■ENERGY
VP touts nuclear power
Taiwan should develop nuclear-related industries and work with China to form a joint venture with international suppliers of nuclear power, Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said yesterday. Siew said many countries have listed low-cost nuclear energy as an important option to lower greenhouse emissions. Siew was addressing a symposium on promoting the development of local nuclear industries. Citing World Nuclear Association statistics, Siew said 52 nuclear power plants were under construction worldwide and 295 more being planned. China plans to build 141 nuclear plants by 2030, while India and Russia each planned to build another 40 to 50.
■HEALTH
First in vitro baby prospers
The nation’s first baby born through in vitro fertilization has grown into a handsome man who, at 24, is now studying biomedicine at a graduate institute at National Taiwan University, medical sources said. The baby was born in 1985 at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, seven years after the world’s first in vitro baby was delivered in the UK. “Although Japan cultivated Asia’s first in vitro baby, the infant died slightly more than a year later,” said Chang Sheng-ping (張昇平), head of reproductive endocrinology at the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Chang played a leading role in the experimental research project that led to the baby’s birth, and under his leadership, the hospital has so far successfully created more than 5,000 in vitro babies. The first in vitro baby, also surnamed Chang (張), has honored Chang Sheng-ping as his godfather since his birth. Though Chang’s mother has never hesitated to tell her child that he was born through in vitro fertilization, she did not want to see her child become the focus of media attention and asked that his name be withheld.
■HEALTH
Vaccination dates moved up
The Central Epidemics Command Center — an ad hoc committee organized by the Executive Yuan to tackle the outbreak of swine flu — has moved up the dates for young students to get vaccinations for the influenza A(H1N1) virus after parents complained the youngsters had to wait too long, especially as the number of infections continues to rise, with nearly 1,000 classes suspended so far. Swine flu shots will be made available for elementary school students from Nov. 16. The original date was Dec. 1. The immunization date for junior high school students will be moved up to Nov. 23 and that for high school students advanced to Nov. 30.
■CULTURE
Project to build creative hub
The government will invest NT$26.2 billion (US$804.8 million) over a four-year period to make Taiwan a cultural and creative hub in the Asia-Pacific region, with the aim of creating 43,000 jobs and a production value of more than NT$1 trillion by 2013, the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) said yesterday. CCA official Fang Jy-shiuh (方芷絮) said the plan was devised to promote the development of cultural and creative industries and to help them tap into the Chinese market. Industries such as the local pop music, film, television, designing, handicraft and digital content industries would be included in the project. The project is intended to generate more than 20 percent growth in media production value, triple overseas sales of media products and stimulate local consumption of cultural and creative products and services, he said.
RSS