■ Cross-strait ties
DPP eyes next year for talks
Taiwan will do its utmost to resume talks with Beijing in the next year, a lawmaker from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday. Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯), DPP caucus whip in the Legislative Yuan, said next year would be a favorable time for a resumption in talks between Taipei and Beijing, as there are no national elections scheduled in Taiwan and as December's legislative elections will usher in a new era in Taiwan, adding that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has continuously reached out to Beijing. He noted that Taiwan has already done its part to try to restart cross-strait dialogue, which he said would benefit the people of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, adding that the ball is now in Beijing's court. Tsai made the remarks in line with a statement by Chen the previous day that he has a free hand in terms of negotiating with Beijing as he does not face any pressure to be re-elected to a third term.
■ Government
KMT cash to buy text books
Premier Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday that the assets "illegally" accumulated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) during its five decades in power will be used to provide free text books for elementary and junior high school students once the assets are recovered by the current government. Stumping for Democratic Progressive Party legislative candidates in Panchiao, Taipei County, the premier said that the government is working to recover the assets and that the assets will be used toward helping cash-strapped central and local governments. The premier promised that elementary and junior high school students will get free textbooks for one year, providing his govern-ment can recover NT$3 billion (US$88.8 million) worth of KMT's "ill-gotten" assets, and free text books for one hundred years, if it can recover NT$300 billion (US$8.88 billion) worth of assets.
■ Health
Infant hearing tests offered
Children's Hearing Foundation, in cooperation with the Department of Health, is offering free hearing examinations for babies. The foundation pointed out that 2-month-old children can have their hearing ability tested. Parents who want to make inquiries can call toll-free line (08) 0088-9881. The foundation pointed out that Taiwan does not offered universal hearing examin-ation for newborns, and children with serious hearing problems were usually diagnosed at one-and-a-half years of age. The late diagnoses often resulted in the delayed development of children's hearing and speech ability.
■ Business
WTO seminars to be held
Starting this week, the government will hold a series of seminars to help local businesses gain a detailed understanding of the latest developments in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round Talks, according to a government official. The official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the MOEA will jointly host the seminars across the country, beginning in Taipei tomorrow, followed by seminars in central Taichung and southern Kaohsiung through the middle of November. The aim of the seminars is to provide Taiwanese-based companies with the world's latest trade information and to help them grab business and investment opportunities after WTO member states reached agreement upon the so-called "July Package."
■ Trade
LatAm mission planned
The government is planning to organize a large-scale trade mission to visit Latin America early next year, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday. Addressing the opening ceremony of the Latin Plaza-Expo 2004, an exhibition of handicrafts and products from Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Latin America, Lu said that the executive branch is making preparations for the mission. During the ceremony, Lu played the marimba together with Costa Rican Ambassador in Taipei Oscar Alvarez, symbolizing the close cooperation and friendship between Taiwan and Latin American nations. Lu is scheduled to visit Central America again next spring and to attend the Democratic Pacific Union's East Pacific regional forum to be held in Costa Rica. The exhibition, being held at the Taipei World Trade Center, will run through Oct. 27.
■ Nanotechnology
Symposium opens today
A Taiwan-France symposium on nanotechnology devices will open today at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu City, northern Taiwan, organizers said yesterday. The symposium is being jointly sponsored by the National Nano Device Laboratories, the National Applied Research Laboratories, the National Science Council, the Atomic Energy Commission of France, and the French Institute in Taipei. The purpose of the symposium is to provide an open forum for discussion on recent developments regarding nanotechnology devices, materials and processes, and to encourage more close cooperation between Taiwan and foreign countries, especially in the areas of advanced nanotechnologies and related applications.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
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