■HEALTH
DOH to provide flu shots
The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday announced that it would provide free flu inoculations for people with high risks of infection beginning on Wednesday. The targeted groups are those aged 65 and over, children aged six months to three years, children enrolled in their first to fourth year of elementary school, healthcare and quarantine workers and workers in the poultry and livestock industries, said Shih Wen-yi (施文儀), deputy director-general of the Center for Disease Control. The center has prepared 2.865 million doses for adults and 355,000 doses for children. Those who have inquiries can call the bureau’s 24-hour toll free hotline: 1922.
■DIPLOMACY
US visa prices to increase
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) announced yesterday that because of the recent shift in the exchange rate between the US dollar and the New Taiwan dollar, and in keeping with the global US non-immigrant visa processing fee, AIT would increase its visa processing fee effective this Monday from NT$4,100 to NT$4,300. All applicants for the visas who pay the visa processing fee on or after Monday must show a receipt for NT$4,300. Applicants who paid the visa processing fee before Monday may still submit receipts for NT$4,100. The US non-immigrant visa processing fee remains at US$131. Applicants who paid the previous fee of US$100 prior to Jan. 1, must pay an additional NT$1,000.
■CRIME
Policeman kills himself
A police officer in Chiayi County jumped to his death from the 7th floor of his police precinct in an apparent suicide early yesterday morning, Chiayi police said later in the day. Police suspect the 56-year-old officer, surnamed Huang, committed suicide because of severe pressure in his personal life, said Wang Yu-chun (王育群), supervisor of the Chiayi County Police Department. Wang said that Huang had taken out around NT$1 million (US$31,000) in loans from three banks on behalf of a friend and that he was caring for a 28-year-old daughter who has been bedridden since a serious car accident four years ago. The suicide occurred at around 1:30am, Wang said, adding that Huang died at the scene. Investigators found a pair of shoes belonging to Huang and half a bottle of kaoliang liquor on the roof of the police precinct, Wang said. They also found a journal in the drawer of his desk detailing the loans.
■EDUCATION
MOE stresses the classics
The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced yesterday plans to increase the number of Chinese literature classes and the percentage of classical Chinese literary works in the nation’s high school curriculum. Vice Education Minister Wu Tsai-shun (吳財順) told reporters in the ministry that the number of Chinese literature classes offered in high school had been reduced to four sessions per week in the curriculum guidelines published in 2006 year. The amount of classical Chinese literature in high school Chinese literature textbooks has dropped to 45 percent, Wu said. “What we are certain now is that classical Chinese literary works will account for more than 45 percent of the content of high school Chinese literature textbooks,” Wu said. Wu said the ministry would also make Analects of Confucius (論語) and the Works of Mencius (孟子), both of which were optional under previous regulations, required reading for high school students.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
The Ministry of Culture yesterday officially launched the “We TAIWAN” cultural program on Osaka’s Nakanoshima sandbank, with the program’s mascot receiving overwhelming popularity. The cultural program, which runs from Aug. 2 to 20, was designed to partner with and capitalize on the 2025 World Expo that is being held in Osaka, Japan, from April 13 to Oct. 13, the ministry said. On the first day of the cultural program, its mascot, a green creature named “a-We,” proved to be extremely popular, as its merch was immediately in high demand. Long lines formed yesterday for the opening
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
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