■ Employment
17,000 show up for job test
Some 17,000 people yesterday took tests for 187 jobs offered by state-run Taiwan Power Company as the nation's jobless rate stayed at 5.32 percent amid the global economic downturn. Several participants told the media that as the outlook for the global economy remained dismal, they preferred "iron rice bowls," a term used to describe guaranteed jobs as public functionaries or at state-run enterprises. The jobs offered a mininum monthly salary of NT$40,000 (US$1,145). Taiwan's jobless rate fell to 5.32 percent in September from a record high of 5.35 percent the previous month but was up from 5.26 percent a year earlier, official data showed. The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said 531,000 people were looking for work in September, a fall of 5,000 from a month before and a rise of 12,000 from a year earlier.
■ Legislation
Pan-blue camp opposes draft
The Legislative Home and Nations Committee is scheduled to review a draft amendment to a major cross-strait law today. The Cabinet passed the draft amendment to the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例), which marked its greatest revision of the statute since it was introduced 10 years ago, and the bill will be sent to the legislature for formal review today. However, opposition lawmakers are not satisfied with the Cabinet's version. Opposition legislators said yesterday that they might directly vote to approve articles involving cross-strait direct transport links.
■ Diplomacy
Youth center opens
The "South River Learning Resource Center," a multi-functional educational facility for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines financed by Taiwan's government, was formally opened on Saturday. The inauguration ceremony was jointly presided over by Saint Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Taiwan's ambassador Chiang Li-shang (姜禮尚), and was attended by several government and Cabinet leaders. The two-story learning center was built on private land donated by Gonsalves, with construction funds provided by Taiwan. The ground floor of the center is used for sports, leisure and social education activities, while the second floor houses a library and computer room. Gonsalves thanked Taiwan for helping build the youth center, saying that relations between the two countries will be further strengthened. He also vowed to continue his government's support for allowing Taiwan to play a more important role in the international community.
■ Food
Pork ball sets world record
The organizers of the third Hsinchu International Rice-Stick Festival announced yesterday that a 74.65kg pork ball made in the northern Taiwan city has set a new world weight record. The world's largest pork ball, with a diameter of 54cm, surpasses the previous record of 53.5kg registered last year. Yeh Chung-min, owner of the foodstuff shop Chin Yih, which cooked the pork ball, said that the toughest challenge was finding a big enough pan. He said he finally modified a 10-tonne water tank to solve the problem and pledged that his next giant meatball will top 100kg. The rice-stick festival, organized by the Hsinchu City chapter of the opposition KMT and jointly directed by the Council of Agriculture and the Council for Cultural Affairs under the Executive Yuan, was aimed at promoting the city's tourism and regional foods.
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