Taipei - Two NBA teams will visit Taiwan and China in October to play warm-up games before the start of the NBA season, a newspaper said Thursday.

The Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers will play a preseason game on October 8 at the Taipei Arena. Taiwan's basketball association next month will announce details of the game, the Apple Daily quoted an unnamed sports official as saying.

The two teams will send a total of 30 players, including Denver forward Carmelo Anthony, Indiana forward Danny Granger and NBA legend Larry Bird, now the Pacers' president of basketball operations.

Taipei  - Taiwan's farm exports rose 12 per cent in value year-on-year, with rice and carrot exports surging more than 100 per cent, due to growing overseas demand, a newspaper said Wednesday.

According to the United Evening News, Taiwan's 2008 farm exports hit 3.8 billion US dollars, up 12 per cent from 2007, bringing exports up to pre-1997 levels, when and outbreak of pig foot-and-mouth disease crashed meat exports.

Taipei  - The Red Cross societies of Taiwan and China are to increase cooperation with the signing of an agreement that follows improved relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) said Wednesday.

Chen Shih-kuei, secretary general of the Taiwan Red Cross, was quoted as saying that a pact was to be signed soon in Taipei with China's Red Cross. Their first agreement was signed 19 years ago.

The new agreement is to include cooperation in the areas of medical assistance and sea rescues, Chen said.

Taipei - Taiwan's pool champion Wu Chia-ching has rejected Taiwan's offer to keep him in Taiwan and is determined to play for Singapore, a newspaper said Tuesday.

The Apple Daily said Wu has rejected the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association's condition for putting him back on the Taiwan team.

The association had said it would find Wu a sponsor in exchange for his promising not to play for a foreign country for three years.

Taipei  - Taiwan's former first lady Wu Shu-chen Tuesday denied that she had embezzled government money during a face-off with a defendant-turned-witness at a Taipei trial.

"All the money was used by president Chen for public events and secret diplomatic missions," said Wu, who was charged along with her husband Chen Shui-bian with embezzlement, acceptance of bribes, money laundering and document forgery.

Taipei - The 2009 Taipei International Cycle Show opened Tuesday with nearly 800 exhibitors showcasing products and designs.

The four-day show was expected to attract 30,000 potential buyers. A total of 938 bike producers from 55 countries submitted entries to a design contest.

Taiwan used to be known as the "Bicycle Kingdom," but has shifted from mass-producing ordinary bikes to producing only high-end models in recent years.