■SPORTS
Universities court heroine
Taekwondo heroine Su li-wen’s (蘇麗文) battling displays at the Beijing Olympics may not have helped her win the gold medal she wanted, but it certainly helped her get her foot in the door at two of the nation’s most prestigious universities. Both National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and National Chung Cheng University (NCCU) in Chiayi County expressed interest yesterday in hiring Su as an instructor in their sports departments, a Broadcasting Corp of China story said yesterday. NCCU said it had invited Su, a former student, to return and work as a full-time instructor, while NTNU also offered her a position as an instructor, with benefits and salary comparable to that of a full-time faculty member. Su would only need to coach athletes and would not have to do any research work, they said. The story said NTNU managed to get in touch with Su as soon as the Olympics was over. Su was said to be delighted to hear the news and was willing to carefully consider her options.
■HEALTH
Dengue infections rise to 18
Taipei City’s Department of Health Secretary-General Chen Cheng-cheng (陳正誠) confirmed yesterday afternoon that one more dengue fever case had been confirmed in Yunglun Borough (永倫里), Shilin District (士林). The announcement brought the number of dengue fever infections in the city to 18. The city’s Health Department said that blood testing had been conducted on hundreds of residents in the neighborhood from Shezhong Street (社中) to Songshan District (松山). The results of the tests will be announced tomorrow morning.
■ENVIRONMENT
Web site gives air info
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) recently established a Web site that provides real-time air quality information to the public, an official said yesterday. Chu Yu-chi (朱雨其), director-general of the EPA’s department of environmental protection monitoring and information management, said the Web site utilizes the user-friendly Google Maps service and provides instant air quality information, both nationwide and for local areas. People can acquire information on the air quality at home or in travel destinations if they enter specific addresses at the Web site, Chu said. The system also provides air quality predictions for the following 24 hours, as well as an introduction to all of the country’s air quality inspection stations, Chu said. The public can download historical air quality inspection data from the Web site for reference, Chu said, adding that the system can be accessed via the EPA’s homepage. To access the Web site, visit taqm.epa.gov.tw/ emc/default
■CULTURE
Taipei announces tours
To celebrate National Historical Site Day on Sept. 21, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs announced it is planning site tours of six historical sites adding that a creative carnival would take place on the day in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei. The tours, a North Gate memory tour, East Gate contemporary architecture tour, West Gate (Ximen) tour, South Gate nostalgic tour, 228 Peace Memorial Park survey and Wenwu District tour, planned and led by artists would also be offered on the day, the department said. From 2pm until 6pm, a carnival with 20 or so stalls would take place in the plaza in front of museum, the department said, adding that people could collect stamps for passing challenges and receive prizes. For more information, visit www.culture.gov.tw
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition