■ Health
Fake medicine found in raid
A raid on a Shilin (士林) area pharmacy uncovered packages of counterfeit sleep medication sold as "Stilnox," but which did not contain the correct active ingredients, the Taipei City Department of Health said. The raid, conducted in conjunction with the bureau of investigation, took place in may, a department release said. Some of the counterfeit pills were sold in packaging that is hard to distinguish from real packages of Stilnox, it said. However, instead of containing zolpidem, the active ingredient in popular sleep medications such as Stilnox and Ambien, the tests conducted by the department uncovered diazepam and lorazepam. The raid also uncovered a batch of pills containing nimetazepam, a more tightly controlled drug with potential for abuse, the release said.
■ Agriculture
Center hands out bananas
The Executive Yuan's service center in southern Taiwan distributed free bananas in Kaohsiung yesterday in a bid to help ease a glut of the fruit. Southern Taiwan Joint Service Center Executive Director You Hung (尤宏) also led a squad of military policemen as they gave away bananas. The official and soldiers urged passers-by to eat a banana each day to help the farmers. A total of 600kg of bananas was given away in less than 20 minutes. Chang Chin-yi (張清義), director of the Kaohsiung office of the Agriculture and Food Agency under the Council of Agriculture, lauded the health benefits of bananas and expressed hope that the public would eat more of them to mitigate the growers' losses. He said that there are 5,000 hectares dedicated to growing bananas in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County and neighboring Pingtung County. Overproduction has resulted in a sharp drop in banana prices. The government has also spent NT$45 million (US$1.36 million) to buy substandard bananas to help reduce stockpiles, he added.
■ Health
Smokes sold to kids: survey
Nearly a decade after the sale of tobacco products to minors was outlawed, a high percentage of stores continue to sell cigarettes to people under the age of 18, the results of a survey released yesterday said. The survey, conducted by the Tainan City Department of Health between June 16 and July 20, found that about 90 percent of the mom-and-pop shops in residential communities in Tainan sell cigarettes to teens. A total of 136 stores that sell tobacco products were surveyed, including convenience stores, supermarkets, mom-and-pop shops and betel-nut vending stands. The survey said some 40 percent of Family Mart and 7-Eleven convenience stores sell cigarettes to teens, while about 50 percent of Hi-Life convenience stores do so.
■ Events
No Games changes: Chang
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday that there will be no change in Kaohsiung's right to host the 2009 World Games, reiterating that the central government fully backs the city's plan to host the event. Chang made the remarks in response to concerns that China might boycott the games to be held in July 2009, which could lead to the revocation of Kaohsiung's right to host the largest international sporting event ever held in Taiwan. After inspecting progress in the construction of the main stadium for the games, Chang said International World Games Association officials are scheduled to visit Taiwan in a few days, when he will meet with them to exchange views on the issue.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS