COVID-19: Military conscripts to be tested for COVID-19Staff writer, with CNAMilitary conscripts are to be tested for COVID-19 before reporting for duty, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Thursday. Men in Taiwan over the age of 18 must undergo four months of mandatory military training. No new conscripts have reported for duty since June, after Taiwan experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 in May. To prevent COVID-19 transmission, new conscripts are to take an antibody test within three days before reporting fof duty, Chen said. Substitute service conscripts would be given COVID-19 tests after arriving at Taichung’s Chenggong Ling (成功嶺) military training camp, he said.

The delivery of 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Taiwan yesterday morning, making Poland Taiwan’s third-largest vaccine donor, after Japan and the US. “Thank you” and Poland’s national flag light up the Taipei 101 building last night to express Taiwan’s appreciation to Poland for its donation of 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. “Thank you to Poland for providing Taiwan with 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Poland’s expression of warmth to Taiwan, which is in need of vaccines, demonstrates a “virtuous cycle,” Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said, as he voiced his thanks to Poland. The arrest and prosecution of a senior Huawei employee allegedly involved in spying in Poland has also triggered controversy, he said.

Gasoline prices to increase by NT$0.2By Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterCPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) yesterday announced that they would raise gasoline prices by NT$0.2 per liter, but lower diesel prices by NT$0.1 per liter, effective today. Both firms last week raised gasoline prices by NT$0.4 per liter and diesel prices by NT$0.1 per liter. After this week’s adjustment, gasoline prices at CPC stations would be NT$28.2, NT$29.7 and NT$31.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, while the price of premium diesel would fall to NT$25.5 per liter, the company said. Prices at Formosa’s stations would climb to NT$28.2, NT$29.6 and NT$31.7 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, while the price of premium diesel would drop to NT$25.3 per liter. CPC said in a statement that based on its floating oil price formula, the cost of crude oil last week increased 1.49 percent from a week earlier.

The center placed hundreds of people under quarantine following breakthrough COVID-19 infections involving three EVA Airways pilots. They were all asked to take disease prevention buses to quarantine facilities arranged by the government. Quarantine facilities were also not thoroughly cleaned when they checked in, they said. Rather than N95 masks, passengers should be required to wear surgical masks, the groups said. All passengers should have their blood oxygen levels and temperatures measured before embarking on bus trips to quarantine facilities, the groups said, adding that ambulances should stand by in case of emergencies.

Shipping rates send Wisdom profit up 880%By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterWisdom Marine Lines Co (慧洋海運), the nation’s largest dry bulk shipper, on Friday reported a pretax profit of NT$688 million (US$24.83 million) for last month, up 880 percent from a year earlier on the back of rising freight rates, the company said. Although July and August are usually a low season for bulk shipping, freight rates continued rising throughout this summer, the shipper said in a statement. The average rates have risen 37 percent and 48 percent in the respective quarters, Wisdom added. In June, Wisdom had said that it expects increases of 22 percent and 32 percent in the respective quarters. For the whole of this year, Wisdom forecast that the average rates for its 69 vessels with new contracts would improve by 71 percent, boosting its revenue by 20 percent.

COVID-19: Shower restrictions to easeBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterShower facilities at indoor sports venues can reopen to the public under certain conditions, the Sports Administration said last week. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) approved the administration’s proposal to ease disease prevention measures at sports venues, as there have been few COVID-19 cases since a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert was lowered to level 2 in July. To reopen shower facilities, sports venue management must ensure that users can use a single entrance and exit, the agency said. Schools can teach individual sports that do not require physical contact, such as billiards, badminton, tennis and gymnastics, the agency said. If lessons include students playing basketball, soccer, volleyball or other sports, they should avoid contact, it added.

Cabinet approves removal of ‘whorehouse’ from actBy Lee Hsin-fang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan on Thursday approved a Ministry of Justice proposal to change the word “whorehouse” to “locations for sexual services” in Article 9 of the Enforcement Act of the Criminal Code of the Republic of China (中華民國刑法施行法). The proposed amendment assists in reducing discrimination against women and upholds the spirit of CEDAW, the Executive Yuan said. The word “whorehouse” has mostly faded from legal documentation in Taiwan. For example, Nantou County’s last legal location for sexual services received its permit to operate in March 1960. The term “whorehouse” officially vanished from legal documentation in Nantou after the county government on Jan. 8, 2014, abolished the Nantou County Regulations on Prostitute Management and Autonomy (南投縣娼妓管理自治條例).

