High Court overrules Losheng petition

The China Post - The Taipei High Administrative Court yesterday ruled to resume construction of a maintenance depot for the Hsinchuang mass rapid transit (MRT) system at the expense of the "Losheng" (Happy Life) sanatorium, local media reported. Full Story

Nearsightedness among children reaches all-time high

The China Post - Twenty percent of first graders in Taiwan suffer from myopia, or nearsightedness -- a near seven-fold increase over two decades ago, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Betel nut stand robbers ask victim for forgiveness

The China Post - Two brothers who were arrested for robbing a betel nut stand yesterday begged for forgiveness from the victim, local media reported. Full Story

Entrepreneurs donate NT$900 million to National Taiwan University

The China Post - Four entrepreneurs have donated a total of NT$900 million (about US$27.6 million) to National Taiwan University (NTU) to fund a project to foster its Hsinchu campus and make it the centerpiece of the nation's biomedical research, university sources said yesterday. Full Story

Quake rattles Taiwan but no reports of damage

The China Post - A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rattled northeastern Taiwan on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said. Full Story

Enterovirus culprit in pinkeye outbreak

The China Post - The Center for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health confirmed Thursday that an enterovirus is the culprit responsible for the current outbreak of conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye, among elementary students. Full Story

Typhoon-affected rare seabird set free

The China Post - An adult brown booby (sula leucogaster) -- a large seabird of the gannet family -- which was probably affected by Typhoon Krosa and had drifted from eastern Taiwan to the west where it was captured, was released into the wild yesterday. Full Story

Police will not carry firearms to homes: NPA

The China Post - Police officers will not be required to carry firearms while visiting private homes, an official with the National Police Agency's (NPA's) census division said yesterday. Full Story

Brother Elephants player fined NT$100,000

The China Post - A member of Taiwan's Brother Elephants professional baseball team has been fined NT$100,000 for attending a nightclub, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibit winners to be announced

The China Post - The final results of the 12th Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by the Taichung city government, will be announced at an award ceremony to be held in the central city this weekend, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu said yesterday. Full Story

Tzu Chi builds secondary school in north Thailand

The China Post - The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation is currently constructing a secondary school in northern Thailand as part of its ongoing efforts to help people in the region, a foundation spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

COA buying damaged rice to reduce farmers' losses

The China Post - The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) has started buying unhusked rice damaged by Typhoon Krosa to help ease rice farmers' financial losses, a COA official said yesterday. Full Story

Andy Lau shocked by sex scenes in 'Lust, Caution'

The China Post - There's too much lust in "Lust, Caution" for Andy Lau. The veteran Hong Kong actor-singer says he was shocked by the sex scenes in the new Ang Lee spy thriller and that he would have never agreed to star in the film. Full Story

Lee Yuan-tseh inducted in Pontifical Academy

The China Post - Lee Yuan-tseh, former president of Academia Sinica, was inducted Monday by Pope Benedict XVI into the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, making him only the fourth Chinese person to be bestowed the honor, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Bus firm ordered to compensate paralyzed passenger

The China Post - The Panchiao District Court ordered the Taipei Bus Company to pay NT$710,000 (less than US$22,000) in compensation to a female passenger who is now paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a city bus last year. Full Story

Two arrested in fake modeling agency scam

The China Post - Two men have been arrested for defrauding at least 48 women by forcing them into nude photography and in some cases even sex under the pretense of running a modeling agency, local media reported Tuesday. Full Story

Finger wound to blame in two childrens' death: report

The China Post - A male kitchen worker is to blame for "indirectly killing" a child and a baby at a hospital babysitting center in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, according to initial examination reports released by Kaohsiung prosecutors. Full Story

Bad weather on Yushan kills hiker, strands five others

The China Post - One man died and five others were stranded for more than five days after two separate mountain climbing expeditions on Yushan Mountain in central Taiwan turned tragic due to inclement weather caused by Typhoon Krosa. Full Story

Noise complaints on the decline: EPA

The China Post - Noise complaints reported to the police declined during the January-September period, thanks to the Environmental Protection Administration's (EPA) offer of assistance to local businesses in solving their noise problems, an administration official said yesterday. Full Story

International art biennial opens at Taichung museum

The China Post - The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMOFA) announced yesterday the 2007 Asian Biennial will open on Oct. 13, in Taichung City. The international event will run until Feb. 24 next year under the theme "Have you eaten yet?" -- a common salutation in Taiwan that carries goodwill and caring. Full Story

CIB arrests white-collar fugitive at Taipei hotel

The China Post - The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday said they have caught an alleged white-collar criminal in Taipei City after 10 days of search. Full Story

Fake government official caught in fraudulent act

The China Post - A man who allegedly cheated two elderly women in Taipei City out of NT$5.8 million by pretending to be a government official has been arrested in the act, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Full text of President Chen's National Day Address

The China Post - The following is the full text of President Chen Shui-bian's 2007 National Day Address. Full Story

A short yet solid hike up Lion Mountain

The China Post - Driving along the back roads behind Xichi (汐止), midway between the northern cities of Taipei and Keelung, I stumbled across perhaps the oddest signpost I've seen during all my years in Taiwan. I've witnessed my share of unusual-sounding translations, including "Sun Link Sea" and "Water Running Up," but this one took the biscuit. "Gentleman Duck," it said in English. This was one place that warranted exploration. Full Story

Danshui's war history revealed at Huwei Fort

The China Post - Conveniently located at the end of the MRT's red line, Danshui is one of the most popular weekend destinations for residents in the Taipei area. The orange Fort San Domingo must be included in any brochure promoting Taiwan and it's arguably the first place you take visiting friends. Full Story

Youths sentenced to 303 total years for Kaohsiung robberies

The China Post - Kaohsiung District Court has sentenced seven youngsters to a combined total of 303 years under the new "one crime, one sentence" policy, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Over 20% of Chinese medicine contains chemicals

The China Post - The Consumers' Foundation (CF) yesterday issued a consumer alert on traditional Chinese medicine after lab results identified Western pharmaceutical ingredients in ten out of 47 traditional herbal products surveyed. Full Story

Over 20% of Chinese medicine contains chemicals

The China Post - The Consumers' Foundation (CF) yesterday issued a consumer alert on traditional Chinese medicine after lab results identified Western pharmaceutical ingredients in ten out of 47 traditional herbal products surveyed. Full Story

Funeral service for Father George Massin to be held on October 13

The China Post - A funeral service for Reverend Father George Massin will be held on Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. at the Catholic Church in Huwei, Yunlin County. Full Story

Kaohsiung assists Tainan in combating dengue fever

The China Post - The Kaohsiung County government has sent health officials and quarantine experts to neighboring Tainan City to help halt an expanding outbreak of dengue fever in the run-up to the Oct. 20 opening of the 2007 National Athletic Games in the southern Taiwan city, a county official said yesterday. Full Story

Inbound passengers warned about bringing in hairy crabs

The China Post - Custom officers have seized 274 kg of Chinese hairy crabs from inbound passengers since Sept. 8, Taipei Customs Office said yesterday. Full Story

Film festival to be held to call for an end to death penalty

The China Post - The Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty will hold a film festival starting Oct. 12 to call public attention to the issue of abolishing capital punishment, officials said yesterday. Full Story

Fans back home rue Wang's performance

The China Post - Taiwan fans were all frowns Tuesday after a second straight disastrous performance by national hero Wang Chien-ming saw the New York Yankees bundled out of the American League playoffs. Full Story

Sizemore, Indians eliminate Yankees

The China Post - Once Grady Sizemore hit a leadoff home run, the Cleveland Indians were headed to the AL championship series while the New York Yankees were braced for a showdown with their boss. Full Story

Yankees may fire manager Joe Torre, keep star players

The China Post - Each New York Yankees off-season features its own drama, its own questions about who will and won't return. Yet this 2007-08 winter figures to be especially interesting because of the big names -- first and foremost the manager -- who have no contract for next year. Full Story

Falling behind was nothing new for these Yankees

The China Post - The dugout was filled with bitten fingernails and churned stomachs. The seats at Yankee Stadium were loaded with overturned caps, the baseball symbol of desperation. With the scoreboard in their disfavor and the season slipping away, the mood all around the Bronx on Monday night was laced with angst as Yankeeville battled an annoying suspicion that it had seen this before. Full Story

Promote Taiwan's identity in all approaches: MOFA

The China Post - Last Friday, the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Office's outgoing representative Maria Assunta Acilli called on Minister of Foreign Affairs James C.F. Huang prior to her departure from Taiwan in early October. In her capacity as the Italian office head, Acilli was enthusiastic in sponsoring various art and cultural activities in Taiwan. Full Story

Taiwan-Pacific Allies Summit to highlight regional issues

The China Post - Minister of Foreign Affairs James C.F. Huang and several other ministerial officials will accompany President Chen Shui-bian to attend the Second Taiwan-Pacific Allies Summit slated for October 12-14 in Majuro, capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Full Story

