■ April Fool's Day
Presidential Office targeted
Computer hackers in this country compromised the Web site of the Presidential Office to announce on behalf of the president that April Fools' Day would be a national holiday, local television said yesterday. The Web site of the office of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was found flashing the abrupt announcement late Friday, just several days ahead of April Fools' Day, a cable news channel said. The Presidential Office later said computer experts were ordered to fortify the firewall and set up other protection measures to prevent the Web site from being hacked into again.
■ Drought
Water levels rise 23cm
Recent rains have bought residents of northern Taiwan a reprieve from further water rationing measures, but just barely. Statistics released yesterday by the Feitsui Reservoir Administration showed that the water level of the reservoir -- the main provider for the greater Taipei area -- rose to 141.36m as of 1pm, from 141.13m at 7pm Friday after it had rained nearly 30mm -- the most in recent days -- near its water catchment area. Reservoir Admin-istration Director Kang Shih-fang (康世芳) said the rainfall is expected to help the reservoir take in some 5.4 million tonnes of water, about two-day's consumption for Taipei residents. Kang said the rainfall may postpone a second phase of water conservation measures.
■ Internet
Group seeks ratings system
A group of activists issued a joint statement yesterday calling for the development of a classification system for Web sites on the Internet. The group -- made up of the country's 12 Internet service providers, the private Taiwan Internet Association and officials from the Government Information Office, Ministry of Transportation and Communications and Ministry of Education -- said it will press for a classification system to prevent minors from being exposed to improper sites. Noting that pornographic Web sites attract many hits from teenaged boys and that 32 percent of the country's teenagers said they would like to know what Web sites are suitable for them, Cheng Chia-jun, president of the Taiwan Internet Association, said it is time to develop a classifi-cation system.
■ Recognition
Chapter changes name
Members of the Taiwan chapter of Kiwanis International yesterday passed a resolution to change the chapter's name from "Kiwanis International of Republic of China" to "Kiwanis International of Taiwan District." "Members of the Taiwan chapter agreed to settle for the name because it suggests no downgrading of Taiwan's status," said chapter spokesman Lin Hsuan-hung (林宣宏). Due to pressure from Beijing, Kiwanis International headquarters last December asked the Taiwan chapter to change its name, Lin said. Saying that if the chapter refused to have its name changed, headquarters would change the chapter's name on its own to "China Taipei" or "China Taiwan," Lin said that the chapter did not wish to repeat the experience of the Taiwan chapter of Lions Clubs International. "After all, the term `Taiwan' is better known to the international community than ROC, which is often confused with China," Lin said. The Taiwan chapter of the Lions Clubs International suffered a blow last April when its Chicago-based headquarters, due to pressure from Beijing, decided to change the chapter's name from "ROC Lions Club" to "China Taiwan Lions Club."
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