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| Taiwanese 'brawl' over bad milk | Taiwanese 'brawl' over bad milk |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Taiwan's health minister has been admitted to hospital after being allegedly attacked by opposition MPs over the tainted Chinese milk scandal. | Taiwan's health minister has been admitted to hospital after being allegedly attacked by opposition MPs over the tainted Chinese milk scandal. |
| Yeh Ching-chuan was pushed around and grabbed by the neck as he tried to leave parliament, according to lawmakers from the governing party. | Yeh Ching-chuan was pushed around and grabbed by the neck as he tried to leave parliament, according to lawmakers from the governing party. |
| Hospital staff say he suffered heart palpitations and dizziness. | Hospital staff say he suffered heart palpitations and dizziness. |
| The opposition, which is angry at the government's response to the milk scandal, denies its MPs attacked him. | The opposition, which is angry at the government's response to the milk scandal, denies its MPs attacked him. |
| Mr Yeh became health minister last week after his predecessor resigned amid accusations that he had been too lax about products from China contaminated with the chemical melamine. | Mr Yeh became health minister last week after his predecessor resigned amid accusations that he had been too lax about products from China contaminated with the chemical melamine. |
| More than a dozen Asian and African countries, plus the 27-member European Union, have taken steps to ban or otherwise limit consumption of Chinese milk-product imports. | More than a dozen Asian and African countries, plus the 27-member European Union, have taken steps to ban or otherwise limit consumption of Chinese milk-product imports. |
| Click here to see a map of countries affected | Click here to see a map of countries affected |
| As well as making about 50,000 babies ill in China, the tainted milk products have been blamed for the deaths of four babies there. | As well as making about 50,000 babies ill in China, the tainted milk products have been blamed for the deaths of four babies there. |
| Four people in Taiwan, five children in Hong Kong and one child in Macau also reportedly developed kidney stones after drinking tainted Chinese products. | Four people in Taiwan, five children in Hong Kong and one child in Macau also reportedly developed kidney stones after drinking tainted Chinese products. |
| 'Don't use violence!' | 'Don't use violence!' |
| Television images show the minister being surrounded by a group of people as reporters shout "Don't use violence!" | Television images show the minister being surrounded by a group of people as reporters shout "Don't use violence!" |
| Chang Shuo-wen, an MP from the ruling Kuomintang party who was with the minister at the time, said opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) MPs had tried to prevent Mr Yeh leaving the floor after a meeting with bakery owners. | Chang Shuo-wen, an MP from the ruling Kuomintang party who was with the minister at the time, said opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) MPs had tried to prevent Mr Yeh leaving the floor after a meeting with bakery owners. |
| "Someone grabbed the minister's neck and he could hardly breathe," Mr Chang told the Taiwanese Central News Agency. | "Someone grabbed the minister's neck and he could hardly breathe," Mr Chang told the Taiwanese Central News Agency. |
| The DPP has accused the government of wavering over food safety standards. | The DPP has accused the government of wavering over food safety standards. |
| "Nobody is clear on the government's policy and testing standards on melamine," said the DPP Whip, Ker Chien-ming. | "Nobody is clear on the government's policy and testing standards on melamine," said the DPP Whip, Ker Chien-ming. |
| "Yeh is avoiding explaining the policy and he is incompetent." | "Yeh is avoiding explaining the policy and he is incompetent." |
| Melamine is used in making plastics and is high in nitrogen, which makes products appear to have a higher protein content. | Melamine is used in making plastics and is high in nitrogen, which makes products appear to have a higher protein content. |
| Health experts say that ingesting small amounts does no harm but sustained use can cause kidney stones and renal failure, especially among the young. | Health experts say that ingesting small amounts does no harm but sustained use can cause kidney stones and renal failure, especially among the young. |
| Back to story | Back to story |