■ WEATHER
Tropical storm brewing
A low pressure system that had been lurking to the east of the Philippines until a couple of days ago has gained strength and become a tropical storm, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) reported yesterday. The tropical storm, named Wipha, may directly affect Taiwan if it follows its predicted course, Wang Yao-hua (王耀華), a CWB meteorologist said. As of 10am yesterday, Wipha, the 12th tropical storm reported in the West Pacific region this year, was centered 1,100km east of Taiwan and was moving northwesterly toward the nation at a speed of 15kph, Wang said. The storm is expected to move toward the eastern and northeastern regions of Taiwan in the next few days. The bureau is expected to decide tomorrow whether a sea warning should be issued, Wang said. Meanwhile, Typhoon Nari, the 11th in the Western Pacific this year, is sweeping across the northwestern Pacific towards Okinawa on its way to Japan or South Korea. Although Nari will not pose a direct threat to Taiwan, its outer rim will bring rain to northern and northeastern Taiwan beginning today, Wang said.
■ HEALTH
Anti-smoking prizes awarded
The Kaohsiung County Government presented prizes and citations to student winners of a competition seeking creative ideas to discourage smoking yesterday. The aim of the competition was to encourage school students to say "no" to tobacco, officials of the county's Health Bureau said. It was divided into three categories -- anti-smoking slogans, comic strips and stage performances. There were nearly 1,000 works submitted by students from Kaohsiung County's junior and senior middle schools. A screening committee selected 124 winners, with the top three in each category receiving NT$10,000, NT$6,000 and NT$3,000 respectively, in addition to a trophy.
■ FISHING
Stricken fishermen rescued
A Taiwanese fishing boat, the Tsaiyiyu No. 1, ran aground near Pengchiayu islet (彭佳嶼) northeast of Taiwan early yesterday. All 11 crew members were rescued. Coast Guard Administration officials said they received a distress signal relayed by a radio station at 3:30am and immediately dispatched a patrol vessel to the scene. At the same time they asked personnel at a security station on the islet to join the rescue. The skipper of the boat and his 10-man crew, comprised of seven Chinese and three Indonesian sailors, were rescued and temporarily quartered in a temple on the islet.
■ SCIENCE
Biology forum held in Taipei
The Second International Barcode of Life Conference and Regional Collaborative Meetings for East Asia will be held from today until Friday in Taipei under the auspices of Academia Sinica's Research Center for Biodiversity (RCB) and the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). RCB Director Shao Kuang-chao (邵廣昭) said that more than 350 biological evolution experts and academics from 46 countries will attend the five-day conference to discuss issues concerning identification of biological species, protection of consumer rights and interests and food safety. Holding the conference in Taiwan will help make the country a regional hub for biodiversity research, conservation and management in East Asia, Shao said.
■ CHINA
Tainted drugs recalled
Authorities have ordered the recall of tainted leukemia drugs blamed for causing leg pains and other problems, the Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, the latest crisis to strike the country's embattled food and drug industries. Most of the drugs involved -- methotrexate and cytarabin hydrochloride -- have been recovered and authorities have traced the remainder, Xinhua said. Sale and distribution of the drugs were banned in July after some people complained of leg pains and experienced difficulty walking. Xinhua said some patients also complained of urine retention. It said the Health Ministry found the medicine was tainted with vincristine sulfate, an anticancer drug. The Shanghai Hualian Pharmaceutical Co produced the drugs. The ministry said that the factories manufacturing the drugs had been closed.
■ CHINA
Third Russian body found
Rescuers yesterday found the body of a third Russian who disappeared while on a canoe trip with a group of six in the Xinjiang region, Xinhua news agency reported. The body was located just after 11am on the bank of the upper reaches of the Yurungkax River. Rescuers moved it to the city of Hotan, the report said. Xinhua reported on Saturday that the bodies of two Russians had been discovered under a canoe along a riverbank. They also found clothing and iron bars used to fix canoes at two sites. None of those found so far have been identified. The Russians planned to paddle down the river, but failed to meet up with a Chinese interpreter as scheduled on Sept. 2, sparking a massive joint Chinese-Russian rescue effort. Xinhua earlier said the missing men ranged in age from 25 to 47.
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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