Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Nearly 40 nations — including the US, Japan, South Korea and China — have joined a global push to triple installed nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Southeast Asia will account for nearly a fourth of the 157 gigawatts expected from “newcomer nuclear nations” by mid-century, according to the industry-backed World Nuclear Association. A new atomic energy regulatory authority launched last year will “usher in the integration of nuclear power,” according to Philippine officials. “But the nuclear option should be approached cautiously.”Nuclear power risks remainGlobal nuclear capacity will more than triple — to about 1,446 gigawatts — by 2050 if existing reactors continue operations and governments meet their stated targets, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Starlux launches Japan flights from TaichungStaff writer, with CNAStarlux Airlines is expanding its operations in central Taiwan, starting with the launch yesterday of its Taichung-Tokyo route and Taichung-Kumamoto service today. The carrier held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Taichung International Airport yesterday, ahead of the inaugural flight to Tokyo. Starlux is looking to make Taichung International Airport its second operational hub, CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華) said in a news release. Starlux Airlines chairman Chang Kuo-wei, center, attends Starlux Airlines’ ribbon-cutting ceremony at Taichung International Airport yesterday. The company has prepared “Starlux x Nissin Cup Noodles Jumbo Sets” and other types of souvenirs for passengers on the inaugural flights, he said.

CDC reports COVID-19 variant caseBy Hou Chia-yu / Staff reporterThe Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl agreed to provide a saliva sample for testing, which came back positive for the COVID-19 variant, Lin said. There is no evidence the BA.3.2 variant causes a significant increase in transmissibility or the risk of developing severe illness, although it remains a “variant under monitoring,” he said. The CDC will continue tracking trends of COVID-19 variants through border surveillance to ensure that local epidemic risks remain under control, he said.

Man sorry for slapping CPBL staff in TainanCONSEQUENCES: The man has been banned from attending CPBL games, fired by his company and might face charges for assaultStaff writer, with CNAA man surnamed Chiang (蔣) yesterday apologized for slapping a part-time worker with the CPBL at the end of a game in Tainan on Sunday. Chiang apologized in a Facebook post, saying he was deeply sorry for losing his temper and hurting the CPBL employee. A CPBL part-time staffer is slapped on the left side of his head by a man surnamed Chiang on Sunday. Photo: Screen grab from Threads huhu_artnhandmadeIn a video posted on Threads, the 49-year-old Chiang is seen quarreling with three CPBL part-time workers and then slapping one surnamed Tsai (蔡), on the left side of his head. CPBL said in a Facebook post that its staff tried to escort Chiang back to his seat.

Salah ought not go MLS: Egypt national coachReutersEgypt’s national team director Ibrahim Hassan has cautioned Mohamed Salah against moving to US Major League Soccer (MLS) after he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, as it could send him sinking into obscurity. Salah, 33, has yet to decide his next move as he ends a hugely successful nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said he would love to see Salah in the league, although it is unclear whether any MLS teams would attempt to sign him. Mohamed Salah, right, celebrates after scoring during the Champions League final in Spain in 2019. Salah is currently sidelined by injury and is missing Egypt’s ongoing training camp as they prepare for the World Cup in North America.

Oil at US$100 could lift CPI to 1.9%FORECAST: Crude oil prices are highly volatile and could fall to about US$70 per barrel if hostilities in the Middle East end quickly, central bank Governor Yang Chin-long saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) could rise about 1.9 percent this year, if crude oil prices average US$100 a barrel, central bank Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) said yesterday, signaling that price pressures remain broadly contained for the time being. The central bank on March 19 raised its inflation forecast to 1.8 percent, assuming oil prices average US$85 per barrel and incorporating government measures to stabilize prices. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-long speaks at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei TimesCrude oil prices remain highly volatile and could fall to about US$70 per barrel if hostilities in the Middle East end quickly, the central bank governor said. “Interest rates mainly address demand-driven inflation, whereas higher oil prices are a supply-side shock best managed through supply-side measures,” Yang said, adding that the central bank might tighten policy if it deems it necessary to tame inflation.

Russia can ship crude oil to Cuba: TrumpMUCH-NEEDED FUEL: Cuba lost its main regional ally and oil supplier in January when US forces captured then-Venezuelan president Nicolas MaduroAFP, HAVANAUS President Donald Trump on Sunday said that Moscow could send oil to Cuba despite Washington’s de facto fuel blockade, as a Russian tanker was expected to deliver some much-needed crude oil to the crisis-hit island. The Hong Kong-flagged crude oil tanker Sea Horse is anchored off the coast of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Sunday. Trump subsequently threatened to impose tariffs on any country sending oil to Cuba and has mused about “taking” the island. Another ship that was reportedly carrying Russian diesel to Cuba, the Hong Kong-flagged Sea Horse, was rerouted to Venezuela. “The urgent need today in Cuba is diesel,” the former oil executive said.

