Ministry fails to halt TRA strike plan
As of yesterday, the union had mobilized approximately 13,000 Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) workers to strike on International Workers’ Day in protest against the ministry’s plan to corporatize the railway agency. As no TRA trains are to run on Sunday, the ministry on Friday said that it planned to use high-speed rail trains and buses to transport people. We respect their decision and will execute the response plan,” Wang told reporters after the meeting. Negotiations between the union and the ministry went peacefully, TRLU chairman Chen Shih-chieh (陳世杰) told reporters. “We hope that things will move in a positive direction if the ministry gains the trust of TRA workers,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 27, 2022 02:32 UTC
Philips earnings miss, as it warns of supply snarls
Philips earnings miss, as it warns of supply snarlsBloombergRoyal Philips NV’s quarterly operating profit missed analyst estimates as the Dutch maker of respiratory gear and body scanners warned of rising supply-chain challenges, inflation and the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Philips yesterday said its first-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization fell to 243 million euros (US$261.2 million), from 362 million euros a year earlier. The figure fell short of an estimate of 274 million euros in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. The headquarters of Dutch technology company Royal Philips NV is pictured in Amsterdam on Jan. 29, 2019. Philips recorded revenue of 3.9 billion euros in the three months through last month, slightly better than expected.
Source:Taipei Times
April 26, 2022 04:03 UTC
Singapore CPI rises 2.9% to 10-year high
Singapore CPI rises 2.9% to 10-year highBloombergCore inflation in Singapore accelerated faster than expected to the highest in a decade, in sync with the central bank’s projections that price growth might worsen before it gets better on geopolitical shocks and supply-chain backlogs. The core consumer price index (CPI) tracked by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — which excludes private transport and accommodation costs — rose 2.9 percent last month, on the back of costlier food and services. That is the fastest since March 2012 and is showing a quickening for the past eight of nine months. People listen to a band at a bar in the Clarke Quay area of Singapore on Saturday. The MAS and ministry reiterated estimates that core inflation should be between 2.5 and 3.5 percent this year, while headline inflation runs within 4.5 and 5.5 percent.
Source:Taipei Times
April 26, 2022 04:03 UTC
Richard D. Fisher, Jr. On Taiwan: More Ukraine Lessons For China And Taiwan
Richard D. Fisher, Jr. On Taiwan: More Ukraine Lessons For China And TaiwanAs Russia’s illegal war to exterminate the nation of Ukraine slogs into its third devastating month, it has yielded many lessons China can apply to its future war against the nation of Taiwan — and that Taiwanese can exploit for their defense and survival. Xi likely will not repeat Putin’s failure at the outset to use his new very low-yield nuclear weapons to devastate Ukrainian resistance. This will be necessary both to intensify its war in Taiwan, and to attack any U.S and allied forces coming to aid Taiwan. Another Ukraine war lesson must be resolved in Washington. Richard D. Fisher, Jr. is a senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
Source:Taipei Times
April 25, 2022 04:12 UTC
Yuan deposits in Taiwan decline for fourth month
Yuan deposits in Taiwan decline for fourth monthBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterChinese yuan deposits held by local banks last month declined 0.91 percent to 225.32 billion yuan (US$34.66 billion), shrinking for a fourth consecutive month, as corporate and retail clients adjusted asset portfolios amid inflation expectations and geopolitical tensions, the central bank said on Tuesday. The decrease was related to personal and corporate decisions regarding asset allocation strategies, and was not connected to political circumstances, the bank said. Photo: Kelson Wang, Taipei TimesThe New Taiwan dollar fared better with a 5.27 percent correction, while the Chinese yuan held firm with a 0.04 percent dip, making it the best performer in the region, it said. Yuan deposits at domestic banking units dropped 1.49 percent to 196.76 billion yuan after retail and corporate clients trimmed positions, the central bank said, adding that a major electronics firm had used yuan deposits for goods payments. Yuan deposits at offshore banking units rose 3.24 percent to 28.56 billion yuan after some firms converted US dollar deposits into yuan holdings to meet yuan settlement needs, the bank said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 24, 2022 20:40 UTC
Conservationists urge the public to give birds at beaches a quiet nesting season
Conservationists urge the public to give birds at beaches a quiet nesting seasonBy Huang Ming-tang and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerConservationists yesterday held a demonstration at Taitung County’s Jhihben Beach, calling on the public to avoid activities that disturb breeding seagulls. The nests of the breeding seagulls are threatened by fishers driving onto the beach, the group said, as it named other behaviors people should avoid to leave the seagulls undisturbed. People should not allow construction to interfere with the nests, should not drive across beaches during the nesting season, should not venture near the chicks, should not let dogs or other pets near the nests or chicks, and should keep the beaches clean, it said. Conservationists from the Taitung Wild Bird Society and other groups at Jhihben Beach in Taitung County yesterday urge people not to disturb seagulls and other birds nesting on beaches. Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei TimesKentish plovers, little terns and other migratory birds are also breeding throughout the county from this month to August, it added.
