INTERNATIONAL PLEA: The president last night reaffirmed the nation's commitment to joining the international organization, while calling for an open dialogue with China
By Huang Tai-lin
In an unprecedented video conference with the United Nation Correspondents Association (UNCA) last night, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) called on the organization to help arrange a summit meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and himself.

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Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) said yesterday that Western democratic reforms would lead China into a "blind alley," but he also lambasted the country's corrupt officials.

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DEFENSIVE MOVE: A newspaper said a soon-to-be completed official report will highlight Beijing's military spending and `expansionist' policies
China is expected to be described as a military threat in a Japanese defense review which could form the basis of Tokyo's long-term defense plan, reports said yesterday.

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More than 1.2 million people in metropolitan New Orleans were warned to get out as 225kph Hurricane Ivan churned toward the Gulf Coast, threatening to submerge the city in what could be the most disastrous storm to hit in nearly 40 years.

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By Debby Wu
The dispute surrounding the March 19 Shooting Truth Investigation Special Committee Statute (三一九槍擊事件真相調查特別委員會條例) escalated yesterday as the pan-green camp asked Judicial Yuan for a temporary injunction and a constitutional interpretation on the statute, while the pan-blue camp condemned their rivals for "evading the truth," and said an interim injunction was not feasible.

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