■HEALTH
Records to be in Chinese
The Department of Health (DOH) is preparing to push to have medical case histories recorded in Chinese on a trial basis, starting next year. The DOH was censured on Wednesday for failing to introduce the program in 2005 as scheduled to allow patients to better understand their own conditions. In Taiwan, medical case histories are written in English. Director General of the DOH’s Department of Medical Affairs Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said that the program would be implemented on a step-by-step basis, beginning with medical history synopses, then moving on to medical treatment plans, certificates of diagnosis and death, consent forms for surgery, medical examination reports and other documents.
■HEALTH
Group slams airport stores
The John Tung Foundation, an anti-smoking group, accused duty-free stores at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport of breaking the law by promoting cigarette sales. Yau Sea-wain (姚思遠), president of the foundation, said a total of nine cigarette products sold at the stores have been found to violate the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防制法), which can lead to fines of up to NT$145 million (US$4.5 million). In four of the cases, the sellers deliberately downplayed warning messages, and in the other five cases, there were descriptions obviously intended to advertise the products, Yau said. He said although each in-bound adult traveler is only allowed to bring in one carton of duty-free cigarettes, the stores allegedly have encouraged travelers to buy more. The Bureau of Health Promotion said it had received a formal complaint from the John Tung Foundation and had launched an investigation.
■PERFORMING ARTS
Taiwanese wins prize
Chou Shu-yi (周書毅), an up-and-coming Taiwanese choreographer, has won the top prize in a keenly contested global choreographic competition sponsored by the renowned London dance house Sadler’s Wells. In addition to a cash prize of £2,000 (US$3,200), 26-year-old Chou and his group will also be given an all-expense paid trip to London to perform at a dance festival at Sadler’s Wells in January. In 2004, his solo piece, Street Lamp (路燈), was performed at an international dance forum sponsored by Cloud Gate 2 troupe. Another piece, Under Street Lamp (路燈下), also won a gold medal in a competition held that year. In addition to his own career as a solo dancer and choreographer, Chou has frequently performed as a member of Horse Dance Theater (驫舞劇場), Taiwan’s all-male dance troupe.
■CRIME
Man arrested over BB gun
Police arrested a man late on Wednesday who allegedly tried to take a BB gun, a type of air gun, into a campaign event led by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the Presidential Office said yesterday. Authorities found the gun during a routine security check shortly before the president arrived at the campaign event in Pingtung County. The BB gun was not loaded. “He might have had the intent to kill or injure,” Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said. “We need to do further checks.” Ma was unfazed by the incident and grateful for the early intervention by the event’s security personnel, he said. In his defense, the man said the BB gun was left in his bag by his friends, adding that he did not know he couldn’t bring a toy gun with him to a venue where the president would be present.
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