CONDITIONS: The so-called `code of conduct' the EU will place on member nations who sell weapons to China will ensure that they are not used for internal repression
The EU's 15-year-old arms embargo on China will probably be lifted within the next six months, the British government said.

[ FULL STORY ]

CONSTITUTIONAL: The High Court ruled that the central government's request that the city pay health insurance subsidies was reasonable and legal
By Jimmy Chuang
The Taipei Administrative High Court ruled against the Taipei City Government yesterday in a lawsuit challenging the central government's request that it repay its health insurance subsidy debts. The court ruled that the city must pay its health and labor insurance subsidy debts totalling approximately NT$20.8 billion, but the city government is allowed to appeal the ruling within 20 days of the verdict.

[ FULL STORY ]

DISRUPTION: South Korean lawmakers demanded Beijing apologize after agents thwarted their attempt to hold a press conference on the plight of N Korean refugees
Four South Korean legislators are demanding that China punish security agents who disrupted a news conference about North Korean refugees, but China yesterday said the politicians should apologize for breaking the law.

[ FULL STORY ]

Relief organizations said yesterday that Indonesia's demand that foreign aid workers take army escorts to tsunami-stricken Aceh Province would create bottlenecks in aid delivery and blur the lines between the military and humanitarian efforts.

[ FULL STORY ]