POLITICAL NUANCE: The goal of the president's planned transits in the US is to strengthen mutual trust with Washington, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said
By Jenny W. Hsu and Ko Shu-ling
The US government has not given final approval for President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) to transit through two west coast cities en route to Paraguay and the Dominican Republic next month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The legislative speaker said he would use the occasion to promote Taiwan's efforts to cut carbon emissions and energy consumption
By Flora Wang
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) left for the US last night, vowing to improve the US’ understanding of Taiwan's position on arms procurement and other issues.

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By Jimmy Chuang
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday said Premier Liu Chao-shiuan's (劉兆玄) proposal to lower estate and gift tax, business income tax and commodity tax would exacerbate the nation's rich-poor gap.

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DRAWING A LINE: The draft says the regulation would ensure freedom of scientific research while preventing unethical cloning of human embryos and stem cells
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
The Cabinet yesterday approved a bill regulating research involving human embryos and stem cells while banning human cloning.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday advised people planning a trip to more than one Schengen country to apply for a visa for the first country they will visit or the country where they will stay the longest.

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CULTURAL LANDMARK: The city is holding a contest for top architects to design a theater to provide local artists with a venue for shows that run for three to six months
By Mo Yan-chih
Taipei City Government said yesterday it would invite world-renowned architects to join a competition to design a world-class theater near Shilin Night Market that would serve as a venue for large and long-running performances.

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By Regina Hsu
Doctors at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday called for better care and safeguards against injuries from falls among the elderly as the nation ages.

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The Taitung Blood Center, which serves hospitals in southeastern Taiwan, is urging the public to donate blood to help relieve a serious shortage.

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BETTER LIFE: Liao Mei-fang is asking for public support to build a bigger home for the 34 children — many from dysfunctional families — under her care
By Loa Iok-sin
Called “grandma” by 34 kids from dysfunctional families, Liao Mei-fang (廖梅芳), founder of the Yong-an Children’s Home, is asking the public for help in building a new home for her “grandchildren.”

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By Shelley Shan
The Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) is scheduled to hold a board meeting today to confirm the appointment of Chang Shuo-lao (張學勞) as the hotel’s new chairman.

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Youths and youth rights advocates called on Wednesday for improvements in road traffic safety, saying that road accidents result in the death of almost 1,000 children and young adults every year.

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SUCCESSFUL START: There were only minor criticisms that the tours were overly hectic and some said they would have liked to have visited the tomb of pop singer Teresa Teng
An overwhelming majority of the first batch of Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan via weekend direct charter flights were satisfied with their tours, the results of a survey released on Wednesday showed.

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By Shelley Shan
The Tourism Bureau said on Wednesday it would seek to determine the reasons behind the delay in the review process for Chinese tourists applying to visit Taiwan.

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■ POLITICS

“Community Compass,” the Taipei Times’ new weekly community page, will debut on Aug. 5.
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