CATCHING UP: In light of recent comments by US officials, the DPP chairman believes the time has arrived for the nation to put an end to the ambiguity about its official title
By Flora Wang
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun has begun seeking endorsement for an amendment to the party's draft "normal country" resolution approved by the party's Central Executive Committee. The amendment would push for the national title to be changed to "Taiwan," DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

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By Ko Shu-ling
President of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa returned President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) letter protesting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's rejection of Taiwan's UN application, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

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CONTENTIOUS: Undisclosed last-minute conditions set by Beijing led Taipei to emphasize that the torch will only be allowed in if the nation's dignity is not affected
A senior Taiwanese official urged China yesterday to drop an "extraneous condition" that he said led to the breakdown of talks over the weekend on bringing the 2008 Olympic torch to Taiwan.

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By Flora Wang
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus continued to lambaste Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday over the question of whether, as Taipei mayor, he had forbidden the display of the national flags at international sports events.

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By Jimmy Chuang
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday promised to continue with his "one policy a week" initiative for the remainder of his term.

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ILLEGAL PROFITS: Prosecutors believe two contractors cut corners during repairs on two Taipei City Hospital branches and had inside information to win contracts
By Rich Chang
Taipei prosecutors yesterday searched the offices of Taipei City Hospital and questioned four hospital officials on suspicion of involvement in influencing the selection of contractors for hospital construction projects.

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INTERNATIONAL: More than 200 swimmers from the US, Japan, China, Hong Kong and European countries have signed up to participate in this year's competition
By Shelley Shan
This year's Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival is scheduled to be held on the 23rd of this month and has thus far drawn the interest of 20,000 swimmers from around the world.

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By Shih Hsiu-chuan
Street lamps and traffic lights within a 40m radius of the front of the Presidential Office building will be taken down in preparation for a sky-diving performance during Double Ten National Day celebrations, Minister of Defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) said yesterday.

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US MEETING: Ko Cheng-heng, deputy minister of national defense, led a delegation attending a US-Taiwan conference on military modernization
Taiwan has "urgent and legitimate" needs to buy F-16 jet fighters from the US, Deputy Minister of National Defense Ko Cheng-heng (柯承亨) said in Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday.

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Taiwan will continue to do all it can to carry out a pledge to cooperate with the US in the "war against terror," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman said yesterday on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US.

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BEIJING'S OPPRESSION: The president said the world community should also worry about the human-rights situation of the Taiwanese in the face of China's threats
By Ko Shu-ling
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday urged the international community to pay as much attention to Taiwan as to Tibet, saying that Taiwan has been bullied by China for too long.

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The Cloud Gate Dance Theater (雲門舞集) yesterday announced the eight winners of this year's "wanderer" program, which provides subsidies to artists for their travels abroad for artistic enrichment and inspiration.

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The Tainan City Government will build an "exact replica" of a Ming dynasty armed commercial vessel, known by Westerners as a sailing junk.

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■ FOOD
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