Yuanta forecasts nation’s GDP to grow 5.3 percent, following Taiwan-US dealBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterTaiwan’s GDP is forecast to grow 5.3 percent year-on-year this year, as the nation’s non-electronics industries are expected to benefit from the latest Taiwan-US trade deal, which lowers US tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent from 20 percent, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said in a report. Yuanta’s forecast is higher than a market consensus of 3.8 percent growth forecast, the report issued on Friday said. The latest trade deal aligns Taiwan’s tariff rates with those of its major trading partners such as Japan and South Korea, and is lower than the current US tariff rates on China, Yuanta said. In addition, TSMC’s upward revision of this year’s AI shipment growth forecast from 33 percent to 43 percent is expected to add an additional 4 percentage points to Taiwan’s export growth this year, thereby boosting this year’s GDP growth by 0.64 percentage points, it said. Meanwhile, the US’ semiconductor tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 pose no substantial negative impact on Taiwan’s economy, while reducing uncertainty about US future policies on semiconductor tariffs, Yuanta said.

Chinese customs restrict Nvidia chips‘BASICALLY A BAN’: Sources said the wording governing H200 imports from officials was severe, but added that the regulations might change if the situation evolves Chinese customs authorities told customs agents this week that Nvidia Corp’s H200 artificial intelligence (AI) chips are not permitted to enter China, three people briefed on the matter said. Chinese government officials also summoned domestic technology companies to meetings on Tuesday, at which they were explicitly instructed not to purchase the chips unless necessary, two of the people and a third source said. “The wording from the officials is so severe that it is basically a ban for now, though this might change in the future should things evolve,” one of the people said. The H200, Nvidia’s second-most powerful AI chip, is one

US$250bn credit to help firms raise funds: expertsA BOOST: The mechanism could help smaller companies obtain lower borrowing costs, making it easier for big firms like TSMC to expand overseas, an economist saidStaff writer, with CNAA US$250 billion credit guarantee the government has agreed to in a tariff deal with the US is expected to help enterprises raise funds to facilitate their investments in the US, experts said. As part of the deal, Taiwanese semiconductor, electronics manufacturing service, artificial intelligence and energy companies would invest US$250 billion directly in the US. The government has pledged to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees to financial institutions to support US-bound investments by companies in the semiconductor and information and communication technology sectors. The government’s credit guarantee is feasible, as Taiwan already operates similar mechanisms to support domestic small and medium-sized enterprises, Lo said. Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) on Friday wrote on social media that the credit guarantee aims to help enterprises extend their reach globally and does not mean the government would carelessly throw the money around.

Gasoline, diesel prices at pumps to rise this weekBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe nation’s two refiners yesterday said they would raise gasoline prices by NT$0.8 per liter and diesel prices by NT$0.9 a liter this week, after lowering prices for both by NT$0.2 per liter each the previous week. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to increase to NT$27.2, NT$28.7 and NT$30.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$25.7 per liter at CPC stations and NT$25.5 at Formosa pumps, they said. Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — last week rose 1.25 percent to settle at US$64.13 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange. West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures — the US oil benchmark — gained 0.54 percent to US$59.44 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Micron to pay US$1.8bn for fab siteKEEPING UP: The acquisition of a cleanroom in Taiwan would enable Micron to increase production in a market where demand continues to outpace supply, a Micron official saidBloombergMicron Technology Inc has signed a letter of intent to buy a fabrication site in Taiwan from Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (力積電) for US$1.8 billion to expand its production of memory chips. Micron would take control of the P5 site in Miaoli County’s Tongluo Township (銅鑼) and plans to ramp up DRAM production in phases after the transaction closes in the second quarter, the company said in a statement on Saturday. The acquisition includes an existing 12 inch fab cleanroom of 27,871m2 and would further position Micron to address growing global demand for memory solutions, the company said. Micron would also assist Powerchip in enhancing its existing specialty DRAM process technologies at the P3 site in Hsinchu County, it said. The investment is part of Micron’s global expansion as it seeks to meet continued demand for memory chips.

Real Madrid overcome fans’ boos to win matchAFP, MADRIDAngry Real Madrid fans on Saturday jeered their own team before they went on to beat Levante 2-0 in Spanish La Liga to record new coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s first win at the helm. Real Madrid’s Raul Asencio, front, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during their Spanish La Liga match against Levante in Madrid on Saturday. Mbappe had the best chance of a flat first half against the team in 19th in La Liga. “Today was a very important day, playing in front of our fans, we wanted to turn around the situation,” Asencio told Real Madrid TV. The loss leaves Villarreal eight points behind leaders Barcelona and damaged their chances of competing for a first-ever La Liga title.

Al-Attiyah and Benevides are winners in DakarAFP, YANBU, Saudi ArabiaQatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. The Dacia Sandriders’ Nasser al-Attiyah celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. With Belgian codriver Fabian Lurquin, al-Attiyah took control of the overall standings early on in the motorsport marathon. Luciano Benavides, center, celebrates after winning the Dakar Rally motorbike title in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. Earlier, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides took the bike honors by a mere two seconds.

