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TAIWAN QUICK TAKE

■ EARTHQUAKES

Quake shakes north

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale rattled northern Taiwan yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at 6:54am, was about 46km east of Ilan County, at a depth of 4km, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement.



■ CULTURE

Seminar highlights Bo Yang

An international symposium on the work of Taiwan's most renowned writer, Bo Yang (柏楊), will take place tomorrow and on Sunday at the National University of Tainan. Bo is a writer and historian, as well as a human-rights activist. Bo, 87, has authored more than 200 works. He was born in 1920 in China. He followed the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government to Taiwan after the Chinese civil war. Bo was later imprisoned on Green Island for nine years until 1977 over alleged criticism of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石). Bo also criticized elements of Chinese tradition and what he considered old-fashioned culture in two of his better-known books, Soy Vat Culture and Shaking the Soy Vat. The New York Times has praised him as "China's Voltaire." Late last year, the university bestowed on him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his broad achievements in literature and history, as well as his contributions to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Taiwan.



■ CULTURE

Taichung bids for award

Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said yesterday that he might fly to London next month to introduce his city to the judges who will select winners of the 2007 World Leadership Awards. More than 400 cities around the world are invited each year to compete for awards in 15 categories by submitting details on city projects related to architecture and civil engineering, culture and the arts, communication, economy and employment, education and youth development, health, transportation, urban renewal and utilities. Hu said Taichung was the first Taiwanese city nominated for the awards since they began in 2005. Taichung is competing for the arts and culture award. Taichung will be competing in that category against cities such as Lima, Peru, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Expressing pride in seeing his city nominated for an international award, Hu said that he wanted to deliver the presentation on Taichung's project himself to help his city win the best possible score.



■ CULTURE

Marionette exhibit opens

An exhibition on traditional Czech marionette theater and Bohemian culture opened on Tuesday at the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei City, organizers said yesterday. Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) presided over the opening ceremony. Also present at the opening was Czech Deputy Minister of Culture Jaromir Talir. The exhibition, which will run until Jan. 6, features an introduction to the history of marionette theater and performance venues, Wong said. She said that museum-goers would be able to appreciate the essential elements of traditional marionette theater and the background to many of the stories popularly performed in this form of puppet theater. Several marionette performances will be held during the exhibition, she said.

■ HEALTH

Troops aid dengue program

The Tainan City Government has asked for military support for its pesticide spraying program as the number of dengue fever cases in the city approaches 900. Sixty military personnel entered the city's northern district yesterday to join health officials on a two-week spraying campaign. City health officials said Tainan was in the midst of its worst ever outbreak of dengue fever, with the number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease reaching 873 since mid-June. Health officials believed that the outbreak would only ease next month when the weather turns colder. The local government first requested military assistance last month to ensure the safety of participants at a national athletics meeting.



■ CRIME

Skipper forgives hijackers

The skipper of a Taiwanese fishing boat recently hijacked by nine Filipino deckhands in waters off Mauritius in the southwestern Indian Ocean has decided not to prosecute. Fisheries Agency said the Kaohsiung-based Rueichihfa sailed into the Mauritian capital of Port Louis on Tuesday and Mauritius maritime authorities boarded the vessel and detained the nine men for questioning. Captain Huang Ruei-ying (黃瑞蔭) was reported to be safe. At a Port Louis police station, the Filipino deckhands complained they had been mistreated, but said they would forgo their wages if released and would appreciate it if the captain would buy them air tickets back to the Philippines. Huang said he forgave the mutineers even though they abducted him at knifepoint and seized control of the vessel because he did not want to see the "young men" go to jail for their impulsive act.
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