The Liberty Times Editorial: Passive Taiwan stance risky for USOn Aug. 5, the US Department of State approved the sale of US$750 million in weapons and equipment to Taiwan, including 40 155mm Paladin M109A6 self-propelled howitzers. In April, Biden sent an unofficial delegation to Taiwan, led by his close friend, former US senator Chris Dodd. At the same time that the Dodd delegation was visiting Taiwan, Washington was engaging with Beijing. The Biden administration seeks to reinforce interactions with democratic nations around the world and has emphasized the importance of mutual alliances, while also trying to maintain a balance. Taiwan’s security interests must not be affected by a US-China conflict.

COVID-19: Vaccines free of pig cells, CECC saysTOO EARLY: The health minister said that a COVID-19 vaccination passport would not be introduced yet, because the nation’s vaccination rate is not high enoughBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNone of the COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency use authorization in Taiwan contain pig cells, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported four local and 14 imported COVID-19 cases, and zero deaths. “The COVID-19 vaccines being administered now and those that are about to be imported into Taiwan, including the AstraZeneca, Moderna, Medigen and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, all do not contain cells from pigs,” he said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, reports four new local COVID-19 cases yesterday. On Monday, 49,152 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered, bringing the nation’s vaccination coverage to 39.21 percent, he said. Taipei and New Taipei City each reported two of the local cases, Chen said.

TPP urges president to fulfill campaign pledge for youthBy Wu Su-wei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers yesterday called on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to fulfill her campaign pledge of giving young Taiwanese hope for a better future. TPP Legislator Andy Chiu (邱臣遠) said that none of Tsai’s campaign promises for young people, such as education, housing, employment and entrepreneurship support, have been realized. From 2016 to this year, the Youth Development Administration’s budget allocated NT$21.6 per young person per year on average, Chiu said. Taiwan People’s Party legislators Tsai Pi-ru, left, and Andy Chiu hold placards during a news conference at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, demanding that the government do more for young people. TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said that salaries are not keeping up with the housing market and people are unable to sustain mortgage payments or save money.

US soccer great Lloyd announces retirementReutersTwo-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, one of the greatest female soccer players ever to grace the game, has announced her retirement, US Soccer said on Monday. The 39-year-old Lloyd, who was twice named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world soccer history (312) during a career that has also included two Olympic gold medals. “When I first started out with the national team in 2005, my two main goals were to be the most complete soccer player I could be and to help the team win championships,” Lloyd said. Photo: AFP“Every single day I stepped out onto the field, I played as if it was my last game,” Lloyd said. Lloyd is also to play the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League 2021-2022 season with the NJ/NY Gotham club before calling time on her professional club career, which has spanned 12 years and six teams.

Astros settle with girl hurt by foul ballAP, HOUSTON, TexasThe Houston Astros have agreed to a settlement with the family of a two-year-old girl struck by a foul ball during a 2019 Astros game at Minute Maid Park, the family’s attorney said on Monday. Attorney Richard Mithoff said that the settlement terms with parents Jonathan David Scott and Alexandra Colchado were confidential. The girl, who is now four years old, sustained a skull fracture and brain injury, and has been on anti-seizure medication since the incident, Mithoff said. Her prognosis has been difficult to define, but her parents are hopeful about her chances for a normal life, he said. The girl’s injury was among the foul ball incidents that prompted all Major League Baseball teams to extend protective netting farther down the foul lines to protect fans.

Oil industry sues in the US over pause of drilling auctionsReutersMajor US oil industry groups on Monday sued the administration of US President Joe Biden for halting drilling auctions on federal lands and waters this year, arguing that the government is required by law to hold regular sales. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and 11 other groups filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana. His administration in January paused drilling auctions pending a review of the program. Since then, the administration has been sued by oil-producing states and industry groups who say the pause is costing them jobs and revenue. At the time, Biden administration officials said that they would comply with the ruling, but have not moved to resume auctions.

COVID-19: Ministry proposes virus guidelines for school openingBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterSchool faculty and staff members would need to have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before or provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken up to three days prior to be allowed entry when classes resume next month, guidelines proposed by the Ministry of Education showed yesterday. The proposed guidelines on the prevention of COVID-19 on school campuses drafted by the ministry would cover kindergartens to high schools. Ministry of Education announced guidelines on the prevention of COVID-19 when schools re-open next month, including how to handle large gatherings, on-campus dining and other activities. Students and teachers should have their temperatures taken upon arrival at school, as well as before afternoon classes begin, the guidelines show. That would include dividers for dining areas, rapid test kits and backup supplies of masks, he added.

Team develops drug that could boost tumor treatmentStaff writer, with CNAA Taiwanese research team has developed a drug that shows promise for boosting immunotherapy in the treatment of malignant tumors, it said on Monday. In animal trails, the drug helped boost immunotherapy efficacy by 30 to 40 percent in the treatment of tumors, said research team leader Alan Lee (李岳倫), of the National Institute of Cancer Research. While the drug VEGF121-VEGF165 proved effective against tissue tumors in animal trails, it was not tested for use in the treatment of blood cancer, Lee told a news conference. With VEGF121-VEGF165, the research team has developed a fusion protein drug that can breach the “Captain America” shield and enter the tumor’s microenvironment, thus enhancing immunotherapy to fight the cancer cells, he said. VEGF is an abbreviation for vascular endothelial growth factor, a signaling protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels.

Taiwan Cooperative posts record profitGROWTH RETURNING: Taiwan Cooperative Financial president Chen Mei-tsu said that operating conditions look bright ahead as major countries lift border controlsBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co (合庫金控) yesterday posted record profit of NT$10.2 billion (US$365 million) for the first half of this year, up 26.67 percent from a year earlier, thanks to improved interest income and contributions from overseas operations. The impressive showing translated into earnings per share of NT$0.73, with banking arm Taiwan Cooperative Bank (合庫銀行) generating 83.19 percent, despite COVID-19 restrictions, Taiwan Cooperative Financial president Chen Mei-tsu (陳美足) said. Vehicles drive past a Taiwan Cooperative Bank branch in Taipei on Feb. 12, 2019. Taiwan Cooperative Bank plans to create a private banking division next quarter to bolster relations with the nation’s ultra-wealthy customers and increase wealth management business, Chen said. It is optimistic about Taiwanese companies that have benefited from a realignment in the global electronics supply chain and a contactless economy boom, Taiwan Cooperative Financial said.

Haiti earthquake aid remains a priority for emotional OsakaAFP, CINCINNATI, OhioNaomi Osaka on Monday pledged to give more than just this week’s Cincinnati Masters prize money in aid of earthquake victims in her father’s native Haiti. The natural disaster, which has claimed more than 1,400 victims, prompted an immediate response from world No. Photo: AFPThe Japanese-Haitian player called the disaster “really scary.”“I see there was damage near my parent’s former school,” she added. Osaka was holding her first traditional news conference since May in Rome. After her first-round win, she answered a few questions on court, but a day later quit the tournament before the second round.

Macronix says demand surprisingly strongBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterMacronix International Co (旺宏), the world’s biggest supplier of NOR flash memory chips, yesterday said that demand is surprisingly strong through next year, with some customers even seeking year-long contracts, as it rejected Morgan Stanley’s bearish view on memory stocks. Macronix International Co chairman Miin Wu is pictured at the company’s headquarters in Hsinchu on June 18, 2019. The outlook for NOR flash memory chips remains strong in the second half of the year, Wu said. Automakers are likely to face a new headache with shortages of flash memory chips, he said. Macronix shareholders yesterday approved a cash dividend distribution of NT$1.2 per common share.

BHP to merge oil operations with WoodsidePOTASH SHIFT: The company said potash operations would give it increased leverage to key global mega-trends, including diets and environmental stewardshipBloombergBHP Group is to merge its oil and gas operations with Woodside Petroleum Ltd as the biggest miner positions itself for a global shift away from fossil fuels and prepares to plow US$5.7 billion into a massive new fertilizer mine in Canada. After the deal, BHP shareholders are to own about 48 percent of Woodside, the miner said in a statement yesterday. A BHP logo is displayed at a meeting in Tokyo on June 5, 2017. “Potash provides BHP with increased leverage to key global mega-trends, including rising population, changing diets, decarbonization and improving environmental stewardship,” the company said. It is also expanding existing nickel operations in Australia and building a stake in a copper company in Ecuador.

Billions spent on Afghan army benefit the TalibanAP, WASHINGTONBuilt and trained at a two-decade cost of US$83 billion, Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely — in some cases without a shot fired — that the ultimate beneficiary of the US investment turned out to be the Taliban. The Taliban captured an array of modern military equipment when they overran Afghan forces who failed to defend district centers. Photo: APThe US failure to produce a sustainable Afghan army and police force, and the reasons for their collapse, will be studied for years by military analysts. He added, presciently: “Slow decay is inevitable, and state failure is a matter of time.”Some elements of the Afghan army did fight hard, including commandos whose heroic efforts are yet to be fully documented. The Afghan force-building exercise was so completely dependent on US largesse that the Pentagon even paid the Afghan troops’ salaries.

India’s belated ‘Independence Day win’ stunsAFP, LONDONIndia captain Virat Kohli promised there would no let-up from his side following an impressive 151-run win over England in the second Test at Lord’s on Monday, which he labeled a “day late” Independence Day celebration. India’s Jasprit Bumrah is hit on the helmet by a ball bowled by England’s James Anderson in the fifth day of the second Test at Lord’s in London on Monday. Photo: APVictory, which left Kohli’s men 1-0 up in this five-match series, came just a day after India’s Independence Day on Aug. 15 and the tourists enjoyed plenty of vocal support at Lord’s. “It’s a day late celebration for Independence Day.”“It’s the best feeling we can give the Indians here and back in India,” he added. India’s Virat Kohli celebrates taking a catch to dismiss England’s Moeen Ali in the second Test at Lord’s in London on Monday.

China tech stocks fall as rules revealed‘SELL IT FIRST’: A Zhongtai Financial analyst said that investors are concerned that regulatory reform is far from over and that policies will continue to be introducedBloombergA wave of selling in China’s bellwether technology stocks continued for a fifth day, following Beijing’s latest moves to tighten its grip on the nation’s Internet giants. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped as much as 3.7 percent after the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation issued draft rules banning unfair competition among the nation’s online platform operators. Photo: BloombergLosses accelerated in afternoon trade as China issued separate rules to protect key network facilities and information systems, effective next month. Investors in mainland China dumped another HK$4.1 billion (US$532 million) of Hong Kong stocks, the fourth consecutive day of net selling of the territory’s shares, data compiled by Bloomberg showed. China’s uncertain regulatory environment continues to cast a shadow on the tech sector.