■ 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.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
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