The experimental intravenous drug, Peramivir, was immediately released to National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) yesterday to be given to a ten-year-old infected with the H1N1 influenza virus, who was unable to take Tamiflu and Relenza due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

A factory at Jhongli City yesterday was charged with committing a fraud, for allegedly selling industrial salt as edible salt to markets and shops.

Taiwan's education authorities say they are looking to recognize degrees conferred by 41 major Chinese universities, although the plan has yet to be finalized, an official said yesterday.

Lawmaker Lo Shu-lei of the ruling Kuomintang yesterday lashed out at the Taiwan Railway Administration for appropriating as much as NT$2.4 billion in prize money regardless of its annual operating loss of close to NT$10 billion.

Yakult, the well-known health drink, sparked controversy on Tuesday as the drink was found to contain the largest amounts of sugar among all beverages on sale, according to the Hong Kong Consumer Council (CC), Hong Kong media reported.

A man won a big lotto jackpot of NT$206 million (US$6.4 million) earlier this month and shared NT$10 million with his girlfriend for dreaming two of the winning numbers, according to the Apple Daily News.

People who drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day have a greater chance of having larger waistlines than those who don't.

The Council of Agriculture (COA) promised yesterday to purchase rice at guaranteed prices from Tainan County farmers whose paddies were found to be contaminated with heavy metals and are therefore having difficulty selling their crops.

A brutal tragedy took place at Dajia Township, Taichung City, when a drunken man reportedly murdered his wife with a hammer; then cut himself dozens of times with a fruit knife in bathroom before fainting and waking up the next morning, local media reported yesterday.

A prosecutor yesterday sought the death penalty for a man who sexually abused and killed his girlfriend in November last year.