■ ENERGY
Conservation MOEA’s focus
Taiwan will focus on energy conservation and carbon reduction this year, with a goal of using 3.34 million kilowatt of recycled energy and building 25 low-carbon communities by the end of the year, according to 18 projects recently outlined by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Under the plans, Taiwan will seek to improve energy efficiency by at least 2 percent per year over the next eight years while cutting the nation’s carbon emissions to 2005 levels by 2020. With the projects, the ministry will establish a new energy recycling mechanism, encouraging the public to use small energy recycling facilities and expanding the collection of wind power from land-based generators to offshore generators. As for low-carbon communities, the goal is to develop two model communities each in 25 cities and counties before the end of next year, and four cities will be developed into low-carbon cities by 2014. The nation will also adopt energy efficiency grading systems for air conditioners, refrigerators and automobiles.
■MUSIC
Mayday to play in LA today
Taiwanese rock band Mayday (五月天) arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday on the second leg of a world tour following their opening show in New York. The LA concert takes place today. Ashin (阿信), the group’s lead vocalist, said in a news conference that it has been two years since Mayday last played in LA and that the new show will include new material. This is the group’s fifth world tour. It is scheduled to perform in San Francisco tomorrow before going to China, where the stops will include Xiamen, Beijing, Wuhan and Xi’an. Asked about dream venues for future Mayday concerts, bassist Matthew Tsai (蔡昇晏), also known as Masa, said he would like to play on a container vessel on the high seas for a large number of fans, singing all night with beer and food.
■REAL ESTATE
Law targets Chinese buyers
The Ministry of the Interior approved a law amendment on Thursday banning personnel in China’s military, political parties and government sectors from acquiring real estate in Taiwan. Under the revised regulations, Chinese citizens who are members of political parties or groups, members of the military or employed in public agencies, will not be permitted to obtain land or property here, mainly to prevent them from speculating in the local real estate market. At present, the law allows Chinese individuals, including those in these categories to transfer ownership of their residential properties in Taiwan after their property has been registered in their names for three years. The amendment will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for final approval.
■COMMUNITY
TAS hosts annual fair today
Taipei American School (TAS) will hold the 30th Annual PTA Spring Fair today on its campus in Tianmu (天母), Taipei, from 10am to 3pm. “The event will feature fabulous live entertainment, delicious food both catered and home made, great shopping for new and gently used clothing including designer hand-made products, a used book sale, games for kids, pony rides and a car show,” it said in a press release. “We will also feature a Grand Raffle with great prizes.” This year, two special areas have been designated as a culture corner and a travel corner.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
A white king snake that frightened passengers and caused a stir on a Taipei MRT train on Friday evening has been claimed by its owner, who would be fined, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said yesterday. A person on Threads posted that he thought he was lucky to find an empty row of seats on Friday after boarding a train on the Bannan (Blue) Line, only to spot a white snake with black stripes after sitting down. Startled, he jumped up, he wrote, describing the encounter as “terrifying.” “Taipei’s rat control plan: Release snakes on the metro,” one person wrote in reply, referring
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
An inauguration ceremony was held yesterday for the Danjiang Bridge, the world’s longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, ahead of its official opening to traffic on Tuesday, marking a major milestone after nearly three decades of planning and construction. At the ceremony in New Taipei City attended by President William Lai (賴清德), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), the bridge was hailed as both an engineering landmark and a long-awaited regional transport link connecting Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里)
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