India launches 36 satellites delayed by war in UkraineAP, NEW DELHIIndia yesterday launched a rocket carrying 36 private Internet satellites, stepping in to keep the orbital constellation growing after a months-long interruption related to the war in Ukraine. The liftoff from southern India was the first launch for London-based OneWeb since breaking with the Russian Space Agency in March because of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S. Somanath speaks at an event in Bangalore, India, on July 11. It was the 14th launch of OneWeb satellites and relied on the country’s heaviest rocket, normally reserved for Indian government spacecraft. With the war in Ukraine still raging, it could open an opportunity for India as many countries shun Russian launch services.

Surfers, miners fight over South Africa’s white beachesLocals say the expansion of mining on the coast about 300km north of Cape Town is chasing off fish and tourists, and lowering employment opportunitiesBy Linda Givetash / AFP, DORINGBAAI, South AfricaTo those who live there, it is like a little piece of heaven, boasting pink flamingos, white beaches and blue ocean waters. Yet this stretch of South Africa’s west coast has also become a battleground, pitching mining firms against environmentalists fearful that one of nature’s last wild treasures is being bulldozed away. Mining companies say they bring much-needed jobs to the area, while abiding by environmental rules. From off-shore diamond prospecting to the construction of a new harbor, several projects threaten to scar the area, a biodiversity hotspot home to dolphins, seals and succulent plants, Protect the West Coast said. “We’ve got to show them that there’s a much better way.”Campaigners are optimistic, emboldened by victories scored elsewhere by environmentalists.

Driverless vehicle development sets ablaze a bonfire of billions of dollarsBy David Welch / BloombergAutonomous vehicle companies and suppliers have collectively spent about US$75 billion developing self-driving technology, with scant sign of meaningful revenue emerging from robo-car services after all that cash incineration. Photo: ReutersCruise LLC, owned by General Motors Co (GM), raised money at a roughly US$30 billion valuation early last year. GM chief executive Mary Barra dismissed Cruise counterpart Dan Ammann late last year. TuSimple replaced founder and chief executive Lu Cheng (呂程) in March, and its general counsel James Mullen resigned last month. While there was a test driver at the wheel, the human ceded to the robot 94 percent of the time, Kodiak chief executive and founder Don Burnette said.

DPP figures weigh in on TPP scandals in HsinchuBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterProminent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) figures yesterday rallied support for the party’s Hsinchu mayoral candidate, Shen Hui-hung (沈慧虹), as the candidates of other parties held separate campaign events, canvassed and led motorcades in the city. 5, while Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Lin Ken-jeng (林耕仁) would be No. 3 and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Hsinchu mayoral candidate Ann Kao (高虹安) would be No. Meanwhile, DPP and KMT Hsinchu City councilor candidates separately said the TPP should explain its choice of candidates, referring to Yeh and another candidate who had been charged with drunk driving. “Shen has been a a civil servant for 32 years, including seven years in the Hsinchu City Government.

Bulletproof vests to be donated to crisis-torn HaitiStaff writer, with CNATaiwan is planning to donate bulletproof vests to the Haitian National Police (HNP) to help the Caribbean country tackle a political, economic and security crisis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. Taiwan would send bulletproof vests to the diplomatic ally before the end of the year, Hsie said, adding that the details of the donation, including the number of vests and the delivery date, would be disclosed later. The Taiwanese embassy in Haiti has since the middle of last month been temporarily closed for safety reasons. The embassy is also maintaining close contact with all Taiwanese in the country, and has advised them to avoid any unnecessary travel and remain vigilant, she said. Over the past several years, the ministry has had a “red” travel alert, the highest on its four-level scale, for Haiti, warning people not to travel to the country.

War drills carried out to test critical infrastructure‘WORST-CASE SCENARIO’: Exercises trained staff at ports and railways, while military drills provided a ‘live’ experience to enhance capabilities for shore-based operationsBy Lee Hsin-fang, Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerPrompted by communication blackouts during the war in Ukraine and heightened military tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the Executive Yuan has launched drills to test the handling of critical infrastructure in the event of war, a person familiar with the matter said. The drills were based on a worst-case scenario, in which all critical infrastructure points were simultaneously attacked, the source said. Firefighters counter a simulated attack on the Hulin substation in Taipei’s Xinyi District during the annual Wanan air defense exercise on July 25. It simulated foreign hostile undercover agents hijacking mobile missile launcher trucks to interrupt communication links, the reports said. The defending troops fended off the simulated attack using truck-mounted 20mm cannons and 40mm grenade launchers, they said.

GDP growth forecast cut, expected to slow furtherDECLINING TRADE: Exports are forecast to grow only 2.28 percent next year, with trade data worsening quarter by quarter as inflation is tamed, a researcher saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) yesterday cut its forecast for GDP growth this year to 3.28 percent from 3.56 percent, and expects the pace to slow further to 2.81 percent next year as downside risks heighten at home and abroad. The Taipei-based institute blamed the downward revisions on stubbornly high global inflation and drastic monetary tightening that weakened demand for Taiwanese exports. “Despite the slowdown, Taiwan should register GDP growth of 3 percent for four straight years, which is pretty good,” CIER president Chang Chuang-chang (張傳章) said. DGBAS Minister Chu Tzer-ming (朱澤民) told lawmakers yesterday that the agency would likely need to trim this year’s growth forecast due to disappointing exports. A weak New Taiwan dollar is favorable for exports, but would intensify imported inflation and capital outflows, he said.

