■ Health
Students at risk of suicide
Ten percent of Taiwanese university students have attempted suicide due to pressure in life and in school, a survey showed yesterday. According to the poll of 3,594 university students by the Taiwan Association of Clinical Psychiatrists, 367 students -- or 10.21 percent -- have attempted suicide in the past year. Among medical students the number of attempted suicides over the past year was around 14 percent, compared with 7.7 percent among students in engineering. The poll showed that 5.33 per cent of those questioned suffer from severe depression. They tend to be cynical, have a low opinion of themselves and have problems with interpersonal relationships. Taiwan has one of the highest suicides rates in Asia. Last year 3,468 Taiwanese killed themselves, averaging about 10 suicides per day, at a rate of 15.31 suicides per every 100,000 people.
■ Society
Folk fest features robots
Several robots are being displayed at a special pavilion at the ongoing 2005 Ilan Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival, organizers said Saturday. Robots that can do push-ups, sommersaults, or even hip-hop dances are just some of the interesting things that await visitors to the pavilion. To give visitors a better understanding of robots, the pavilion has been divided into many educational sections dedicated to introducing facts regarding robots and the way robots are made, the organizers said. The festival is set to run through Aug. 14.
■ Biology
People want to make love
As Lover's Day approaches next week, a survey released yesterrday said that most young lovers in Taiwan would -- unsurprisingly -- like to celebrate the day by making love. In an online poll, the Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) asked young people what they most wanted to do on Lovers' Day, which falls on Aug. 11 this year. The poll gave four choices: a romantic dinner, a walk, making love, or all three. Among the 504 respondents, 7 percent wanted a romantic dinner with their lovers, 15 percent opted for a walk, 44 percent wanted to make love and 33 per cent wanted to do all three.
■ Diplomacy
Pacheco to visit
Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, at the head of a 14-member delegation, is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Aug. 12 for a six-day state visit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). At the invitation of the ROC government, Pacheco will attend the inauguration of the Democratic Pacific Union initiated by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), and sign a joint comunique with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Pacheco first visited Taiwan in October 2002 to participate in the ROC's national day celebrations in his capacity as the Costa Rican president. He visited again in August 2003 to attend the summit of heads of state of the ROC and its Central American allies. Pacheco's August visit will be his third to Taiwan, which reflects the cordial relations between the two countries, a MOFA official said. Pacheco's delegation will include Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade Manual Gonzalez and several members of the Legislative Assembly.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
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