CONGRESS DISPLEASED: Despite reassurances from the White House, seven representatives introduced legislation requiring the administration to provide 'detailed briefings'
By Charles Snyder

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By Charles Snyder
Prospects for the US and Taiwan to finalize a contract for the sale of some US$11 billion in frozen arms packages by the end of the year look less than promising, two co-chairmen of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus told Taiwanese reporters on Wednesday, as the lawmakers met on Capitol Hill with visiting Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).

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READY AND WATCHING: Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chang Liang-jen said task force members in Beijing would only deal with sports-related incidents
By Ko Shu-ling, Mo Yan-chih and Flora Wang
The emergency response task force set up by the government to handle the Olympics will not handle political issues in Beijing, which will be dealt with in Taipei, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.

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By Shelley Shan
The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday issued an operational license to Elta Technology Co (愛爾達科技), a company set up by Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), to broadcast the Beijing Olympic Games live on Chunghwa's multimedia-on-demand (MOD) service.

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By Flora Wang
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) yesterday downplayed the significance of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s (楊潔篪) failure to mention the so-called “1992 consensus” during a speech in Washington on Tuesday.

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POWER SAVING: The Bureau of Energy said that energy consumption by these institutions, which grew a mild 0.16 percent last year, could drop by 7 percent by 2025
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
The Cabinet approved a proposal yesterday requiring schools and government agencies to take the lead in lowering power consumption to achieve national goals on energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

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By Shelley Shan
More than 150 stores nationwide have joined the Shopping Quality Guarantee Program, which ensures that foreign tourists get the same price for all products sold at member stores.

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By Loa Iok-sin
Activists campaigning for the rights of people with mental disabilities yesterday called on the judiciary to reform the psychological assessment process used by the courts.

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By Jimmy Chuang
Hsinchu prosecutors yesterday indicted Powerchip Semiconductor Corp (力晶半導體) chairman Frank Huang (黃崇仁) on suspicion of insider trading and recommended a sentence of four years and six months in prison and a fine of NT$60 million (US$2 million).

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HIGH COSTS: The group outlined the need for more insurance coverage and government funding to help sufferers cope with the treatment costs
By Regina Hsu
Diagnosed with breast cancer last year, 52-year-old Irene is more fortunate than most as she is not beset by worries about the cost of her treatment.

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WORD GAMES: President Ma went against previous pledge to focus on cementing ties with allies, instead seeking new relationships with non-allied countries
By Ko Shu-ling
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he hoped to further develop relations with countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, an apparent deviation from his previous proposal of a “diplomatic truce” with Beijing.

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By Jenny W. Hsu
Taiwan-Paraguay diplomatic ties would remain strong even though Paraguayan president-elect Fernando Lugo has repeatedly said he would forge closer relations with Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.

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By Jenny W. Hsu
Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) is expected to meet Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien on Monday to explain the results of the ministry's internal investigation of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) scandal.

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By Jimmy Chuang
The Tainan District Court on Wednesday found former deputy minister of the National Science Council Shieh Ching-jyh (謝清志) innocent of corruption charges.

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