UNEXPECTED: The head of the Ministry of Finance’s statistics bureau said her office was ‘shocked’ at the magnitude of the declines. Still, the trade surplus was US$1.86 billion
By Crystal Hsu
Amid the global economic downturn, Taiwan’s export-dependent economy is suffering, with exports sinking a record 41.9 percent year-on-year last month while imports took a historic dive of 44.6 percent, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.

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COURT’S U-TURN: Chen Shui-bian’s lawyers said they would not give up because they have identified ‘flaws’ in the procedure. Next stop? The Grand Justices
By Jimmy Chuang, Ko Shu-ling and Rich Chang
Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday would file for a constitutional interpretation from the Council of Grand Justices after the Taiwan High Court turned down an appeal against his detention.

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A member of Hamas’ politburo said yesterday that the Palestinian movement would not fire any rockets toward Israel while the Jewish state suspends its bombing of Gaza.

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All deliveries of Russian gas through Ukraine were halted yesterday in a deepening of a crisis between Moscow and Kiev that risks depriving European consumers of gas amid freezing weather.

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The US deputy secretary of state was in China yesterday to mark 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations and give the Bush administration’s farewell to the Chinese leadership.

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