TRANSPORT
Bus accident injures 23
A shuttle bus carrying 33 people to a tourist destination in Yanmingshan National Park yesterday skidded and rolled, injuring 23 passengers. The No. 108 shuttle bus, which stops along destinations on the mountain, skidded at about 2:26pm, just before arriving in the Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) hot springs area, its terminal stop. The Taipei City Government Department of Transportation said all the injured passengers sustained grazes, with one suffering a fractured humerus, possibly requiring surgery. All the injured passengers were hospitalized. Nineteen of the injured passengers were foreigners, including six Malaysians, four Hong Kongers, two Filipinos, two Singaporeans, two Americans and three Chinese. No passengers were in a critical condition, the department said. A preliminary investigation by the police linked the accident to malfunctioning brakes.
TOURISM
Lighthouse opens to public
The century-old Fuguijiao Lighthouse (富貴角) on the nation’s northernmost point was opened to the public yesterday, with visitors to the lighthouse receiving a stamped souvenir certificate featuring the lighthouse. The 14.3m-tall lighthouse was built by Japanese for the construction of a submarine cable between Taiwan and Japan, and also to serve as a navigation aid. In 1962, the tower was renovated into an octagonal building and painted black and white. To promote the lighthouse as a tourist destination in the Guanyinshan National Scenic Area, the Tourism Bureau has sought to add more recreational facilities in neighboring areas. Several abandoned barracks nearby have been converted into an art center. The Tourism Bureau suggested that visitors can enjoy artistic programs in the art center, taste marine delicacies in the nearby Fuji Fishing Port (富基), and tour the unique lighthouse.
EDUCATION
Delayed school start backed
More than 90 percent of parents are in favor of delaying school start times so that children can get more sleep, according to the results of a survey released by Commonwealth Parenting magazine. Half of those in favor of the delay believe that getting enough sleep would keep children in good spirits and help them perform better academically. However, about 10 percent of parents did not support delaying school start times, saying that it would encourage children to go to bed later. The survey was conducted online between July 28 and Aug. 7, involving 1,996 parents. According to a study conducted in 2010 by the Sleep Center at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, sixth-graders get an average of 8.7 hours of sleep on weekdays. However, senior-high school students get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep, far less than the US National Sleep Foundation’s recommendation of eight to 10 hours.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Spy leader to be sentenced
Former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer Zheng Xiaojiang (鎮小江) and the spy ring he recruited, who were indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for violating the National Security Act (國家安全法), are to be sentenced on Tuesday. After months of investigations, the office found that Zhen came to Taiwan in the name of sightseeing, but had actually sought to develop a network for espionage. Zhen was found to have recruited, among others, retired army major general Hsu Nai-chuan (許乃權), who had run for the Kinmen County commissioner’s office, but failed, and retired air force colonel Chou Chih-li (周自立).
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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