■ Defense
Destroyers to enter service
Two Kidd-class destroyers purchased from the US are will be commissioned today. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) will officiate at the commissioning ceremony at the Keelung military base for the 1801 Keelung and the 1802 Suao. The two vessels arrived in Suao (蘇澳) on Dec. 8 from Charleston, South Carolina, after a month-long voyage which also included logistics stops at US Navy bases in Hawaii and Guam. Navy authorities said that after the destroyers are commissioned, they will form the outer periphery of a naval defensive fleet, while the Perry-class, Knox-class and Lafayette-class frigates will play an "inner circle" role.
PHOTO: WENG YU-HUANG, TAIPEI TIMES
■ Health
Gerber puree passes tests
The Department of Health announced yesterday that jars of Gerber carrot puree would be back on store shelves after tests showed that the baby food did not have excessive levels of cadium and metal. The tests showed the levels were within the acceptable standards for the EU and New Zealand. The tests were conducted after an alert from Israeli health authorities earlier this week that the Gerber carrot puree in Israel contained excess cadium levels. The carrot puree supplied to Israel was from a different batch than that sold in Taiwan and from a different series. The levels of cadium found in Taiwan were at 0.013ppm.
■ Fisheries
Japanese move defeated
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) vetoed a Japanese proposal on Thursday to cut Taiwan's annual tuna fishing quota in the central and western Pacific Ocean. Last month Japan persuaded the International Commission of the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna to slash Taiwan's bigeye tuna fishing quota for next year. It proposed a similar cut for Taiwan's tuna quota in the central and western Pacific at the annual WCPFC meeting now underway in Micronesia. "The Japanese proposal was vetoed after our delegates convincingly explained our fishing operations in the region at the WCPFC session," said Wang Shun-lung, (王順隆) president of the Taiwan Tuna Association. According to a survey conducted in 2000, Taiwan had only seven or eight tuna fishing vessels operating in the region that year, with a total catch of about 998 tonnes.
■ Law
Investigators probe agents
The Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau (MJIB) yesterday sent two MJIB agents to the Kaohsiung Prosecutor's Office for questioning over their alleged involvement in leaking information concerning the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal investigation to a Chinese-language newspaper reporter. In addition, an official of the MJIB's Kaohsiung branch surnamed Chen leaked the probe information to former deputy secretary-general to the Presidential Office Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), who was later indicted. The MJIB's Kaohsiung branch official allegedly coached him on how to respond to questioning. Two other MJIB agents were also found to have phone conversations with independent legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅), who had disclosed information regarding the KRTC scandal probe. The bureau yesterday said the three MJIB agents will be disciplined, but the bureau did not get into specifics.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
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