■ Diplomacy
Senegal sends ambassador
Youssou Diagne, Senegal's new ambassador to Taiwan, presented his credentials to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday. Noting that Diagne had served as president of Senegal's National Assembly, Chen said Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade's assigning Diagne to Taiwan represented the great importance Wade has attached to Taiwan-Senegal ties. Chen praised Diagne as the best choice to serve as ambassador to Taiwan. Chen also expressed gratitude to former Senegalese ambassador Adama Sarr for his contribution to promoting Taiwan-Senegal relations, especially for his arrangement of mutual visits of the leaders of the two countries.
■ Diplomacy
Chen meets Liberian officials
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) met with a Liberian parliamentarian delegation yesterday, saying that he hopes he can visit the African nation to express Taiwan's gratitude for Liberia's long-term support in the world community. Chen noted that Liberia, the first democratic republic in Africa, successfully held a national peace and reconciliation conference in August, thanks to the efforts of President Charles Taylor, which Chen said has brought hope for peace in Liberia. Chen said he originally planned to visit Liberia on his African trip in July; however, the plan was canceled because Taylor suggested he put it off for security reasons. Thomas Nimely, chairman of the Foreign Committee of Liberia's Senate, who is heading the parliamentarian delegation, transmitted Taylor's invitation to Chen to visit Liberia.
■ Technology
Pact inked with Berlin school
The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and the Technology University of Berlin will cooperate in nanoelectronic quantum dot array research after signing an agreement by representatives of the two establishments in Hsinchu yesterday. Liu Yung-sheng (劉容生), director of ITRI's Institute of Optoelectronics, said that researchers will develop optoelectronic components of reduced sizes and lower production costs for Internet applications.
■ Society
Couple set marriage record
A couple in Taoyung County has broken the Guinness Book of World Records record for the longest marriage by staying together for more than 85 years. Lieu Yong-yang (劉永養) is 103 years old and his wife Lieu Yang-wan (劉楊完) is 102. The previous record for marriage was set by an American couple in Kentucky, who were married for 83 years. Lieu was 27 when he got married in 1917. The Guinness Book of World Records will officially announce that Lieus are the new recordholders on Nov. 4.
■ Employment
Disabled lose out
Although the Job Protection Act for the Disabled has been in force since 1980, disabled persons are not getting sufficient protection in the job market and some government agencies have failed to meet the quota of reserved positions, according to an official of the Central Personnel Administration. The official said that the administration has demanded that government agencies hire designated numbers of disabled in accordance with the quota system, which requires an organization, government or private, to reserve 2 percent of its positions for the disabled when it has 50 or more persons on the payroll. For those establishments with over 100 employees, at least 1 percent of the positions should be reserved for the disabled.
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