STSP plays leading role in Taiwan's next wave of high-tech economic growth

The China Post - Driving the next wave of Taiwan's high-tech economic growth is the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP), which comprises the 1,038-hectare Tainan Science Park (TSP) and the 570-hectare Kaohsiung Science Park (KSP). Full Story

STSP home to artifacts, good working environment

The China Post - Technology with an artistic component is like a robot programmed with artificial intelligence. The robot has a more human touch. When one first steps into the Tainan Science Park (TSP), a lotus bulb ready to burst into full blossom can be seen. The lotus symbolizes the vigor and vitality of STSP. In contrast, the Cable Bridge a short distance away represents the development and breakthrough spirit of STSP. Full Story

VAC aims to elevate services for veterans, underprivileged groups

The China Post - In accordance with the government's Mega Warmth Welfare Program and its policies of assisting families with low and median income as well as small and medium enterprises, the Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) aims to take a series of steps to elevate services to all veterans and their families, as well as underprivileged compatriots. Full Story

Sharing of resources between veterans and general public

The China Post - Providing care for veterans has long been a core operation of the Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC). While looking after veterans is the commission's top priority, over the years it has realized sharing its resources with the public is important, so that more people -- especially those who are elderly or disabled -- may enjoy services provided by the VAC. Full Story

VAC does a lot for retired servicemen

The China Post - One major task facing the Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) is to take care of retired servicemen and their dependents. This task has been accomplished successfully. Full Story

History of Veterans Affairs Commission, Executive Yuan

The China Post - In 1949, the government launched a comprehensive campaign in Taiwan to accelerate national development and beef up military strength by implementing a series of concrete steps to take care of retired servicemen who had dedicated their youth to the nation. Full Story

VAC's farms and forestry projects thrive, draw visitors

The China Post - Along with a rapid transformation of Taiwan's economy, many agricultural and forestry projects formerly under the supervision of the Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) have been turned into leisure farms, forest parks and other tourist attractions. The VAC is helping these facilities draw more tourists by placing a strong focus on wildlife preservation, health agriculture and eco-tourism. Full Story

VAC taking steps to help veterans get employed

The China Post - Helping veterans find jobs is a vital mission of the Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) and covers the following five objectives: "education assistance," "job training," "holding job-related awareness campaigns," "entrepreneurship assistance," and "consolidation of government and private resources." Full Story

TFTC's mission: To build up a fair competition environment in Taiwan

The China Post - The Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) was set up in 1992 to build up a fair competition environment in Taiwan. Over the years the TFTC has worked to further free trade on the island and made sure that operations running contrary to the spirit of fair trade, such as monopolistic practices or collusion between companies to raise prices, were penalized and corrected. Full Story

Taiwan Fair Trade Commission's organization and duties

The China Post - The Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) was established on January 27, 1992 and is under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan (the Cabinet). The TFTC is the central authority in charge of competition policy and Fair Trade Law in Taiwan. Full Story

Taxi fares up 10% in Taipei starting November

The China Post - With the Taipei City Government's expected approval, a 10 percent taxi fare hike will come into effect in Taiwan's capital as early as Nov. 1st, a city transportation official announced yesterday after the city's public utilities rates screening committee selected one of the three taxi fare hikes proposed by taxi associations in Taipei. Full Story

Typhoons revive call for Suhua freeway

The China Post - The successive devastation of the Suao-Hualien Highway on the east coast by a series of typhoons, the disruptions of transport service and the soaring repair costs have combined to revive the call for early construction of the controversial Suhua (Suao-Hualien) freeway. Full Story

Farm losses from Krosa top NT$2.67 billion

The China Post - Premier Chang Chun-hsiung yesterday instructed the Council of Agriculture (COA) to provide both subsidies and low interest loans to help farmers severely battered by Typhoon Krosa to recover farming operations as early as possible. Full Story

Nuke risk model may improve national security

The China Post - In the wake of serious damage to Taiwan's infrastructure inflicted by Typhoon Krosa, officials from the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) recommended yesterday that the Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) model, currently used to evaluate the safety of Taiwan's nuclear power plants, be implemented to better protect the island's infrastructure. Full Story

Remnants of Typhoon Krosa cut power in eastern China

The China Post - The remnants of Typhoon Krosa deluged eastern China Monday, snarling transportation, cutting power and flooding roads and fields, state media reported Monday. In Vietnam, the death toll from a separate storm rose to 77. Full Story

Taipei officials seek lower textbook prices

The China Post - The Taipei City Government announced further negotiations with publishers of elementary school textbooks in a bid to obtain lower prices for parents. Full Story

Taiwan, China team up to save rare bird from extinction

The China Post - Taiwanese and mainland Chinese conservationists are joining hands to save an endangered sea bird from extinction by urging fishermen to stop collecting and eating the birds' eggs, a Taiwanese birdwatcher said yesterday. Full Story

Koxinga landing date changed back: Hsu

The China Post - The Tainan Municipal Archive reversed itself again yesterday, declaring that Koxinga landed in southern Taiwan on April 30, 1661. Full Story

Level of economic crime 'a catastrophe': expert

The China Post - Economic crime has become a serious problem in Taiwan in recent years, an academic said Saturday, noting that since 2000, over 450 individuals and corporations have been indicted for embezzling a total of more than NT$276.7 billion (US$8. 38 billion) in public or corporate funds. Full Story

Prosecutor urges criminalization of lax oversights by officials

The China Post - Financial officials who have failed to actively fulfill their duties of overseeing banking, capital market and corporate operations should be subject to strict criminal penalties to ward off major economic and financial crimes, a prosecutor said Saturday. Full Story

Top universities coping with pyramid scheme

The China Post - At least three universities, all of them top national institutions of higher learning, are trying to cope with a rampant direct sales pyramid scheme. Full Story

Government to put opening of casino industry on hold

The China Post - The government will not open up the casino industry for the moment due to the absence of relevant legal framework and a lack of public consensus, Ho Mei-yueh, chairwoman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), said yesterday. Full Story

7 dead, 52 injured after Typhoon Krosa

The China Post - The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) lifted the land warning on Typhoon Krosa for the Taiwan area yesterday afternoon but maintained the warning on possible torrential rains. Authorities reported that at least seven people were dead, 52 others injured and several still missing in typhoon-related incidents throughout the island. Full Story

Vegetable prices skyrocket in wake of Typhoon Krosa

The China Post - The price of agricultural goods has sky-rocketed due to the powerful winds and torrential rain brought by Typhoon Krosa. "There will not be any reasonable prices for vegetables this fall," said Chen Chung-nan, official of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co. Full Story

Agricultural losses from Typhoon Krosa amount to NT$749 million, says COA

The China Post - Total agricultural losses as a result of Typhoon Krosa amounted to NT$749 million as of yesterday afternoon, with Nantou County, Tainan County and Hualien County bearing the brunt of the losses, the Council of Agriculture (COA) reported yesterday. Full Story

Taipei to probe cause of mudslide claiming 2 lives

The China Post - Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said yesterday the Taipei City Government has turned the case of two men buried in a mudslide -- triggered by Typhoon Krosa -- to prosecutors for investigation. Full Story

Taipei department store reports losses after storm

The China Post - Typhoon Krosa has caused over NT$100 million in lost business due to a day's close of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store's Nanking West Road branch, the store said yesterday. Full Story

Hualien claims NT$100 million in tourism losses

The China Post - Intense media coverage of Typhoon Krosa has negatively impacted the tourism industry around Taiwan, officials from the tourism and hotel industries said yesterday. In Hualien County alone, the three-day typhoon could have caused up to NT$100 million in damages to the local hotel industry, they claimed. Full Story

Snapped power lines disrupts rail services

The China Post - Snapped power lines blocked railroad traffic near Tainan City yesterday. Both tracks returned to normal operation at 9:35 p.m. after blockage of two-way traffic. Full Story

Taipei Blood Center asks for more blood; Taipei's reserves critical

The China Post - Officials from Taipei Blood Center (TBC) are making an urgent appeal to the public to donate more blood. They said that following the severe Typhoon Krosa's damages, the TBC has been facing a serious blood shortage. Full Story

EPA marks 20 years with global vision

The China Post - Now in its 20th year, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has certainly come a long way: Taiwan in 2006 ranked 24th out of 133 countries in Environmental Performance Index, a measure produced by Yale and Columbia universities in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. In addition, the daily per capita garbage amount is one of the lowest in the world at 0.6 kilograms. Full Story

Politics in mind at South Korea film fest

The China Post - Opening weekend at the Pusan International Film Festival is usually all about parties and entertainment, but this year politics has been very much on people's minds. Full Story

Krosa still making impact; China on alert

The China Post - Strong Typhoon Krosa slowed down to a medium typhoon yesterday afternoon, after lashing northern Taiwan with powerful winds and torrential rain. Full Story

Retail vegetable prices soar sharply on typhoon winds

The China Post - Local retail vegetable prices soared on the strong winds of Supertyphoon Krosa yesterday, with one catty of scullion hitting a high of NT$170 in Taipei, according to market sources. Full Story

No typhoon madness for Taitung; scorching winds

The China Post - The eastern county of Taitung, where work and school was hardly disrupted by typhoon Krosa yesterday, was hit by scorching winds, with temperatures rising to as high as 38.5 degrees Celsius, the Central News Agency said. Full Story

