Trash talk: Garbage trucks teach English
Talking rubbish took on a new meaning yesterday as garbage trucks in a southern city began playing English lessons over loudspeakers. "Let's talk in English," the trucks in Tainan called. The lessons included basic conversational English such as "`How are you?', `I am fine, thank you.'" Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) has said the educational garbage trucks marked the first step for his city towards internationalization. The lessons replace a classical music refrain that used to call people out to the kerb with their rubbish.
Defense: Cruise missile in final
stage Taiwan is in the final stage of developing a cruise missile aimed at deterring a Chinese naval invasion, according to a newspaper report. The ``Hsiung Feng 3,''(雄風三型) or Brave Wind 3, would have a range of 300km -- making it able to reach China's southern and eastern coasts, the Liberty Times, the sister publication of the Taipei Times, quoted unidentified officials as saying. The missile would surpass in both range and speed the Russian-built Sunburn missiles that equip the Sovremenny-class destroyers acquired recently by China, the report said. The cruise missile is expected to be mass produced in about two years after more tests. In earlier tests, the missile showed problems with reliability and stability -- but the glitches have been resolved. The defense ministry declined to comment on the report.
Foreign affairs: Wang Jin-pyng on trip
Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) arrived in San Salvador Saturday for an official visit to El Salvador. Wang and three other lawmakers, namely Wang To (王拓), Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) and Huang Chien-ting (黃健庭), arrived in the morning and were greeted by Taiwanese Ambassador to El Salvador Ho Ping-fu (侯平福) and leaders of the local Chinese community. Wang said he will pay visits to President Francisco Flores Perez, Vice President Carlos Quintanilla and his Salvadoran counterpart during his stay in the country. He added that he will take part in the opening of an exhibition boasting the results of agricultural cooperation between El Salvador and Taiwan over the last three decades. The legislative chief said he will also tour a factory run by a Taiwan businessman as well as a village built by Taiwan's Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.
Foreign affairs: Taiwan-Panama ties firm
Panamanian Vice President Arturo Vallarino on Saturday affirmed Taiwan-Panama relations and pledged to further promote the bilateral ties. Vallarino made the remarks in an interview with CNA when attending a dinner party hosted by Du Ling (杜稜), Taiwan's representative to South Africa, in honor of members of the Taiwanese official and private missions that are taking part in the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development. Vallarino said that Panama firmly supports Taiwan's participating in all international activities, adding that his presence and that of more than 20 members of the Panamanian delegation to the World Summit at the dinner party demonstrates the excellent Taiwan-Panama relationship. An official Taiwanese delegation led by Minister without Portfolio Yeh Chun-jung (葉俊榮) arrived in Johannesburg Aug. 26 to attend the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development.
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