CONSIDERING THE STEPS: The premier refused to comment on a newspaper report that the Executive Yuan was considering taking over the running of the Jan. 12 polls
By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Jenny W. Hsu
The Cabinet was tight-lipped yesterday over rumors that the central government might take over the running of elections from pan-blue-led local governments to implement the Central Election Commission's (CEC) decision to distribute election and referendum ballots together for the Jan. 12 legislative elections.

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China defended environment protections for the Three Gorges dam yesterday, playing down reports of unusual seismic activity that residents hold responsible for crumbling homes, landslides and other problems with shifting ground.

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SALVAGING POLICY: Moves to ease or end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will reach a climax in the next few days as the US holds a peace conference
US President George W. Bush was to open a high-stakes Israeli-Palestinian peace conference yesterday, trying to achieve in his final 14 months in office a goal that has eluded US leaders for decades.

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By Charles Snyder
Taiwan is about to lose another of its main supporters in the US Congress, after Senate minority whip Trent Lott announced he would resign his Senate seat by the end of this year.

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Rampaging youths rioted in Paris' suburbs for a second night, setting fire to dozens of cars and buildings. At least 77 officers were injured, and officers were fired at, officials said yesterday.

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