Simultaneously, the Asia Times reported that Washington had pressured Taiwan to cease development of a locally-based launch capability using rockets developed in Taiwan. Photo: APOfficial Washington: Taiwan! Later, after the international media storm, Zhongnanhai made great noise, summoning the US ambassador. One key aspect of the “being provoked” discourse is that it assigns reasons for China’s actions to things that Taiwan or the US does. Buying into the “being provoked” narrative makes it more difficult for the international media to present China as the aggressor state.

COVID-19: CECC reports 13 local cases, one deathSAME HOUSEHOLD: Ten of the new cases are from a family cluster in New Taipei City, while four of 10 imported cases had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19By Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 13 locally transmitted infections, 10 imported COVID-19 cases and one death. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), attends the daily CECC news conference in Taipei yesterday. Twenty-one close contacts of the pilot have tested negative, while two are awaiting test results and five are to be tested, Chen said. Meanwhile, a shipment of 30,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the Czech Republic arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon. In related news, more than 1.97 million people had added the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to their preferred vaccine brands three hours after registration opened on the national online COVID-19 vaccination system at 2pm on Saturday.

I often wear [traditional] Han-style clothing, which is why I choose heritage gold, to match my overall look,” Gao said. In anticipation of longer-term demand, gold jewelry manufacturers are stepping up investment in heritage gold. “Heritage gold sales were amazing this Lunar New Year holiday, surpassing that of conventional gold jewelry,” he said. Its share of China’s gold jewelry market is forecast to jump from less than 2 percent in 2017 to nearly one-quarter by 2024. “Gold jewelry enterprises are rapidly recognizing the importance of cultural value and are digging deep into it,” the consultancy said in a report on heritage gold in January.

Afghans tearful on Tokyo arrivalREMARKABLE: International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence said that the duo went to Tokyo to fulfil their dreams, to send out a message of hopeAFP, TOKYOAfghanistan’s two athletes made an “extremely emotional” arrival at the Tokyo Paralympic Village, Games officials said yesterday, after a top-secret flight from Paris following their evacuation from Kabul. Khudadadi and Rasouli were welcomed to the athletes’ village on Saturday night by IPC president Andrew Parsons and IPC Athletes’ Council chairperson Chelsey Gotell, as well as the Afghanistan team chef de mission Arian Sadiqi. Sprinter Rasouli was scheduled to compete in the men’s T47 100m, but arrived too late for Saturday’s heats. Their arrival comes after Afghanistan’s swift fall to the Taliban earlier this month left them among the tens of thousands trapped and unable to leave the country. The Taliban have promised a softer brand of rule than their first stint in power, but many Afghans fear a repeat of their brutal interpretation of Shariah law.

Tuchel hails draw despite red cardReuters, LIVERPOOL, EnglandChelsea manager Thomas Tuchel praised his 10-man team for their second-half rearguard action in securing a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday. “Fantastic, I saw a strong first half — a strong Liverpool side. We were very, very good — scored the first goal, had a big chance for the second goal with Mason Mount,” Tuchel said. This is what we did and then in the last second [before halftime], we concede a penalty and a red card,” he said. I was worried the referee looked at one photo and decided it was a red card,” he said.

COVID-19: Murray urges players to get vaccinatedReutersReceiving the COVID-19 vaccine is about looking out for the health of the “wider public,” Andy Murray said in an interview before the start of the US Open in New York today, adding that he hoped tennis players who were reluctant to get vaccinated would come around to seeing its many upsides. “The reason why all of us are getting vaccinated is to look out for the wider public,” Murray told reporters on Saturday. I’m hoping that more players choose to have it in the coming months.”The COVID-19 vaccine has divided opinion within tennis. Murray said that players might be persuaded when they see the freedom that vaccinated players have compared with unvaccinated competitors at tournaments such as January’s Australian Open. League-wide vaccination of players is subject to negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association.

Overlooked IPO markets are booming, as Beijing cracks down on tech firmsBloombergChina’s crackdown on technology companies is prompting global investors to look for new opportunities across Asia, contributing to a record increase in initial public offerings (IPO) from India to South Korea that shows few signs of slowing. Tech companies from those countries and Southeast Asia have raised US$8 billion from first-time share sales this year, already blowing past the previous annual peak. The result, some bankers say, might be the start of a new era for tech listings in Asia. Paytm — formally called One97 Communications Ltd — has filed for a 166 billion rupee IPO that is set to be India’s largest. The growing representation of “new-economy” companies means these markets “can no longer be ignored,” she said.

INTERVIEW: India relations developing well: expertBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporterSentiment between Taiwan and India has warmed considerably during the five years of the New Southbound Policy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is a need for deeper engagement in mid-level political and academic circles, a visiting expert on Taiwan-India relations said on Friday. Since Taipei for the first time made India a key facet of its foreign relations under the New Southbound Policy, the most significant advancement has been in external outreach, Hashmi said. “If you look at the leadership of Taiwan, you would realize that there is this warmth toward the New Southbound Policy countries, and specifically India,” she said. However, while outreach and some basic exchanges have increased, there is still a lot that could be done under the framework of the New Southbound Policy, she said. While some criticize the New Southbound Policy as being aimed against China, one of its strengths is its ability to minimize China’s specter over Taiwan’s foreign relations.

