Taiwan has arrested former president Chen Shui-bian on charges of money laundering, embezzling government funds, taking bribes and forging documents. Television coverage showed him shouting "political persecution" while being led away in handcuffs.

A death during one of those eating contests? Sounds like something you might see on TV. Too be honest, it's been done, on CSI. In that case, the death was accidental, meaning he just ate himself to death. But it was because he had a rare disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes insatiable hunger in people.

Dr Szu-Yao (Zoe) Wang, who recently completed her PhD with UQ's School of Nursing, found that in Taiwan, where the culture dictates that children should care for their parents, aged-care facilities are becoming more popular.

More than a quarter of a million women have been sold as wives and baby-makers in South East Asia, but they are getting a raw deal in health care and social inclusion.

China on Sunday called on the United States to keep its promise on the Taiwan issue and to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the sound development of the China-U.S. ties.

Opposition candidate Ma Ying-Jeou surged to victory in Taiwan's presidential election today with an unassailable lead in the vote count, TV stations reported.

The current Tibet rebellion was launched by young monks in Lhasa in coordination with five groups of exiles in India. These groups are sponsored by the U.S. government via the National Endowment for Democracy and other 'western' institutions.

Prison sentences handed down to counterfeiters by a Taipei, Taiwan, court mark the end of a string of successful prosecutions by international law enforcement agencies, bringing a global software counterfeiting ring to a final halt.

A mainland official said on Wednesday that the central government would offer help to disaster-hit Taiwan compatriots and businessmen on the mainland.

In 2008, the Chinese mainland will make strong efforts to achieve bright prospects for relations across the Taiwan Strait, according to Chen Yunlin, a leading official in charge of cross-Strait affairs, in an article to be published in the year's No.1 Issue of the "Cross Strait Relations" magazine.

China appreciates the position of the U.S. administration, including the remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice herself, that opposes Taiwan's "referendum on UN membership", Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Wednesday.

China hopes the German government and leaders always honor their commitment made to China on Taiwan and Tibet issues and seriously consider and fully respect China's great concerns on issues relevant to its core interests, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu Tuesday.