Print

Mail

wiki links

Taiwan quick take

■Koala
Action died of cancer
The koala that died at the Taipei Zoo on Thursday apparently succumbed to lymphatic cancer, zoo officials reported yesterday. The officials said that Australian veterinarian Vere Nicolson, who arrived in Taiwan yesterday, made a preliminary determination of cancer as the cause of death after an autopsy. The marsupial, named Action, first showed signs of illness Nov. 26 and was diagnosed with intestinal problems. Born on Jan. 10, 1999 in Australia, Action was loaned to Taiwan Sept. 18, last year. Two other pairs of adult koalas remain at the zoo, the officials said, adding that one of the females is nursing a cub.

■ Government
Yu wants agriculture bill
A draft bill for the Agricultural Finance Law should be prepared as soon as possible by the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance, Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday. Yu said at a weekly Cabinet meeting that the draft bill should be submitted to the legislature for approval before the winter recess at the end of this month. In addition, the premier also promised that the government will try to raise the amount of the rescue fund for farmers to compensate for their losses in agricultural income due to the opening of their markets to foreign competition. As of the end of July, the government had already allocated NT$41.7 billion to the Agricultural Development Fund and the Rescue Fund. The Cabinet is expected to boost the amount to NT$100 billion. Yu also instructed the council to prepare for a national meeting on agricultural orientation and policies in February or March next year.

■ Crime
Woman killed in India
The body of a Taiwanese woman who had been strangled was found at a hotel in Udaipur in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, police in Udaipur said yesterday. Lee Ching Ya (李靜宜), 20, had been strangled with a pillow, said M.M. Aanna, the superintendent of police. No arrests have been made, but police said they were looking for a tour guide who had been staying with Lee and has since gone missing. The tour guide is from Khajuraho, a town known for ancient temple architecture in neighboring Madhya Pradesh state, and had been traveling with Lee. The pair arrived in Udaipur on Sunday. Lee was last seen Monday night at the Gangour Hotel. Two Israelis also staying at the hotel became concerned after not seeing Lee and alerted the hotel management, which found her body on Tuesday. Police said they were in touch with Taiwanese diplomats in New Delhi. Udaipur, set on lakes and streams that are a rare oasis in the desert of Rajasthan, is the site of the former princely state's largest palace.

■ Education
School seeks musicians
A two-day auction begins in Taipei today aimed at raising money and attracting students for National Singapore University's new Singapore Conservatory of Music, which is due to open in July. In a press release issued yesterday, the new school said talented Taiwanese students will be able to apply and audition for the school in Taipei. Applications can also be submitted via the Internet at http://www.scm.nus.edu.sg. The auction is being held at Forum Music (No. 4, Lane 187, Mintsu W. Road, Taipei). The new school is a joint venture the National University of Singapore and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

■ Agriculture
Chen visits milk factory
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) reiterated his commitment to take good care of the country's farmers and fishermen yesterday in the agricultural enclave of Miaoli County. Visiting a milk factory run by the Association of Farmers in Miaoli, the president said there is no question about his administration's determination to raise the living standards of farmers and fishermen. Chen reminded workers that his administration has promised to set up a NT$100 billion fund to help farmers remain competitive in the face of the nation's entry into the WTO. Under the rules, Taiwan will have to open further to foreign imports of agricultural products. Dairy farmers will be among those who bear the brunt of the market opening, but the president said they can rest assured that the government will help them to hold their own in the face of foreign competition by improving technology and marketing.

■ Diplomacy
China defends missiles
China's missile deployment targeting Taiwan is an issue of national security that deserves US understanding and support, China's ambassador to the US said on Tuesday. In a speech on Sino-US relations at the Asia Society in New York, Ambassador Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪) said Taiwan's authorities had been "most provocative" in trying to spark a confrontation with China. "It is their actions that are actually causing instability," Yang said. "I think it is something that has to be contained, not only by China, but all peace-loving people in the world." An estimated 400 missiles are deployed along China's southeastern coast targeting Taiwan. Yang said China's "necessary defense moves" were in the interest of the whole nation.
This story has been viewed 1702 times.