■ Government
Taipei City property seized
The Department of Administrative Enforcement announced yesterday that it had seized non-public property belonging to the Taipei City Government because the city had accrued a debt to the Bureau of National Health Insurance of NT$10.8 billion (US$372 million) in insurance subsidies dating back to last year. The department yesterday commissioned the Taipei Land Administration to seize 30 immovable properties that the city government owns, estimated to be worth about NT$11.2 billion. Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德) expressed anger over the department's actions and said that the central government could not confiscate the city's properties on its own because the city had filed an appeal with the Taiwan High Court. Ou added that the department's order would impact on the public's rights in Taipei City and that the central government would have to take responsibility.
■ Crime
Heroin busts at CKS
A Taiwanese man allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 500g of heroin into the country from Macau in his shoes was arrested at CKS International Airport on Sunday night, aviation police reported yesterday. The 40-year-old man, identified as Cheng Ching-hung (鄭清宏), had allegedly packed the heroin into four plastic bags and hidden them in the soles of his casual shoes. According to the aviation police, Cheng was walking strangely in the CKS customs area, drawing the attention of the authorities. Aviation police authorities said they were tipped off months earlier that a drug trafficking ring was attempting to smuggle heroin from Macau, Hong Kong, Thailand, Myanmar and China into Taiwan by air or by fishing boat. Meanwhile, according to CKS police authorities, agents from the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation arrested two other suspected smugglers at the airport on Sunday. The two men were said to each be carrying four heroin bricks around their waists.
■ Weather
Storm forms in the south
The Central Weather Bureau is closely monitoring newly-formed Tropical Storm Dianmu, which is lurking southwest of Guam near the Philippines. The bureau said that the storm was centered some 1,000km southwest of Guam at 8am yesterday and was moving north-northwest at 9kph. Meanwhile, temperatures in Taiwan have shot up due to the influence of a high-pressure system in the Pacific.
■ Youth
Camp for diabetic kids
The Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical Service and Education Foundation is holding its annual summer camp for diabetic primary school children from July 16 through 18. The camp, which the foundation has run for over 10 years, helps diabetic children become more independent and develops their self-confidence, foundation representatives said. During the camp, the children take classes on nutrition and medical care and take part in other group activities. To accommodate the special needs of diabetic children, the camp has an almost one-to-one worker-student ratio. The foundation is hoping for 50 to 60 campers from throughout the nation this year, from grades two to six. The cost will be around NT$4000 to NT$5000 per child. The camp will be held at the China Youth Corps Sun Moon Lake Activity Center (救國團日樂潭青年活動中心). To learn more, see the foundation's Web site at www.kungtai.org.tw or call 02-23667780, ext. 28.
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
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