NOT A GOOD IDEA: The president of the European Initiative and Referendum Institute said that holding referendums in tandem with elections blends them with party politics
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that holding referendums in tandem with elections was a "perfectly justified" practice, but his opinion was not shared by the head of a European referendum institute.

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By Shih Hsiu-chuan
A crowd holding fluorescent sticks and positioned to form the letters "VT" for "Victory Taiwan" on Ketagalan Boulevard welcomed the return of a torch relay promoting the nation's UN bid to Taipei last night after an 11-day national tour.

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By Mo Yan-chih
The Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) recent move to remove the "1992 consensus" and National Unification Guidelines from its mission statement next year has drawn sharp criticism from deep-blue supporters.

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BLACKMAIL? IF YIN LING-YING AND LIU CHIEN-KUO OF THE DPP RUN IN :
By Jimmy Chuang
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Yin Ling-ying (尹伶瑛) yesterday told a press conference at the legislature that she would join the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) if it would help the pan-green camp win the legislative election.

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Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said yesterday that if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins the presidential election next year, it should recruit the national security team that served him during his presidency.

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CULTURAL INTEGRATION: Experts stressed the need to help immigrant spouses adapt to life in Taiwan as they battle discrimination and struggle to raise their children
By Jenny W. Hsu
Educators yesterday warned that lack of government support to help immigrant spouses gain vital skills to adapt to society could affect the well-being of their children and the nation's competitiveness.

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By Shelley Shan
Hundreds of motorcycle owners gathered in Anping (安平) in Tainan City yesterday to celebrate the lifting of a decades-old ban on motorcycles over 550cc using lanes designated for cars.

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DWINDLING SPECIES: Urban development has dealt a blow to the number of butterfly colonies in Taiwan, which used to be known as a key habitat
By Meggie Lu
Thousands of Taipei residents flocked to Dajia Riverside Park yesterday, gathering together to form the shape of a giant butterfly while urging the public to save the creatures from extinction.

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STOP OVERFILLING: Experts say that overfilling is not only bad for the environment, but can also result in drivers paying more for their gasoline
Filling station operators in Taichung signed an agreement with the city government on Friday, committing station attendants to help control air pollution by not topping off when customers fill their gasoline tanks.

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`DEFINITELY NOT PART OF CHINA': In a speech at Tamkang University the vice president said Taiwan's ties with China were cut when it was ceded to Japan in 1895
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan is a different country from the one founded in China in 1912, despite having the same name, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday.

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The French government has a longstanding policy of hosting foreign students of outstanding ability, not just attracting as many foreign students as possible -- and Taiwanese students are welcome to study in France, a French education official said on Friday.

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Taiwan is to promote medical services to generate medical tourism to the tune of NT$7 billion (US$215.52 million) within three years, an official said yesterday.

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■ Aid given to Israeli group
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