Taiwan vows to continue United Nations bid efforts: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The China Post -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials expressed their regrets yesterday at the exclusion of Taiwan's U.N. membership bid from the agenda of the 62nd session of the General Assembly. Full Story

Kuomintang vice presidential candidate to visit Americas

The China Post -- Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Presidential Candidate Vincent Siew will depart for the United States in early October to increase American understanding of the party's policies on cross-Taiwan Strait trade and diplomacy, his aides said Thursday. Full Story

Taiwan's 15th annual bid to join United Nations rejected

The China Post - The United Nations on Wednesday blocked Taiwan's quest for membership in the world body for the 15th consecutive year, diplomats said. Full Story

Vice President Lu adamant about 'legality' of United Nations bid

The China Post - Vice President Annette Lu dismissed yesterday U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's claim that "it was not legally possible" to consider Taiwan's membership application based on U.N. Resolution 2758. Lu reaffirmed the validity of the country's bid for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan. Full Story

Minister hopes for diploma recognition with France

The China Post - Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng expressed hope Wednesday that Taiwan and France will sign an agreement on mutually recognizing each others' higher education diplomas to strengthen bilateral academic cooperation. Full Story

Alert on water supply and mudslides

The China Post - Government officials yesterday maintained an alert over the water supply and possible mudslides, though Typhoon Wipha has left Taiwan to continue its way toward southeastern China via the Taiwan Strait. Full Story

Veggie prices up slightly in wake of typhoon

The China Post - Vegetable prices went up slightly in traditional markets yesterday as Typhoon Wipha skirted northern Taiwan, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Full Story

Police seize counterfeit sportswear and kites

The China Post - Police authorities have seized a large quantity of counterfeit brand-name sports garments and cartoon kites during several raids in the southern city of Tainan and the northern county of Taipei in the past few days, police sources said yesterday. Full Story

15 five-star hotels' moon cakes improperly marked

The China Post - A report published yesterday by the Consumers' Foundation (CF) cited 15 five-star hotels in Taiwan for inadequate labels on the boxes of moon cakes sold this Mid-Autumn Festival season. Nutritional facts, contact information, and refund information were among the missing items. Full Story

Brown shrikes massacred in south Taiwan

The China Post - The county of Pingtung may have turned itself into a killing field of brown shrikes. An endangered species, the brown shrike migrates from China to winter in Taiwan. Full Story

Tzu Chi offers medical aid to quake victims in Indonesia

The China Post - A disaster relief team from the Taiwan-based Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation has arrived to provide medical aid in the earthquake-affected Kota Agung Hamlet in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia, a spokesman of the foundation said yesterday. Full Story

Six debt collectors rounded up for usury

The China Post - Police rounded up six debt collectors in Taichung for usury yesterday. Only two of the suspects were identified. They were Huang Chih-kuo, 48, and Hsieh Chieh-shen, 47, both of Taichung. Full Story

Miaoli man tries to kill his two daughters, self

The China Post - A man in Miaoli County fed his two daughters and himself excessive doses of sleeping pills and attempted to commit suicide by burning charcoal inside his residence. Full Story

College student conned out of NT$200,000

The China Post - A vocational college student was conned out of some NT$200,000 by a fraud ring after finding a date on an internet dating web site. Full Story

Suspect in karaoke bar shooting arrested

The China Post - A suspect in a karaoke bar shooting in Shulin on Aug. 5 was arrested in Hsinchu yesterday, agents of the Criminal Investigation Bureau said. Full Story

Sudden 'decline' in gangsters due to criteria change

The China Post - The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) released yesterday the gangster figures for this year, and found that 610 people qualified yesterday as "serious" or "average gangsters," down from 1156 in 2006. However, the MOI clarified that the sudden decline in number of gangsters was due to the fact that carrying firearms is no longer considered "gangster criteria." Full Story

University helps Gambia train high-tech personnel

The China Post - National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) in Taipei City has opened courses on electronic engineering and computer science for students from Gambia to help cultivate the west African ally's high-tech personnel, an NTUT spokesman said yesterday. Full Story

Bar service race to be staged in Taipei

The China Post - A bar service race, touted as the first of its kind in Taiwan, will be staged in Taipei on Sept. 27, according to organizers. Full Story

