India wheat ban dashes relief hopesBy Pratik Parija / BloombergIndia prohibited wheat exports that the world was counting on to alleviate supply constraints sparked by the war in Ukraine, saying that the nation’s food security is under threat. A farmer harvests wheat on the outskirts of Jammu, India, on April 28. Photo: APThe decision to halt wheat exports highlights India’s concerns about high inflation, adding to a spate of food protectionism since the war started. After Egypt, Turkey has also given approval to import wheat from India, it said. After the war hampered logistics in the Black Sea region, which accounts for about one-quarter of all wheat trade, India has tried to fill the vacuum.

China might have built mockups of Suao port: analystStaff writer, with CNAChina appears to have built mockups of a port in northeastern Taiwan and a military vessel docked there, with the aim of using them as targets to test its ballistic missiles, a retired naval officer said yesterday. Lu said he compared the mockup port to US naval bases in Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan, and in Subic Bay in the Philippines, but it more closely resembles Suao. The navy’s Ma Kong, a Keelung-class guided-missile destroyer, is pictured in Kaohsiung on Oct. 4, 2016. “The mockups and drills suggest that Chinese People’s Liberation Army warships are simulating precision strikes on the Guam naval base and the Suao military port using China’s YJ-21 anti-ship missiles,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. Images of the sites were in satellite images that the US Naval Institute posted, but it did not name any structures that the mockups might have been modeled after.

Court upholds state’s food orderRACTOPAMINE RULING: The Constitutional Court said in its judgement that local jurisdictions must not contradict or exceed the authority of the central governmentBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterA central government order nullifying food safety regulations put in place by local governments requiring “ractopamine-free products” was judged to be legal, the Constitutional Court said yesterday. The court cited articles of the Constitution and the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) in its sixth judgement, affirming the authority of the central government to insist that food safety regulations be followed and to direct the nation’s trade policy. The bench of the Constitutional Court is pictured in Taipei yesterday. Judicial Yuan President Hsu Tzong-li (許宗力) read the ruling at the Constitutional Court yesterday. “This move has endangered the health and food safety of Taiwanese.”The Executive Yuan said it welcomed yesterday’s judgement.

Contract-based chip prices are likely to rise around 15 percent to 20 percent, depending upon the level of sophistication, people familiar with the matter said. Photo: ReutersSamsung’s decision is a shift from last year’s relatively stable pricing policy, when the industry rushed to raise prices in the wake of a global chip shortage. Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) account for more than two-thirds of global capacity for outsourced chips. Contract chip manufacturers including TSMC and United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) are telling clients that they plan to raise prices by a mid-to-high single-digit percentage, on the heels of a price hike several months ago. Industry leader TSMC has told clients that it plans to raise prices by about 5 percent to 8 percent next year, following a 20 percent price hike last year, the Nikkei said.

Northeast Asia’s geopolitics shiftBy Jason Lee 李昭賢Beijing’s choice of representative to attend the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday provides a fascinating insight into the shifting sands of Northeast Asian geopolitics. On Saturday last week, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) announced that Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (王岐山) was to attend the inauguration ceremony on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). For the inauguration of former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak in 2008, then-Chinese state councilor Tang Jiaxuan (唐家璇) attended. In 2003, then-Chinese vice premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) attended the inauguration of former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun. The situation in Northeast Asia, already tense, might be about to worsen significantly: China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the US might be gearing up for a six-way tug-of-war competition.

If Paxlovid is prescribed, a person can take the prescription to one of 124 hospitals in Taiwan that carry the medication, Lo said. A doctor performs diagnosis via telehealth service at his desk in Taipei yesterday. The policy does not apply to rapid test kits that were obtained abroad, as they are not approved by the government, he added. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung holds an information board during the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) daily news conference in Taipei yesterday. From Thursday last week to Wednesday, domestic COVID-19 cases rose by 302,754, a significant increase from 124,403 cases over the previous seven days, Chou said.

Sony logs record full-year sales, but profit declinesAFP, TOKYOSony Group Corp yesterday reported its best-ever sales in the financial year to March thanks to strong results in movies, electronics and music, although net profit dipped 14 percent from the previous year’s record. Demand for sensors used in smartphone cameras has continued to soar, and Sony Music also scored a winner with Adele’s latest album 30 and strong licence revenue in its popular anime business. Photo: Kimimasa Mayama, EPA-EFEIt reported full-year sales for 2021-2022 of ￥9.9 trillion (US$76 billion) and net profit of ￥882 billion. In 2020-2021, Sony logged a record net profit of more than ￥1 trillion, partly thanks to tax gains and the explosion in popularity of video games during lockdowns. The gaming giant, which has benefited from a string of popular titles including the January release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, expects net profit for 2022-2023 of ￥340 billion.

CECC mulls easing test kit ruleTEMPORARY: The CECC might allow people to import test kits, which would be exempted from customs declarations and reviews, Chen Shih-chung saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said it is considering temporarily allowing at-home COVID-19 rapid test kits to be imported for self-use and has simplified paperwork for physicians to prescribe oral antivirals. The post showed an image of Chu and his three suggestions to the government: allowing people to import rapid test kits on their own, providing rapid test sales data online for people to easily purchase them, and creating a legal and reasonable procurement mechanism. As there is more demand for rapid test kits, the center is considering temporarily allowing people to import rapid test kits for self-use over the next two months, Chen said. Imported test kits would be exempted from customs declarations and reviews, but individuals must bear the side effects of the tests themselves and may not sell them. The CECC said FDA-approved rapid test kits are used for releasing quarantined or isolated individuals, so the agency must review the safety and efficacy of the products.

