ROCKET MAN: Wu Poh-hsiung was asked to elaborate on a comment he made to the president that he felt it was unlikely Beijing would fire missiles at Taiwan
By Flora Wang
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said yesterday that China could demonstrate its goodwill toward Taiwan by reducing the number of ballistic missiles it has pointing at Taiwan.

[ FULL STORY ]

Exchanges between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), if continued at their current pace, could put Taiwan’s democracy, sovereignty, cross-strait negotiating position, economy and national security at great risk, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Chen Hsiao-yi
The Council of Agriculture (COA) is slated to hold a meeting this week to address concerns over the possible introduction of diseases by Chinese tourists should the nation ease restrictions on them next month.

[ FULL STORY ]

BLOCKING TACTICS: China has waged a protracted battle over Taiwan’s status in the intergovernmental organization since 1992
Taiwan’s participation at an annual meeting of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as a “non-sovereign regional member” for the first time proceeded “smoothly” and on an equal basis with other member countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Rich Chang
Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) yesterday defended the county government’s plan to build a museum dedicated to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), arguing that the project would help boost the county’s tourism prospects.

[ FULL STORY ]

By Howard Lin
Early on Saturday morning, crowds of cars and tourists poured into Dasi (大溪) Township in Taoyuan County, where the mausoleums of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo, (蔣經國) are located.

[ FULL STORY ]

INFLAMED: Rallier Peng Wei-yau called on athletes going to the Games in Beijing to act as ‘peace ambassadors’ to the Chinese and to teach them about their oppression
By Meggie Lu
China needs to make serious efforts to deliver on the failed pledge it made to the international community in 2001 to win the Olympic bid, a group of human rights activists said at a torch relay in Taipei yesterday.

[ FULL STORY ]

SAFE STREETS: Not only will fines be increased again, but blood-alcohol limits will be reduced for certain drivers, such as those who haven’t had their licenses very long
By Rich Chang
The National Police Agency (NPA) has joined forces with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in cracking down on drunk driving to enforce stricter standards and harsher penalties for offenders.

[ FULL STORY ]

With gasoline prices on the rise, more people are looking to modes of transport not powered by fuel, such as bicycles.

[ FULL STORY ]

Taiwanese are being urged not to forget about local public welfare organizations at a time when domestic fundraising efforts have been focused on helping victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

[ FULL STORY ]

A medical association blasted the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) yesterday over statistics the bureau posted online regarding the rate of complications resulting from the removal of uterine myomas, or tumors, saying the numbers were “totally wrong.”

[ FULL STORY ]

■ diplomacy

[ FULL STORY ]