■ WEATHER
Blue skies ahead
People in Taiwan and the islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu will see mostly sunny skies throughout the coming week, the Central Weather Bureau said in a forecast yesterday. Meteorologists at the bureau predicted stable weather with little chance of rain for the next seven days for Taiwan and the outlying islands, although northeastern, eastern and southeastern regions could see cloudy skies from Friday through Sunday. Daytime temperatures could rise to over 30oC, the bureau said, adding that because of the prevailing cool northerly wind, the difference in daytime and nighttime temperatures might be as high as eight degrees.
■ POLITICS
Wang yet to be invited
Although Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential contender Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said the party must determine its presidential ticket as soon as possible and that he would like Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to be his running mate, Wang yesterday said Ma had not invited him to be his running mate. "[Ma] never told me that he wanted me to be his running mate. I learned the news from media reports and there has been no evidence for this," Wang told the media yesterday. After Ma was nominated as KMT presidential candidate in the party's Central Standing Committee on May 2, he said he would seek to meet Wang and discuss how they can work together to secure victory in next year's presidential election.
■ NURsing
Breastfeeders' main worries
The top concern of nursing mothers is that they do not produce enough milk for their baby, said the Bureau of Health Promotion's analysis of calls received by its nursing mothers' hotline. Almost 40 percent of calls are from women who are worried that their babies are not getting enough breast milk. Other problems encountered by mothers include breast discomforts and abnormalities, how to collect milk at work and babies developing jaundice. Women who think they do not produce enough milk should carefully consider their options before turning to baby formula, said Wang Shu-fang (王淑芳), secretary-general of the Taiwan Academy of Breastfeeding. "Ninety-eight percent of women are biologically capable of producing enough milk for their babies if they adopt the right techniques," Wang said. "More common problems in milk pro-duction include posture, pumping technique and people's lack of understanding of breast-feeding women."
■ DEFENSE
And then there were three
Defense Minister Lee Jye (李傑) said yesterday that the Ministry of National Defense had altered "spiritual and behavior" guidelines that harked back to the authoritarian era. The "five convictions" that guided the members of the country's armed forces have been reduced to three. Fielding questions at the legislative Defense Committee, Lee said that of the "five convictions" -- doctrine, leadership, nation, responsibility and honor -- the notions of "doctrine" and "leadership" have been removed as times have changed. However, Lieutenant-General Chen Kuo-hsiang (陳國祥), chief of the General Political Warfare Bureau under the Ministry of National Defense, who was also present during the question-and-answer period, said the removal was still under discussion and that no conclusion had been reached.
■ TRANSPORTATION
`Small links' travel rises
Travel rates on the "small three links" between Kinmen and Matsu islands and three ports in China's Fujian Province have risen, with first-quarter figures for both passengers and voyages posting noticeable year-on-year growth, the government reported yesterday. Statistics compiled by the Cabinet-level Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics show that ferries traveling between the islands and China made 1,300 trips in the first three months of this year, up 436 from a year ago. During the same three-month period, more than 98,000 passengers -- an annual increase of 25.8 percent -- traveled between the two sides, with some 84,000 leaving Taiwan for China, budget directorate statistics show. Although only about 14,000 Chinese people entered Kinmen or Matsu in the first quarter via the "three small links," the figure nevertheless represented a year on year rise of 48 percent.
■ DIPLOMACY
Kiribati ties are solid: Tong
The Republic of Kiribati's relations with Taiwan are solid and the people of Kiribati are grateful to Taiwan for its generous aid in various fields, Kiribati President Anote Tong said on Sunday. Tong made the remarks in an interview in Washington, where he will attend the eighth Pacific Island Conference of Leaders scheduled to open yesterday. Asked if he is satisfied with the aid programs provided by the Taiwan government, Tong said Kiribati feels immense gratitude toward Taiwan. Tong said he decided to forge diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 2003 when the latter began offering aid to his country in forms such as an agricultural development program, a plan for medical and health care cooperation, and cooperative fishery ties.
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