All major transportation disrupted as Krosa hits

The China Post - Flights were canceled, train services disrupted and roads blocked by mudslides yesterday as typhoon Krosa hit Taiwan. Full Story

Typhoon fails to dampen Community Center's spirit

The China Post - While Typhoon Krosa roared outside, the Community Service Center's premier fundraising event of the year-its charity dinner auction-went ahead as planned Saturday, Oct. 6. During the event, special recognition was given to the China American Petrochemical Corp. (CAPCO) as well as David Dea and Gray Gleason. Full Story

COA says 47 rivers at high risk of mudflows

The China Post - Forty-seven rivers are at high risk of experiencing mudflows owing to heavy rain caused by Typhoon Krosa, officials at the Council of Agriculture's Soil and Water Conservation Bureau warned yesterday. Full Story

Krosa causes over 600,000 household power outages

The China Post - More than 600,000 households have experienced power outages as a result of Typhoon Krosa as of 3:00 p.m. Saturday, according to Taiwan Power Co. officials said. Full Story

Education Fair held for Canada study

The China Post - "Study in Canada and pursue your dream," was the motto of this year's Canadian Education Fair, an event held twice a year since 1991 to encourage local students to study overseas in Canada. Full Story

Typhoon Krosa to hit north hardest tonight

The China Post - Strong Typhoon Krosa is expected to hit northern Taiwan the hardest tonight and early morning tomorrow with unusually heavy rainfall seen to reach 800 to 1,100 mm in northern and northwestern mountain regions, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). Full Story

Typhoon, supertyphoon or hurricane? Catchy misnomers can be misleading

The China Post - The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) announced yesterday that Typhoon Krosa would affect Taiwan's weather for the next couple of days, and pointed out that local Chinese media tend to misuse the terms "Typhoon, supertyphoon or hurricane" to sound catchy, only generating confusion among the public. Full Story

Public offices in north, east to close today

The China Post - All public offices and schools in northern and eastern Taiwan except Hsinchu City will be closed today as the severe Typhoon Krosa is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to the regions. Full Story

The Department of Health to probe use of bovine bone in dental treatment

The China Post - The Department of Health (DOH) pledged yesterday to step up its inspections concerning the illegal use of bovine bone-based material in dental implant surgery, amid fears that such material may have been imported from mad cow disease-affected areas. Full Story

Pinkeye cases on the rise, may signal serious epidemic

The China Post - The recent increase in conjunctivitis cases throughout the island might signal a more serious epidemic, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Taiwan's Bamboo Union gang boss dies of cancer

The China Post - The boss of Taiwan's largest gang who was convicted in a high-profile political murder plotted by a military intelligence chief in the 1980s has died of cancer in Hong Kong. Full Story

'Lucky' families to return Car Free Day prizes

The China Post - Two "lucky" families have been asked to return prizes they won in a lucky draw for the 2007 International Taipei Car Free Day after poor monitoring of the activity allowed them to take home more than two dozen prizes up for grabs, a local newspaper reported yesterday. Full Story

Taitung underground weapons factory busted

The China Post - The police in Taitung County, eastern Taiwan busted an underground firearm factory in the county Thursday, nabbing the factory owner and a batch of guns and tools. Full Story

Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution' posts strong results abroad

The China Post - Ang Lee said recently his new movie -- a Chinese-language spy thriller set in Hong Kong and Shanghai -- may put him in a marginal position in the U.S. market after making popular American movies like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Hulk." Full Story

Cleveland clobbers Yankees in opener

The China Post - The New York Yankees executed their game plan brilliantly, taking pitch after pitch, exhausting Cleveland Indians ace C.C. Sabathia so thoroughly that he lasted only five innings Thursday night. Full Story

Wang eager to play again despite loss

The China Post - Taiwanese New York Yankees pitcher Wang Chien-ming said that despite feeling "disappointed" about the team's first playoffs loss, he was determined to play again as early as the 4th game, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

The Central Weather Bureau expected to issue land warning for Typhoon Krosa

The China Post - The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) is expected to issue a land warning for Typhoon Krosa this morning after it sounded a sea warning yesterday afternoon against the latest typhoon threatening Taiwan this year. Full Story

NT$3 billion in bets for Wang as winning pitcher in playoffs

The China Post - Wang Chien-ming is a "glory of Taiwan." That alone has enabled bookmakers in Taiwan to chalk up NT$3 billion in wagers for a win by the New York Yankees in the first of their best-of-five American League playoff games with the Cleveland Indians today. Full Story

Wang and Sabathia: Ace pitchers on display in Yankee-Indians AL opener

The China Post - The ace pitchers sport identical 19-7 records. Both were born in 1980, and both have become the starter their team is so confident in that they will take the ball in Game 1 of the American League Division Series Thursday night at Jacobs Field. Full Story

Drug contaminated crabs from India to be destroyed

The China Post - The Department of Health (DOH) ordered yesterday that a batch of live crabs imported from India be destroyed after it was discovered that they contained residue of the forbidden antibiotic nitrofurans, a DOH official said that same day. Full Story

CLA to work with BSI on disaster reduction system

The China Post - The British Standards Institution (BSI) will assist the Cabinet-level council of Labor Affairs (CLA) in developing a new mechanism aimed at reducing occupational accidents and disasters at local factories or workplaces, a CLA official said yesterday. Full Story

Tainan University to be first complete academy

The China Post - The National University of Tainan (NUTN) in Tainan City, southern Taiwan, is expected to become the first complete learning institution in Taiwan in 2009 when it begins to accept junior high school students, the university's chief said yesterday. Full Story

Taichung firm fined for age discrimination

The China Post - The Taichung City Government in central Taiwan fined a construction firm NT$300,000 (US$9,000) for age discrimination in hiring, representing the first monetary penalty against age discrimination since such rule was added to the Employment Service Law in May. Full Story

Taipei-Yilan freeway to open for bus service at year-end

The China Post - The Taipei-Yilan freeway, inaugurated in May 2006 and open to small cars only, will be opened to passenger bus operation at the end of the year, with two selected bus companies moving to import the most advanced buses from abroad to best serve passengers. Full Story

Former cop found to be behind extortion schemes

The China Post - A former police detective was arrested in Taoyuan Wednesday for masterminding a spate of badger games. Also rounded up were his mobster partner and 37 underlings as well as teenage girls. Full Story

Underground futures dealer nabbed for debt collection

The China Post - Taipei police rounded up Lin Tsai-sheng, 37, and eight others including six teenagers for usury debt collection yesterday. Lin was an underground futures dealer in Taipei. Full Story

Man uses dog-napping to force a tryst with owner

The China Post - A love-lorn man was indicted yesterday for abducting a pet dog to coerce a tryst with his girlfriend. Chow Ping-yi, 34, of Taipei, was prosecuted on two counts: fraud and coercion. Full Story

Deal with students' lack of sleep: KMT

The China Post - Lawmakers urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday to come up with substantial measures within one month to address the issue of students not getting enough sleep due to heavy school workloads. Full Story

Ministry of Education eases rules for loans to study abroad

The China Post - The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday approved a set of revisions to rules governing loans to students to finance their advanced studies abroad, with those students whose annual family incomes are under NT$1.45 million to apply for the loans, up from a previous ceiling of NT$1.2 million. Full Story

More protest against Taipei MRT station

The China Post - Some 30 protests erupted again at the Council for Cultural Affairs in Taipei yesterday as members from the Losheng Sanitorium Leprosy Patient's Self-Help Organization and the Youth Union for Leprosy Patient Rights demanded a stop to the 75-year-old site's destruction, which would clear the area for the planned Hsingchuang mass rapid transit (MRT) station. Full Story

Drug addict arrested again in Hsinchu after two days on the lam

The China Post - A drug addict that miraculously managed to escape while being escorted to Hsinchu District Prosecutor's Office on Monday was arrested again yesterday morning, according to the police. Full Story

22-year sentence sought for Chiayi speaker over graft

The China Post - The speaker of the county council of Chiayi in southern Taiwan was indicted yesterday on charges of corruption and prosecutors demanded a 22-year sentence for him. Full Story

10 Rebar defendants stay in custody

The China Post - The Taipei District Court ruled yesterday that 10 defendants connected with the Rebar Asia-Pacific Group scandal will remain in custody for two more months despite their plea for release after their current custody term expires. Full Story

Central Weather Bureau keeps monitoring typhoon

The China Post - Typhoon Krosa, which was upgraded from a tropical storm yesterday morning, is not expected to affect Taiwan until Saturday. But the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) will maintain close monitoring of the movements of the latest typhoon this year, said bureau officials. Full Story

Clemens OK, slated to start Game 3 vs. Indians

The China Post - It's all systems go for Roger Clemens. The Rocket got through his simulated game in Tampa Tuesday with no immediate problems. Full Story

Make 'tracks' to the new bike and walking path through Chiayi rice paddies

The China Post - An enterprising team of urban planners in the southwestern Taiwan city of Chiayi (嘉義) recently took over an unused and abandoned railroad running through the middle of the city and transformed it into a scenic "pedestrian paradise" and bicycle path with views of the distant Central Mountain Range. Full Story

