Business leaders said yesterday that they have confidence in the development of the nation and hope the government's new six-year national development plan will be fully implemented.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manu-facturing Co chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) said he has seen the need for the reforms envisioned in the plan dubbed "Challenge 2008: Key National Development Projects."
Over the last eight years, he said, development was at a standstill with per-capita income at about US$13,000. He blamed the stagnation on the lack of international vision, failure to teach the basic sciences, the mental lethargy of the education system and a judicial system that isn't compatible with international regulations.
Under the plan, more attention will be given to the cultivation of e-generation talents, the teaching of English, the promotion of internationalization and the protection of the environment and the cultural development, he said.
Huang Chung-jen (黃崇仁), pres-ident of Taipei Computer Association, called on the legislature to work with the executive branch in appropriating the funding needed for the plan. He also urged the government to make decisions on direct links as soon as possible.
On Friday Premier Yu Shyi-kun reaffirmed the government's determination to carry out the plan,which will cost some NT$2.65 trillion (US$77.26 billion).
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai