ARSON?: One of the late dictator's 27 homes was damaged in a fire, leading pan-blue figures to speculate about a connection to the DPP's recent anti-Chiang campaign
By Mo Yan-chih and Flora Wang
Grass Mountain Chateau, the first official residence of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) in Taiwan, was damaged by a fire early yesterday morning, prompting suspicions among pan-blue camp members that the blaze may be related to the Democratic Progressive Party's recent anti-Chiang campaign.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on China to explain its swelling defense budget on Friday, days before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) was set to arrive on an ice-breaking visit.

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Negotiators have agreed on a method to release US$25 million in North Korean funds that are frozen in an Asian bank, clearing up a hitch that has stalled nuclear disarmament efforts.

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The Dalai Lama has said he accepts Chinese sovereignty over Tibet and is no longer advocating independence for his homeland, but asserted that Tibet was "ruled by terror," an Indian media report said yesterday.

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LONG TIME COMING: A US delegate to the IPCC global climate body talked of solutions and defended the Bush administration's record on fighting global warming
Long skeptical about climate change and its causes, the US administration on Friday finally acknowledged the "global challenge" facing the planet and called for international solutions.

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