That the Chinese-language China Times recently printed a story containing rumors and unsubstantiated claims presented as fact should come as no surprise to people familiar with Taiwan's media.

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By Yao Jen-to 姚人多
Recently some pan-green academics and social activists organized a forum to challenge Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) with a wide array of questions on national identity, transitional justice, how Hsieh would distinguish himself from President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the tax system. Hsieh was required to come clean on all these questions.

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By Tang Fei 唐飛
Taiwan has a very distinct international environment. When it comes to defensive weapons, whether purchased or manufactured, Taiwan faces numerous particular difficulties and limitations. Faced with these constraints, both the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have attempted to procure armaments through various indirect methods. The creation of the army firm Taiwan Goal was therefore nothing new.

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By Kuei Hung-chen 林宏誠
A recent series of events -- the government's investment in Taiwan Goal, the selling at a loss of Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp and the privatization of the Grand Hotel -- has demonstrated that the only thing the government's single-minded pursuit of privatization has taught us is that power can be exchanged for money and that privatization makes it possible to evade surveillance.

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By Jorge Castaneda
Cuban president Fidel Castro's resignation from two of his three leadership posts, together with the appointment of his younger brother, Raul, as his successor, marks the end of an era ... sort of. Raul replaced Fidel as president of the Councils of Ministers and of State, but not as first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. And, in a scene worthy of the glory years of Stalinism, Raul received the unanimous permission of Cuba's "parliament" to consult with Fidel on all major issues.

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Specializing in selling trips to Europeans, Steve Marshall found his US-based domain had shut down about 80 of his Web sites after a call from the US Treasury
By Adam Liptak
Steve Marshall is a British travel agent. He lives in Spain, and he sells trips to Europeans who want to go to sunny places, including Cuba. In October, about 80 of his Web sites stopped working, thanks to the US government.

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