What are we going to do about drunk driving? A few hundred people die each year in accidents involving motorists driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, and the interior minister has determined that something needs to be done to prevent more deaths.

In imperial China, there used to be self-recrimination rescripts issued after catastrophic disasters. A self-recrimination rescript is an imperial decree in which an emperor blamed himself for the suffering of his people.

Rising electricity rates have brought severe criticism against Taiwan Power Company (Taipower, 台灣電力公司). As a consequence, the Ministry of Economic Affairs convened two meetings to improve efficiency of public enterprises and Edward Chen (陳貴明), former chairman of Taipower, resigned.

President Ma Ying-jeou delivered his second inaugural speech yesterday and sadly for Professor Jerome Cohen, the address was far too mediocre in both quality and historical significance to compare to Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, which Cohen wished his protege could match up to.

In less than a year after Taiwanese media covered the tour of singer Lady Gaga with its typical lines of overblown celebration and praise, newspapers and TV channels were gladly describing the “downfall” of the diva.

According to a recent survey, most Taiwanese aged 18 to 29 are dissatisfied with their body shape. When you're overweight, it's not only the clothes that don't fit anymore. For young people, everything else can go downhill from there, including relationships and studies.

When a normal individual becomes a notorious public figure — having done something publicly regarded as wrong, for example — his or her apology is never taken at face value, and the point of him or her apologizing is inevitably scrutinized and treated with skepticism, if not outright doubt.

In the wake of the murder of a female Taiwanese diplomat in the Dominican Republic last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is considering raising housing subsidies for overseas representatives that have thus far been criticized as insufficient.

Taiwan is at the crossroads of economic development, seeking a new direction amid growing competition from its neighbors. The competition has been acutely felt as free trade talks among China, Japan and South Korea pick up momentum. Korea has also implemented a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, one of the biggest markets for Taiwan.

The cost of living has been rising in Taiwan since President Ma Ying-jeou was re-elected on Jan. 14. People are mad at the rising prices, though inflation isn't alarming. Why?