NOT HAPPY: More than 58 percent of respondents were unhappy with the president's performance and a majority favored Taichung Mayor Jason Hu taking over as premier
By Ko Shu-ling
A majority of the public is dissatisfied with the performance of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his government six months into Ma’s presidency, a poll conducted and released by Global Views magazine said yesterday.

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By Charles Snyder
The presidents of three leading Taiwanese-American organizations have sent a letter to the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) expressing “grave concern” over the recent detention of former president Chen Shui-bian and several other Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians and officials without formal charges and urged that they be freed until any any formal charges are brought.

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By Ko Shu-ling
The Taiwan High Court yesterday rejected an appeal by former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) lawyer contesting his client’s detention as Chen again refused to eat for the ninth day since his incarceration on Nov. 12 over corruption allegations.

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By Flora Wang
The Cabinet yesterday approved the creation of a Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), an effort by the government to integrate the Department of Health’s food and medicine screening mechanisms.

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FAMILY AFFAIR: Taisugar chairman Wu Rong-ming unexpectedly tendered his resignation, with reports saying he was pressured to promote Chiang's nephew
By Ko Shu-ling
Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) yesterday apologized for causing trouble for Taiwan Sugar Corp (Taisugar) chairman Wu Rong-ming (吳容明), who has accused Chiang of exerting undue influence in order to install his nephew as the company’s new president.

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PRIORITIES: Leaders asked when President Ma would make good on his promise of Aboriginal autonomy, while the president focused on repairing infrastructure
By Loa Iok-sin
Secretary-general of the Taiwan Aboriginal Society, Isak Afo, yesterday questioned the government’s slow progress in actualizing Aboriginal autonomy. However, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), said that rebuilding infrastructure in Aboriginal regions, rather than autonomy, should take priority.

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HELPING ALLIES: Mission teams bound for Guatemala and Haiti will depart on Sunday to provide medical aid and supplies for more than two weeks, the ICDF said
Two mobile medical missions will depart on Sunday for Haiti and Guatemala to help Taiwan’s allies deal with the aftermath of recent natural disasters, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) said yesterday.

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By Flora Wang
The Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday it would not invite a Spanish freelance journalist to visit Taiwan again after he was accused of sexual harassment by one of its female employees.

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A former convict, who spent much of her adult life in jail before being released in June, found the first decent job of her life last month with the assistance of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強).

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By Flora Wang
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposed amendment to the Immigration Law (入出國及移民法), relaxing regulations on residency applications for the parents and children of immigrants.

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By Shelley Shan
Owners of cruise ships or yachts from Taiwan and China will be able to travel across the Taiwan Strait thanks to the agreements signed during the talks between Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and Association of Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARAT) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) earlier this month.

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‘ONE CHINA’: President Ma Ying-jeou argued that neither side mentioned the ‘one China’ principle in the communique signed by Lien Chan and Hu Jintao
By Mo Yan-chih
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang (秦剛) yesterday said that Beijing was strongly opposed to any push for “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan.”

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By Shelley Shan
People wiring more than NT$500,000 (US$15,000) to China through Chunghwa Post’s cross-strait currency exchange service will have to report each transaction to the central bank to prevent cross-strait money laundering, the nation’s largest postal company said yesterday.

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THIRD TERM: If the city and county governments are combined, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, who is serving his second term, could run for mayor again
By Flora Wang
Taichung City and Taichung County could be merged into one special municipality by Dec. 25, 2010 at the earliest, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.

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■ POLITICS
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