Source:Taipei Times
April 24, 2022 20:40 UTC
Oil posts a third weekly loss as China lockdowns amplify demand worries
Oil posts a third weekly loss as China lockdowns amplify demand worriesBloombergOil dropped for the third week out of the last four with China facing a large consumption hit and the US Federal Reserve signaling that it plans to aggressively tighten monetary policy to curb inflation. A PJSC Lukoil Oil Co oil refinery is pictured in Volgograd, Russia, on Friday. The drop in fuel demand is the equivalent to a decline of 1.2 million barrels a day, the people said. This year, “oil demand is set to shed 1.4 million barrels per day, dropping below the highs set in 2019,” Galimberti said. There are calls for the EU to ban Russian oil, matching steps taken by the US and UK.
Source:Taipei Times
April 24, 2022 01:01 UTC
Tedros’ job could hinge on Taiwan’s WHA role
Tedros’ job could hinge on Taiwan’s WHA roleBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌The 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting is scheduled to take place from May 22 to 28, a meeting at which Taiwan’s return as an observer is becoming increasingly possible. This shows that Washington continues to pursue Taiwan’s interests, and that there remains a chance for Taiwan to attend the WHA meeting, despite not having yet received an invitation. This fact is important especially now, given that attendees at the upcoming WHA meeting are to vote to determine whether Tedros should receive a second five-year term. The growing distance between Tedros and China was suggested when Beijing did not indicate support for Tedros’ reappointment. Whether Tedros continues to be Beijing’s pawn or sides with the West could determine whether Taiwan attends next month’s WHA meeting.
Source:Taipei Times
April 23, 2022 22:18 UTC
India taps into a new energy cash cow: dung power
India taps into a new energy cash cow: dung powerBy Bhuvan Bagga / AFP, INDORE, IndiaIndia is tapping a new energy source that promises to help clean up smog-choked cities and is already providing a vital revenue stream for poor Indian farmers: truckloads of bovine manure. Babu Singh, the father of farmer Suresh Sisodia, arranges dung cakes at a dairy farm in Mayakhedi village on the outskirts of Indore, India, on March 4. “We have a very good quality dung, and we keep the dung clean to ensure it fetches the best price,” farmer Suresh Sisodia said. Cultivating alternative energy sources is an urgent priority in India, which burns coal to meet nearly three-quarters of the energy needs of its 1.4 billion citizens. Under their watch, “cow vigilantes” have run Muslim-owned abattoirs out of business and lynched people accused of involvement in cattle slaughter.
Source:Taipei Times
April 23, 2022 16:59 UTC
China ready to offer Sri Lanka ‘urgent help’
China ready to offer Sri Lanka ‘urgent help’MILITARY DEPLOYED: The Sri Lankan prime minister thanked Beijing for its show of support and said the nation was willing to promote talks on a free-trade agreementBloombergChina on Friday told Sri Lanka that it is ready to provide “urgently needed help,” an offer that came after the South Asian nation deployed its military to quell anger over its worst economic crisis in decades. “China is willing to play a constructive role to help Sri Lanka achieve stable economic and social development under the principle of non-interference in internal affairs,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) said in a telephone call with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Xinhua news agency reported. Photo: EPA-EFEIt added that he said Sri Lanka is willing to promote talks on a free-trade agreement, and to deepen cooperation in areas including finance, trade and tourism. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered a three-day military deployment before the funeral of a protester killed earlier this week when police fired at crowds. Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Palitha Kohona said in WeChat that China’s firm commitment of assistance would contribute significantly.
