■POLITICS
DPP to participate in rally
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it would continue with a plan to hold a rally scheduled for Aug. 30 despite a suggestion by some party members that the party should not participate in light of a scandal over alleged money laundering by the former first lady. DPP Department of Culture and Information Director Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) told reporters that the decision was made during the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday. Committee members suggested the party continue with the rally to boost morale, Cheng said. The rally, which aims to protest against President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) pro-China policies, is organized by several pro-localization groups. It is scheduled to begin at 3pm on Aug. 30 and end in front of the Presidential Office. The date of the protest was chosen to coincide with the Ma administration’s 100th day in office.
■HEALTH
Enterovirus warning issued
Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) yesterday reminded county residents to be on the alert against a possible enterovirus resurgence following the start of the new school year on Sept. 1. A total of 346 serious enterovirus cases have been documented in Taiwan so far this year, including 39 cases in Kaohsiung County. Yang said that although the outbreak has been brought under control, with no new cases being reported in the county in the last six weeks, history shows that the start of the new school year often leads to a second wave of new enterovirus cases. Yang urged parents to encourage their children to frequently wash their hands to avoid infection, and to maintain a clean environment in and around their homes.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
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