TIME SAVER: The defense ministry said planned air routes that would not go through Hong Kong or Macau’s air space would facilitate travel but not pose a security risk
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) assured the public yesterday that the government’s plan to open straighter air routes across the Taiwan Strait would not undermine national security.

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By Ko Shu-Ling
Taipei and Beijing have reached a consensus on bringing two giant pandas that China has offered to Taiwan, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) said yesterday.

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IMBALANCE: Ma Ying-jeou said Taipei has been cooperative in meeting US requests, but the lack of a pact has made it difficult to catch Taiwanese fugitives
By Ko Shu-Ling
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged Washington to pass an extradition agreement to ensure that both countries can bring criminals to justice, especially those implicated in white-collar crimes.

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By Jenny W. Hsu
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced yesterday that Guatemala President Alvaro Colom would be the only head of state among the nation’s 23 allies attending the Double Ten national day celebrations on Friday.

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By Ko Shu-Ling


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ON TRACK: An official said that it would be difficult to offer 15,000 seats each way, but that the ministry would work to help accommodate more eastbound travellers
By Meggie Lu
Chanting slogans such as “give me a ticket home and don’t give me bullshit,” a group of students from eastern Taiwan yesterday made an appeal to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) for more trains between Taipei and their homes.

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By Ko Shu-Ling
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said mainland China is the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) in an interview with a Japanese magazine, the first time Ma has made the official claim since he took office in May.

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A civic group urged the government yesterday to take action to dissuade children and teenagers from using mobile phones because of health concerns.

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VIRGIN OR NOT?: Drink makers can be fined between NT$50,000 and NT$200,000 if product labeling fails to identify whether drinks are alcoholic or non-alcoholic
By Mo Yan-Chih
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei city councilors yesterday urged Taipei City Government to strengthen inspections on drinks with a small amount of alcohol to prevent minors from getting alcoholic drinks in stores.

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EXPERTS: An official said the country needs to gather more information concerning the toxicity of the chemical, including the ways that it pollutes food and harms health
Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川) said yesterday that an international seminar on melamine’s toxicity and Taiwan’s safety standards related to the chemical will be postponed until Oct. 17.

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ROMANIZATION SHIFT: Seven DPP local government officials said their primary concern was the cost of changing all their signage to the Hanyu Pinyin system
Chiefs of seven local governments in southern Taiwan said on Monday they oppose the central government’s decision to use the Hanyu Pinyin romanization system on all public signs nationwide.

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By Shelley Huang
A new target therapy drug, which can effectively extend the lives of people in the last stages of renal cell cancer by about 11 months, is now on the market, doctors said in Taipei yesterday.

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By Shelley Shan
The National Communications Commission (NCC) is planning to lower the threshhold for those wanting to offer cable TV services on outlaying islands.

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■ ENVIRONMENT

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