In many countries, Lady Justice, a blindfolded goddess brandishing a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other, symbolizes the impartiality of justice that grants fair trials and metes out due punishment to wrongdoers. But in Taiwan, Lady Justice appears to have her eyes wide open on the accused, with others pressing the sword against her neck.

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By Richard Halloran
THIS YEAR WILL confront many leaders in Asia, especially in Beijing and Islamabad, with exceptionally difficult tests.

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By Pan Han-shen 潘翰聲
THERE WAS CONCERN last year that the annual Taipei 101 New Year's Eve fireworks display would not push through because of opposition from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-controlled city government, which was worried that the central government would use the occasion to promote its "UN for Taiwan" bid. After the conflict was resolved, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) became an eager supporter of the festivities and the city government even adopted the fireworks show as the theme of its New Year's greeting cards.

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THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL Conference on Gross National Happiness (GNH) was held in Thailand from Nov. 22 to Nov. 28 at Nong Khai Province and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. The conference was an attempt to launch three changes in the form of a social movement: a paradigm shift, institutional transformation and structural change.

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While humans engaged in political tussles over the wolves' fate, the predators' numbers grew exponentially },
By Kirk Johnson
Sheltered for many years by federal species protection law, the gray wolves of the West are about to step out onto the high wire of life in the real world, when their status as endangered animals formally comes to an end early this year.

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By Ralph Gardner Jr.
Before they were married in September, Nicci Young and Richard Wiese first had to split up. The problem was not romantic, but spatial: Young Wiese, who organizes community development safaris to Africa, and Wiese, a writer and explorer, found that their Upper East Side one-bedroom was not big enough for the two of them after both decided to work from home.

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