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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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].

Pelosi devoted to supporting TaiwanBy Stanley Kao 高碩泰To commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and to show Washington’s staunch support for Taiwan, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi had planned to visit Taiwan on April 10, but she postponed her trip to Asia after testing positive for COVID-19. If Pelosi can still visit upon her recovery, Taiwanese would no doubt be charmed by her avid support for the nation after meeting this “feisty grandma” firsthand. While transiting through the US, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has spoken with Pelosi by telephone a number of times. When Tsai was re-elected in 2020, Pelosi took the opportunity to issue a statement congratulating Tsai on behalf of the US Congress. Confronted with the changing tides of international relations, Taiwan’s door is always open for Pelosi.

The figure beat the ministry’s estimate of US$168.9 billion to US$170.4 billion, indicating milder seasonal weakness. Photo: CNAThat was evident in continued growth in export orders from China, including Hong Kong, which rose 11.4 percent annually to US$43.76 billion, the ministry said. It expects export orders to slide 9.1 to 11.5 percent on a monthly basis to between US$55.5 billion and US$57 billion this month. “We are conservative about export orders estimates, due to rising uncertainty. During the first three months of this year, orders for electronics products — primarily semiconductors — surged 25 percent annually to US$57.77 billion, making the segment the biggest contributor to export orders, ministry data showed.

CIER upgrades yearly GDP forecast to 3.96 percentBALANCED GROWTH: The institute said achieving 4 percent GDP growth this year was difficult, but not impossible, due to monetary tightening and rising inflationBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterThe Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) yesterday raised its forecast for Taiwan’s GDP growth this year to 3.96 percent, saying that achieving 4 percent growth would be difficult amid worsening inflation, tight monetary policies and geopolitical tensions. Photo: CNAThe CIER’s latest forecast, which it based on strong growth in exports and private investment, also put the institute at odds with the IMF, which on Tuesday cut its forecast for Taiwan’s GDP growth by 0.1 percentage points to 3.2 percent. However, uncertainty persists due to the Russia-Ukraine war, worsening inflation, faster interest rate hikes globally and spreading lockdowns in China, which accounts for about 40 percent of Taiwan’s exports. Intensifying downside risks make GDP growth of 4 percent increasingly difficult, although not impossible, depending on how unfavorable factors turn out, the academic said. Taiwan’s exports and imports might expand 17.25 percent and 17.42 percent annually this year, softening from 29.34 percent and 33.32 percent last year respectively, CIER said.

They are Taipei, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung, Keelung and Taoyuan, as well as Changhua, Chiayi, Hualien, Lienchiang and Yilan counties, he said. A borough office worker in Kaohsiung’s Cianjin District delivers a COVID-19 care kit to a person in home quarantine yesterday. In urgent cases, people who cannot contact the health department first would not be fined, he said. Asked to elaborate on the warning signs of an “emergency case,” Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said that at-home care guidelines for cases were revised on Tuesday. As a specialists’ meeting was being held at the center yesterday to discuss topics including warning signs in children, the meeting’s final recommendations would also be added to the guidelines, Lo said.

New Indian ‘sex start-ups’ challenge old tabooDespite its heritage as the land of the Kama Sutra, talking about sex is often taboo in India, but a generational shift in attitudes to intimacy is proving fertile ground for start-ups helping to spice up the bedroomAFP, MUMBAIThe couple behind a new start-up using adult toys and cheeky adverts to challenge long-held taboos say they want to take the “shame, guilt and fear” out of sex in India. Investors too are betting on this untapped market in the vast country of 1.4 billion: India’s nascent sex toys sector was valued at US$91 million by TechSci Research in 2020, and predicted to grow 16 percent annually. Benefiting from capital pouring into Indian tech start-ups during the pandemic, the firm received seed funding from venture capitalist firms. “This is a situation that’s fundamentally broken,” she said, adding that Indian women often face a culture of enforced silence around sex. Requesting anonymity, one 32-year-old professional, says of the shift in attitudes: “It’s exciting that this is finally happening in India.