‘OVERINTERPRETING’: The ministry announced the plans after penalties on prostitutes were declared unconstitutional, but one group said the officials were jumping the gun
By Loa Iok-sin
The Ministry of the Interior’s (MOI) announcement on Friday that it plans to decriminalize the sex industry drew a mixed reaction from civic groups yesterday.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Jimmy Chuang
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday gave his backing to Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang’s (楊志良) plans to reform the National Health Insurance scheme.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Mo Yan-chih
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday pledged to increase the international competitiveness of the country’s universities and said he expected more colleges to offer courses taught in English.

[ FULL STORY ]

MONOPOLY: The ministry confirmed that it gave US$1 million to the Solomon Islands to cover the costs of opening the telecoms market to other companies
By Jenny W. hsu
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday confirmed a Solomon Islands report that Taiwan on Friday released US$1 million to help boost the island country’s telecommunications industry.

[ FULL STORY ]

Former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), who along with her family members is standing trial on corruption charges, yesterday hit back at claims by prosecutors that the cash available in her family’s bank accounts totaled about NT$10 million (US$307,600).

[ FULL STORY ]

COMMUNITY APPROACH: People suffering severe mental disorders could be required to report to a rehabilitation center once a day or receive home visits
The Department of Health yesterday unveiled a proposal to make it compulsory for people with mental illnesses to receive treatment for their conditions at the community level.

[ FULL STORY ]

In an effort to prevent tourists from damaging the iconic “Queen’s Head” rock formation at Yeliou Geopark on Taiwan’s northern coast, a fiberglass look-alike will stand at the park’s main entrance from next week.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Loa Iok-sin
Donghe Village (東河) in Dongshan Township (東山), Tainan County, looks almost the same as any other rural village in Taiwan. Walk into one of its temples, however, and they may seem surprisingly empty.

[ FULL STORY ]

■IMMIGRATION
[ FULL STORY ]