Taiwan leader survives assassin's bullet

TAIWANESE President Chen Shui-bian and his vice-president survived an apparent assassination attempt yesterday when bullets were fired into their motorcade on the eve of a landmark election.

Mr Chen was grazed in the stomach and Vice President Annette Lu was hit in the right knee.

No arrests were reported and it was not clear what the motivation was for the apparent assassination attempt in a street choked with supporters of the president in his home town, the southern city of Tainan.