Keelung's unforgettable caves

The China Post - Hemmed in by steep hills crowned with the remains of five old forts, Taiwan's northeastern city of Keelung is a much more interesting, even surprising, place than many give it credit for. Full Story

Mayor Chen 'disappointed' over lottery

The China Post - Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu expressed strong disappointment yesterday over a Ministry of Finance (MOF) formal announcement of the winning bank of the country's first sports lottery to be launched next year. Full Story

Taipei International Flower Exhibition to open at the end of October

The China Post - The 2007 Taipei International Flower Exhibition will be held Oct. 31-Nov. 4 at the Taipei World Trade Center, with local growers and counterparts from six other countries -- the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia -- invited to showcase their special flora, a spokesman for the event organizer, the Council of Agriculture (COA), said yesterday. Full Story

2007 NTSO music festival to launch October 6 in Taichung

The China Post - The 2007 International Music Festival organized by National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) will begin Oct. 6 in Taichung City in central Taiwan, an NTSO spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

Department of Health, experts allay mercury flu shot worries

The China Post - Officials at the Department of Health (DOH) emphasized yesterday the safety of the mercury in the flu vaccines while medical experts urged parents not to let their young children skip the injection because of the mercury issue. Full Story

Majority of nail polish improperly labeled, some contain lead: CF

The China Post - About 67 percent of nail polish products sold in Taiwan are improperly labeled, with over 2 percent of those tested containing excessive amounts of the heavy metal lead, said the Consumers' Foundation (CF) yesterday. Full Story

Tropical Storm Krosa 'likely' to affect Taiwan in 4-5 days: CWB

The China Post - Tropical Storm Krosa, the 15th storm in the western Pacific this year, formed Tuesday morning east of the Philippines and is likely to affect Taiwan in four to five days, said the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) yesterday. Full Story

Chiayi temperatures reach record October high: CWB

The China Post - Temperatures in the southern region of Chiayi soared to 34.2 degrees Celsius yesterday afternoon -- the highest October temperature recorded in the area in the past 40 years, said the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). Full Story

Court hands down 11-year sentence in abuse case

The China Post - The Taiwan High Court has sentenced a man to 11 years in prison for his involvement in an abuse case which led to the death of his girlfriend's seven-year-old daughter, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Changhua court allows man to divorce comatose wife

The China Post - The Changhua District Court allowed the divorce of a couple who had been married for 22 years, because the wife has been in a coma for the past three years, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

A 'tragedy of errors' in Panchiao bike theft dispute

The China Post - It pays to know English, well, at least some letters of the alphabet. That adage was learned a little too late by a 54-year-old resident of Panchiao Sunday. Full Story

Wholesalers arrested for selling fake fashion goods

The China Post - Three wholesalers in the southern port city of Kaohsiung have been arrested on suspicion of distributing counterfeit fashion goods to local retailers, police sources said yesterday. Full Story

Hualien reports 89 cases of enterovirus among students

The China Post - Hualien County in eastern Taiwan has reported 89 cases of enterovirus among schoolchildren in the first nine months of this year, resulting in the temporary closure of eight kindergartens and nurseries, the Department of Health under the Hualien County government said yesterday. Full Story

Special Olympics provide a spectacular warmup to the 2008 Olympics

The China Post - he 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games -- a sports extravaganza for the intellectually disabled -- opened in Shanghai Tuesday with much fanfare and pageantry, attracting celebrities around the globe to celebrate the causes of equality, inclusion and tolerance, which are central to the Special Olympic Movement. Full Story

Yankees hoping mastery over Indians carries over to playoffs

The China Post - The New York Yankees take great pride in their accomplishments in a regular season that began with more valleys than peaks but finished with them running their consecutive playoff appearance streak to 13. Full Story

Flu shots with mercury pose no medical problems: CDC

The China Post - Officials at the Department of Health (DOH) urged parents to let their young children receive the free injection of anti-influenza vaccines despite the controversy over the mercury in the vaccines. Full Story

EPA issues west coast warning on ozone pollution

The China Post - Ozone concentrations on the west coast will remain high today and people should cut down on outdoor activities to the minimum, according to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). Full Story

Foreign professionals visit Kaohsiung recycling plants

The China Post - A group of foreign resource recycling professionals visited resource recycling plants in Kaohsiung County in southern Taiwan to acquire a better understanding of Taiwan's performance in this regard, an Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) official said yesterday. Full Story

2 high-tech labs to open at Chengkung University

The China Post - The National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL) will open branches on nanotechnology and chip design at National Chengkung University (NCU) in southern Taiwan later this week, a university spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

One in four students depressed and need treatment: foundation

The China Post - According to a recent survey by the John Tung Foundation (JTF) entitled "Taiwanese college student depression behavior," has indicated that one out of every four students is in need of treatment for depression. Full Story

Academia Sinica develops sugar chip to detect cancer

The China Post - Researchers at Academia Sinica have completed the development of a new "sugar chip" that is able to diagnose cancer cell, bacterial, or viral infection within seconds and with high accuracy, academic sources said yesterday. Full Story

Original opera to make Taipei debut in November

The China Post - "Firmiana Rain," an original opera created by the Taiwan-born U.S.-based composer Chen May-tchi, will make its debut at the National Theater in Taipei City Nov. 1, followed by two further performances Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, a spokesman for the theater said yesterday. Full Story

Suspects confess in Tainan double murder

The China Post - Suspects of a double murder in Tainan County were caught and then confessed, according to the police officials yesterday. Full Story

National Palace Museum's annual sale to open October 5

The China Post - The National Palace Museum will hold a three-day sale from Oct. 5 to offer its publications, a wide range of reproductions of art pieces in its collection, and various souvenir items in celebration of its 81st anniversary, a spokesman for the museum said yesterday. Full Story

Motorists attacked by drunken policeman

The China Post - A national highway police officer, who was driving under the influence of alcohol, cut off a pick-up truck and pepper-sprayed the driver and passenger on Sunday evening. Full Story

Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun makes flying start at Japan Open

The China Post - Taiwan number one Lu Yen-Hsun fought off a ferocious challenge from Asian Games gold medalist Danai Udomchoke to move into the Japan Open second round here Monday. Full Story

Four children burned alive in Tatsun garage-home fire

The China Post - Four children, including a two-month-old baby girl, were burned alive in a mid-morning garage-home fire in Tatsun near Changhua on Sunday. Full Story

Three dead hogs produce 300 kg of worms a month

The China Post - Dead hogs are of no use. The only thing that can be done with them is to destroy them by incineration. A clever worm seller, however, turned the deceased swine into a small golden goose. It's not at all difficult. Full Story

Foreign youths 'initiated' at temple

The China Post - "I was greatly impressed." So said Dario Rivera after he was initiated at a coming-of-age ceremony held at Taipei's Confucian Temple yesterday. Full Story

7th annual Foreign Workers poetry, essay contest held

The China Post - Taipei's seventh annual Foreign Workers Poetry & Essay contest took place in the 228 Memorial Peace Park yesterday, bringing together both local Taiwanese and migrants from all over Southeast Asia for an afternoon of inter-cultural artistic appreciation. Full Story

Two injured in gas explosion in Hualien

The China Post - A gas explosion broke out yesterday morning at a cafeteria in Chian Township in the eastern county of Hualien, leaving two people seriously injured. Full Story

FAA plane safety seminar to be in Taipei

The China Post - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation will hold an aircraft maintenance safety seminar in Taipei Oct. 4-5, with some 120 technicians and executives from Taiwan and abroad attending. Full Story

2007 Taiwan International Animation Festival begins

The China Post - The 2007 Taiwan International Animation Festival is being held at Shin Kong Cineplex in Taipei's Ximending shopping district for 10 days until Oct. 7. Full Story

Man clubbed to death for stolen baseball supplement

The China Post - The popularity of Taiwanese New York Yankees pitcher Wang Chien-ming proved so deadly that a man was clubbed to death for stealing a newspaper supplement about the baseball star, Taiwan media reported Saturday. Full Story

Kidnappers get caught up in presidential motorcade

The China Post - Four Taiwanese gangsters who kidnapped a woman in the southern county of Tainan were wretched enough to bump into the touring motorcade of President Chen Shui-bian, local media reported Sunday. Full Story

Tropical Storm Lekima unlikely to affect Taiwan

The China Post - Tropical Storm Lekima, the 14th named storm in western Pacific this year, came into being in the South China Sea yesterday, but is unlikely to affect Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). Full Story

Police arrest pair of hustlers for allegedly swindling 200 nurses

The China Post - Two plain-looking but sweet-talking Taiwanese young men have swindled 200 nurses by pretending to be their lovers, a newspaper said Saturday. Full Story

Kinmen turns old barracks into recycling centers

The China Post - The Kinmen county government held a seminar Saturday to exhibit its success in remodeling derelict barracks into recycling centers, with Magistrate Lee Chu-feng hailing it as a mutually beneficial development for the military and the private sector. Full Story

Old Keelung heroin smuggling case closed

The China Post - Keelung customs officials announced the closure of a drug smuggling case Friday in which a large amount of heroin was concealed in the hollowed-out base of a Buddha statute. Full Story

Traffic control plans put in place for National Day activities

The China Post - Traffic controls around the Presidential Office on Oct. 3, 5, and 7 to facilitate the rehearsal of National Day celebration activities, the Taipei City Police Department said yesterday. The traffic controls will be enforced from 12:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., Oct. 3 and 5, and from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Oct. 7. But the controls may be advanced or extended pending the conditions, police said. Full Story

First annual police skill and technique contest held in Taipei

The China Post - The first annual police skill and technique contest took place yesterday in Taipei in a National Police Agency (NPA) attempt to tackle officers' overweight issues. Full Story

'Grandma Joyce' Park inaugurated in Changhua

The China Post - A life education park in memory of the late American philanthropist Joyce McMillan and her devotion to the nation's disadvantaged children was inaugurated Saturday in Changhua County's Erhlin township. Full Story

Hog kidneys from Canada found with banned drug

The China Post - Imported frozen hog kidneys from Canada have recently been discovered to contain the residue of ractopamine, a banned drug in Taiwan, Feng Jun-lan, an official responsible for food health at the Department of Health (DOH), said Saturday. Full Story

Boss of notorious booze bandits gang nabbed

The China Post - Police in Kaohsiung have arrested three suspects in a crackdown on a gang who focused on stealing alcoholic storages, officials said yesterday. Full Story

Kaohsiung university inks pact with volunteer org.

The China Post - National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology (NKFUST) in southern Taiwan signed an agreement Friday with the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and its Taiwan branch to pave the way for future international exchanges in service-learning. Full Story

Disney's High School Musical 2 is a big hit

The China Post - Disney Channel won across youth demographics in Taiwan with the premiere of the worldwide smash hit High School Musical 2. It was the most-watched program in its timeslot against all free-to-air and cable TV channels among cable kids 4-14 and 10-14 and was the top movie of the day against all channels among cable girls 10-14 and cable individuals 15-24. Full Story

Taiwan celebrates Confucius' birthday

The China Post - All Confucian temples around Taiwan celebrated the 2,557th birthday anniversary of Confucius, China's greatest sage and teacher yesterday. Outstanding teachers were cited on the same day, which is also the Teachers' Day in Taiwan. Full Story

Most teachers unhappy with government reforms

The China Post - Ninety percent of teachers in Taipei City feel that they are not respected by the government when it comes to making education reforms, according to the latest survey by a local organization. Full Story

1.5 tons of U.S. strawberries destroyed

The China Post - A shipment of almost 1.5 metric tons of fresh American strawberries was destroyed in Taipei County yesterday because it contained excessive levels The China Post news staff. Full Story

Majority of children afraid to walk to school

The China Post - Seventy percent of children are afraid to walk to school and thirty percent have been injured on their way to school, according to the latest survey by a local child safety foundation. Full Story

Tursunov beats Taiwan's Wang to reach Thailand Open semis

The China Post - Russian Dmitry Tursunov fired 14 aces to beat Taiwan's Wang Yeu-tzuoo 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Friday, putting him through to the Thailand Open semifinals. Full Story

Hewitt moves into Mumbai Open quarterfinals

The China Post - Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt overcame initial resistance from Serbian Boris Pashanski to storm into the Mumbai Open quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory here Thursday. Full Story

Newspapers most trusted source of info: study

The China Post - Newspapers remain the most trusted source of information among Asian business stakeholders while Web-based media has overtaken television as the second most popular choice, a study said on Thursday. Full Story

'Huakang Wolf' released on parole

The China Post - The notorious serial rapist known as the "Huakang Wolf" was released on parole yesterday after serving 12 years of a 16-year prison term. Full Story

Hairy crabs can be imported if criteria met: The Department of Health

The China Post - Hairy crabs from China can be imported into Taiwan only if they meet inspection criteria, a Department of Health (DOH) official said yesterday. Full Story

92 percent of seized China-made medicines contain banned drugs

The China Post - Some 92 percent of Chinese made medicines examined by local health authorities in the past few years, including those promoted for weight loss, as health foods, or herbal medicines, were found to contain banned drugs, Executive Yuan's Secretary-General Chen Ching-jun said at a news conference yesterday. Full Story

Chinese woman's term in killing husband cut for 'normal defense'

The China Post - The Taipei District Court yesterday sentenced a Chinese woman to three years in jail for killing her husband, but immediately reduced her jail term to one year and six months, citing "normal defense" as the reason for the deduction in accordance with a sentence deduction statute enforced. Full Story

Children's picture book tells ancient Formosa story

The China Post - A children's picture book launched yesterday tells the 16th century story of Cheng Cheng-kung's attack on Taiwan during the Dutch occupation era, when Taiwan was known as Formosa, and reviews the well-known story according to a foreign perspective. Full Story

Government education spending up since 2000

The China Post - The central government's annual education expenditure has been rising since 2000 when the Democratic Progressive Party took power, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday. Full Story

Public Construction Commission to revive 24 more idle public facilities

The China Post - The Executive Yuan's Public Construction Commission (PCC) will revive by the end of this year an additional 24 public facilities built at a cost of NT$7 billion (US$212.57 million) but standing idle, a commission official said yesterday. Full Story

More female centenarians than males in Taichung

The China Post - Female centenarians in Taichung County in central Taiwan outnumber males 46 to 19, an official of the county's Social Affairs Bureau said yesterday, quoting the results of a recent survey conducted by the bureau. Full Story

International conference to discuss Matsu

The China Post - The Lienchiang county government has requested that Academia Sinica organize an international conference in October to discuss belief in Goddess Matsu and its connection with the Matsu islands, officials with the county government's Cultural Affairs Bureau said yesterday. Full Story

Kinmen veers toward China after cease-fire

The China Post - Artillery shells from China have defined Wu Tseng-dong's life. He ducked them for 20 years and earned a living making knives from their casings. Now he looks forward to meeting the enemy who launched them. Full Story

Absconding Chinese crewmen on the increase

The China Post - The number of Chinese crewmen working aboard Taiwanese fishing boats who have absconded has increased, the Council of Agriculture (COA) reported yesterday. Full Story

Yankees clinch AL playoff spot

The China Post - The New York Yankees clinched their 13th straight postseason appearance, beating Tampa Bay 12-4 on Wednesday to assure themselves of at least a wild-card berth. Full Story

Ang Lee's new film 'difficult for foreigners'

The China Post - Taiwan's government presented director Ang Lee with an award of NT$20 million (US$600,000) Tuesday after his movie Se, Jie (Lust, Caution) won the coveted Golden Lion for best film at the 64th Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Full Story

Yo-Yo Ma takes his Silk Road Project to China

The China Post - Yo-Yo Ma is taking his Silk Road Project to China. The ensemble, which performs music from countries along the ancient trade route that stretched from Europe to the Far East, last went there in 2001. Full Story

Sports lotteries at odds with public welfare

The China Post - Why is the government allowing the new sports lottery to unfairly compete with the public welfare lottery that it previously established, asked members of the Chamber of Commerce of Lottery Dealers who worried about the opening of the sports lottery due to start in April 2008. Full Story

MOJ cautious in handling undercover law

The China Post - The Ministry of Justice said yesterday that it will take stock of the undercover investigation systems used in other countries to thrash out a similar system. Full Story

Taiwan HSR celebrates 10 millionth passenger

The China Post - Chang Chieh-wen, a commissioner at the National Civil Service Institute's Mid-island Campus, became the 10 millionth passenger to use the high speed rail on Wednesday, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) announced later the same day. Full Story

First black-faced spoonbills of the year arrive in the South

The China Post - Two migratory black-faced spoonbills were spotted Tuesday at the mouth of the Zengwun River in the Chiku wetlands sanctuary in Tainan County, local bird observers reported Wednesday, announcing that the water birds are the first of their kind to arrive in Taiwan to winter this year. Full Story

Department of Health urges bird-watchers to keep distance

The China Post - The Department of Health (DOH) urged the public yesterday not to go too close to birds when watching them during the autumn and winter bird-watching season. Full Story

Most Internet users easily give up other media: poll

The China Post - Almost half of Taiwan's adults surfed the Internet on a daily basis in 2007, up from three in ten in 2006, according to a new study published yesterday. Full Story

Taipei Area rentals, fees cut sharply

The China Post - The Taipei City Government yesterday announced a set of standards governing collection of various kinds of fees for renting space in the Taipei Arena, sharply reducing decoration fees to NT$90,000-NT$120,000 for different time sections from its original uniform charge of NT$600,000 for any time section collected before. Full Story

American visitor conned out of NT$12.2 million

The China Post - A female United States resident was cheated out of NT$12.2 million (US$370,000) by a phone fraud operation when she visited relatives in Taiwan last month, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday. Full Story

Record garbage levels in Taipei after Moon Festival

The China Post - The volume of garbage collected in Taipei City in the final two days of the Moon Festival holiday hit a record high due to barbeque activities, with 21 tons of garbage, 1.5 tons of leftovers, and 3.3 tons of recyclable materials, the United Evening News reported yesterday. Full Story

