The Greenland alarm is sounding. Europe needs to listen
The Greenland alarm is sounding. Frederiksen has tried hard to push back against Trump’s latest claims to Greenland, but the language she used is telling. Trump does not care about alliances and security is not his primary goal in Greenland. For a possible timeline to US action on Greenland, assume it might come before November’s midterm elections to Congress. At the same time, we do not yet have a replacement world “order,” just the grisly death throes of the last one.
Source:Taipei Times
January 10, 2026 16:10 UTC
EDITORIAL: Being experts amid cyberthreats
EDITORIAL: Being experts amid cyberthreatsCyberattacks originating in China that targeted Taiwan’s critical energy infrastructure increased 10-fold last year, the National Security Bureau said on Sunday last week, underscoring the growing cyberthreat facing the nation’s essential services. It identified four primary tactics: exploitation of hardware and software vulnerabilities, distributed denial-of-service attacks, social engineering and supply chain infiltration. Addressing hardware and software vulnerabilities is more challenging. Modern medical equipment requires regular software updates and can be compromised regardless of how updates are delivered. While cyberthreats continue to escalate, defensive technologies are advancing in parallel and public awareness of malicious activity is improving.
Source:Taipei Times
January 10, 2026 16:10 UTC
Bear back riding
EVA pilot suspended for striking first officerEVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 20:15 UTC
Holger Chen indicted over threat to ‘behead’ president
Holger Chen indicted over threat to ‘behead’ presidentBy Wang Ting-chuan and Jason Pan / Staff reportersThe New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted Internet influencer Holger Chen (陳之漢) for allegedly calling for the decapitation of President William Lai (賴清德) during a live stream in October last year. While Chen was commenting on Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “decapitation strike” exercises around Taiwan, he allegedly segued into a specific threat to cut off Lai’s head, prosecutors said. I have waited for it day and night.”Internet personality Holger Chen, center, speaks to reporters in Taipei on Oct. 7 last year. “A military ‘decapitation’ operation is clearly not the same as calling to ‘behead’ the nation’s president,” prosecutors said. Chen’s remarks were sufficient to instill fear in any ordinary person, regardless of whether they are the president, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:47 UTC
The real meaning of the Puma Shen affair
The real meaning of the Puma Shen affairBy Chu Meng-hsiang 朱孟庠After staging military exercises around Taiwan last week, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) once again launched a ruthless repression campaign against Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋). This is not merely personal intimidation, it is a direct challenge to Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic system. For Taiwan, the so-called “Puma Shen phenomenon” is not merely a matter of a single legislator being threatened — it epitomizes how a democratic nation confronts infiltration and transnational repression by an authoritarian regime. On one hand, civil society has rallied around the slogan “We are all Puma Shen,” demonstrating both clarity and resistance. “We are all Puma Shen” is more than just a slogan, but a democratic society reinforcing its own identity in the face of authoritarian oppression.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
TSMC’s revenue comes in at high end of predictions
TSMC’s revenue comes in at high end of predictionsBy Lisa Wang / Staff ReporterTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which supplies advanced chips to Nvidia Corp and Apple Inc, yesterday reported NT$1.046 trillion (US$33.1 billion) in revenue for last quarter, driven by constantly strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips, falling in the upper end of its forecast. Last year in total, revenue jumped 31.61 percent to NT$3.81 trillion, compared with NT$2.89 trillion generated in the year before, according to a TSMC statement. To cope with strong AI chip demand, TSMC plans to speed up its 2-nanometer chip production in Taiwan and to quicken its chip manufacturing technology upgrade at its fabs in Arizona, it said. KGI expected the chipmaker to make NT$475.89 billion net profit last quarter, higher than the consensus of NT$454.67 billion, according to a KGI report released on Monday. Gross margin was expected to reach 61.5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, exceeding TSMC’s guidance of between 59 percent and 61 percent, the KGI report said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
China widens attack on Japan’s ‘nuclear threat’
China widens attack on Japan’s ‘nuclear threat’SELF-DEFENSE: Tokyo has accelerated its spending goal and its defense minister said the nation needs to discuss whether it should develop nuclear-powered submarinesBloombergChina is ramping up objections to what it sees as Japan’s desire to acquire nuclear weapons, despite Tokyo’s longstanding renunciation of such arms, deepening another fissure in the two neighbors’ increasingly tense ties. In what appears to be a concerted effort, China’s foreign and defense ministries issued statements on Thursday condemning alleged remilitarism efforts by Tokyo. Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi speaks during the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 27 last year. Asked about China’s claims regarding Japan’s nuclear ambitions, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi said: “I’d like to state that there is absolutely no truth to such claims.”The three nonnuclear principles refers to Japan’s long-standing commitment to not possess, produce or permit the entry of nuclear weapons. A record 45 percent of respondents said the armed forces should be bolstered, but they were not asked whether Japan should acquire nuclear weapons.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Go star Hsu Hao-hung wins awards
Go star Hsu Hao-hung wins awardsStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese go ace and Asian Games gold medalist Hsu Hao-hung yesterday was named “Mr Popular” and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the sport last year at an annual awards ceremony in Taipei. In a public round, Hsu won 151 of 630 votes (32.5 percent) to narrowly defeat fellow 9-dan professional Hsiao Cheng-hao for the most popular player award. Go pro Hsu Hao-hung poses alongside trophies at the annual Taiwan go awards ceremony in Taipei yesterday. Cheng Yu-hao, a 13-year-old who turned professional in 2023, was voted Rookie of the Year by his peers. Eligibility for the award was restricted to players who turned professional after 2021.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Trump’s China strategy evolving
Trump’s China strategy evolvingBy Juan Fernando Herrera RamosFor Taiwan, the intensifying confrontation between the US and China is often discussed through arms sales, military exercises and diplomatic statements in the Indo-Pacific region. China has invested heavily in Venezuela as a strategic partner, securing access to energy resources and political backing in international forums. Honduras’ decision in 2023 to sever ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing was widely seen as part of China’s strategy to further shrink Taiwan’s diplomatic space. The package was approved amid heightened Chinese military activity around Taiwan, signaling that US commitments to Taiwan are being reinforced even as tensions rise. The arrest of Maduro therefore matters in Taipei not because it concerns Venezuela itself, but because it illustrates a broader shift in US strategy.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Martinelli sorry for shoving Bradley
Martinelli sorry for shoving BradleyGOALLESS DRAW: The closest either team came to scoring before the late altercation was when Conor Bradley hit the crossbar after chipping the goalkeeperAP, LONDONArsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli on Thursday apologized to Conor Bradley after bundling the injured Liverpool defender off the field in the final seconds of their 0-0 draw in the Premier League. Martinelli, clearly frustrated, walked up to Bradley, dropped the ball on him and then pushed the defender outside the playing surface. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli reacts during an altercation in stoppage-time of their Premier League game against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London on Thursday. “Let’s hope for the best, but I fear the worst for Conor Bradley,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said of Bradley’s injury. Photo: APCommentating on Sky Sports, former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville called Martinelli’s behavior “absolutely disgraceful.”Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended Martinelli, saying “probably he doesn’t know” Bradley was injured.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Court tries online predator accused of sadistic crimes
Court tries online predator accused of sadistic crimesAFP, HAMBURG, GermanyA German juvenile court yesterday started the so-called “White Tiger” trial in which a man is accused of multiple sadistic online crimes, including coercing a 13-year-old to die by suicide. The case shines a spotlight on the dark world of sadistic online exploitation, where predators seek out vulnerable youths and manipulate them to commit acts of self-harm, violence against themselves or animals, or to kill themselves. “White Tiger” allegedly found vulnerable children and adolescents in online chats or gaming forums, and then developed a bond to groom them. He is accused of encouraging them to produce pornographic content, and using the material to coerce and extort them, among other allegations. An FBI investigator said that he had shared the identity of “White Tiger” with German law enforcement more than two years before the suspect’s eventual arrest.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Syria announces ceasefire with Kurdish fighters
Syria announces ceasefire with Kurdish fightersAFP, DAMASCUSThe Syrian Ministry of Defense yesterday announced a ceasefire in Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between the army and Kurdish fighters forced thousands of civilians to flee. Kurdish fighters were given until 9am yesterday to leave those areas, while the Aleppo governorate said Kurdish fighters would be sent, along with their light weapons, to Kurdish areas further east. There was no immediate comment from Kurdish forces in response to the government statements. Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh have remained under the control of Kurdish units linked to the SDF, despite Kurdish fighters agreeing to withdraw from the areas in April. Turkey, which shares a 900km border with Syria, has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from the frontier.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Wiwynn closes out highly profitable year
Wiwynn closes out highly profitable yearBy Meryl Kao / Staff ReporterCloud computing equipment supplier Wiwynn Corp (緯穎科技) on Thursday reported a 95.7 percent year-on-year surge in net profit last quarter to NT$13.79 billion (US$436.46 million), a record high for the period, driven by strong customer demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers and data center equipment. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, third left, Wiwynn Corp chairwoman Emily Hong, and other guests attend a groundbreaking ceremony in Taipei last year. Last year, Wiwynn mainly shipped server racks powered by application-specific integrated circuits, but beginning last quarter it started supplying servers using Nvidia Corp’s graphics processing units, it said. Last year as a whole, Inventec shipped 21.3 million notebook computers, up 6.5 percent annually. Compal shipped 6.8 million notebook computers last quarter, down 12.8 percent year-on-year, bringing full-year shipments to 28 million units.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
Rare Central Asian gull spotted for the first time in Tainan
Rare Central Asian gull spotted for the first time in TainanVULNERABLE SPECIES: As the relict gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, it might be the same bird sighted in Changhua last year, birdwatchers saidStaff writer, with CNAA relict gull has been spotted in Tainan for the first time, in only the fifth recorded sighting of the vulnerable Central Asian species in Taiwan, the Wild Bird Society of Tainan said. Local birdwatcher Lin Kun-hui (林坤慧) spotted the gull on Wednesday after noticing it stood out among other birds at a salt pan in Tainan’s Jiangjun District (將軍). A relict gull is pictured in Tainan’s Jiangjun District in an undated photograph. As the gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, the society said it might be the same bird spotted last year, possibly moving south to escape cold surges. Earlier sightings were recorded in Kinmen County in 2013, Yilan County in 2016 and Pingtung County in 2024, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC
How a US takeover of Greenland would undermine NATO from within
“If the US chooses to attack another NATO country, everything will stop,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen said on Monday. The military alliance might well continue to exist, but its effectiveness would be called into fundamental question; the obvious beneficiary, an already aggressive Moscow. During the 2024 US election campaign, US President Donald Trump said he would not protect “delinquent” NATO members; countries that did not meet the then-target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. It was enough to provoke alarm in Europe, but diplomacy in the run-up to June’s NATO summit appeared to have massaged away the problem. Yet, rather than heal differences in opinion, it appears the NATO summit simply papered over a rift.
Source:Taipei Times
January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC