DEBT RELIEF: Under the amendment, minors who inherit debt will only have to pay up to the amount of assets they inherited. The bill applies retroactively
By Flora Wang
An amendment to the debt inheritance regulation in the Civil Code (民法) passed its third reading in the legislature yesterday. The regulation is aimed at protecting minors from heavy debt inherited from deceased family members.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Jenny W. Hsu
The aroma of beef noodles and leek dumplings filled the air at the Chenggong Community yesterday afternoon as Taipei City's biggest juan cun (眷村), or military village, launched its second annual "Taipei Mainland Veteran Villages Festival" with homemade delicacies and traditional Chinese handicrafts made by veterans and their offspring.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Angelica Oung
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Joanna Lei (雷倩) and a panel of educators and parents' representatives yesterday spoke out against what they characterize as excessively explicit sexual education material aimed at primary school children.

[ FULL STORY ]

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) announced yesterday a series of new government incentives to boost tourism in the coming two years, including relaxing the eligibility standards for subsidies on Taiwan-bound charter flights and offering free credit of up to NT$400,000 for domestic spending to lucky foreign visitors.

[ FULL STORY ]

LEAVING POLITICS OUT: An assistant vice president at the tower said terms that promote the nation's image such as ``I Love Taiwan'' would be used in the display
By Mo Yan-chih
Taipei 101 yesterday promised not to include political or provocative words in its New Year fireworks show, defusing recent speculation that the Tourism Bureau would use the show to promote the nation's UN bid by showing "UN for Taiwan" on the city's landmark.

[ FULL STORY ]

ACCUSATION: KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu said she suspected the president had arranged for someone to send the e-mail to pave the way for further `dirty tricks'
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
The Presidential Office received another threat against President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday, this time in the form of an e-mail, Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said.

[ FULL STORY ]

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday in overturning a ruling by the Taiwan High Court that rejected Chen's request for the return of documents and articles held by the Taipei District Court as evidence in probes into allegations of corruption by the first family.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Loa Iok-sin
A number of civic groups staged a demonstration in front of the legislature yesterday to protest a resolution by lawmakers to grant themselves an early vacation, despite a long queue of bills that are still waiting to be reviewed.

[ FULL STORY ]

PHILATELIC FURORE: Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu asked why it was okay for stamps to feature the cartoon character Hello Kitty but not apparently the national flag
By Flora Wang
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus criticized Taiwan Post Co (台灣郵政) yesterday after the company refused to issue and sell a set of personalized stamps bearing an image of the national flag for a KMT legislator.

[ FULL STORY ]

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration's efforts over the past year for the country to enter the UN under the name Taiwan havve helped put Taiwan on the map, members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP) said yesterday.

[ FULL STORY ]

PROTESTS: Activists staged separate rallies in support of the Hakka council minister and a KMT legislator as a dispute over funding for a park in Chiayi County continued
By Loa Iok-sin
Supporters of Council for Hakka Affairs Minister Lee Yung-teh (李永得) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wong Chung-chun (翁重鈞) staged demonstrations in Taipei yesterday as the dispute between the two over budget issues continued.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Jimmy Chuang and Shih Hsiu-chuan
The military said yesterday it would remove all remaining military guards of honor and military police from the mausoleums of former presidents Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and close the sites to visitors on Jan. 1.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Meggie Lu
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday lauded 32 outstanding volunteers at an award ceremony recognizing the contributions made by the city's 11,000 environmental protection volunteers.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Huang Chi-hao, Luo Tien-pin and Huang Hsuen-pi
The taxi driver who featured in Tuesday's footage of Felix Baumgartner's jump from Taipei 101 told reporters he did not drive the Austrian skydiver to Taoyuan International Airport as the footage suggested.

[ FULL STORY ]

[ FULL STORY ]