CULTURE
Taiwan pavilion wins medal
The Taiwan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale on Thursday won the Best Design Medal, the fair said on its Web site. The medal was one of three contested by 40 exhibitors at the event and awarded by an international jury on the first day of the fair, which runs at Somerset House until June 25. The winner of the fourth and final medal would be chosen in a public vote and announced on June 21, the Web site says. London Design Biennale director Victoria Broackes on Friday praised the intricacy of the Taiwan Pavilion’s elements, saying it was one of the most appealing exhibitions at the event. Titled “Visible Shop: Parts Without Cover,” the pavilion showcases materials such as metal tubes on shelves and an installation driven by electromagnets. The installation, involving more than 300 screws, is controlled by software that rearranges the screws in a random pattern every 348 seconds. The pavilion, run by the Taiwan Design Research Institute, is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and led by the Industrial Development Bureau.
SOCIETY
Tax break to be extended
A tax incentive program aimed at encouraging people to purchase energy-efficient household appliances would be extended by two years until June 14, 2025. The program, which was first introduced in 2019, offers consumers a tax break of up to NT$2,000 when purchasing new refrigerators, air-conditioners or dehumidifiers that meet level 1 or 2 of the energy-saving standards specified in the Bureau of Energy’s energy-efficiency rating program. The application period for tax breaks was extended by two years in 2021 and was set to expire on June 14. However, to continue encouraging people to purchase energy-saving electrical appliances and aid the development of the electronics industry, the Ministry of Finance in early February proposed a revision to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) to further extend the program. There are 8.35 million refrigerators, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers that are more than 10 years old in Taiwan, accounting for 25 percent of the total home appliances in use, Ministry of Economic Affairs data show.
JUSTICE
Tsai nominates judges
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has nominated Supreme Court Judge Tsai Tsai-chen (蔡彩貞), Control Yuan Secretary-General Chu Fu-mei (朱富美), National Taiwan University law professor Chen Chung-wu (陳忠五), and attorney Greg Yo (尤伯祥) to fill four upcoming vacancies on Taiwan’s Constitutional Court. If confirmed by the Legislative Yuan, the four would replace departing grand justices Huang Hung-hsia (黃虹霞), Wu Chen-han (吳陳鐶), Tsai Ming-cheng (蔡明誠) and Lin Chun-i (林俊益), whose terms are to end on Sept. 30. The Constitutional Court, responsible for reviewing final court decisions and the constitutionality of laws and regulations in Taiwan, is comprised of 15 grand justices appointed to eight-year terms at staggered intervals. Weng Yueh-sheng (翁岳生), deputy convener of a selection panel formed in March to assist Tsai, said the panel had assessed 26 candidates before finalizing a shortlist. The panel then held three meetings to review the candidates based on their professional qualifications and personal integrity, he said. If Tsai’s nominees are confirmed, it would bring the number of women, who by law must make up one-quarter of grand justices, on the Constitutional Court up to a record five, he said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
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