than becoming a policy quandary kicked down the road, immigration can, in this way, function as a genuinely positive force for society.