■ENERGY
VP touts nuclear power
Taiwan should develop nuclear-related industries and work with China to form a joint venture with international suppliers of nuclear power, Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) said yesterday. Siew said many countries have listed low-cost nuclear energy as an important option to lower greenhouse emissions. Siew was addressing a symposium on promoting the development of local nuclear industries. Citing World Nuclear Association statistics, Siew said 52 nuclear power plants were under construction worldwide and 295 more being planned. China plans to build 141 nuclear plants by 2030, while India and Russia each planned to build another 40 to 50.
■HEALTH
First in vitro baby prospers
The nation’s first baby born through in vitro fertilization has grown into a handsome man who, at 24, is now studying biomedicine at a graduate institute at National Taiwan University, medical sources said. The baby was born in 1985 at Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, seven years after the world’s first in vitro baby was delivered in the UK. “Although Japan cultivated Asia’s first in vitro baby, the infant died slightly more than a year later,” said Chang Sheng-ping (張昇平), head of reproductive endocrinology at the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Chang played a leading role in the experimental research project that led to the baby’s birth, and under his leadership, the hospital has so far successfully created more than 5,000 in vitro babies. The first in vitro baby, also surnamed Chang (張), has honored Chang Sheng-ping as his godfather since his birth. Though Chang’s mother has never hesitated to tell her child that he was born through in vitro fertilization, she did not want to see her child become the focus of media attention and asked that his name be withheld.
■HEALTH
Vaccination dates moved up
The Central Epidemics Command Center — an ad hoc committee organized by the Executive Yuan to tackle the outbreak of swine flu — has moved up the dates for young students to get vaccinations for the influenza A(H1N1) virus after parents complained the youngsters had to wait too long, especially as the number of infections continues to rise, with nearly 1,000 classes suspended so far. Swine flu shots will be made available for elementary school students from Nov. 16. The original date was Dec. 1. The immunization date for junior high school students will be moved up to Nov. 23 and that for high school students advanced to Nov. 30.
■CULTURE
Project to build creative hub
The government will invest NT$26.2 billion (US$804.8 million) over a four-year period to make Taiwan a cultural and creative hub in the Asia-Pacific region, with the aim of creating 43,000 jobs and a production value of more than NT$1 trillion by 2013, the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) said yesterday. CCA official Fang Jy-shiuh (方芷絮) said the plan was devised to promote the development of cultural and creative industries and to help them tap into the Chinese market. Industries such as the local pop music, film, television, designing, handicraft and digital content industries would be included in the project. The project is intended to generate more than 20 percent growth in media production value, triple overseas sales of media products and stimulate local consumption of cultural and creative products and services, he said.
■TOURISM
Amphibious tours to begin
Kaohsiung City will begin offering amphibious vehicle tours on a trial basis next month to prepare for an official launch of the service in January, a city official said yesterday. An imported duck boat is being painted and will be ready for test rides next month, said Ou Hsiu-ching (歐秀卿), a city official in charge of transportation affairs. Free tickets for the duck boat test rides will be offered to people who book a stay at the city’s hotels and take its ferry tours, Ou said. When the service officially begins, daily capacity will be 180 passengers, Ou said. Ticket prices will be NT$300 per person, with tours available from 12 noon to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, Ou said. The tours will cover 20 minutes of sightseeing on land and 40 minutes on water, Ou said.
■CULTURE
Malaysian food fair opens
A Malaysian food and cultural fair organized by the Taipei-based Malaysian Friendship and Trade Center (MFTC) opened yesterday in Taipei, showcasing the multicultural traditions and cuisine of Malaysia. The Malaysian food and cultural fair will run through Nov. 10 at Taipei’s Grand Hotel. Visitors will have a chance to enter a lottery for a trip to Kuala Lumpur and a home stay in Malaysia, the MFTC said. Abdullah Mohd Salleh, president of the MFTC and Malaysia’s top envoy to Taiwan, said the event gave Taiwanese an opportunity to sample Malaysia’s fusion cuisine of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences that represent the country’s unique culture. Three chefs flown in from Malaysia for the festival will cook traditional Malaysian food such as Nyonya dishes, chili crabs, Malaysian curry Laksa noodles, satay and Penang prawn noodles, Abdullah said, adding that a cultural performance troupe from Malaysia will perform daily.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
MINOR DISRUPTION: The outage affected check-in and security screening, while passport control was done manually and runway operations continued unaffected The main departure hall and other parts of Terminal 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport lost power on Tuesday, causing confusion among passengers before electricity was fully restored more than an hour later. The outage, the cause of which is still being investigated, began at about midday and affected parts of Terminal 2, including the check-in gates, the security screening area and some duty-free shops. Parts of the terminal immediately activated backup power sources, while others remained dark until power was restored in some of the affected areas starting at 12:23pm. Power was fully restored at 1:13pm. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a
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