The San Francisco Giants’ Darin Ruf, right, is forced out at home by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith during their MLB game in San Francisco on Friday. Photo: AFPWith fans chanting “Safe, safe” and players on both sides watching and waiting, the safe call was confirmed. Chris Taylor of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI single scoring Justin Turner against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday. Anthony DeSclafani of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Friday. Corey Knebel was called into action to replace Price as Los Angeles made it a bullpen game — and was it ever.

EVA Airways fires pilot, citing breached curbsBy Cheng Wei-chi / Staff reporterEVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) yesterday fired a pilot after he was found to have contravened COVID-19 quarantine rules before testing positive for the virus. The pilot and his teenage son, as well as two other EVA Airways pilots, were on Thursday listed as cluster infections by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC). EVA Airways pilots pass through a disinfection booth at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Preliminary contact tracing results showed that one of the pilots apparently contravened several quarantine rules after he returned from Chicago, the airline said. EVA Airways said it would ask all of its about 1,500 pilots to undergo polymerase chain reaction tests for COVID-19.

Taiwanese students joint first at Earth science competitionStaff writer, with CNAA team of Taiwanese students shared first place with Australia at the International Earth Science Olympiad, after winning four gold medals and one silver medal, the Ministry of Education said on Tuesday. The team also won a silver medal in the National Team Field Investigation event at the science competition attended by 199 students from 33 countries, it added. Lee, from the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, showed during practice for the competition that he has a proficiency in fundamental sciences and a desire for advanced research work, it said. The ministry praised Chen Tse-yu of Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School for his interest in different areas of science and desire for a career in science and writing. The 14th edition of the annual competition tested the abilities of secondary school students in disciplines such as geology, meteorology, environmental science and terrestrial astronomy.

Jim Downing, hero to remember for motorsportsAP, ATLANTA, GeorgiaThere are sports heroes in the US whose names roll off the tongue, such as Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady, then there are those who are not quite as obvious, despite their enormous impact. That is where to find Jim Downing, the man who helped save auto racing. A Head And Neck Support device is displayed at the race shop of inventor Jim Downing in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday. HANS creator Jim Downing poses with the support device at his race shop in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday. Before Downing and Hubbard figured out a way to reduce the body count, auto racing’s very existence was being questioned.

UEFA has ‘grave concerns’ over FIFA’s Cup plansAPUEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has “grave concerns” about FIFA’s plans to stage World Cups every two years and is astonished by the lack of consultation by Gianni Infantino’s governing body, correspondence obtained reporters showed on Friday. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, center, and other soccer officials watch a FIFA World Beach Soccer Championship match in Moscow on Sunday last week. Photo: AP“UEFA and its national associations also have serious reservations and grave concerns surrounding reports of FIFA’s plans,” Ceferin wrote to Evain in the letter. Photo: EPA-EFEWhile FIFA says it is in a consultation phase still, Infantino has been deploying Arsene Wenger to push the case. While Arsenal manager, Wenger complained about the African Cup of Nations being held every two years — especially as it disrupted the European season.

“Tech has become bullet-proof,” Boston Partners global market research director Mike Mullaney said. Among the biggest decliners on the S&P 500 were cruise ship operators, whose businesses are highly susceptible to consumer sentiment around travel and COVID-19. The S&P 500 on Friday lost 1.52 points, or 0.03 percent, to 4,535.43 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 74.73 points, or 0.21 percent, to 35,369.09. For the week, the S&P rose 0.6 percent, the Dow dipped 0.2 percent and the NASDAQ added 1.6 percent. The S&P 500 posted 50 new 52-week highs and one new low; the NASDAQ Composite recorded 123 new highs and 21 new lows.

Aspirant KMT chairs share policiesBy Shih Hsiao-kuang, Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe four candidates vying for the position of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson yesterday took part in a televised policy presentation appealing for party members’ support. The KMT needs to “walk the walk” and provide more opportunities for young people, he said. The party culture of older members lecturing younger members needs to change, or else young people would find it difficult to accept the KMT, Chiang said. Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) accused Chu and Chiang of making empty promises and not offering anything tangible. The KMT chairperson election is scheduled for Sept. 25, after being postponed from July 24 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19: Poland to donate 400,000 vaccine doses, MOFA saysMORE INCOMING: A second shipment of the BioNTech vaccine is to arrive on Wednesday, but it was uncertain how many doses would be included, an official saidStaff writer, with CNAPoland is to donate 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Taiwanese media reports said the vaccine doses are scheduled to arrive at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 am today, citing airport personnel. A healthcare worker administers a COVID-19 vaccine at Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital in Taipei’s Shilin District yesterday. Meanwhile, a second shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is to arrive on Wednesday, a Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport official familiar with the matter said yesterday. Chen earlier this week said that more of the vaccine would likely be delivered within one or two weeks.