■ POLITICS
Magong to discuss casino
A public hearing will be held on Wednesday in Magong (馬公), Penghu County, to allow supporters and opponents of a casino development plan on the archipelago to air their views. The activity was organized by the county’s Election Commission after it announced last month that a referendum on the long-discussed casino proposal would be held on Sept. 26. The referendum will ask voters whether they agree or disagree with the plan to set up an international recreation area in their county in which casinos will be allowed to operate, the commission said.
■ CHARITY
Wan Hai helps students
The Wan Hai Charity Foundation said it will cover tuition for 300 students from southern Taiwan who were affected by Typhoon Morakot last month. “The charity will provide long-term support for students who lost their parents or family members in the storm and will help them continue their education without having to worry about paying tuition,” foundation president Chen Po-ting (陳柏廷) said. The foundation, established by Wan Hai Lines, one of the nation’s biggest shipping companies, said that by offering NT$6,000 per semester to each child, it hopes to help reduce the dropout rate caused by the typhoon. Students in grades one through 12 with financial problems resulting from the loss of their parents or relatives who were the family’s main breadwinners are eligible to apply through their schools, the foundation said. A total of 300 households whose homes were completely destroyed by the typhoon will each receive NT$50,000 in reconstruction subsidies, the charity said, adding that it is planning to allocate NT$58 million (US$1.78 million) for the rehabilitation operation.
■ DIPLOMACY
Wu invited by AmCham
The Taipei-based American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) has invited former envoy to the US Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) to discuss the state and prospects of Taiwan-US relations. Wu, who is now a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations, will attend a luncheon on Wednesday hosted by AmCham’s Greater China Business Committee to re-examine the fundamentals of Taiwan-US relations from a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) perspective, AmCham said on its Web site. Noting that Beijing will remain an important variable between Taipei and Washington, AmCham said Wu would also discuss what the DPP sees as problems associated with the policies and decision-making of the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and outline where Taiwan-US relations should go from here. “The cross-strait policies of the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou seem to be more satisfactory to the US government, thus causing ties to warm, but there are also limitations as to how far relations can go,” Wu said.
■ AGRICULTURE
New type of rice developed
The Council of Agriculture’s Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station has successfully cultivated a new variety of rice — known as Taitung No. 32 — the council said in a statement on Friday. The new aquatic is a high-quality, high-yield variety and is resistant to low temperatures. As a result of its stickiness, it is good for making sticky rice dishes such as tzungtzu, rice cakes and glutinous oil rice, the station said. Tzungtzu and rice cakes are made from sticky rice, which is difficult to digest. Taitung No. 32 can be used as an alternative, as it is easier to digest and is a good choice for making sushi or rice rolls, the council said.
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