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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ HEALTH

HIV blood donor infects two

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed yesterday that a HIV-positive man who gave blood infected two individuals through transfusions. It is unclear exactly when the man was infected or whether the man was aware of his HIV-positive status at the time. When he gave blood last month, routine screening revealed he was HIV positive. Blood products from the donation were then destroyed. However, after reviewing their records, the CDC found that three individuals received the man's blood when he donated in July. Of the three recipients, one died of unrelated causes while the other two have been confirmed as HIV positive. There is a gap of six to 12 weeks between when an individual first becomes infected with HIV and the time when the disease can be detected via tests, accounting for the fact that the man's HIV positive status was not caught when he gave blood in July, the CDC said.



■ POLITICS

Chen urges neutrality

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that military personnel should maintain strict political neutrality and must refrain from stumping for any candidates in the approaching elections. Chen made the remarks when he presided over a commissioning ceremony for military generals who were being promoted. He said the military serves the nation and its people and that it should remain neutral in the Jan. 12 legislative election and the March 22 presidential election. "The military should keep out of political activities and military personnel should not stump for any particular candidates," he said. The words came in the wake of an incident in which a general stumped for a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate. General Chi Lin-liang (季麟連), a strategic adviser at the Presidential Office, appeared at a rally for Lee Wen-chung (李文忠), a DPP legislative candidate. The Ministry of National Defense later recommended he should receive a major demerit as a punishment.



■ SOCIETY

Tapir makes debut at zoo

Taipei Zoo celebrated the public debut of "Molly" yesterday, the first Malaysian tapir ever born at the zoo. Molly was born on Nov. 11 after years of efforts by zoo personnel to encourage the zoo's resident Malaysian Tapirs, "Maya" and "Moka" to breed. Lin Hui-chen (林惠珍), the zoo's media coordinator, said visitors were most likely to catch a glimpse of the baby tapir on sunny afternoons. "Currently we are only allowing her out when it is sunny and the temperature is above 20oC," Lin said. "It also depends on whether or not she is in the mood to go outside." The endangered Malaysian Tapir is endemic to the tropical rainforests of southeast Asia, which means the zoo's tapir live in heated enclosures during the winter, Lin said.



■ WEATHER

Cold spell to hit tomorrow

An approaching continental polar air mass is expected to cover all of Taiwan from tomorrow through Wednesday, sending temperatures in parts of the nation down as low as 8oC, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday. Meteorologists predicted fair weather for today and tomorrow, with the exception of a slight chance of showers today. This winter's first cold continental air mass is expected to hit on Saturday and to remain stationary for five days, the CWB said. The polar air mass could cause the mercury to drop to as low as 8oC in central and northern Taiwan and to 12oC in the south and east, the CWB said.
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