Man nabbed at airport for drug smuggling to Malaysia

The China Post - Taiwan airport police Tuesday arrested a Malaysian man for trying to smuggle 30,000 Erimin 5 tablets, a banned drug, to Malaysia. Full Story

Free flu vaccination to start in October for high-risk groups

The China Post - This year's free influenza inoculations will start Oct. 1 and last until Nov. 30 for high-risk groups including the elderly, children and medical personnel, the deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Full Story

Taichung mother kills self and her two children

The China Post - A woman in Taichung County committed suicide on Mid-Autumn Festival by carbon poisoning, taking the lives of two of her children with her, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

China urged to inspect its exports thoroughly

The China Post - China has to rigorously inspect its exported products, instead of taking Taiwan to task for adopting strict standards in inspecting hairy crab imports from China, Executive Yuan spokesman Shieh Jyh-wey said yesterday. Full Story

Morticians, funeral directors to require licenses next year

The China Post - If you want to be a mortician or funeral director in Taiwan, you need a license, starting next year. So far no morticians have been asked to get a license to practice their trade. Full Story

500 Chinese tourists to visit Penghu County

The China Post - Five hundred Chinese tourists will visit the outlying county of Penghu later this month and early next month, providing a new boost for Penghu's tourism, a local travel agent said yesterday. Full Story

Motorcyclists warned to stay off the sidewalks

The China Post - The Taipei City Police Department warned motorcyclists in the capital city Wednesday to stay off the sidewalks or risk fines of at least NT$600 (US$18). Full Story

Lee Ang gives his GIO award to new artists

The China Post - Minister Shieh Jhy-wei of the Government Information Office yesterday rewarded Taiwan-born film director Ang Lee with NT$20 million after he won his second Golden Lion award at the 2007 Venice Festival. Lee, who said he had conflicting feelings, promised however to donate the reward to help emerging directors and young artists. Full Story

Holiday BBQs a success, officials say

The China Post - Officials of the Taipei City Government and other local-level county and municipal governments around the island plan to organize similar outdoor barbecues for the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays next year. Full Story

Smooth sailing for homebound travelers

The China Post - Transport services ran smoothly yesterday when people were returning back to the Taipei area at the conclusion of the four-day Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. Full Story

Pomelo prices plummet after Moon Festival rush

The China Post - Fruit lovers in the country are in for a treat: the price of pomelos, a popular fruit consumed during Mid-Autumn Festival, has plummeted to about half the pre-holiday price, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

Moon roundest tomorrow, says weather bureau

The China Post - Despite the Mid-Autumn Festival being over, the best time for moon-watching -- a popular activity during the holiday -- is actually tomorrow, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday. Full Story

Slovak folk ensemble makes its Taipei debut

The China Post - Lucnica, the famous National Folklore Ballet from Bratislava, Slovakia made its debut in Taipei yesterday with an outstanding music and dance performance at the Zhongshan Hall, choreographed by Stefan Nosal, the troupe's artistic director for more than 50 years. Full Story

Taiwanese dancer to present new dance creations in New York City

The China Post - Taiwanese dancer Sheu Fang-yi, who was a principal dancer of the prestigious New York-based Martha Graham Dance Company, said yesterday she will present Taiwanese audiences with new works created during her stay at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, in January next year. Full Story

'Halo 3' fans brave heat in anticipation of game's release

The China Post - Fans of the new Xbox game Halo 3 braved scorching sun yesterday to wait for the product's release in Taipei, and finally got what they wanted when the game hit the shelves at 3 p.m. Full Story

Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival to kick off

The China Post - The 2007 Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 2 at the Chen-Shan-Mei cinema in Taipei City and will feature the premiere screening of "Pas-taai -- The Saisiat Ceremony in 1936" on Oct. 30, event organizers said yesterday. Full Story

Aowanda bridge damage may block tourist attraction

The China Post - A popular tourist spot known for its maple tree forest might not be able offer visitors the chance to view the colorful trees this fall due to a damaged drawbridge, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

TransAsia, China's Sichuan plan joint venture: report

The China Post - Taiwan's TransAsia Airways and China's Sichuan Airlines plan to set up a joint airline in Shanghai to profit from the aviation boom on the mainland, the Economic Daily News reported Tuesday. The report said the joint venture would be capitalized at no less than 300 million yuan (US$40 million) and was scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter next year at the earliest. Full Story

Man breaks arm in Fu-Tsu rail station fall

The China Post - A hazardous platform in Fu-Tsu Railway Station near Fengyuan City, Taichung County, has caused a local resident to fall and fracture his left arm, reported the Central News Agency yesterday. Full Story

Legislator attacked by man during campaign

The China Post - A legislator was hurt after a man attacked him during a campaign activity in Taipei County yesterday, police said. Full Story

AIDS patient caught stealing air conditioner

The China Post - A 32-year-old AIDS patient was arrested Monday evening as he was trying to steal an air conditioner from a sports center in Hualien. The patient, surnamed Chen, broke into a sports center whose business has been put on hold, and stole the air conditioner. Full Story

Ang Lee 'very satisfied' new film shown in entirety

The China Post - Popular film director Ang Lee will receive a US$300,000 award from the Government Information Office today for his prize-winning picture "Lust, Caution." Full Story

Pianist Vasary 'listens to public silence'

The China Post - Renowned pianist and conductor Tamas Vasary, 74, will perform an exclusive piano recital on Thursday Sept. 26, announced officials from the National Concert Hall yesterday. Full Story

Moon-watchers urged to take public transportation

The China Post - People interested in going to famous moon-watching places are urged to take public transportation as these places will be crowded, transportation authorities urged yesterday. Full Story

Fewer gifts, more barbecues during festival holiday: poll

The China Post - The gift-giving culture among office workers is on the decline, but the practice of having barbecues during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday is rising unabated, according to the results of an online survey released yesterday. Full Story

Traditional mooncakes are now available online

The China Post - Mooncakes made by traditional bakeries are available online, with more choices, lower prices and guaranteed delivery, a representative of the Internet shopping industry said yesterday. Full Story

Motorists cautioned while entering and exiting Hualien area

The China Post - The Highway Bureau yesterday cautioned motorists about driving on the landslide-prone Suao-Hualien and Central East-West Highways after the roads, situated between high mountains, were hit by many fallen rocks and mudslides earlier that morning. Full Story

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications announces new online traffic management

The China Post - The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has announced a new online traffic management system that will provide up-to-the-minute information and improve road conditions -- but probably at the public's expense, local media reported yesterday. Full Story

15 percent of products are not properly labeled: CPC

The China Post - The Cabinet-level Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) said Sunday that 15 percent of the products it surveyed recently were found not to be properly labeled. Full Story

Debut of HSR online booking draws complaints

The China Post - The online booking system for the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) began yesterday, amid user complaints about the system. Full Story

Parents urged to have kids vaccinated during flu season

The China Post - The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday urged parents of first- and second-grade elementary students around Taiwan to sign an agreement allowing their children to undergo free influenza inoculations in schools. Full Story

First anti-human trafficking film festival to be held

The China Post - The Garden of Hope Foundation will hold the first anti-human trafficking film festival in Taipei City this October to attract greater public attention to the issue of human rights, a spokeswoman for the foundation said yesterday. Full Story

January-August labor force participation rate hits record

The China Post - The labor force participation rate reached 58.24 percent during the January-August period, the highest figure on record for the same period over the past 10 years, according to statistics released yesterday by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). Full Story

Taiwan residents protest funeral parlor's billboard

The China Post - Residents in a Taipei suburb are demanding the removal of a funeral parlor's service billboard, which they say is spooky, a newspaper reported Sunday. Full Story

Hospitals offering drug therapy urged to watch for drug-peddlers

The China Post - The Department of Health (DOH) will ask hospitals and medical institutions that provide substitution therapy to narcotic addicts to watch out for drug peddling activities near their facilities, a DOH official said yesterday. Full Story

Cops swarmed by angry teens over traffic accident

The China Post - Around 100 teenagers protesting a traffic accident in Hsinchu County overwhelmed police on Sunday night. Full Story

Taiwan woman choked on plum and false teeth

The China Post - A Taiwanese woman has died from suffocation after choking on a plum and her false teeth while swimming in a pool, a newspaper said yesterday. Full Story

Government drafting new road laws for bicycles

The China Post - Government agencies have started drafting new traffic regulations for bicyclists, hoping promote both the use of environmental friendly bicycles and avoid possible accidents. Full Story

Two die in 'Sun-Moon Lake Swim of 10,000'

The China Post - Two men died, one of them a septuagenarian, in this year's "Sun-Moon Lake Swim of 10,000" yesterday. Full Story

Department of Health urges travelers to guard against dengue

The China Post - A health official yesterday urged people traveling to the south of Taiwan during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday to be on guard against dengue fever to help curb the spread of the mosquito-born disease. Full Story

Five major safety marks to be issued for passenger buses

The China Post - The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has decided to issue five major safety marks to passenger bus safety examinations starting Oct. 1, in a bid to encourage public mass transport firms to serve consumers with better and safer vehicles, MOTC officials said yesterday. Full Story

Environmental Protection Administration to address problem of polystyrene cup use

The China Post - The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is mulling several measures to address a resurgence in the popularity of polystyrene (PS) cups in tea houses. Full Story

National Expressway Bureau officials: Use local highways near scenic spots

The China Post - Transport officials suggested yesterday motorists going to scenic spots use local highways as alternate routes to help reduce the burden of the freeway network and avoid congestions. Full Story

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications cautions on traffic snarls, heavy rains; urges alternate routes

The China Post - Officials of the National Expressway Bureau yesterday cautioned motorists using the freeway network to watch out for possible traffic jams at several sections today and urged them to take alternate highway routes. Full Story

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. to open online ticket booking tomorrow

The China Post - Passengers taking long journeys will be able to make online booking for high-speed train tickets starting tomorrow. Full Story

Fedexed, other illegal hairy crabs to be destroyed

The China Post - The Taipei customs yesterday confiscated three kilograms of hairy crabs illegally imported from China in an express package and will destroy the imports in accordance with the law, according to Cheng Hui-wen, director of the Bureau of Food Sanitation (BFS) under the Cabinet-level Department of Health. Full Story

Salmon imports from Chile test positive for banned drug

The China Post - A recent batch of salmon imported from Chile was found to have been contaminated with Leucomalachite Green (LMG) residues that may pose a human health risk, but, fortunately, has yet to enter local retail markets, a top health official said yesterday. Full Story

Eastern Joint Services Center to be opened

The China Post - The Executive Yuan is scheduled to open its Hualien City-based Eastern Taiwan Joint Services Center Sept. 29 in a drive to boost services for people living in the eastern part of Taiwan, Wu Kuo-ting, the designated executive director for the new facility, announced yesterday. Full Story

The China Airlines jet found with crack in fuselage in Japan

The China Post - Airport workers in western Japan found a 70 centimeter (28-inch) fracture in the fuselage of a China Airlines (CAL) Boeing 737-800, an official said Friday, weeks after a similar plane flown by the company exploded at another Japanese airport. Full Story

Hill tribe Christians face new urban challenge

The China Post - Sixty years after Roman Catholic and Presbyterian missionaries first converted large numbers of Taiwanese aboriginals in their leafy mountain villages, Christianity here is entering a new phase: Adherents are leaving the faith. Full Story

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications gives tips to shun holiday traffic snarls

The China Post - Transport officials urged travelers to shun the peak traffic hours or take alternate routes when they go home for the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and embark on sightseeing trips. Full Story

The Consumers' Foundation: Beware of fatty cakes during Mid-Autumn festival

The China Post - As the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near, many enjoy eating the holiday's traditional goodies, moon cakes, as well as pineapple and green bean cakes. But beware: the amount of fat in just two of these pastries exceeds the recommended daily amount, according to the Consumers' Foundation (CF). Full Story

Barbecues, fireworks in KNP could lead to fines

The China Post - The Kending National Park (KNP) Administration warned yesterday that people celebrating the Moon Festival next week will not be allowed to barbecue, set off fireworks or build bonfires in the park, with violators subject to fines. Full Story

Deaths could increase during Mid-Autumn Festival

The China Post - The Department of Health urged the public to care more about those around them who tend to show great emotional fluctuations around major festivals with the approach of the Sept. 25 Mid-Autumn Festival. Full Story

Poison chemical leaked onto No. 2 highway near Keelung

The China Post - A poisonous chemical leaked onto a major highway after the truck that was transporting the substance overturned following a traffic accident yesterday, local media reported. Full Story

Office workers take 1.6 overseas trips a year: survey

The China Post - White-collar workers take 1.6 overseas trips a year on average, mostly traveling to neighboring Japan, a survey showed yesterday. Full Story

Finance Ministry denies it promotes smoking

The China Post - Vice Minister of Finance Liu Teng-cheng reaffirmed yesterday that the ministry has no intention of promoting smoking in Taiwan. Full Story

Immigration Act to include anti-discrimination clause

The China Post - Ruling and opposition lawmakers reached an initial consensus yesterday on a draft amendment to the Immigration Act, agreeing to add to the law new regulations pertaining to prevention of discrimination. Full Story

Mass fish deaths on Bali coast in Taipei County

The China Post - A massive die-off of fish has been discovered along the Bali coast in Taipei County, with a preliminary investigation ascribing the mortality to too much mud and silt in the waters due to recent heavy rains, the county's Environmental Protection Bureau official said yesterday. Full Story

Women's badminton pair advance in Taipei Open

The China Post - Chien Yu-chin and Cheng Wen-hsing became Taiwan's only medal hope in the 2007 Yonex Taipei Badminton Open after a quarterfinal win, beating South Korea's Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung 21-16, 21-13 to advance to the women's doubles semifinals yesterday. Full Story

South Korea's Oh leads rain-swept Taiwan Masters

The China Post - South Korea's Ted Oh blasted a four-under-par 68 during a rain-swept second round which gave him the clubhouse lead at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Friday. Full Story

Taxi fare hike seen likely in November

The China Post -- If approved by the Taipei City Government, a taxi fare hike in Taipei may be put into practice in November at the earliest, a city transportation official said yesterday. Full Story

Mid-Autumn Festival BBQ accused of being 'eco-hazard'

The China Post -- Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday named Mid-Autumn Festival "Eco-hazard Day" and urged residents to forgo barbecue outings next Tuesday. Full Story

Chinese hairy crabs unavailable for gourmets by Moon Festival

The China Post -- Local consumers are unlikely to enjoy delicious hairy crabs from China, also known as Dazha crabs, during the Moon Festival on Sept. 25, as Chinese inspection and quarantine authorities have declined to issue a green light for the exports of such crabs to Taiwan, according to importers of such crabs. Full Story

Mooncake sellers to be fined for false claims: The Department of Health

The China Post -- The Department of Health (DOH) warned yesterday that online mooncake sellers who promote their products with overstated claims can be fined up to NT$1 million (US$30,232). Full Story

Palace Museum garden open for Festival

The China Post -- To celebrate this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, Taiwan's National Palace Museum will open its garden to the public on the evening of September 22nd, treating visitors to complimentary fine Chinese tee sampling, a classical music concert and a traditional puppet show. Full Story

AIT denies intervention in Chiu Mei-yun murder investigation

The China Post -- The American Institute in Taiwan denied yesterday it intervened in the investigation of the murder of Chiu Mei-yun. Full Story

Drunken truck driver rams into Presidential Plaza

The China Post -- A supermarket hauler rammed through railings and blocks into the Presidential Plaza and overturned, yesterday.Full Story

New tropical depression forms in Western Pacific

The China Post -- A new tropical depression has formed to the east of the Philippines barely two days after Typhoon Wipha swept across northern Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday. Full Story

Peach fruit fly larvae found by customs

The China Post -- Plant health officials confirmed Thursday that fresh mangoes a passenger tried to smuggle through the Taoyuan International Airport last month contained larvae of one of the most hated fruit pests -- the peach fruit fly. Full Story

Taiwan's schoolchildren are shorter, The Ministry of Education survey says

The China Post -- Schoolchildren are growing shorter in Taiwan, according to a Ministry of Education survey. Full Story

Former banker may have escaped to China: officials

The China Post -- A former chairman of a local bank, sentenced to seven years in prison for breach of trust, may have already escaped to China, officials of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) said yesterday. Full Story

Tortoise sends bus into pole in Taiwan; 12 hurt

The China Post -- A tour bus rammed into an electrical pole Thursday in northern Taiwan, injuring 12 passengers, all because of a slow moving tortoise, media reports said. Full Story

Ang Lee cuts 'Lust, Caution' for Chinese censors: report

The China Post - Director Ang Lee has agreed to a 7-minute cut from the original version of the award-winning movie "Lust, Caution," to be released in China next October, a report said yesterday. Full Story

Filipina confesses in broker's murder

The China Post - Philippine woman Armia Nemencia Panaglima was held incommunicado yesterday morning, hours after confessing to the murder of cram school teacher broker Chiu Mei-yun during interrogations by Kaohsiung Prosecutors' Office, but her boyfriend David Michael Fillion, a U.S. citizen, was released again following a second round of interrogation yesterday afternoon. Full Story

Layoff regulations tightened, revised to cover contract employees

The China Post - The Cabinet yesterday approved a set of revisions to the labor law, which if passed by the Legislative Yuan, will protect contract employees under the rules and regulations governing mass layoffs. Full Story

Council of Labor Affairs sets new rules to hire foreign blue-collar workers

The China Post - Local manufacturing companies will not be allowed to apply for foreign laborers solely because they have launched large-scale projects, a Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) official said yesterday. Full Story

Arranged marriage restrictions proposed

The China Post - Matchmaking agencies in Taiwan will no longer be allowed to arrange international marriages for a profit under a new law proposed by the Chen administration yesterday. Full Story

Tainan dengue spread worse than expected: CDC officer

The China Post - Tainan City's dengue fever outbreak is indeed more serious than expected, a disease control official acknowledged yesterday. Full Story

