■ AGRICULTURE
Storm damage mounts
The Council of Agriculture continued to tally reports of crop devastation from Typhoon Krosa yesterday. It said damage estimates rose to NT$2.3 billion (US$ 70.56 million) as of 5pm yesterday. An estimated 52,955 hectares were affected, with a crop destruction rate of 24 percent, meaning that an equivalent of 12,948 hectares of crops have been lost. Seriously affected crops include bananas, rice, persimmons, mandarin oranges, grapes, guavas, wax apples and papayas. Prices of vegetables have soared nationwide, with the price of cucumbers, spring onions and cabbages all affected by the typhoon.
■ JUDICIARY
Special courts formed
The Taiwan High Court formed special courts yesterday to hear President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) appeal for the return of documents he claims contain national secrets. Last Friday, the Taipei District Court rejected Chen's claim that documents seized in the "state affairs fund" investigation are classified and should be returned by the court. It said it would retain them as evidence for the trial. The Taiwan High Court said in a press statement yesterday that it had formed eight special courts -- each composed of a senior proceeding judge and three other judges -- in accordance with the Council of Grand Justices' Interpretation No. 627, which states that the president has the right to decide what constitutes a national secret. The interpretation said the president could appeal the district court's ruling within five days and the appeal would be decided by a special court of the Taiwan High Court.
■ DIPLOMACY
Chen pushes free trade deal
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that he hoped Taiwan and the Dominican Republic would sign a free trade agreement (FTA) as soon as possible to benefit companies in both countries. Chen made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Dominican Republic Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, who is in Taipei to take part in National Day celebrations tomorrow. Taiwan and the Dominican Republic have concluded a first round of FTA negotiations, and Chen urged talks to continue to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties. Central American states that have signed FTAs with Taiwan -- including Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras -- are diplomatic allies of Taiwan.
■ POLITICS
DPP in pork beef
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Wang Tuoh (王拓) and David Huang (黃偉哲) denied yesterday that the government had asked Washington to drop its opposition to a referendum on Taiwan's UN bid in return for allowing imports of ractopamine-tainted pork from the US. Wang and Huang attacked the Chinese-language China Times for a report on Sunday that said American Institute in Taiwan Director Stephen Young and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王今平) met last month to discuss the issue. Wang Tuoh said the government would never contemplate such a deal. Huang said that only 10,000 tonnes of pork is imported from the US each year, but that the total amount of pork consumed here every year was more than 1 million tonnes. It was inconceivable that Washington would change its mind on the referendum over such a miniscule trade figure, he said. Wang Jin-pyng also denied the allegation at a separate press conference.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
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
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
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