ALREADY POLICY: Washington sources said that the recent requests by the Chinese Nationalist Party government to delay arms sales simply reaffirmed the US’ position
By Charles Snyder
The decision by US President George W. Bush's administration to delay the processing of US$12 billion in arms sales to Taiwan dates back at least to last Christmas and recent requests by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to further delay the process simply reaffirmed US policy, but did not initiate it, sources in Washington say.

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Four opposition party activists were killed in a firebombing near Harare overnight, the party said yesterday, the attacks carried out even as South African President Thabo Mbeki was in Zimbabwe on a mediation mission.

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ELECTION PROMISE: MAC Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said the opening was a provisional policy measure before full cross-strait transportation links are realized
By Ko Shu-ling
Effective immediately, Taiwanese and foreign nationals holding valid travel papers will be allowed to enter China via the outlying islands of Kinmen or Matsu, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday.

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Residents of the rocket-scarred southern Israeli town of Sderot enjoyed a bright summer day made brighter still by the silence of the public air-raid system yesterday, the first day of a truce between Israel and Islamic militants across the border in the Gaza Strip.

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Amnesty International on Wednesday urged China to reveal what happened to people detained during the March crackdown on demonstrations in Tibet, as the Olympic torch heads for Lhasa.

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