Goat vs gecko: A tiny Caribbean island faces wildlife showdownAFP, TERRE-DE-HAUT, FranceThe tiny Caribbean island of Terre-de-Haut boasts pristine turquoise waters and deserted coves. Goats on March 18 stand in a street in Terre-de-Haut, Les Saintes, on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Photo: AFPOfficials on the island chain, which is part of the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe, are now considering drastic action. Several endemic species are particularly at risk, including the Terre-de-Haut racer snake, the Guadeloupe skink and a tiny brightly colored gecko called Les Saintes Sphaerodactylus. Officials on Les Saintes are keen to follow the example, and they cannot act quickly enough as a new scourge could be on the way.

“I am so stoked to be back,” five-times world champion Moore, who had her first child last year, told Reuters. World champion surfer Carissa Moore rides in the barrel during a competition in French Polynesia in 2024. Moore and Australian Gilmore, 38, dominated professional surfing for more than a decade and have 13 world titles between them. Even they might be looking over their shoulders at a new, even younger threat in the shape of French teenager Tya Zebrowski, who is the youngest surfer to join the elite world tour, having just turned 15. In a change announced last year, the World Surf League has scrapped its controversial winner-takes-all finale and returned to a cumulative points system to determine the titles.

Taiwan-S Korea relations at stakeBy Alan Jeong 鄭勳燦Taiwan-South Korea relations face a critical test, as a deadline forces both sides to confront a long-simmering issue. Beginning on March 1, the government changed the designation of South Koreans on the alien resident certificates from the “Republic of Korea” to “South Korea,” explicitly framing the move as a matter of reciprocity. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is listed as “China P.R.,” while Hong Kong and Macau appear as “China P.R. The Taipei Mission in Korea, Taiwan’s de facto embassy, works closely with these groups, which identify with Taiwan and support Taiwan’s public diplomacy efforts. Most residents in South Korea categorized under “China (Taiwan)” on their residence cards belong to long-established overseas Chinese communities.

Currently, humanoid robots in China operate in a way that is planned by programmers, who capture human movements, store the data and then train the robots. Turning humanoid robots into a productive workforce in factories still faces many hurdles and few such robots are deployed on production lines. China already exhibits strong manufacturing capabilities in mechanical and electronic components essential for humanoid robots, excluding advanced logic chips. It remains unclear whether a profitable business model for humanoid robots exists, as shipments do not tell the whole story. The speech was insightful, as Wei set a vision for the audience that humanoid robots would have a role in Taiwan’s future.

KMT’s Cheng accepts Xi invitation to visit ChinaPOLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in NovemberBy Lin Che-yuan / Staff reporter, with AFPChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun holds a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Cheng at news conference yesterday said it has been 10 years since the last visit to China by a KMT chair, referring to November 2016 when then-KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) met with Xi in Beijing. “Opposing Taiwan independence can prevent war, and the 1992 consensus can create peace,” she said.

Taiwanese Astros pitcher helps bring in winSTAFF WRITER, WITH CNATeng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. Teng Kai-wei of the Houston Astros pitches in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in Houston, Texas. With Saturday’s win, the Astros moved up to 1-2.

NDC minister details US investment credit plansBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan plans to launch a US$250 billion credit guarantee program to support domestic companies investing in the US, part of a broader effort to deepen supply chain cooperation with Washington following conclusion of tariff negotiations earlier this year, National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯) said yesterday. National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien speaks to reporters at the council in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the National Development CouncilThe NDC briefed representatives from 38 public and private financial institutions on the proposed financing mechanism. Over time, the government’s share would gradually decline, with the long-term goal of achieving a one-to-one funding ratio with private financial institutions. Following the briefing, the NDC plans to gather feedback from financial institutions and submit the proposal to the Executive Yuan by the end of next month.

Ennoconn expects first-quarter revenue to remain flatBy Meryl Kao / Staff reporterIndustrial computer maker Ennoconn Corp (樺漢科技) yesterday said it expects first-quarter revenue to remain flat from NT$34.47 billion (US$1.08 billion) a year earlier, as geopolitical uncertainties, sharp fluctuations in memory supply and prices are likely to defer some orders to the second and third quarters. Ennoconn Corp chairman Steve Chu poses for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. The intelligent software and solutions segment includes AI applications such as edge servers, agents and physical AI, and spans sectors from defense, transportation, retail to construction, he added. Orders from NCR Voyix Corp — a provider of retail, restaurant and digital commerce products— are expected to contribute about NT$12 billion in revenue this year, he said. Ennoconn has about NT$20 billion in orders involving memory components, he said.