■ Politics
Lu invites Lions to assembly
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) invited the International Association of Lions Clubs yesterday to attend an international conference in June. Lu extended the invitation to the 2003 Democratic Pacific Assembly to Tae-Sup Lee, the South Korean first vice president of the International Association of Lions Clubs, Lu extended the invitation. The assembly will be held June 20 and Lu said she hopes Lee will use his influence to encourage Lions Clubs in the Pacific area to attend the event. Lu is the lead organizer of the event. Heads of state and legislature as well as leaders of business and non-governmental organizations have been invited to join the assembly, Lu said.
■ Environment
Study tracks dolphins
An investigation into the species of whales and dolphins and their locations in Kenting National Park has recorded for the first time the movement patterns of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins that appear in the park's South Bay at regular intervals. Kenting National Park Headquarters officials said that every year between June and August, it is possible to stand on the park's Maopitou promontory and observe the dolphins with the naked eye. The dolphins are a favorite with aquariums around the world and used to be caught in great numbers to be trained to perform. This, coupled with the degradation of their habitats in sea areas near Taiwan, has contributed to a gradual decline in their numbers, demonstrating the need for preservation of the species. Kenting National Park Headquarters has commissioned a foundation to do a one-year research project on the number, movement patterns, locations and migratory routes of the mammals to serve as a reference for ecotourism.
■ Politics
DPP to hold meet with LDP
DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday that the party will sponsor a symposium with Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) this year to discuss political and economic issues. He made the announcement while attending the opening ceremony of a Japanese language class at the DPP's headquarters. Chang noted that he visited Japan last July to promote high-level exchanges of officials and added that bilateral substantive relations are close. He said the DPP held a symposium with the Japan Democratic Party last year and details for a similar one with the LDP this year are still under discussion.
■ Education
UK scholarships on offer
The British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) has announced the establishment of a new scholarship program expected to benefit up to 10 Taiwanese this year. The international technology scholarship scheme, entitled "BTCO Enterprise Fellowships," is aimed at enabling applicants to pursue one-year of study in the UK, BTCO said in press release. Taiwan is one of 10 countries targeted by the new scheme, which is financed by Trade Partner UK. The managing contractor for the scheme is the Center for Scientific Enterprises Ltd, a joint venture between London Business School and University College of London. Information on the scholarships can be obtained on the Internet (http://cselondon.com/ctes) and applicants should submit their documents to the BTCO by March 14.
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS