F-16 JETS: Delivery of 66 US-made fighter planes has also been delayed, but the plane maker now has two shifts working 20 hours a day to accelerate output
US delivery of AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) would be delayed to 2027-2028, as Taiwan opted for the new Block 3 version that requires restarting production lines and system integration, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defe
Draft legislation to classify high temperatures as hazardous weather, and allow local governments to suspend school and work on extremely hot days, is expected to be announced later this month, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday.The agency attended a meeting of the Legislative Y
The Executive Yuan is still reviewing a proposal to expand eligibility for one-child families to hire foreign domestic helpers and is expected to announce details of the policy and related support measures as soon as the end of the year, an official said today.In September, President William Lai (賴清
A powerful magnitude 6.3 earthquake yesterday shook northern Afghanistan before dawn, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 500 others, a health official said, adding that the numbers could increase.The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 22km west-southwest of the town o
US President Donald Trump has repeated his threat of a military operation in Nigeria over “killings of Christians,” and that it could be ground or air attacks.As claims of Christian “persecution” in Africa’s most populous country have found traction online among the US and European right, experts sa
DELAYS: The US-based manufacturer has adopted a two-shift, 20-hour work schedule to accelerate the production and delivery of F-16V jets to Taiwan
While several US arms procurements are facing delays, 18 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) are expected to arrive ahead of schedule by the end of next year, a Ministry of National Defense report showed. The ministry is to brief the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and Na
HEALTH ISSUE: Emergency room overcrowding cannot be solved with one measure, but maintaining sufficient capacity outside work hours is critical, an official said
The government yesterday launched an urgent care centers (UCCs) pilot program for providing urgent medical care over weekends and on holidays, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said. Shih also announced payment bonuses offered to clinics that are open during the nine-day Lunar Ne
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi for emphasizing the importance of safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during Koizumi’s meeting with Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍). Koizumi made the r
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said that during talks with his Chinese counterpart, the two sides had agreed to reboot military-to-military links to “deconflict and deescalate.” Hegseth met with Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) on the sidelines of a regional summi
The Philippines yesterday signed a visiting forces agreement with Canada, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering Beijing’s assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines and China have engaged in frequent clashes in the crucial sea space, which Beijing claims in nearly i
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung.The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class off
Taiwan’s representative to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), yesterday said that he and US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent discussed supply chains and semiconductors during a meeting on the sidelines of the event in Gyeongju, South Korea. Taiwan’s exports to the US, except for semiconductor
The government should step up its efforts to reduce carbon and adapt to climate developments to enhance climate justice and resilience in Taiwan, environmental activists said at a rally in Taipei yesterday.The groups estimated that more than 1,000 people attended the March for Climate, which had a b
Tens of thousands of protesters yesterday poured into Serbia’s second-largest city a year after a railway station roof collapse that killed 16 people, unleashing discontent over alleged corruption and a lack of accountability many blame for the disaster. Months of protests across Serbia, stoked by a
The UN Security Council on Friday voted in favor of a resolution backing Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the “most feasible” solution for the disputed territory, triggering celebrations in Rabat, but angering Algeria. Western Sahara is a mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is large
‘NOT SUBORDINATE’: Only Taiwanese can decide the nation’s future, and people preserving their democratic way of life is not a provocation, President William Lai said
Taiwan does not want China’s “one country, two systems,” and must uphold its freedom and democracy as well as resolve to defend itself, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, rejecting Beijing’s latest bid to bring the country under Chinese control.The president made the remarks while attending
TAIWAN STRAIT: “For the stability and security in this region, maintaining good cross-strait relations is important,” Japanese Prime Minister said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said she raised "serious concerns" about the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Xinjiang in her first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).She said she told Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea that she wanted a “strategic and mutually benefici
NEGOTIATIONS: The talks have been focused on supply chain cooperation, tariff reductions and better conditions for Taiwanese investing in the US, the vice premier said
Technical consultations for Taiwan-US trade talks have been “largely finalized” and document exchanges are under way, Taiwan’s delegation to the APEC summit in South Korea said yesterday, marking progress in the protracted discussions.Taiwan’s exports to the US are subject to a 20 percent tariff and
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth yesterday voiced concerns in talks with Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) about Beijing’s naval activity around Taiwan and the South China Sea, citing its impact on US security partners in the Indo-Pacific region.The two talked on the sidelines o
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