Taiwan recount to begin

Taiwan starts recounting the ballots in the March presidential election today, bringing the island closer to resolving the dispute over the vote that provoked weeks of huge and often rowdy street protests.

President Chen Shui-bian won the March 20 election by just under 30,000 of the 13 million votes cast, prompting the opposition to allege the poll was marred by fraud.

Challenger Lien Chan also claims that an election-eve shooting that wounded the President and Vice-President gave Chen an unfair boost.

Separatists go home Indonesian authorities plan to release more than 660 former members of a separatist militia in Aceh province who have undergone five months of re-education.

"They will, on Monday, be returned to their respective villages," said the head of the military police, Major-General A.B. Sulaiman, according to Tempo Interactive online.

"Hopefully people will be able to receive them well and they can remain loyal to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.