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Taiwan Quick Take

■ HEALTH
Lens solution to be pulled
The Department of Health has warned the public to stop using a contact lens solution made by Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) immediately. The Complete MoisturePlus Multipurpose Solution made by AMO has been linked in the US with serious eye infections caused by the water-borne organism acanthamoeba. The infection can lead to the partial loss of vision or even blindness. There have been no reported cases of Acanthamoeba infections linked to the product in Taiwan yet, the department said, but users are advised to throw away the solution and visit their doctor if they notice symptoms such as redness, pain, teariness and sensitivity to light. AMO has agreed to a voluntary recall of the solution.

■ CRIME
`Drug dealers' arrested
Police in Kaohsiung said yesterday they had arrested 17 suspected drug dealers, six of whom are soldiers. The police officers said they also seized a small amount of ecstasy and ketamine from two of the suspects. One of the soldiers, surnamed Hung, who is expected to be given a dishonorable discharge from the army soon, is suspected of selling drugs in his barracks and while on leave, authorities said. The arrests came after three months of ongoing investigations, police said, adding that authorities would be continuing their investigation.

■ CRIME
Car theft solved
Two police officers solved a car theft case by chance yesterday when they stopped to help a broken down car on the side of the road in Taoyuan County. While on duty in Pateh, two officers spotted two men working on a sedan that had apparently broken down in an empty lot. The officers stopped to offer assistance and ran the car's license plate number through their computer, only to find that the car had been stolen. The two suspected thieves were taken into custody on the spot and the stolen vehicle was recovered, the police said.

■ EARTHQUAKE
Quake strikes south
A moderate earthquake struck the south at around noon yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Central Weather Bureau said that the epicenter of the magnitude 4.9 earthquake was located 17.2km west of Hengchun Seismological Station in Pingtung County at a depth of 58.7km. The tremor could be felt in the cities of Pingtung and Kaohsiung, as well as on Little Liuchiou, an islet off Pingtung.

■ SOCIETY
`Life warriors' visit Kinmen
A dozen "life warriors" who have been awarded the "Global Love for Life" award over the past several years for their perseverance in overcoming life's challenges planted seedlings on Taiwan's the island of Kinmen yesterday as a gesture symbolizing sowing seeds of hope for the world. Among the "life warriors" was Haregewoin Teferra, known as "Africa's Mother Theresa" for her compassionate devotion to the poor and needy in Africa, who was one of the 10 recipients of this year's "Global Love for Life" award. Other "life warriors" who have received the award over the past several years and who joined the tour to Kinmen included a 110-year-old woman from Singapore and the "Wheelchair Phoenix" from China.

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