■ MILITARY
English course offered
The Ministry of National Defense's Language Center will recruit and train 80 officers to strengthen their English comprehension skills and help the nation in future talks with the US on arms procurement. The ministry said it expects to recruit more military officers who can speak fluent English to facilitate communication with their US counterparts. The center said it welcomes officers, petty officers or noncommissioned officers to submit their applications for its 24-week English class. The deadline for the application is on June 25. A test will be held on July 17 to screen the applicants. The class will begin on Sept. 16 and end on Feb. 29.
■ DIPLOMACY
Allies express support
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that eight Central American countries had pledged their support for the nation's efforts to join international organizations despite several failing to back the nation's recent bid for WHO membership. At a meeting in Belize on Friday, Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region "spoke positively and expressed gratitude for [Taiwan's] support for their regional development and integration," the ministry said in a statement. "They believe our bids for international organizations and activities are legitimate and expressed support," it said. The meeting -- attended by top diplomats from Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador -- was called after Taiwan raised concerns that several of them had declined to back its bid to join the WHO. Last week, the World Health Assembly voted 148-17 not to discuss full membership for Taiwan. Nicaragua and Panama did not vote, while Costa Rica voted against including Taiwan's bid on the agenda.
■ POLITICS
Su's travel plan uncertain
Although former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) plans to travel overseas, he has yet to decide on a time or place, an aide to Su said yesterday. He was responding to reports that Su, who stepped down from the premiership on May 21, was planning to visit the US and Japan at the end of next month in a bid to broaden his horizons and express his appreciation for his supporters in those countries. The aide said Su had no plans to travel overseas at the moment because his mother is in hospital. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, on the other hand, will lead a 10-member group of high-ranking party officials in a tour to the US next month, a DPP official said yesterday. Yu and the group will arrive in Los Angeles on June 8 on the first leg of their US tour to gain an understanding of the party's overseas operations and solicit voter support for next year's presidential election, the official said. Yu will also visit Houston and New York, he said.
■ DIPLOMACY
African summit planned
Leaders from Taiwan and its African allies will meet in Taipei in September to exchange views on sustainable development and reinforcement of their partnership, government sources said yesterday. The sources quoted President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as saying it would be the first time Taiwan and its five African allies hold such a summit to beef up bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Speaking at a reception marking Africa Day on Friday, Chen also reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to its African allies in national development and upgrading of health care and medical services.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
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