■ 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.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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