SOCIETY
Anti-nuclear protests set
Anti-nuclear groups will hold protests in Taipei and Greater Kaohsiung on March 9, two days ahead of the second anniversary of the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the Green Citizens’ Action Alliance said yesterday. The protests are expected to attract thousands of people, said the Taipei-based alliance, which is organizing the events. The protests are aimed at achieving three goals — cutting the government budget for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City (新北市), decommissioning the operating three nuclear power plants and reviewing disposal policies for nuclear waste, the alliance said. In addition to the protests, the group added it is also distributing thousands of “No Nukes — No More Fukushima” flags and encouraging people to publicize the effort by hanging the flags outside their homes, offices or businesses.
CULTURE
Teng exhibition to open
An exhibition will be opened in Taipei on Jan. 26 to commemorate the 60th birthday of the late singer Teresa Teng (鄧麗君). The exhibition will display albums, clothes and other items used by the legendary songstress, said the United Daily News Group, which is organizing the exhibition with the Taipei-based Teresa Teng Foundation. A hologram of Teng singing her popular songs will also be projected at the exhibition venue to give visitors a sense of Teng’s live performances, the organizers said. Known for her soothing voice and mastery of an array of genres, Teng, who died in 1995, is one of the most beloved cultural icons in the Chinese-speaking world. Her popularity extended to Japan, China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. The exhibition will run until April 21 at the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
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
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
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
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