MILITARY SPENDING: While proposed defense spending for next year will be the lowest since 1996, personnel costs keep rising and are leaving little left over to spend on weapons
By Brian Hsu
The defense budget for 2003 has been set at NT$259.9 billion, the lowest since 1996, according to the budget proposal that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) recently submitted to the legislature.

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By Richard Dobson
Gas stations supplied by the Chinese Petroleum Corp (中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑) yesterday decided to slash their pump prices in central Taiwan in response to cuts by National Petroleum Corp (全國), the independent chain.

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NEW TUNE?: Iraq said yesterday it's willing to discuss the return of weapons inspectors, but only if its concerns are addressed. The White House, however, was unimpressed
Iraq said yesterday it was ready to discuss a return of UN weapons inspectors, but only in a broader context of ending sanctions and restoring Iraqi sovereignty over all its territory.

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Thailand's representative to Taiwan has apologized for the mishandling of the issue regarding the visa application for the head of the Council of Labor Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said yesterday.

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Air Canada and Australia's Qantas Airways are cutting flights to Taiwan due to dwindling profits on the routes, officials from the companies said yesterday.

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