NOT ON THE AGENDA: The president said he believed the DPP would not change its party charter to ensure Hsieh would not lose his presidential nomination if indicted
By Ko Shu-ling
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday expressed his confidence in former premier Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) innocence, adding that he believed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would not amend its charter to ensure that Hsieh would not lose his presidential nomination if indicted.

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STEP ONE: Some pundits argue Taiwan must declare de jure independence before joining international organizations, while others argue the issue is already clarified
By Ko Shu-ling
At the heart of the government's bid to join the UN using the name "Taiwan" is the issue of the nation's sovereignty, a divisive question even among independence activists.

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Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) is scheduled to visit Japan next month, while Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi is expected to visit Taiwan in September, marking significant progress in inter-city diplomacy between the two nations, sources familiar with Taiwan-Japan affairs said.

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VOICE OF BEIJING: David Wang said the secretary-general's comments on the nation's application made him sound more like an official from China
By Jewel Huang
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman yesterday slammed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for remarks on Taiwan's application for UN membership that he said sounded like the words of a Chinese official.

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A panel of judges dealing with the embezzlement and forgery case involving first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) and President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) former and present aides said on Friday it would announce on Aug. 10 whether it will subpoena Chen to clarify key points raised by the defendants' lawyers.

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CHANGE: Some NGOs were honored for helping to raise public awareness of gender equality issues and for offering a variety of services to women
By Loa Iok-sin
The National Cultural Association yesterday unveiled six monuments in Taipei to mark the sites of non-governmental organizations (NGO), a publishing house and a bookstore that contributed to the nation's feminist movement.

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By Shih Hsiu-chuan
The recently enacted Lobbying Act (遊說法), designed to create a system to scrutinize lobbying, drew mixed reactions on whether a bill could really create a transparent lobbying system that is accessible to the public.

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The Kaohsiung City Government and other institutions are striving to obtain the right to issue a sports lottery to help finance the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, an official said yesterday.

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Taiwan-born University of California, Berkeley academic Yeh Wen-hsin (葉文心), who became the first female director of the university's Institute of East Asian Studies earlier this year, had her latest book Shanghai Splendor published on Friday after 10 years of work.

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■ CRIME
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