SOCIETY
‘Teacher Wang’ fined
A self-styled “prophet” was convicted yesterday of “spreading rumors” for saying that a monster earthquake would destroy Taiwan last month and fined NT$40,000. Wang Chao-hung (王超弘), known as “Teacher Wang,” stirred up a media frenzy after he “predicted” a giant quake and tsunami would hit Taiwan on May 11, urging people to move into makeshift shelters converted from cargo containers. After the catastrophe failed to materialize, Wang said his remarks had been misinterpreted by journalists. He was convicted by a district court in Nantou County of spreading socially disruptive rumors. He could face additional fraud charges as prosecutors are investigating claims that he might have cooperated with container businesses to set up a shelter village in the county.
TRAVEL
Bikers finish 18,000km trek
A Taiwanese couple spent almost two months traveling through four South American countries by motorcycle. Lee Chao-hsiang (李兆祥), who is in his late 40s, said he and his wife rode a BMW 650cc motorcycle along the Pan-American Highway through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. The couple took 58 days to complete their 18,000km trek. They began the journey on April 26 from Capo de la Vela, Colombia, and arrived in Santiago on Tuesday. Taiwan’s representative office in Santiago gave the couple a warm welcome on their arrival. Lee said they had seen many landmarks including Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano, Machu Picchu, a 15th-century Inca ruin in Peru, and Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Lee said they plan to tackle more of the Pan-American Highway system, which extends from Alaska to the lower reaches of Ushuaia, Argentina, in the future.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese