■ Weather
Storm brings rain
Typhoon Choiwan, located about 540km south of the Ryukyus as of 8am yesterday, is forecast to bring rains to the southern, eastern and northern parts of the country today. The Central Weather Bureau said Choiwan was moving northwest from the seas south of the Ryukyus at 11kph yesterday morning. Ships sailing in the area should take precautionary measures against the typhoon, the bureau said. Meanwhile, a tropical low-pressure weather system is moving west slowly from the seas near Luzon Island, the bureau said, adding that it is monitoring the system's movement.
■ Diplomacy
TSU group meets S Koreans
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) met South Korean political leaders and lawmakers in Seoul yesterday and pledged to further promote bilateral relations. Huang arrived in Seoul on Wednesday with a delegation of TSU officials and lawmakers for a four-day visit. Huang and his delegation called on Kim Jong-pil, president of the opposition United Liberal Democrats yesterday to exchange views on the development of Taiwan-South Korea relations and party-to-party interaction. They also expressed the hope that the economics ministers of the two countries can exchange visits and that there will be an increase in trade and economic cooperation. The TSU group also visited the Republic of Korea-Taiwan Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association. The delegation is scheduled to return home tomorrow.
■ Industry
China Shipbuilding upbeat
Officials of China Shipbuilding Corp said yesterday that the state-owned company will continue to improve its competitiveness after the company went from loss to profit in one year. The officials said the company will continue to solicit more orders, cut operational costs and stress efficiency, quality and modern marketing to provide the best service to customers. They said the company started a revitalization program, under which its work force was cut from 5,000 to 2,700 and employees agreed to a 35 percent cut in salary. They said profits in the first eight months of this year amounted to nearly NT$300 million and expressed confidence that they will be able to reach the goal of more than NT$362 million in profit this year. The company said it has more than 40 orders, which will last until the second half of 2007.
■ Industry
Bio-tech seminar scheduled
The Asia-Pacific Biotechnology Seminar is slated to open Sept. 29 in Taiwan, with about 20 experts from around the world to help build the country into a regional development and an investment hub for top industries. The seminar will be comprised of three large-scale conferences focusing on development strategies and business opportunities and stem cell-related issues. Among the speakers will be Cynthia Robbins-Roth from the US, author of the best seller The Business of Biotechnology. Lee Chung-hsi, president of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, said the experts presence is expected to inject a new lease on life for the burgeoning domestic industry, which aims to gain a leadership role on the world stage. The institute and the Biotechnology Development Association are organizing the seminar, which will run through Oct. 2.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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