The Ministry of Education launches program to increase students' stature

The China Post - The Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched a program to help increase the average height of Taiwanese elementary students, which has fallen for the past two years, an education official said yesterday. Full Story

Taiwan safe from major earthquake, says seismologist

The China Post - Taiwan will be spared from devastating earthquakes over the next five to 10 years because a recent chain of smaller tremors has eased the geologic pressure that causes big ones, Taiwan's top seismological authority said. Full Story

Cultural activities to mark Confucius' birthday

The China Post - The Taipei Confucian Temple is slated to organize a series of cultural activities later this month in celebration of Confucius' 2,557th birth anniversary, which falls on Sept. 28, a temple official said yesterday. Full Story

Little damage caused by Typhoon Wipha: COA

The China Post - The Council of Agriculture (COA) said yesterday that Typhoon Wipha, which swept through northern and northeastern Taiwan a day earlier, has affected crops in areas north of Miaoli, although the damage is not excessive. Full Story

Yunlin man arrested for attempted sale of rotten meat: MOJ

The China Post - A man in Yunlin was arrested yesterday for allegedly attempting to sell some 20,000 kilograms of meat derived from cattle that died due to sickness, according to the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau. Full Story

Couple wanted after police car hit-and-run in Kaohsiung

The China Post - Police in Kaohsiung County yesterday said they were looking for two fugitives who allegedly stole a vehicle which they used to smash into a police car prior to taking off. Full Story

Police arrest two suspects in Taoyuan airport robbery

The China Post - Police yesterday said they have arrested two suspects in connection with a robbery last month at the parking lot of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Full Story

Female fugitive nabbed after posing as a man for 8 years

The China Post - Taiwan police have arrested a woman criminal who has been on the run disguised as a man for eight years, press reports said yesterday. Full Story

Typhoon expected to hit Taiwan today

The China Post - Government offices, schools, and financial institutions in several counties and cities in northern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, will be closed today due to the arrival of Typhoon Wipha. Full Story

Ground continuing to sink in Taipei basin

The China Post - Chen Shen-hsien, director of the Water Conservancy Administration, warned yesterday the ground in parts of the Taipei basin has continued to sink. Full Story

Ministry of Foreign Affairs car accused of abusing, eschewing diplomatic rights

The China Post - A man whose car was hit by another belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Sunday accused the government body of taking advantage of special diplomatic rights to eschew responsibility in the accident. Full Story

Ang Lee's Chinese roots fuel Taiwan debate

The China Post - As Taiwan's government ratchets up a campaign to emphasize its cultural separateness from China, one of the island's internationally famous cultural icons insists his mainland Chinese roots have played a major role in his film-making. Full Story

Two female heroin mules arrested at Taoyuan Airport

The China Post - Officers with the criminal investigation division of the Kaohsiung city police arrested two female drug mules at Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Full Story

Strip-tease show to amuse a departed soul

The China Post - A promise is a promise. One has to keep it. That's exactly what a Changhua resident did Sunday for his good friend who had died a day before. Full Story

Kaohsiung seeks Japanese murder suspect

The China Post - Police are still searching for a Japanese national suspected of murdering a cram school teacher broker, whose body was found by police inside a sack in Kaohsiung Saturday. Full Story

Hairy crabs stuck in customs, may miss Moon Festival

The China Post - None of mainland China's Yang Cheng Lake hairy crabs arriving in Taiwan this year have passed customs inspection, which might prevent the seasonal delicacy from reaching dinner tables by the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 25th. Full Story

Nine Taipei expressways to open to big motorbikes

The China Post - Taipei City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced yesterday that it will open nine elevated and ground expressways in Taipei to large motorcycles over 550cc pending an announcement by the central government. Full Story

Mandarin Air cuts prices below High Speed Rail

The China Post - ocal air carrier Mandarin Airlines announced that it has reduced the fare of its Taipei-Kaohsiung route below that of the Taiwan High Speed Rail between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Full Story

Kinmen Island is the home of many generals

The China Post - Kinmen, where a crucial artillery duel took place between Taiwan and China in 1958, is the home of generals. Full Story

Keelung police identify 'fruit-knife' burglars

The China Post - Officers from a local police station in Keelung City arrested yesterday two brothers in an Internet cafe for allegedly committing thefts in the Keelung and Shichih (Taipei County) areas. Full Story

Underprivileged treated to Viennese choir

The China Post - Taiwan-based Central Trading and Development group (CT&D) will sponsor needy children and foreign spouses with complimentary tickets to the Vienna Boy's Choir performance in Taipei on November 2nd. Full Story

Over 10,000 apply for KRTC jobs

The China Post - The Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. (KRTC) is recruiting 109 new staff, and more than 10,000 jobseekers have participated in an entrance examination for the positions, a KRTC executive said yesterday. Full Story

The Central Weather Bureau may issue sea warning for tropical storm

The China Post - The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) may issue a sea warning at noon today for a newly developed tropical storm, the 12th reported in the West Pacific region this year, the bureau said yesterday. Full Story

Over 3,000 break world cardio-pulmonary resuscitation record

The China Post - Over 3,000 people practiced cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a training drill in Taipei County yesterday, breaking the Guinness world record for people simultaneously performing CPR. Full Story

Discrepancy in college admission in north, south: Yuan Ze head

The China Post - The president of Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan County said that a discrepancy currently exists in student admissions between colleges in northern Taiwan and southern Taiwan. Full Story

Taiwan to release uncut version of Ang Lee film

The China Post - Taiwan censors have approved the release of the full version of director Ang Lee's award-winning erotic spy thriller "Lust, Caution," a report said Saturday. Full Story

11 Taiwanese rescued from grounded boat

The China Post - A Taiwanese fishing boat, the "Tsaiyiyu No. 1," ran aground near Pengchiayu islet northeast of Taiwan early yesterday, but all 11 crew members have been rescued. Full Story

Seven members of loan shark ring arrested

The China Post - The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Hsinchu District Prosecutor's Office Saturday said they cracked down on a criminal ring that made over NT$9 million a month in fraudulent credit card charges. Full Story

Tainan City inaugurates bicycle patrol squad

The China Post - A bicycle patrol squad composed of police officers and volunteers formed by the Tainan city government was inaugurated Saturday with the aim of safeguarding tourists at several historic sites in the southern city. Full Story

Red Sox crush Yanks; Beckett gets 19th win

The China Post - The Boston Red Sox rebounded from a tough loss by hammering their arch-rival New York Yankees 10-1 behind Josh Beckett's Major League-leading 19th win of the season on Saturday. Full Story

12,000 take part in eco-friendly Car-free Day in Taipei, Nantou

The China Post - Taipei City and County governments yesterday held a Taipei Car-free Day to encourage the public to use the environment-friendly transport methods of "BMW" (bicycle, metro, walk) instead of driving. Full Story

Tycoon's foundation to open Hope Elementary School

The China Post - Following four months of preparations, the Yonglin Hope Elementary School was officially inaugurated yesterday to help school children in remote areas and poor families to continue their studies more smoothly. Full Story

Typhoon churns in East China Sea

The China Post - A powerful typhoon packing winds of up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour was churning off Japan's southern islands in the East China Sea on Saturday. Full Story

Release of 'Wolf of Huakang' causes uproar

The China Post - A serial rapist whose previous requests for parole have raised tremendous controversies will soon be out of jail after the Justice Ministry decided to grant him his wish yesterday. Full Story

Ex-official gets 15-year jail term

The China Post - A former Cabinet official was given a 15-year jail term after a district court found him guilty of taking bribes and embezzling funds from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Full Story

Foreign workers are not criminals: groups

The China Post - Civic groups and members of the legislature yesterday condemned the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) and the National Immigration Agency (NIA) for their alleged abuses of foreign workers' rights. Full Story

Over 100 trees die of brown root rot disease in Taipei parks

The China Post - Over 100 trees in parks in Taipei died at the end of last year due to brown root rot disease, with Taiwan Forestry Research Institute saying that the disease has appeared in trees in every part of Taiwan except the outer islands. Full Story

International remote-controlled car competition starts today

The China Post - Some one hundred top remote-controlled car racers will show off their skills at Taiwan's first international remote-controlled car competition, the 10th Tamiya Asia Cup, which will feature custom-designed remote-control cars. Full Story

TaiMed AIDS drugs expected to enter market in three years

The China Post - New AIDS drugs, to be developed by a new Taiwan biotechnology firm led by former Vice Premier Tsai Ing-wen and AIDS research pioneer David Ho, are expected to be on the market within three years, Academia Sinica President Chi-Huey Wong said yesterday. Full Story

German professors to teach at local university

The China Post - Six German professors will give one-month courses on coastal protection at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan from Sept. 17, an NCKU spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

Tainan prosecutors bust counterfeit liquor ring

The China Post - Public prosecutors in Tainan took a third member of a counterfeit liquor ring into custody Friday after seizing more than 100,000 bottles of fake French red wine and counterfeit foreign brand-name liquors. The detained suspect, identified as Lin Shui sheng, had turned himself in a day earlier. Full Story