■ POLITICS
KMT upgrades Web site
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday launched the latest version of its official Web site, while seeking to attract younger supporters by setting up a Web department. The party changed the design of its official Web site, www.kmt.org.tw, enhanced its search engine function and urged visitors to share their opinions by participating in online polls. KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) told a press conference that the party would host many online activities to increase its interaction with the younger generation.
■ IMMIGRATION
Rules revised for spouses
The Ministry of the Interior yesterday passed revisions to Regulations Governing Visiting, Residence and Permanent Residence of Aliens (外國人停留居留及永久居留辦法) to allow the Tibetan spouses of Taiwanese nationals and children holding an Identity Certificate — a travel document issued by the Indian government to Tibetans living in exile in India — to apply for residency. Under the current law, only foreign spouses holding valid passports may apply for residency. The revision will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval before taking effect.
■ DIPLOMACY
Speaker announces trip
Upon his return from the US yesterday after attending US President Barack Obama’s inauguration, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) announced he will depart for Europe next month, when he will deliver a speech to the European Parliament. The speech will focus on Taiwan’s democratic achievements and contributions to cross-strait peace, he added. Wang said the European trip would also take him to Belgium, Italy and to the Holy See.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
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