■ RELIGION
Chen, Ma attend memorial
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou separately attended a memorial service for Chen Da-gu (陳大姑), the spiritual leader of the I-kuan Tao, in Nantou County yesterday. Chen Hong-zhen (陳鴻珍), better known as Chen Da-gu, (meaning unmarried woman in classical Chinese), died on Jan. 6 at the age of 86. The spiritual movement she led -- which incorporates Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist beliefs -- was only recognized as a religion by the Taiwanese government in 1987 and . Informal surveys show that the movement, which calls itself the authentic form of Chinese spirituality, has some 2 million to 3 million followers in Taiwan.
■ TRANSPORT
Green Web site planned
A Ministry of Transportation and Communication official said yesterday there are plans to launch a Web site this year to promote green modes of transport that improve energy efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The official said that the Institute of Transportation has mapped out a green transport strategy that includes a range of initiatives to improve traffic order, decrease the number of vehicles on the road, reduce people's reliance on vehicles for commuting, promote walking and cycling and give priority to the construction of facilities for non-motor vehicle transportation.
■ WEATHER
Another cold front looming
The Central Weather Bureau forecast yesterday a roller coaster weather pattern for the next four days, with temperatures rising to a high of 25oC in most parts of the nation today before dipping again a day later as a result of another cold front. Meteorologists forecast that most parts would see temperatures varying between 17oC and 25oC today, although regions in the north, northeast and east should remain cloudy with a slight chance of showers. The warmer weather could create pockets of fog along the western corridor and on Kinmen, and drivers should take precautions, forecasters said. They said the warmer weather would not last long because another cold front would approach tomorrow and bring more wet and cold weather, especially in northern and eastern Taiwan.
■ TRADE
Importers visit Nicaragua
A group of Taiwanese coffee importers visited Nicaragua last week, hoping that improved relations and a bilateral free trade agreement that makes coffee imports tax exempt would create new commercial opportunities. During their three-day visit between Wednesday and Friday, members of the delegation -- comprised of five coffee importers and led by TAITRA Chairman Hsu Chih-jen (�?�) -- met with Jose Barcenas, president of the Nicaraguan Association of Special Coffees. They were briefed by the association on Nicaragua's coffee industry, including the quality of its coffee, export trade and plantation management. After sampling various types of coffee, they met with Nicaraguan exporters for one-on-one talks. In an interview with daily El Nuevo Diario, Hsu said he hoped Taiwan's coffee importers would take advantage of coffee's duty-free status under the Taiwan-Nicaragua free trade agreement that took effect on Jan. 1 and introduce Nicaragua's Arabica coffee to the Taiwanese market. In the first 11 months of last year, of the nation's US$27.26 million in total coffee bean imports, only US$210,737 came from Nicaragua, government data showed.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe