■ Education
New English test introduced
The National Development Initiatives Institute, a local organization promoting the study of English, presented a new English proficiency test yesterday. Based on the Common European Framework (CEF), a standardized scale of English proficiency, the examination has been tested at some middle and senior high schools, colleges and universities and would be introduced at all schools nationwide, institute officials said yesterday. The "Global English Test" focuses on active communication skills, as well as listening comprehension, they said.
■ Transportation
Fog delays flights
Thick fog at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport delayed more than 30 departing flights yesterday morning, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, an airport official said. The foggy conditions were created by a humid maritime airstream, reducing visibility to less than 200m, according to the Central Weather Bureau. Hundreds of people were stranded at the airport due to the delayed flights to Japan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, an airport official said. Five flights arriving from the US and Europe were diverted to Kaohsiung, the official said.
■ Weather
Cold front on the way
A cold front will approach Taiwan tomorrow, which will bring to an end this week's warm weather, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. The bureau said temperatures in northern and northeastern areas will drop tomorrow because of the influence of a southbound cold front in the region. Chances are high for rain in northern Taiwan this weekend, the bureau said, adding that the weather would improve by Monday.
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
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
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