KEEP THE FAITH: Members of the armed forces from next month will only have to abide by three principles after military chiefs announced an overhaul of the system
By Jimmy Chuang
Starting on July 1, the spiritual doctrine guiding members of the nation's armed forces will be reduced to "three articles of faith" (三大信念), Minister of National Defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) said yesterday.

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NO PROBLEM: The foreign ministry said the absence of six foreign ministers from the nation's Central American allies would not demean the conference
By Jewel Huang
Although a number of Taiwan's Central American allies will be absent from an annual conference held between Taiwan and Central America, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday the attendance would not affect diplomatic relations since those allies would send proxies to the meeting.

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Costa Rica has never considered changing its longstanding diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Costa Rica's Acting Foreign Minister Edgar Ugalde Alvarez said on Wednesday during an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA).

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By Jimmy Chuang
An autopsy on the body of slain Taipei County Councilor Wu Shan-jeou (吳善九) is scheduled for today as investigators try to figure out why he was gunned down on Wednesday.

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National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday that his agency deployed extra bodyguards two weeks ago to protect the safety of two presidential candidates, as each of them had been guarded by just two NPA personnel since being named as their party's candidate for the 2008 election.

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By Loa Iok-sin
More than half of the respondents to a recent poll were opposed to the idea of toppling the new Cabinet headed by Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.

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60 DAYS: Environmental advocates demanded that the agency halt the building of the Hushan Reservoir, claiming it's too lenient with businesses
By Angelica Oung
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should stop the Hushan Reservoir (湖山水庫) project within 60 days or face legal action, an alliance of environmental advocates demanded yesterday.

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Political considerations are preventing a stranded rare crane from being returned to its original habitat in northeastern China, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday.

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Taiwan will immediately announce its opening to Chinese tourists as soon as Beijing gets rid of its political considerations in this regard and makes public its decision to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan, a senior Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said yesterday.

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HIDDEN TREASURE: Taiwan is a world leader in terms of the diversity and density of its bryophytes, among the simplest of land-dwelling plants, a research institute report says
Mosses and liverworts are everywhere in Taiwan, adding color and interest to both the most mundane and the most extreme of habitats.

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SITTING PRETTY: An investigation found that the optimal sitting position is with the upper and lower body creating an angle of more than 125o, not 90o
By Hung Su-ching
Doctors warn that workers who spend most of their day at a desk should be careful to use correct posture when sitting in order to avoid developing back problems.

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By Loa Iok-sin
Family members of 228 Incident victims and former political prisoners yesterday performed a religious ritual at the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall to comfort the spirits of their loved ones.

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SWEEPING CHANGES: The protesters also want to put forward a draft amendment to the law that would protect against random police searches
By Max Hirsch
A crowd of immigrant rights activists protested outside the Executive Yuan yesterday, demanding the resignation of National Immigration Agency (NIA) Director Wu Chen-chi (吳振吉) and sweeping changes to the way the government treats immigrants.

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Injections of botulinum toxin A, or Botox, into the prostate gland eased the symptoms of enlarged prostate in men for up to a year, according to the results of a small study published on Wednesday.

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■ WEATHER
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