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Taiwan Quick Take

PHOTO: CNA

■ Society
Ma Ho-ling buried
The funeral ceremony for Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌), the father of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), was held yesterday. Ma and family members took his father's ashes to the Fu De Memorial Park after the body was cremated yesterday morning. The private funeral service, which was restricted to close family members and cost less than NT$100,000 (US$3,000) was low-key and simple. The mayor wiped away tears as his older sister read the elegy that he had written. In the elegy, Ma remembered how well his father had educated him and his siblings, and vowed to fulfill his father's dream to continue the KMT's revolutionary efforts.

■ Politics
I don't need pension: Lee
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday said he is willing to renounce his pension, after pan-blue politicians demanded he give it up because he now denies the existence of the "Republic of China." Lee was the first to renounce the right to a pension since the issue of cutting stipends for former leaders was raised. According to Lin Cho-shui (林濁水), a Democratic Progressive Party legislator who proposed the idea of cutting the pension, former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) makes about NT$240,000 (US$7,145) a month on top of NT$220,000 in bank interest given out at preferential rates to former civil servants. While Lin's proposal was backed by some pan-blue camp politicians, others said that Lee should not claim a pension either.

■ Society
Taiwanese injured in France
Three Taiwanese students were injured in an air conditioning system explosion at a school dormitory in central France, Taiwan's representative office in France said on Friday. Representative office staff said the injuries have nothing to do with ongoing riots in Parisian suburbs. The trio are among the 16 students from Tamkang University who are attending a study program at Besancon University in central France. One of the injured sustained only minor burns and another sprained his ankle when jumping out of a window. They are staying in Besancon. The third student, identified as Sung Ai-jung (宋藹蓉), sustained more serious facial burns and her respiratory system was also injured due to inhaling fumes from the fire. She has been transferred to a hospital in Lyon. Doctors said she may have to undergo surgery.

■ telecoms
Group heads to Japan
A Taiwanese delegation made up of industrial and academic representatives as well as government officials will depart for Japan today for a visit to Japanese telecom-munications enterprises and academic institutes. The delegation will be headed by Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長). The former premier also doubles as the chairman of the Association of East Asian Relations' commission in technology exchanges. The development of the telecommunications industry has been listed in the nation's 10 major national projects for 2008, with the government aiming to achieve annual output of NT$1 trillion (US$29.71 billion) by the year 2008.

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