■HEALTH
A(H1N1) cases decline
While the number of cases of A(H1N1) influenza has continued to decline, cases of seasonal influenza B have increased, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. Shih Wen-yi (施文儀), deputy director-general of the DOH’s Centers for Disease Control, said the swine flu virus has not been active recently, with only two or three newly hospitalized A(H1N1) cases. A 28-year-old pregnant woman was affected with A(H1N1) recently, but the mother and child were not in danger, Shih said. He said that DOH-contracted laboratories had found 88 percent of new flu cases to be a type of H1N1, with the remaining 12 percent tested as being B-type. Between 1,000 and 2,000 people receive A(H1N1) vaccinations daily, he said.
■DIPLOMACY
Captain to be released
The captain of a Taiwanese fishing boat detained in Japan since Feb. 3 is expected to be released once his court case ends and he pays the required fine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ke Ching-kuo (柯清國), captain of the Yilan-registered fishing vessel the Chuansheng No. 36, was taken to Yokahama for questioning after being seized by the Japanese coast guard for allegedly crossing a temporary marine boundary in waters near Iwo Jima, 1,200km south of Tokyo. Charges include evading investigation and fishing illegally. He is facing a fine of up to ¥1 million (NT$359,000), said Charles Chen (陳調和), secretary-general of the Association of East Asian Relations, which handles exchanges with Japan. “Ke has admitted to Japanese prosecutors that his boat illegally entered Japan waters,” Chen said. A verdict is expected on Friday. If Ke pays the fine immediately, he should be able to fly out the next day, Chen said.
■HEALTH
Ministry promotes ‘331’
The Ministry of Education yesterday encouraged adults to make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more, learn more and be more compassionate toward others. Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基) urged people to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, to study for at least 30 minutes a day and to do a good deed each day. Wu coined his campaign the “331” movement. Meanwhile, Vice Minister of Education Lin Tsung-ming (林聰明) called on people to eat vegetarian food at least one day a week to help “save Taiwan and the world.” He said that 36kg of carbon dioxide is emitted in the production of each kilogram of beef.
■CULTURE
Film subsidies increase
Taiwan will increase its subsidies for foreign movie producers who film all or part of their pictures in the country, according to newly revised regulations announced by the Government Information Office (GIO) on Monday. The newly revised regulations will raise personnel subsidies to 30 percent of the cost of hiring Taiwanese actors and production staff, from the original 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Foreign producers will also be eligible for subsidies for 25 percent of their production expenses and 15 percent of their transportation, accommodation and insurance expenses. Producers whose films have won best picture awards in the competition category at four major film festivals — Cannes, Venice, Berlin and the Oscars — or productions co-produced by directors who have won a best director award at the festivals, will be granted more generous subsidies.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
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