Vice Premier Quits Over Failed Rescue

Taiwanese Vice Premier Yu Shyi-kun stepped down over a botched rescue mission that has embarrassed the island’s new government. Yu, who headed a rescue operation task force in the Cabinet, “assumed all responsibility” for the government’s failure to rescue four workers trapped in a weekend flash flood, the government said. Meanwhile, Premier Tang Fei, who had offered to resign Monday, said he is not stepping down--at least for now. He said he had accepted President Chen Shui-bian’s request that he stay on the job.