■ HEALTH
Disease incidence rises
The occurrence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes are increasing rapidly in the country, with an estimated 198,000 new cases of the three diseases emerging every year, the latest report released by the Department of Health showed. The estimates are based on the results of a follow-up survey conducted by the Bureau of Health Promotion between June 2007 and May last year among 6,600 people aged 15 and older. These people also took part in a survey carried out in 2002 to assess the prevalence of the three types of diseases. Through various tests provided for the survey, 2.75 percent of the respondents were diagnosed as new hypertension cases, 2.06 percent were found to be new cases of hyperlipidemia and 0.71 percent were new cases of diabetes. The figures translate into 490,000 new cases of hypertension, 370,000 new cases of hyperlipidemia and 130,000 new cases of diabetes in the country over the five-year period until 2007, the report said. The survey also found that the risk of hypertension patients suffering a stroke or developing kidney disease within five years is 2.8 times and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than those without the condition.
■ EMPLOYMENT
Overseas studies expanded
The government is planning to expand an overseas study program for its employees, as part of efforts to enhance the quality and international competitiveness of civil servants, Central Personnel Administration (CPA) Minister Chen Ching-hsiou (陳清秀) said yesterday. At present, 70 to 80 intermediate-level civil servants a year are sent to the UK, the US, or Singapore for short-term study programs that run from three to six months, CPA officials said. The CPA is seeking to increase the number of openings next year to more than 100, including those for long-term study programs, they said. Chen said there was once a system under which civil servants were allowed to study abroad for one to two years, but it was suspended.
■ CULTURE
Aboriginal test held
More than 1,000 Aborigines from 13 officially recognized tribes yesterday took the Aboriginal language proficiency test at 47 test centers in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Nantou, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taitung and Lanyu (蘭嶼). The Aboriginal language proficiency test is the most diverse language test in the country, as the test is offered in 42 dialects of the nation’s 14 Aboriginal languages. A total of 228 people took the test for the coastal dialect of the Amis language making the Aboriginal dialect the one with the most test takers, followed by central Amis with 160 test takers. Only 16 people each signed up to take the Saisiat and Kavalan tests, and no one signed up for the Thao test. Divided into oral and written parts, a test taker must get a minimum score of 56 in the written test and 84 in the oral test to pass the exam. Those who pass the exam are entitled to certain benefits such as getting bonus points on school entrance exams.
■ WEATHER
Storm injures three
Tropical Storm Molave moved toward Hong Kong yesterday after leaving at least three people injured in Taiwan. In Kaohsiung, a mother and her daughter riding a moped were slightly injured when a tree fell on them yesterday. Strong winds toppled a tent at the site of the canoe polo event at the World Games in Kaohsiung, injuring one staffmember. Molave was expected to make landfall in Hong Kong last night or this morning.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all