■ Religion
Condom nun sparks outrage
Posters showing a Catholic nun holding a condom as part of an anti-AIDS campaign in Taiwan have been recalled and destroyed after protests from angry church members, an official said yesterday. The posters, put up recently at several Taipei mass transit stations, feature a woman dressed as a nun saying "Although I don't use it, I know [what a condom is.]" The aim was to promote the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. However Taipei's Sexually-Transmitted Disease Control Center, which commissioned the poster, was forced to apologize and remove the advertisements earlier this month after protests from Catholic groups. All posters and digital files were destroyed, an official at the center said.
■ Health
Chemical in food scrutinized
The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday that it will formally regulate, with immediate effect, foods and related products that contain polychlorinated biphenyl, which can be harmful to the health if ingested over the long term. The program will target all foods and related products on the domestic market, including dairy products and drinks, meat products, eggs, seafoods, baby foods and paper food containers, said Chen Lu-hung (陳陸宏), director of the DOH's Bureau of Food Sanitation. Repeated violators of the regulation will face fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000, depending on the seriousness of the offenses, Chen said. According to the DOH, polychlorinated biphenyl accumulates in the body if ingested over a long period, causing skin rashes, respiratory problems, damage to the immune system, gout, anemia and liver lesions.
■ Crime
Alleged drug dealer caught
A mobile squad of the Coast Guard Administration arrested a suspected drug dealer in Taoyuan yesterday, seizing 2kg of heroin with a street value of over NT$100 million (US$3.1 million). The squad captain, Tsai Yuan-ching (蔡源慶), said they had been stalking the suspect, identified as Chen Yen-chun (陳彥均), 25, for three months. Chen owns a mansion and four expensive cars. Chen allegedly delivered drugs to his distributors twice a week, according to the squad. More than 30 coast guard officers were mobilized for the arrest. A further investigation aimed at tracing other drug sources is now underway.
■ Education
MAC wary of Chinese offer
A high-ranking official of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday that the Chinese government's offer to lower tuition fees for Taiwanese students is a united-front tactic aimed at dividing Taiwan's people. The offer, which takes effect next month, was announced by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), which said that Taiwanese students attending China's universities will be charged the same tuition fees as Chinese students. In addition to lowering tuition fees for Taiwanese students, the TAO said that it will provide scholarships specifically for Taiwanese students by setting aside 7 million Chinese yuan (US$863,000) per year. The MAC official expressed concern that the preferential treatment might put pressure on the Taiwanese government when considering whether to accept qualifications granted by Chinese schools. The official said that Taiwan is an open society, so it could not prohibit students from studying in China.
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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