Taipei - The Taiwan High Court has ordered an insurance company to pay out an accidental-death policy on a man whose family claimed he was scared to death by a burglar, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Apple Daily said that the Taiwan High Court ruled Tuesday in the first case of its kind that the Cathay Life Insurance Co Ltd must pay 1 million Taiwan dollars (290,000 US dollars) to the family of Pan Hsu-ming, who died of apparently fright three years ago.

Taipei - A Taiwan man was charged with murder Tuesday for throwing his 10-month-old daughter into a pot of boiling water.

Prosecutor Chang Hui-chiung filed the charges against Huang Ling-chi, 48, from Changhwa County, western Taiwan, after Huang's daughter died Tuesday following three days' treatment. If convicted, Huang could face a ten-year sentence to the death penalty.

Taipei - Gambian President Yayah A. J. J. Jammeh arrived in Taiwan Monday for a four-day visit to boost diplomatic ties between Gambia and Taiwan.

During the visit, Jammeh will meet with President Ma Ying-jeou to discuss international affairs and issues of common interest, the Foreign Ministry said.

Taipei - Taiwan has more than doubled its quota for Chinese tourists and plans to further raise the limit to cope with the increased number of Chinese tour groups, a newspaper reported Monday.

The Taipei Times quoted Premier Liu Chao-shiuan as saying that the adjustment was necessary because the number of Chinese tourists could hit 7,000 people per day by next month.

Liu noted that the number of tourists exceeded 4,000 people per day last week.

Taipei  - Taiwan treated 350 foreign tourists to free massage Sunday as part of its campaign to promote "health tourism."

The tourists, seated in chairs at the National Taiwan University gymnasium, received 40-minute massages on their hands, shoulders and backs by 350 blind masseurs.

Some tourists screamed in pain while other giggled and laughed as the masseurs squeezed their muscles and exerted pressure on nerve points.

It was the second time the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has arranged a free massage event for foreign tourists.

Taipei  - Taiwan and China held talks Saturday to prepare for an upcoming dialogue to promote cross-strait links.

Several documents are to be drafted at the talks that are to be signet at a summit to be held in late May in Nanjing, China. It would be the fourth Taipei-Beijing dialogue since 1993 and the third since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May.