COUNT ME OUT: The vice president and acting DPP chair ruled herself out of the race for the party's top post after several days of rampant media speculation
By Mo Yan-chih
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) announced yesterday that she has no intention of running for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chair in the Jan. 15 by-election.

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CRUCIAL VOTE: The participation of the Sunnis is said to have been a big factor on what was largely a peaceful day as the war-torn country voted for its new government
More than two-thirds of Iraqi voters turned out in the country's landmark election, according to first estimates yesterday, spawning hope for the war-battered nation and boosting the prospect of drawing minority Sunnis into the political process.

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US President George W. Bush in 2002 authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on thousands of US and foreign citizens in the US without court-approved warrants, the New York Times said yesterday.

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A safety crackdown on cargo trucks has triggered a four-day, 20km-long traffic jam outside Beijing, an official and state media said yesterday.

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CRUEL'S OUT: The White House signed off on a proposal to ban inhuman treatment of terrorism suspects after a protracted showdown with Congress
US President George W. Bush embraced Republican Senator John McCain's proposal to ban cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of terrorism suspects, reversing months of opposition that included White House veto threats.

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