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