For the presidential poll in March, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) strategists should employ optimism rather than the defeatism that DPP candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) indulged in on Sunday, when he spoke of political retirement should he lose.

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By Richard Halloran
Much that is said about China's foreign policy and security posture these days revolves around military matters: warships and fighter planes bought from Russia, missiles aimed at Taiwan and the latest maneuvers of the People's Liberation Army.

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By Wu Yu-shan 吳玉山
The seventh legislative elections were of historical significance because of the halving of legislative seats to 113 and the adoption of a single-member district, two-vote system.

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By Yang Yung-nane 楊永年
Police have recently begun enforcing heavy fines for drunk driving around the country. Media reports suggest the results are excellent.

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They are one of the most convenient and universal of objects, but the humble bag is also a threat to the environment. Yet they will never be phased out, some say
By John Vidal and David Stanway
They can be found at an altitude of 6,000m on snowbound passes over the Himalayas and in the depths of the Congolese rainforest. They drift around the Southern Ocean and are piled high on the beaches of Nova Zemlaya to the north of Russia after being swept thousands of kilometers on the Gulf stream. But the end may now be in sight for the flimsiest of plastic bags after China pledged to ban them from June.

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By Mark Landler
Can Europe's economy stay on track even if the US goes off the rails?

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By Carla Marchese
Tax evasion is a global scourge. The "black" economy has, by some estimates, reached 10 percent of GDP in advanced countries and can top 70 percent in developing countries. And it is getting worse.

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