PC market to grow this year, but slowly, firm saysDEMAND REMAINS: Despite supply constraints and workers returning to the office amid rising vaccination rates, IDC forecast PC shipments could increase 14.2 percentBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterThe global PC market is forecast to grow significantly this year from last year, but at a slower pace than previously expected due to continued supply chain and logistics challenges, research firm International Data Corp (IDC) said last week. Global PC shipments are forecast to increase 14.2 percent year-on-year to 347 million units this year, due to demand from the business and education sectors, US-based research firm International Data Corp said on Tuesday last week. Photo courtesy of Acer IncThe tablet market is also expected to grow this year, but at a much slower pace of 3.4 percent, the Massachusetts-based research firm said in a report. PC shipments are expected to slow from the second half of this year to the first half of next year as work-from-home demand subsides, Yuanta said. “We forecast notebook shipments to grow 13.1 percent year-on-year to 227 million units in 2021,” Yuanta said.

Society offers tips for people who suffer migrainesBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNAPeople who get migraines should keep a record of their activities before an attack and avoid caffeine, the Taiwan Headache Society said. This is advised because each migraine episode increases the chance of migraines recurring and becoming a chronic condition, Chen said. Should a person’s migraine become resistant to oral medicine, preventive drugs that are administered via injection are an option, he said. SYMPTOMSPeople frequently confuse migraines with a severe headache or a symptom of another underlying condition, he said. Migraines are linked to depression, anxiety, insomnia and other health conditions that reduce a person’s life expectancy by four years, he added.

Tokyo Paralympics: Taiwan earn first medal at Tokyo GamesStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese table tennis player yesterday Tien Shiau-wen won the nation’s first medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games: a bronze in the women’s singles class 10 event. Tien Shiau-wen holds a table tennis paddle in a graphic celebrating her bronze medal in the women’s singles class 10 at the Tokyo Paralympics yesterday. Tien was the only one of the four Taiwanese table tennis players to reach a medal match at the Tokyo Games, after three others were eliminated on Friday. From Wednesday, she is to compete in the women’s class 9-10 team event with Lin Tzu-yu. Class 6-10 are standing classes in table tennis at the Paralympics, while class 1-5 are sitting classes for players in wheelchairs.

COVID-19: India vaccinates 10 million people in one dayAFP, NEW DELHIIndia has administered more than 10 million COVID-19 jabs in a single day for the first time, authorities said yesterday, as the South Asian giant bolsters its defenses for a predicted new surge. The Indian Ministry of Health said the 10 million landmark was passed on Friday, beating the country’s previous daily record of 9.2 million. The government has been stung by criticism after a brutal COVID-19 wave in April and May killed more than 200,000 people. Daily case numbers have started rising again above 40,000 and more than 500 deaths were reported yesterday. The 46,000 new cases reported yesterday was the highest figure in two months.

Rohit hails Pujara, but England smash India in third TestAFP, LEEDS, EnglandEngland thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs to win the third Test at Headingley yesterday with more than a day to spare. Victory saw England level the five-match series at 1-1 after India’s 151-run win in the second Test at Lord’s. India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara walks from the field after being dismissed on Day 4 of the third Test against England at Headingley in Leeds, England, yesterday. Rohit Sharma on Friday said that Pujara’s quality was “always there” after the two batsmen had frustrated England on Day 3. “Of late, the runs haven’t come, but that doesn’t mean the quality of Pujara has gone missing.

The West warns of terror threat at Kabul airportDESPERATION: The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there was an ‘ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack’ and that people should leave the airportAFP, KABULWestern nations yesterday told their citizens to immediately leave the area surrounding the Kabul airport over a terrorist threat, as thousands of people try to reach a dwindling number of evacuation flights. Photo: AFPOne reason for the hard deadline cited by Biden and his aides this week was an “acute” terrorist threat from the regional chapter of the Islamic State (IS) group. If you’re in the area of the airport, move to a safe location and await further advice,” the ministry said. However, while the Islamic State and the Taliban are Sunni Islamist militants, they are rivals and oppose each other. The Pentagon, which is managing all Kabul airport operations, has said that it needs to wind down evacuations several days before the deadline to allow time to remove its own 6,000-plus force and hundreds of US officials.

S Korea upholds sentence in death of TaiwaneseStaff writer, with CNAA South Korean court on Wednesday upheld an eight-year prison sentence handed down to a South Korean man who killed a Taiwanese student while driving under the influence of alcohol in Seoul. The ruling upheld the Seoul Central District Court’s sentence issued on April 14. Kim, who had pled guilty, requested leniency from the district court, claiming he had difficulty driving at the time because a contact lens he was wearing had slipped out of place, diminishing his vision. The court dismissed his plea and levied a heavier sentence than the six years prosecutors were seeking, adding that Kim had twice previously been found guilty of drunk driving. After Tseng’s death, her parents and a South Korean friend on Nov. 23 last year launched a petition on the Web site of the South Korean presidential office calling for the maximum sentence for vehicular homicide to be raised, to ensure the punishment would be severe enough to prevent similar tragedies.