New Legislative Yuan buildingBy Rup Narayan DasAs a Taiwan Fellowship scholar at National Chung Hsing University and a former officer of the secretariat of the Indian Parliament, which is currently constructing a new parliament building, I read with great interest recent articles about a proposal to construct a new building for the Legislative Yuan and feel impelled to share India’s example. The Central Legislative Assembly met for the first time in the newly built Parliament House when India was under British rule. The Constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India in the magnificent Central Hall of the Parliament Building. After the delimitation of the constituencies of the Lok Sabha and state legislatures is completed, the number of seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is likely to rise further. The issue was also a factor when deciding whether to construct a new parliament building.

Alcaraz soars to sixth in rankings after Madrid rompAFP, PARIS and MADRIDSpanish teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz yesterday rose three places to sixth in the men’s ATP rankings following his victory in the Madrid Open on Sunday. “I really want to go to Paris to win a Grand Slam, to show my level in a Grand Slam,” Alcaraz told a news conference after winning the second Masters 1000 of his career. Alexander Zverev, right, pours champagne over the head of Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, after Alcaraz beat the German in their Madrid Open men’s final at Caja Magica on Sunday. The only younger player to reach that a second Masters 1000 title milestone was Nadal, who won in Monte Carlo and Rome when he was 18. To beat two of the best players in history and then Zverev, the world No.

EDITORIAL: New virus rules leaving some behindAs the number of local COVID-19 cases reported daily has grown from the hundreds to more than 40,000 in the past month, domestic disease prevention and control measures have drastically transformed to adapt to the changing pandemic situation. The government last month shifted its strategy from “zero COVID-19” to “living with the virus,” as the outbreak of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 seemed unstoppable. Under the relaxed measures, mild cases are no longer required to be hospitalized or be isolated in centralized facilities. These digitized approaches help prevent possible or confirmed COVID-19 cases from crowding at hospitals if they need tests or treatment, and increase the efficiency of medical administration. However, they also limit access to healthcare services for elderly people, leaving those who are not tech-savvy feeling puzzled and helpless.

Allow clinics to handle the antivirals as cases riseBy Wang Fong-yu 王宏育As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in Taiwan — measured daily in the tens of thousands rather than the single digits — there has also been an increase in the number of cases with medium to severe symptoms and even deaths. Paxlovid is most effective when administered to members of at-risk groups before their symptoms worsen, to prevent severe symptoms or even death. The priority must be clinics with pulmonologists, internists and family doctors; clinics caring for house-bound patients; and clinics conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for at-risk groups. Clusters of specialist clinics in local communities could choose one in the community to prescribe antivirals, ideally leaving the decision to the one selected. The rapid rise in COVID-19 cases with medium to severe symptoms has added urgency to the correct, targeted use of antivirals.

Toyota to invest 48bn rupees in Indian EV partsBloombergToyota Group plans to invest 48 billion rupees (US$623.74 million) to make electric vehicle (EV) components in India, as the Japanese automaker works toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts signed a memorandum of understanding with the southern state of Karnataka to invest 41 billion rupees, the group said in a statement on Saturday. The remaining 7 billion rupees is to come from Toyota Industries Engine India. “From a direct employment point of view, we are looking at around 3,500 new jobs,” Toyota Kirloskar vice chairman Vikram Gulati told the Press Trust of India. Toyota reported sales of another 8,421 plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles in the first quarter.

Start-ups apply artificial intelligence to supply chain disruptionsBy Nick Carey / Reuters, LONDONOver the past two years, a series of unexpected events has scrambled global supply chains. By 2025, more than 80 percent of new supply chain applications would use artificial intelligence and data science in some way, tech research firm Gartner Inc said. Supply chain shocks are inevitable, Bisceglie said. “If you have a supply chain issue that could cost you major shareholder value, you’ll have a major responsibility, too,” DeWalt said. “Mapping your supply chain and interconnectivity at the individual part level is the Holy Grail,” Autotech partner Burak Cendek said.

CECC reports record daily COVID-19 tally of 46,536AT RISK: Five of yesterday’s 11 reported COVID-19 deaths were unvaccinated people, while nine were older than 60 and had underlying medical conditions, the CECC saidStaff writer, with CNAThe nation’s single-day COVID-19 case number exceeded 40,000 for the first time yesterday, as the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported 46,536 new cases and 11 deaths. Among the new COVID-19 cases, eight were classified as severe infections, while 44 were moderate, the center said. Yesterday, New Taipei City reported the highest number of cases at 16,670, followed by Taipei with 9,245, Taoyuan with 6,882, Taichung with 2,517 and Kaohsiung with 2,163. Chiayi City reported 110 cases, Penghu County 74, Lienchiang County 22 and Kinmen County 21. The CECC has confirmed 314,983 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in early 2020, including 303,118 domestically transmitted infections.