■ POLITICS
Hu denies rumors
Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said yesterday that he will not seek medical attention in China during his visit there to attend an Asia-Pacific regional cities summit. It had been rumored that Hu, who suffered a minor stroke several years ago, would take advantage of his visit to China next week to see a doctor. Hu said that if people are suspicious about his trip, they are welcome to join him, as he will keep an open and transparent itinerary. The Taichung mayor, who visited Beijing June 8 to 10 this year to attend a city and local government conference, is scheduled to depart Taiwan Oct. 10 to attend the Asia-Pacific Cities Summit slated for Oct. 11 to 14 in Chongqing, Sichuan Province.
■ POLITICS
Hsieh backs Yao
Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday showed his support for Government Information Office Minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) when Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) criticized Yao and asked Hsieh to remove him from his post. At the legislature yesterday, Wang questioned Hsieh for doing nothing to discipline Yao, after Yao was accused of slacking in his duties during President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent diplomatic trip. Media reported that Yao went drinking with a stewardess all night, leaving him sleepy and hard to understand the next day. "If he does anything wrong, we will definitely find out where the problem is, and ask him to fix it. I do not think that a new replacement will solve anything," Hsieh said.
■ SOCIETY
Soiree to be held
The Double Ten National Day soiree will be held in the Changhua County gym this year, from 7pm to 9pm. This is the first time ever that the event will be held outside of Taipei. The soiree was organized by the Double Tenth Day Preparatory Committee and the Changhua County Government. According to deputy director-general of Changhua's Tourism Bureau Lee Yueh-hsun (李岳勳), Changhua was chosen to hold the event due to it geographical placement -- right in the middle of Taiwan. In addition, the culture and old historical sites are also specialties of Changhua, Lee said. The soiree will be combined with the "lighting of the Buddha" ceremony, a famous tradition in Changhua. The MC for the event will be Hsieh Li-chin (謝麗金), while other artists are also due to perform.
■ SOCIETY
Group wants funds for arms
A civic group announced yesterday that it will launch a fundraising drive in which it hopes to persuade 1 million people to each donate NT$100 (US$3) to help pay for the nation's arms purchases from the US. Northern Taiwan Society executives made the announcement after the special arms procurement package was blocked for the 31st time in the Legislative Yuan this week, because of obstruction by the pan-blue alliance. The executives claim that the drive will "help fund" the arms purchases, cement national defense and highlight the Taiwanese people's determination to defend the country. Northern Taiwan Society president Wu Shu-ming (吳樹民) criticized the pan-blue camp for boycotting the arms procurement package, saying that "their deliberate obstruction will bring downfall to the nation."
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