■Education
Exam postponed
The STYLE/JET examina-tion, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow around the country, has been post-poned due to the concerns over the spread of SARS. The company in charge of the exam, Caves Educational Training, said that because of the rising numbers of suspected SARS cases in
the last two days and concern over the health of the examinees, it decided to push back the exam date. Caves will call or fax all the examinees, their parents or teachers regarding the new exam date. Most of those who had registered for the exam were children aged between seven and 12.
■ Health
Lin urges cooperation
Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) expressed his appreciation yesterday
to those who have been put into quarantine because of concern about the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Lin said that while it is understandable that those who are confined within the Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital might feel that they are healthy and should not have to stay there, the SARS incubation period still has not been determined. He urged those who are isolated to comply with quarantine regulations, adding that those who recently returned from the seriously affected areas of China, Hong Kong and Macau should also heighten their guard. He
also said the government
is putting together a medical team to be sent to China to help Taiwanese business-people who have fallen ill with the disease there.
■ Legislature
Logjam over money
The ruling and opposition parties yesterday failed to reach an agreement for setting up a monitoring mechanism regulating township administration's use of the extra NT$8.4 billion fund within the proposed NT$58 billion public construction project fund. "The DPP insisted that using those allocated budget should be supervised by certain mechanisms," said DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), while KMT law-makers contended that township governments only have to submit their plans to the central administration before the plans are reviewed by the legislature. The review mechanism must be set for monitoring the use of money to make sure the money will be used effec-tively, Chen emphasized.
■ Development
Bio fest set for November
The 2003 International Bio Festival will be held in Taipei Nov. 6 to18, organizers of the event announced on Thursday. Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who doubles as president of the Institute of Biomedical Technology Industry -- one of the organizers of the festival -- said that the two-week event will include an award ceremony, academic discussions, a forum on venture capital and exhibi-tions. Wang said the festival is aimed at promoting the development and inter-nalization of the nation's biomedical technology industry by integrating all related resources.
■ Politics
TSU chief off to Japan
TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) left for Japan yesterday to attend the inauguration of a school established in honor of former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). Huang said he will urge overseas Chinese in Japan to "uphold Taiwan's democratic fruits, Taiwan's indigenous government, Taiwan's course of reforms, Taiwan's national security, and Taiwan's political stability."
■Politics
DPP expels scandalized Lin
The DPP expelled Legislator Lin Chin-hsing (林進興) Thursday because of his indictment along with 39 others in the Kaohsiung City Council vote-buying scandal. The DPP Central Advisory Committee decided in a meeting to cancel Lin's party membership. Anticipating that he would be kicked out of the party, Lin was resigned to Thursday's decision, saying he will serve as an independent lawmaker for the time being. However, he said he is confident that the judiciary will clear his name eventually and that he will be allowed to rejoin the DPP once his innocence is proven. Lin was the only legislator embroiled in the vote-buying scandal that has seen 34 city councilors and six others indicted. He was accused of aiding his former wife, Councilor Chang Wen-hsiu (章玟琇), to accept bribes of NT$5 million from Councilor Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄) in return for her promise to support Chu's bid for the council speakership.
■ Diplomacy
S Carolina shows support
The House and Senate of the state of South Carolina have passed a resolution, praising the Republic of China for its contributions to the promotion of world peace, democracy and human rights, and saying that the world should not acquiesce to any kind of military threat against Taiwan. According to the resolution, Taiwan is a "staunch long-term ally" of the US and that the two countries share the same ideals of freedom, and human rights. Taiwan has made remarkable achievements in promoting education, economic development and democracy, it says, adding that the state and Taiwan established sisterhood relations in 1981.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
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