Taiwan, US mum on reported arms production planStaff writer, with CNATaiwan and the US have remained tight-lipped about a reported plan to jointly produce weapons that would increase the production of US-designed arms and accelerate their transfer to Taipei. The non-profit US-Taiwan Business Council on Wednesday told Reuters that the idea was in the early planning stages. Initial discussions on the matter focused on whether to allow US defense companies to provide weapons technology to manufacturers in Taiwan, or to produce the arms in the US using Taiwan-made parts, Nikkei Asia said. In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of National Defense yesterday declined to comment on the news reports. MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that the US government, across party lines, maintains close cooperation with Taiwan to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense and asymmetrical warfare capabilities through arms sales.

Export orders from China last month contracted by 28 percent annually to US$11.55 billion, as Beijing’s “zero COVID” policy hurt the world’s second-largest economy and curtailed Chinese consumer spending, the ministry said. Taiwan’s exports last quarter contracted 1.1 percent year-on-year to US$169.78 billion from US$171.71 billion, ending nine consecutive quarters of expansions. Photo: CNAThe fourth quarter is expected to have a weak start, as export orders are forecast to drop at an annual rate of between 1 percent and 3.6 percent, or US$57 billion and US$58.5 billion, the ministry said. The US’ latest semiconductor export controls on China should have limited effect on local companies based on its preliminary assessment, it said. Orders for base metals dipped 31 percent year-on-year and 6.1 percent monthly to US$2.23 billion last month, amid soft demand for steel products worldwide, the data showed.

Ko to meet with firebrand Miaoli County speakerBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterMiaoli County Council Speaker Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) yesterday said that he would meet with Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) today, a move seen by some as an attempt by Ko to form an alliance to benefit his Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). Chung, a long-time member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) who is running for Miaoli County commissioner as an independent, said that he would meet with Ko, who is TPP chairman, to discuss and exchange views on local governance. From left, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin, DPP Miaoli County commissioner candidate Hsu Ting-chen, DPP caucus whip Lo Chih-cheng, DPP Legislator Hung Sun-han and DPP Legislator Shen Fa-hui hold a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. He registered as an independent in June after losing a bid for the party’s nomination to Hsieh Fu-hung (謝福弘), director of the KMT’s Miaoli County office. With Ko’s visit, Chung’s Miaoli County commissioner campaign has aligned the forces of “black and white,” she said.

Institute president Cho Cheng-hung (卓政宏) told a legislative session that Kao contravened internal rules when she studied in a doctoral program in the US while continuing to receive her salary from the institute. Institute for Information Industry president Cho Cheng-hung poses for a photograph at the institute on May 19. Cho said Kao also contravened labor laws when she took up a part-time position at Taipei-based Servtech Co while working at the institute. Kao from 2012 to 2014 took 500 days of paid leave during her studies, while also receiving a subsidies, Cho said. Rival Hsinchu mayoral candidates yesterday urged Kao to face the allegations, saying that she has been dodging questions at campaign events.

Hon Hai unveils two new electric vehicle prototypesBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterHon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday added two new electric vehicle (EV) prototypes to its fleet, paving the way for the commercial production of the Model V and Model B in the US and Thailand in 2024. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co chairman Young Liu, center, and founder Terry Gou, right, pose at a media briefing following the launch of new electric vehicle prototypes in Taipei yesterday. Asked about shipments from Hon Hai and Tesla Inc, Liu said Hon Hai hopes to one day produce EVs for the US-based automaker. Tesla is an electric vehicle brand, while Hon Hai provides electric vehicle design and manufacturing services on a contractual basis, he said. Hon Hai expects to complete customers’ certification for its SiC chips next year before shipping, he added.

Eswatini’s King Mswati III to visit Taiwan tomorrowStaff writer, with CNAKing Mswati III of Eswatini, the nation’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, is tomorrow arriving in Taiwan on his 18th visit to the nation, but his first since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to welcome King Mswati III with a military salute and host a state banquet, and the king and his delegation are to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), the ministry said in a statement. President Tsai Ing-wen, center left, and King Mswati III of Eswatini, center right, are welcomed by a military salute in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei during the king’s last visit to Taiwan on June 8, 2018. Other activities scheduled are a visit to the Taoyuan refinery of state-run oil company CPC Corp, Taiwan and a meeting with Swazi students in Taiwan, the ministry said. The visit marks King Mswati III’s 18th trip to Taiwan since taking the throne in 1986.

NTU Hospital touts its training center for robotic surgeryBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNational Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) yesterday unveiled its International Robotic Surgery Training Center, as it celebrated more than 5,000 robotic surgeries in the past 10 years, touting the smaller incisions, less pain and shorter recovery periods for such operations. The number of robotic surgeries at the hospital has risen over the years and its specialist teams have developed innovative robotic surgery procedures, some of which were global firsts, Wu said. The International Robotic Surgery Training Center offers training with instruction from a comprehensive variety of specialties, which would allow surgeons in Taiwan to learn the techniques without having to travel abroad, he said. However, robotic surgery — which involved a small incision at her hairline — removed the benign tumor and left a scar that was barely visible, she said. A woman in her 30s surnamed Shi (史) donated part of her liver via robotic surgery nine years ago, Wu Yao-ming said.

Offshore wind power leaping forward: officialsBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan would make rapid headway in the development of offshore wind energy with the installation of 157 wind turbines by the end of this year, government officials said yesterday. Taiwan’s second-phase wind energy plan is under way, Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) told a forum on offshore wind energy organized by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) and the Global Wind Energy Council. Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua speaks on the sidelines of the Global Offshore Wind Summit in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chia-ning, Taipei TimesThe development of offshore wind energy is part of Taiwan’s efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, he added. Although significant progress has been made in Taiwan’s offshore wind market in the development of port infrastructure, supply chain localization and the installation of offshore wind turbines, “there are always challenges to overcome, with such opportunities in a new market,” Izzo said.