■Diplomacy
Yu meets Singaporean envoy
Premier Yu Shyi-kun received Singapore Trade Office in Taipei Director Ker Sin Tze (柯新治) yesterday and called for the signing of a free trade agreement with the city-state. Yu also called on Singapore to help Taiwan join ASEAN and Ker agreed to convey Taipei's hope to his government. Yu attributed Taiwan's rising unemployment problem to an overall economic decline that has pushed many traditional businesses to relocate to China.The government is seeking to lower the 5.1 percent unemployment rate by providing vocational training, launching public works and increasing domestic demand in an attempt to stimulate the economy, Yu said. Ker, who recently assumed his post, said he is willing to provide Singapore's experience in fighting unemployment and expressed his hope of furthering bilateral substantive exchanges.
■ Technology
Kaohsiung tops Net survey
Kaohsiung City has the highest Internet penetration rate in the nation, at 73.1 percent, according to the results of a survey released yesterday. The survey shows that 9.53 million people in Taiwan had used Internet as of September, 53.8 percent of whom were male. While the Internet penetration rates in 12 cities and counties stood at more than 50 percent, Kaohsiung took the lead with 73.1 percent of the population having used the Internet, followed by Taipei with a ratio of 72.2 percent. A breakdown of Internet users by age shows that 34.4 percent belonged to the 15 to 24 age group, 28.1 percent to the 25 to 34 group, 28.6 percent to the 35 to 49 group, 8.4 percent to the 50 to 64 group and only 0.5 percent over 65. Among household users, 63.4 percent had broadband or ADSL facilities. Households with Internet access spent an average NT$705 per month surfing.
■ Society
Chen praises draftees
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) received a group of alternative service draftees headed overseas yesterday and encouraged them to follow in their predecessors' footsteps by making greater contributions to the international community. Describing draftees who serve overseas as Taiwan's pride, Chen said he was pleased to see that the "Taiwan spirit" is being passed on through these children of Taiwan who use their hands and know-how for devoted service in poor countries. He also presented a national flag to the group and asked them to promote the values of democracy, freedom and human rights in their host countries. "The people of Taiwan and I, myself, admire your contribution and high morals," he said. "As a member of the global village, Taiwan should play its divine role by assisting poorer countries, whether in Africa or other parts of the world."
■ Diplomacy
US soldiers get medals
Taiwan's representative office in the US presented medals to 28 retired US military servicemen on Wednesday in recognition of their direct or indirect assistance in defending Taiwan between 1950 and the 1970s. Representative Chen Chien-jen (程建人) conferred the medals on behalf of the government in a ceremony in Washington. Among those honored was retired general Alfred Gray, a former Marine Corps commander. Gray said he still remembers vividly the courage and fortitude shown by the people of Taiwan in pursuing freedom during his service in Taiwan 46 years ago. Another recipient, Lloyd Evans, said the assistance offered by the US during that period was not only useful in military terms but also helpful to Taiwan's economic and democratic development.
Agencies
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese