■ Health
SARS pioneer book debuts
The top coordinator in the nation's campaign against SARS, Lee Ming-liang (李明亮), on Thursday presided over a ceremony at Rome's Capital Museum marking the launch of the Italian-language biography of Carlo Urbani, who was the first person to identify the SARS virus. Urbani, an expert on communicable diseases at the World Health Organization, died of the flu-like atypical pneumonia in Bangkok on March 29 last year. He was 47. The book, authored by Italian prize-winning writer Lucia Bellaspiga, gives a detailed and human account of how Urbani contributed his professional expertise to SARS identification and treatment in Asia and how he fought against the deadly virus during the crucial days prior to his death. Lee, chairman of the Carlo Urbani Memorial Foundation established in Taiwan last July, said the Chinese-language version of the biography is expected to be published in this country shortly. Addressing the biography debut ceremony, held at Rome's Capital Museum, Lee said that the book will provide a great inspiration to the younger generations around the world and that the Chinese-language version will let the vast population in the Chinese-language speaking communities learn about Urbani's spirit and teaching.
■ Society
BTCO issues warning
The British Trade and Cultural Office has issued a warning for British citizens to be aware of events here after last Saturday's presidential election. "Our advice to British residents is to avoid large public gatherings, in particular political rallies and demonstrations and observe developments in the local media," the office said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely," said the statement. The statement was issued on the eve of a pan-blue camp rally that organizers say will attract 500,000 people today to Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office.
■ Health
Dengue system activated
The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday that the nation's dengue fever prevention mechanism has been activated amid outbreaks of the disease in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. Under the mechanism, DOH officials said, arrivals from Southeast Asia who have developed a fever will undergo blood tests and be presented with free mosquito nets for use at home for a week. Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted disease. Yesterday, the DOH also invited officials from the Tourism Bureau, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the Immigration Bureau, the Council of Labor Affairs, the Environmental Protection Bureau, health bureaus from 25 cities and counties around the country and major travel associations to discuss dengue fever-prevention measures. It was decided at the meeting that films featuring dengue fever prevention and control measures will be shown on all flights from and to Southeast Asian countries. At least 455 people have died from dengue fever in Indonesia so far this year, DOH officials said. According to the officials, Taiwan has not had a locally originated dengue fever case so far this year, but has tallied 17 imported cases, including seven from Indonesia, six from Vietnam, two from the Philippines, one each from Thailand and India.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Traffic controls are to be in place in Taipei starting tonight, police said, as rallies supporting recall efforts targeting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place tomorrow. Traffic controls are to be in place on City Hall Road starting from 10pm tonight and on Jinan Road Section 1 starting from 8am tomorrow, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei advocating for the recall of KMT legislators, along with the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Alliance (反共護台聯盟), have previously announced plans for motorcycle parades and public
A tropical depression near the northwestern Philippines is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Danas by early tomorrow, becoming the fourth tropical storm of the season, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). As of 8am today, the system was located approximately 370 kilometers southwest of Taiwan's southern tip, Cape Eluanbi, and has developed a more organized structure, forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The storm is currently moving slowly toward the Taiwan Strait in an east-northeast direction and may trigger a sea warning if it reaches tropical storm strength tomorrow morning. The system is expected to shift direction later tomorrow toward the north
‘ON THE RIGHT TRACK’: US analysts praised the ‘less scripted’ drills as strengthening defenses and resilience, as confusion and spontaneity are common in actual warfare This month’s annual Han Kuang military exercises are to feature six types of “gray zone” tactics used by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with the aim of weakening their effectiveness, Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹) told the military yesterday. The 41st Han Kuang drills, scheduled from Wednesday next week through July 18, would simulate a Chinese blockade and invasion, with President William Lai (賴清德) on Tuesday saying that Taiwan is already in a “war without gun smoke.” In a speech broadcast to officers and soldiers yesterday, Mei said that the six types of harassment are: legal warfare,
RSS