CROSS-STRAIT ISSUES: The US has informed Taiwan's representative in Washington of the contents of recent discussions with the head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office
US officials have briefed Taiwan's representative office in Washington on their recent talks with a senior Chinese official in charge of Taiwan affairs, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.

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By Jewel Huang
As part of celebrations of former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) 84th birthday (according to the lunar calendar) yesterday, Academia Historica and Asian Culture Publishing House yesterday jointly published a book of 1,338 photos taken from about 300,000 file photos and Lee's family album.

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SPECULATION: If the DPP does not cooperate with the PFP, it would face another lackluster four years in office without legislative results, political observers are saying
By Caroline Hong and Debby Wu
Reports that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is hoping to form a coalition with its erstwhile rival, the People First Party (PFP), have been circulating lately, with the DPP expressing optimism that it will be able to add the PFP's 34 legislative seats to the 101 the pan-green camp won in last month's legislative elections.

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A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation left for Beijing yesterday to discuss the possible operation of Lunar New Year cross-strait charter flights.

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COOPERATION: Although President Chen Shui-bian is open to negotiations with PFP Chairman James Soong, Soong seems to be thinking hard about his next move
By Debby Wu and Caroline Hong
Although the People First Party (PFP) has for the past week vehemently denied that its Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) has met any members of the Democratic Pro-gressive Party (DPP) to discuss a possible coalition between the two parties, the flirtations between the two parties continue, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) being left out of the loop.

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INCLUSION: The DPP said it was willing to water down some of the clauses of a resolution on the nation's sovereignty and asked the blue camp to help revise it
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is willing to revise a proposed sovereignty-defending resolution on efforts to safeguard the sovereignty of Taiwan in an attempt to facilitate a consensus between the DPP and the opposition, a DPP legislator said yesterday.

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HELPING HAND: Taiwanese health experts and researchers have been engaged in a campaign to eradicate malaria in the African nation of Sao Tome and Principe
By Melody Chen
Eager to extend its experience in combatting malaria in African countries, Taiwanese heath officials will help fight the epidemic by funding an anti-malaria campaign in the small African state of Sao Tome and Principe.

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By Wang Hsiao-wen
The spread of HIV/AIDS has quickened its pace in Taiwan as the number of Taiwanese infected with the killer virus has soared to an unprecedented 1,513 people last year, according to Center for Disease Control statistics.

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By Cody Yiu
In response to a recent amendment to the definition of "overwork," a labor rights group today urged the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) to customize the definition to Taiwan's labor laws, instead of simply using Japan's.

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The Ministry of National Defense refuted a media report yesterday that the military has spent NT$60 million manufacturing a new eight-wheel armored vehicle for emergency use by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his family.

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CONTROVERSY: Hong Kong's recent rejection of the Taipei mayor's visa application may help his career as it could mitigate concerns that he is too friendly with Beijing
Hong Kong's decision to deny Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) a visa for a visit this week will likely damage the Chinese territory's image and help Ma's possible bid to be Taiwan's next president.

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`SCHEME': China's draft anti-secession law raises cross-strait tensions and Taiwan should move to strengthen ties with the US, Wei Jingsheng said
Prominent Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng (魏京生), who has lived in exile overseas in recent years, said on Saturday that Beijing's proposed anti-secession law is a scheme to seek legal justification for a military invasion of Taiwan.

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A three-member team from the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) departed Taipei yesterday for the earthquake and tsunami-hit area of Medan, Indonesia, to help bolster post-disaster disinfection work.

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