Source:Taipei Times
April 23, 2022 16:34 UTC
Taiwan details new missile and drone capabilities
Taiwan details new missile and drone capabilitiesBy Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard / Reuters, TAIPEITaiwan is developing missiles that can attack enemy air bases and bring down cruise missiles, and drones that can target their firing locations, a report by the military-owned body making the weapons said. Taiwan plans to more than double its annual missile production capacity to close to 500 this year, the Ministry of National Defense said last month, as it boosts its combat power. A Tien Kong (Sky Bow) surface-to-air missile is displayed at an exhibition in Taipei on Feb. 26, 2017. The advanced Sky Bow III surface-to-air missile is designed to take down ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as fighter jets. The ministry has previously announced plans to start manufacturing unspecified “attack drones,” with an annual production target of 48 such aircraft.
Source:Taipei Times
April 22, 2022 20:29 UTC
Insurance policies for COVID-19 surge this month
Insurance policies for COVID-19 surge this monthBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterAbout 460,000 COVID-19 insurance policies were sold over the past week as people seek to protect themselves amid soaring local infections, Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) data showed. Local insurers have sold 1.65 million COVID-19 insurance policies since they were launched early last year, following a spike of 38 percent in the week ending Monday, the data showed. Although many insurers earlier this month halted sales of policies compensating quarantined people, other related insurance products were available to cover hospitalization and adverse events from vaccination. Sales of COVID-19 insurance this week totaled NT$302 million (US$10.32 million), about one- third of such policies that were sold up until Tuesday last week, data showed. The growth in compensation for vaccine insurance was slower than payouts for COVID-19 policies — local insurers compensated 150 policyholders over the week with a combined NT$5.1 million, the data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
April 22, 2022 20:29 UTC
Missile corvettes to join live-fire drills
Missile corvettes to join live-fire drills‘DEFENSE BOOST’: Five new stealth corvettes, advanced combat systems and a missile factory are among the military’s upgrades to the nation’s wartime readinessStaff Writer, with CNAThe Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) Anping-class missile corvettes are to join the navy and air force’s live-fire drills for the first time later this year to bolster combat readiness, the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday. CGA vessels are to be mainly responsible for patrols in major harbors, sending wounded personnel to hospitals and transporting supplies, the report said. The administration serves homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions in wartime. The navy last year took delivery of the first upgraded ship of the class, the Ta Chiang, which is equipped with a Sea Sword II air defense missile system developed by the institute. The Ta Chiang and the remaining five vessels being constructed by Lung Teh comprise the first installment of 11 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered by the navy.
Source:Taipei Times
April 22, 2022 06:08 UTC
Beware of Chinese distortions: ministry
Beware of Chinese distortions: ministryBy Yang Cheng-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said that Taiwanese should be wary of Chinese cognitive warfare tactics. The ministry issued the remarks following US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s call with Chinese Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和) on Wednesday. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s statement regarding the conversation distorted the US’ stance on the Taiwan Strait issue in an attempt to mislead Taiwanese, the ministry said. Photo: ReutersThe statement attempts to undermine Taiwanese confidence and US relations by means of cognitive warfare tactics, it added. “The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent country that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Chinese government, nor will the Taiwanese people bow to Beijing’s threat of force,” the ministry said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 22, 2022 03:58 UTC
Wimbledon bans Russian, Belarusian players due to war
Wimbledon bans Russian, Belarusian players due to warAFP, LONDONWimbledon has banned Russian and Belarusian players from this year’s tournament in response to the invasion of Ukraine, but ATP and WTA organizers on Wednesday branded the move “unfair” and “very disappointing.”The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which runs Wimbledon, said it was acting to “limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible.”Russian men’s world No. 4 Aryna Sabalenka — a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year — are the leading players affected by the ban. Photo: AFP“In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players,” the club said in a statement. ATP and WTA bosses said that the Wimbledon ban is discriminatory and sets a damaging precedent. “The players, the tennis players, the athletes have nothing to do with it [war].
Source:Taipei Times
April 22, 2022 00:47 UTC