■ POLITICS
New staff take a bow
The Cabinet yesterday announced the new chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and vice minister for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Deputy Cabinet Secretary General Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶)held a press in the afternoon to introduce Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) as the new council chairman and Cheng Ching-chun (陳景峻) as the new vice minister. Chen Ming-tong is a professor at National Taiwan University's Graduate Institute of National Development. Chen Mei-ling said that it would take time to process the new MAC chief's paperwork because he was a professor, but that both men were expected to take office sometime this week.
■ CONSTRUCTION
FTC warns against hoarding
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is keeping an eye out for individuals or companies suspected of hoarding sand and gravel to manipulate prices, officials said yesterday. The sand and gravel market has already been feeling the effect of China's decision last month to limit the amount of gravel exported to this country. China's quasi-official Economic and Trade Exchange Association for the Two Sides of the Straits has yet to reach any consensus with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to resolve the issue, commission officials said. They said some traders and companies have attempted to hoard local or imported sand and gravel in an attempt to manipulate prices. Eleven sand and gravel companies in central Taiwan were fined by the commission last year for hoarding, the officials said. Hoarders are subject to fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$25 million, they said.
■ DIPLOMACY
Health minister visits
Sao Tome and Principe Minister of Health Arlindo Vincente de Assuncao Carvalho arrived in Taipei yesterday for a four-day visit to discuss medical exchanges, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said. During his stay, Assuncao Carvalho, accompanied by Camelia Neto de Barros, a counselor of his health ministry, will meet with health officials and visit the Center for Disease Control to discuss malaria-control efforts, a ministry spokesman said. They will also visit the National Defense Medical Center, the Tri-Service General Hospital, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation and the International Cooperation and Development Fund, as well as Taipei 101. The spokesman said Carvalho had held several important positions in his country, including director of health for the north region, before being health minister last April. Barros used to be the director of the National Health Education Center and a consultant for the UN Children's Fund.
■ FISHERIES
Virus-resistant grouper bred
The Fisheries Research Institute has nurtured virus-free and virus-resistant grouper fry. After two years of research, specialists from the institute have produced "clean" grouper fry using a genetic method and have "screened" successful small fry with an enzyme-examination technology called PCR. The artificial breeding method was coupled with enhanced nutrition, a higher-grade sterilization of the breeding environment and a sterilized "egg-washing" process, researchers said. Viruses have infected more than 20 species of fish in Japan, South Korea, the US, China and Taiwan since 1990, with groupers being most affected, the researchers said.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
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