Taiwan Quick Take

■ SARS
Home test kit developed
Singaporean researchers have come up with one of the fastest SARS test kits in the world. Officials of the GeneLabs Diagnostics and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, which jointly developed the kit, said it is more than 99 percent accurate. Large-scale trials are being done in Hong Kong and China, they added. Using the kit to test for SARS takes less than fifteen minutes, the officials noted, adding that the kit, which costs less than US$6, tests for antibodies in people who have SARS. Compact and easy to use, Singapore's new "15-minute SARS test" works like a home pregnancy kit and no special training nor sophisticated medical equipment is required to use the test kit, an expert who joined the development of the test kit claimed. "You just prick yourself, get a drop of blood and test it yourself. You should get the results quickly," he said.

■ Weather
Typhoon forms, heat stays
A typhoon formed in waters near Guam at 2pm yesterday, moving northwest at 19kph, the Central Weather Bureau reported. The bureau said that Typhoon Maemi was located about 460km west-northwest of Guam at 2pm, or 2,260km from southern Taiwan. CWB meteorologists said that it is still too early to forecast what impact the typhoon will have on Taiwan. Meanwhile, hot weather is expected to persist throughout the nation today, with highs exceeding 34?C forecast for most parts of the island, and some thunderstorms expected for central and southern Taiwan.

■ Politics
Call Taiwan `China'
A demonstration will be staged in Taipei today to counterbalance yesterday's demonstration by supporters of the "Call Taiwan Taiwan" movement. Today's demonstration is being organized by the Alliance to Protect the Republic of China. The alliance is composed of such prestigious organizations as the Taipei-based Association of Chinese Professors and the Chinese Association of Strategy in Taipei. Organizers of the demonstration said yesterday at a press conference that some 20,000 people are expected to participate in the demonstration. The organizers criticized the "Call Taiwan Taiwan" movement, saying that "the name of our country is the Republic of China, not Taiwan." They urged all people to stand up for the name of the "Republic of China." A separate demonstration, organized by the Alliance for the Unification of China, will also take place today in Taipei. Some 10,000 people are expected to take part in that demonstration to show their opposition to the movement.

■ Aviation
Safety seminar held
A cross-strait flight safety seminar will be held in Taiwan later this month, the sponsor of the activity said yesterday. The Flight Safety Foundation of the Republic of China noted that the three previous seminars were held in Kunming, Shanghai and Beijing. This will be the first time that the seminar will be held in Taiwan. Foundation officials said that the seminar is strictly a discussion on technical issues and that Taiwan airlines had in the past sent their pilots to take part in the meeting. This year, China will send 15 delegates, including the ranking officials of the airlines and the representatives of aviation schools, to take part in the seminar Sept. 22 to Sept 24. Originally, the issue of airport safety assessment was on the agenda, but it was removed because the Mainland Affairs Council said it believed it would not be appropriate.