Taipei - A visit by China's highest-ranking official to Taiwan since 1949 continued to draw protests Thursday from Taiwanese concerned that his visit could lead to eventual Chinese control of Taiwan.

Thursday's event - a five-minute meeting at the Taipei Guest House between Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin - was held as thousands of Taiwanese outside shouted "Taiwan is Taiwan, China is China," and "No selling out of Taiwan."

Dhaka - Bangladesh has resolved to protect its sovereign territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal where it claims Myanmar authorities allegedly intruded for oil and gas exploration, officials said Thursday.

A high-level meeting of government and military officials in Dhaka reviewed the situation in the Bay of Bengal over Myanmar's presence in the disputed waters.

London - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association (FA) regarding his conduct towards a referee in a recent Premier League match.

Ferguson marched on to the field at Old Trafford at the end of the recent 4-3 win over Hull City to confront Mike Dean about some of his decisions.

Washington - President George W Bush said Thursday he would ensure an orderly transition over the next two months and will welcome president-elect Barack Obama to the White House next week.

Facing the first wartime handover of power since Vietnam, Bush said his staff would immediately begin briefing Obama's advisors on policy decisions.

"We all share a steadfast devotion to the United States," Bush said in a statement at the White House. "All of us must ensure that the next president and his team can hit the ground running."

Brussels - The Polish government must sell off two loss-making shipyards which were the cradle of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement to claim back hundreds of millions of euros in illegal state aid, the European Union's executive ruled Thursday.

"State aid granted to the shipyards in Gdynia and Szczecin gives rise to disproportionate distortions of competition ... in breach of EC Treaty state aid rules, and must be repaid," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told journalists in Brussels.

Oslo - A Norwegian substance abuse clinic hired a clairvoyant after some of the patients experienced strange phenomena in the building, Oslo tabloid Dagbladet reported Thursday.

In addition to medium Lilli Bendriss, who has appeared on a Norwegian television programme called the Power of Spirits, a consultant was also hired, the report said.