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Taiwain News Quick Take

■NATURE

Pigeon follows teacher

A teacher has been followed every day by a pigeon that she rescued six months ago, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) reported yesterday. Pan Hsueh-hua (潘雪華), dean of the Chutian Primary School in Pingtung County, took home and cared for an injured pigeon she found on her school campus six months ago. Thinking the pigeon had an owner, Pan released the bird a week later. But a few weeks after that, the pigeon flew back to Pan’s home and made itself a nest in the garage, the Liberty Times reported. Ever since, the pigeon has followed Pan on her daily drive to school and her drive home, a distance of 6km. When Pan is at home, the pigeon follows her around. Pan said she is touched by the pigeon’s friendliness, but says she will let things take their own course. “If the pigeon wants to fly away, I won’t stop it,” she was quoted as saying.



■JUSTICE

Prosecutor indicted

Taipei prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a former colleague they indicted on Thursday for allegedly taking bribes totaling NT$6.2 million (US$204,620) in 2002 and 2003 while investigating two criminal cases. If the Taipei District Court hands down a life sentence as requested, it will be the harshest punishment for an offense by a prosecutor in the country’s judicial history. The indictment said Ko Chin-chu (柯金柱), 60, is accused of receiving NT$5.5 million in 2002 from Hong-En Hospital through a lawyer friend while he was investigating the hospital’s involvement in health insurance fraud. The hospital allegedly paid the bribe in return for his promise not to prosecute its executives. In 2003, Ko is accused of again working with his lawyer friend, Lu Ching-nan (盧慶南), to solicit NT$700,000 from Chung Hua Hospital while investigating allegations that questioned the legality of the hospital’s operations, in exchange for a promise that none of the defendants would be indicted.



■HEALTH

Students catch measles

The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday a cluster infection of German measles among Chinese-Malaysian students studying at a central Taiwan university. Chou Chih-hao (周志浩), deputy director of the DOH’s Centers for Disease Control, said that seven students were confirmed to have contracted German measles. Chou said the matter first came to light when two male Chinese-Malaysian students at the university sought treatment at the same clinic on April 3 and April 4, respectively, after developing a cough, runny nose and rash. As the two students were from abroad and had similar symptoms, the doctors treating them alerted the DOH on April 6. One Taiwanese student has also come down with the illness. The DOH suspects that the cluster infection originated overseas.



■TRANSPORTATION

No turning back

Freeway authorities warned motorists they will face a steep fine if they back up in the electronic toll collection (ETC) lane after discovering they have driven to the wrong toll booth. Motorists not equipped to use the ETC toll lane will be fined NT$3,000 to NT$6,000 (US$99 to US$198) if they drive through the toll booth and then back up, hoping to correct their mistake, or if they change lanes as they approach the automatic toll booth, the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau said in a statement on Friday. Under the statute governing road traffic, drivers are fined NT$600 to NT$1,200 if they mistakenly drive through an ETC toll booth but then continue on their way.


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