SENDING A MESSAGE: Citing an 'unusual combination of factors,' US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Kosovo's independence was 'a special case'
By Charles Snyder
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday sent what some Washington observers saw as a clear message to Taiwan, as she issued a statement recognizing Kosovo's independence from Serbia and saying that the move did not set a precedent for other territories seeking independence.

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Pakistan's ruling party conceded defeat yesterday after opposition parties routed allies of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in parliamentary elections, winning enough seats to form a new government that could threaten the eight-year rule of the close ally of the US in its "war on terror."

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China's inflation rose to its highest level in more than 11 years last month after devastating snow storms worsened food shortages, data reported yesterday showed, and analysts warned there might be sharper increases to come.

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Serbia has withdrawn its ambassadors to the US and other nationssthat recognized Kosovo's independence and angry Serbs yesterday set fire to two border crossings linking Kosovo to southern Serbia, police said, as international tensions grew over the territory's independence.

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END OF AN ERA: The US has at times been infuriated, embarrassed and alarmed by El Presidente's actions and intensely frustrated by his survival despite an embargo
After a half century of defying the US and making the world think he would die with his boots on, iconic communist leader Fidel Castro announced yesterday the end of his era at Cuba's helm.

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US President George W. Bush said he hoped for a democratic transition in Cuba yesterday, after Fidel Castro resigned as president.

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By Ko Shu-ling
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday the DPP's position on building a "nuclear-free homeland" remained unchanged.

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