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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Foreign affairs
Taiwanese leave Haiti
Taiwanese in the Haitian capital were evacuated aboard helicopters to the neighboring Dominican Republic on Friday, a western diplomat told reporters. They were flown from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo aboard Dominican air force helicopters. The Taiwanese community in Haiti comprises about 50 people, mostly aid workers and their relatives. Both Haiti and the Dominican Republic are among the 26 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than China. The Dominican Republic also has an agreement to evacuate Taiwanese residents from Haiti in case of need. A number of Dominican nationals were also flown out of Haiti aboard helicopters, which flew in diplomatic security personnel for various embassies.

■ Politics
SMS smear backfires
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Shu-hui's (王淑慧) attempt to smear her rivals by text message backfired yesterday when the opposition published her telephone number and encouraged supporters to bombard her with complaints. Wang sent messages to thousands of potential voters ahead of next month's presidential election accusing the opposition leader of domestic violence. "Don't support someone who beats his wife and tells lies," the message said. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) has repeatedly denied allegations of wife-beating. The KMT publicized Wang's number at a press conference yesterday, but by mid-afternoon calls to her telephone number were switched straight through to her voicemail.
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