Police say a 17-year-old Taiwanese boy has been arrested for chopping off his father's hands, allegedly to avenge years of physical abuse.

A major typhoon surged towards Taiwan today, closing offices and schools, disrupting transport, and confining millions to their homes as its violent western fringe lashed the island with high winds and heavy rains.

Taiwanese linked hands to form a human chain the length of the island today, as President Chen Shui-bian urged the protesters to oppose China’s military threats and create the “Great Wall of Taiwan’s democracy”.

A moderate earthquake has shaken central Taiwan, seismologists said. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.