NOT INTERESTED: Samuel Wu said his removal as the head of the Taipei City Election Commission was illegal and he would file a complaint against the premier's decision
By Loa Iok-sin, Jenny W. Hsu and Mo Yan-chih
Taipei City Election Commission Chairman Samuel Wu (吳秀光) yesterday challenged the Central Election Commission's (CEC) decision to replace him for insisting on two-step voting.

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By Jenny W. Hsu
Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (黃志芳) told the ministry's year-end press conference yesterday that the nation's relations with the US are solid and friendly, while China remains Taiwan's biggest diplomatic obstacle.

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President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) telephoned new Nauru President Marcus Stephen and new Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua on Thursday to congratulate them on their election victories, a Presidential Office news release said.

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CHANGE NEEDED: The nation's political scene is a never-ending brawl led by the DPP and KMT, the TSU spiritual leader and former president said
A local newspaper yesterday quoted former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) as lashing out at President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for having "no concept of democracy."

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PROACTIVE: Ten private and public power companies signed voluntary agreements with the government to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12 million tonnes by 2015
By Meggie Lu
The country's private and public power companies yesterday vowed to become more environmentally friendly while taking part in a ceremony to highlight the achievements of the energy industry in greenhouse gas management.

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By Shelley Shan
Those planning to ring in the New Year outdoors will need to wrap up this year. The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday the temperature on New Year's Eve could drop as low as 7oC.

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DISSENTING VOICES: Large hospitals argued that they receive the cases that are the most difficult to treat and the system did not consider the associated higher costs
By Angelica Oung
After waves of protests from the medical community, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) has slammed the brakes on the implementation of a radical new payment system for hospitals that was scheduled to take effect in the new year.

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By Loa Iok-sin
Students and teachers staged a demonstration yesterday outside the Ministry of Education accusing it of pressuring a textbook publisher to remove pictures of demonstrations held to preserve the Losheng Sanatorium.

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■ HEALTH

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