■ Politics
Chen lists DPP's goals
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) presented three directions of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) efforts yesterday and encouraged the party and the people of Taiwan to continue to fight for the country's democratization. Speaking at the weekly meeting of the DPP Central Standing Committee in his capacity as party chairman, Chen listed the three goals as democratic reform, economic prosperity and "believe in Taiwan." He said that holding a referendum is the last step in Taiwan's democratization program and will also represent a new chapter in the nation's history. Referring to economic prosperity, Chen said there are many indications that the economy is undergoing a strong recovery and that Taiwan will enjoy excellent records both in economic growth and the labor market. "We insist on democratic reform because we believe in Taiwan," he said. Chen also issued an order to mobilize all DPP members to explain the party's vision for national development to the people.
■ Education
Bursary project needs help
World Vision Taiwan (台灣世界展望會) is urging the public to donate money for young students who cannot pay their tuition fees. The organization is also cooperating with publisher Commercial Press during this year's Taipei International Book Exhibition. Commercial Press will donate 10 percent of the income raised from sales at the exhibition of the book How to Read a Book (如何閱讀一本書) to World Vision Taiwan's tuition fee project. The organization is giving every sponsored high school student NT$5,000 and every college student NT$10,000 to NT$20,000 next term, starting in February, to help pay their tuition fees. Those who want to make a donation can call 02-25856300 or wire the money directly into the organization's post office account, 01022760, and specify that the money should go to the schooling project.
■ Biology
University wants whale
Professors, students and volunteers from the National Cheng Kung University's Department of Biology yesterday said that they hoped to have a whale specimen at the university within a week. A whale, weighing 60 tonnes and 17m in length, was found dead on the seashore of Yunlin County on Sunday. More than 20 workers yesterday used small electronic saws to try to remove the whale's skin, but the saws became stuck because the skin was too thick. Professor Wang Chien-ping (王建平) said that it would take about a week to finish the preparation of the specimen. Wang said that this specimen would become the biggest whale specimen in Taiwan when the job is done.
■ Water
Conservation effort to start
Water supplies to certain heavy users in the greater Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu areas will be restricted soon due to insufficient rainfall, Chen Sheng-hsien (陳伸賢), an official of the Water Conservancy Agency, said yesterday. Chen said that the imposition of the restrictions was inevitable, and that a task force has been formed to deal with the problems caused by the long drought in the north. Water restrictions to the three areas may begin on Feb. 1, he said. Under the plan, water supply to certain industries in the three areas will be cut by 5 percent, and the supply to public baths, spas, car washes and select heavy users of water will be cut by 20 percent, he said. The restriction plan will ensure sufficient supplies of water to every home and office in the north until early May, when the monsoon season will begin, he said.
An alleged US government plan to encourage Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to form a joint venture with Intel to boost US chipmaking would place the Taiwanese foundry giant in a more disadvantageous position than proposed tariffs on imported chips, a semiconductor expert said yesterday. If TSMC forms a joint venture with its US rival, it faces the risk of technology outflow, said Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Industry Economics Database of the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. A report by international financial services firm Baird said that Asia semiconductor supply chain talks suggest that the US government would
Starlux Airlines on Tuesday announced it is to launch new direct flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Ontario, California, on June 2. The carrier said it plans to deploy the new-generation Airbus A350 on the Taipei-Ontario route. The Airbus A350 features a total of 306 seats, including four in first class, 26 in business class, 36 in premium economy and 240 in economy. According to Starlux’s initial schedule, four flights would run between Taoyuan and Ontario per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights are to depart from Taoyuan at 8:05pm and arrive in California at 5:05pm (local time), while return flights
Nearly 800 Indian tourists are to arrive this week on an incentive tour organized by Indian company Asian Painted Ltd, making it the largest tour group from the South Asian nation to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic. The travelers are scheduled to arrive in six batches from Sunday to Feb. 25 for five-day tours, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The tour would take the travelers, most of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time, to several tourist sites in Taipei and Yilan County, including tea houses in Taipei’s Maokong (貓空), Dadaocheng (大稻埕) and Ximending (西門町) areas. They would also visit
HOSPITAL VISITS: Shin Kong Mitsukoshi pledged to give the families of the four people who died NT$11m each and provide support for staff working at the time The central government would assist local governments to enhance public safety, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday as he visited people in hospital who were injured in an explosion at a department store in Taichung on Thursday. A suspected gas explosion occurred on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Zhonggang department store in Taichung at 11:33am on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 36. Of the 40 casualties, 39 were hospitalized, Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed. Three died after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the data showed. As of 6am yesterday, 25 of those injured had been discharged from hospital, leaving 11