Is it six days or two weeks? This is the range of speculation over how long Taiwan will be able to hold out should China decide to launch a full-scale attack. A recent computer simulation suggested six days. No sooner had this been reported than "authoritative military sources" -- whatever those are -- rushed to tell some local media outlets that, in fact, Taiwan could hold out for a whole two weeks.

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Cao Chang-ching曹長青
Not only did Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) not accept their defeat in this year's presidential election, but they also deliberately sought to whip up their disgruntled supporters' emotions to create a riot. Their behavior not only damaged the country, it also hurt the two men's public approval ratings, which plunged more than 20 percent. In short, their antics nearly destroyed their political careers.

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By Zhang Weiguo張偉國
The "balance of powers" and media freedom have long been a bottleneck in the process of China's political reform. The "centralist" party culture bequeathed by Mao Zedong (毛澤東) still remains influential and Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) has also left a legacy which explicitly rejects a three-branch government.

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By Wang Chien-chuang王健壯
Every day the Central New Agency (CNA) sends press releases to media outlets. These press releases are regarded as "connecting copy" by these agencies, but how they use such copy varies. Sometimes it is used in its totality, sometimes partially used and sometimes simply discarded, serving as a prompt for the agency to send its own reporters to investigate.

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Genes edge out environmental factors when it comes to athletic performance. Having the perfect body for your chosen sport can be the difference between winning and losing
By Vivienne Parry
Top marathon runners tend to be lean and light, star swimmers are gangly things with huge feet and gold medal weightlifters are solid blocks of muscle with short arms and legs. So does your physique -- and indeed the way your body works -- fit you for a particular sport, or does your body develop a certain way because of your chosen sport?

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By Meg Carter
A growing number of young Americans are being attracted by products that carry political messages. It has helped US clothes company American Apparel come from nowhere just a few months ago to be this summer's must-wear brand. The cotton T-shirt and underwear manufacturer claims to be environmentally friendly and against cheap labor, and it actively promotes its "ground-breaking political mission" throughout its advertising. It's one of a new wave of youth brands starting to use politics to sell their wares and, according to new research out this week, more advertisers eager to attract younger consumers should be doing the same.

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