Changhua magistrate promotes eel consumption

The China Post - Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan encouraged the public to purchase eels raised in the central Taiwan county of Changhua at a news conference yesterday, where he hosted an eel banquet to promote the fare. Full Story

Int'l student culinary contest opens in Taipei

The China Post - The 2007 International Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge (ISSCC) contest has opened in Taipei, with high school students from 10 cities competing in the annual event, organizers said. Full Story

Government Information Office head represents 'Taiwan' not 'ROC'

The China Post - Minister Shieh Jhy-wei of the Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday that he represented Taiwan's democracy and sovereignty, during his recent trip to New York in support of the government's bid to join the United Nations. Full Story

Growing pressure from China on Taiwan United Uations bid: KMT aide

The China Post - China has intensified its drive to counteract a plan by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to call a referendum on the country's bid to join the United Nations under the name Taiwan, a main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) official said yesterday. Full Story

Mass rallies held in Kaohsiung, Taichung

The China Post - Opposing political camps yesterday held massive rallies separately in central and southern Taiwan to promote their own campaigns for the nation to gain a seat in the United Nations. Full Story

Shanghai holds air raid drill with eye on Taiwan

The China Post - Shanghai, a city which Taiwan has threatened to bombard in the event of conflict, held a major air raid drill Saturday, a sign that China still views war as possible with the self-ruled island it claims as its own. Full Story

The United States business group faults Bush on ROC F-16 delay

The China Post - A U.S. business group accused the Bush administration Friday of jeopardizing Taiwan's security by stalling a potential US$4.9 billion deal for 66 advanced Lockheed Martin Corp. F-16 fighter jets. Full Story

The Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang motivations for United Nations rallies differ

The China Post - There exist different motivations behind the mass rallies staged yesterday by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang to demand Taiwan's right to join the United Nations, according to observers. Full Story

President Chen stays the course on Taiwan's United Nations bid

The China Post - President Chen Shui-bian yesterday reiterated that the government's proposed referendum on Taiwan's U.N. bid has nothing to do with changing the country's official title or violates his "four noes" promises to the United States. Full Story

The Democratic Progressive Party chief urges supporters to back new constitution and title

The China Post - Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun appealed yesterday to supporters of the planned U.N. referendum to back Taiwan's new constitution and new national title, and establish the "Taiwan Republic." Full Story

Civic groups blast referendums on bid for United Nations membership

The China Post - As the ruling and opposition parties held large rallies in central and southern Taiwan Saturday to drum up support for the nation's membership in the United Nations, several civic groups voiced opposition to the move that same day. Full Story

Ex-premier forms group to 'rekindle passion'

The China Post - A civic group initiated by former Premier Tang Fei was launched Saturday with the aim of "rekindling the passion of Taiwan's voters." Full Story

Delegation sent to cement ties with Caribbean allies

The China Post - Taiwan will send a delegation to visit three Caribbean allies to cement ties as China is wooing them to drop Taipei and recognize Beijing, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Full Story

Central America celebrates independence

The China Post - Members and friends of the Central American community in Taiwan yesterday joined El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua in celebrating their 186th anniversary of independence. Full Story

Japan to recognize Taiwan licenses

The China Post - Holders of a Taiwanese driver's license will be able to legally drive in Japan soon, Vice Foreign Minister Yang Tzu-pao announced yesterday. Full Story

Taiwan not going to boycott '08 Olympics: The Mainland Affairs Council

The China Post - Taiwan has no plans to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing despite the country's disagreement with China over the issue of the torch relay, a Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said yesterday. Full Story

New passport fees to vary according to expiry dates

The China Post - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will charge different passport application fees according to the validity period of the new "electronic passports" slated to be launched in 2008, MOFA spokesman David Wang said yesterday. Full Story

The U.S.-Taiwan Business Council head worried about United States-Taiwan ties

The China Post - The relationship between Taiwan and the U.S. is slipping further into a malaise while the triangular U.S.-China-Taiwan relationship is expected to continue to deteriorate well past the end of Chen Shui-bian's presidency, according to Rupert J. Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council (UTBC) based in the U.S. Full Story

Taiwan says exclusion from the World Health Organization sparks health risks

The China Post - Taiwan said Friday that its exclusion from the World Health Organization (WHO) prevents it from fully taking part in the international efforts against infectious diseases, which could provoke a major health risk. Full Story