Alcaraz, Sabalenka win Melbourne openersAFP, MELBOURNETop-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka yesterday launched their Australian Open title bids with straight-sets wins, but there was no fairytale for 45-year-old Venus Williams. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his Australian Open men’s singles first-round match against Australia’s Adam Walton in Melbourne yesterday. Photo: AFPAlcaraz, who is desperate to win the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam of all four majors, plays Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann next. Sabalenka began her bid for a third Australian Open title in four years with a patchy start before coming good in the second set. The seven-time major champion was the oldest woman to play in the history of the Australian Open.

Lin Chun-yi bags first title of this yearGOLD MEDAL GLORY: Lin defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-18 in a speedy 38 minutes, recording his second consecutive victory against the IndonesianStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese badminton player Lin Chun-yi yesterday won the men’s singles final of the India Open, surging past world No. 4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in straight games to win his first title since 2024. Lin most recently beat Christie at the China Masters in Shenzhen in September last year. Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi celebrates on the podium after winning the men’s singles competition at the India Open 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in New Delhi yesterday. At last year’s China Master’s, Lin missed out on his first Super 750 title with a 21-11, 21-15 loss to China’s Weng Hongyang in the final.

Cold can threaten hearingBy Chiu Chih-jou / Staff ReporterCold weather not only increases the risk of cardiovascular incidents but also the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), also known as sudden deafness or ear stroke, a doctor warned. Wu said the person at first thought it was caused by a common cold or water in the ear after a bath, but the condition persisted, so they sought treatment and were diagnosed with severe SSNHL. Their hearing has improved with treatment and with hearing aids. Recovery rates follow a “rule of thirds” — one-third of patients recover completely, one-third recover partially and one-third see almost no improvement, Wu said, adding that as it involves inner ear damage, so if no recovery occurs, hearing loss might be permanent. It is common for patients to have sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, a feeling of ear fullness or pressure or even vertigo following a sharp decline in temperature during the night or early morning, he said.

Two US ships transit through Taiwan StraitBy Fang Wei-li / Staff reporterThe US’ Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer the USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears on Friday and Saturday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said. “USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Mary Sears conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Jan. 16 to 17 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. “The transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. Photo: Screen grab from USS Finn’s Facebook pageThis is the fourth time during US President Donald Trump’s second term that a US warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

Parents express concern over students’ safetyBy Yang Hsin-hui and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerA Taipei third-grader brandished a pair of scissors in class, a parent said, adding that the incident has raised concerns about campus safety and the handling of students with behavioral issues. Parents of other students rejected that claim, saying other students are afraid of the outburst-prone classmate. The Taipei City Department of Education said the school has established standard operating procedures for emergency incidents and strengthened classroom safety management. Given that elementary-Aschool students have limited offensive and defensive capabilities, schools should take the lead in risk management, he said. Possible measures include adjusting seating arrangements, providing close supervision and placing high-risk students where homeroom teachers can easily monitor them, he said.

The Jamestown Foundation think tank in a report published in September last year said that oil rigs could serve as relay stations for drone communications, and that China’s oil rigs around the Pratas Islands are boosting its “kill chain,” as well as its command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (C5ISRT) capabilities. Photo courtesy of Chen Ching-nengChina has 12 oil rigs around Pratas Islands, owned by the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), including seven rig structures, three floating production storage and offloading vessels, and two semi-submersible oil platforms, it said. These state-owned structures have dual-use potential and “may be more valuable for constraining Taiwan’s space than for their nominal commercial purpose of extracting oil,” the report said. On the surface, they are tools for developing resources, but they could also be used to gather intelligence and deploy the military, Yang said. Establishing offshore platforms inside Taiwan’s EEZ without permission infringes on UN law, but Taiwan cannot dispute this, as it is not a UN member, she added.

Lai outlines draft animal protectionsKINDNESS TO CRITTERS: The draft amendments aims to curtail free-roaming feral animals, interdict illegal breeding operations and treat strays humanelyBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with CNAThe government will continue to promote amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) as well as encourage “adopt, don’t shop” and “zero pet abandonment” policies, President William Lai (賴清德) said at a pet gathering yesterday. President William Lai, left, reacts on stage at the Dogs and Cats Carnival in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesThe Department of Animal Welfare, which was established under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) two years ago, is dedicated to collaboration with civic groups on animal welfare promotion. In the draft amendments, Lai outlined the prioritization of managing free-roaming animals, clampdowns on illegal breeding, and humane capture of stray cats and dogs and their sterilization before being released for adoption. Other measures promoted in the bill include strengthening animal registration, conducting regular performance evaluations of animal shelters, banning feeding animals around natural reserves and stiffer penalties for those charged with abusing animals, he added.

RT-Mart employee sentenced for 2022 assault of intern at Kaohsiung storeASSAULT OF A MINOR The former security employee received a prison sentence of more than 13 years for assaulting and blackmailing the victim while at workBy Huang Chia-lin and Jason Pan / Staff reportersA Kaohsiung RT-Mart security employee was sentenced to more than 13 years imprisonment for sexual assault, while the court required the parent company to financially compensate the victim. The Kaohsiung District Court convicted the RT-Mart employee, surnamed Chang (張), of sexual assault of a minor for actions at his workplace in January 2022. The court mandated reparations of NT$3 million (US$95,021) which Chang was unable to pay, lacking the finances or assets. The court ruled in the victim’s favor, saying that RT-Mart was negligent in its duty. PX Mart said in a release that they would comply with the court’s decision and pay out financial compensation to the victim.