RECRUITMENT PLANS: The defense ministry said the military this year to date is 20.8 percent understrength, with the figure tipped to drop to 20 percent by the year-end
The number of active military personnel in Taiwan has increased to nearly 230,000, up by about 10,000 from 2021, the first increase since the military underwent downsizing under the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the Ministry of National Defense said in a report.The military,
Torrential rains brought by Tropical Storm Fung-wong caused severe flooding in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) before it brushed the southern part of Taiwan last night.Fung-wong had super typhoon strength when it battered the Philippines on Sunday, causing flooding, landslides, power outages and a
Hackers working for the Chinese government and military had probed Australia’s telecommunications network and critical infrastructure, Australia’s spy chief said yesterday, warning of the potential for disruption to the economy if a sabotage were carried out.Australian Security Intelligence Organisa
A group skirmished with security on Tuesday at the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, briefly trying to force their way into the main venue before they were pushed back.Two security workers sustained minor injuries, the UN said.The confrontation came late in the day as people were filtering out of t
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work
Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening.Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s sout
SELF-DETERMINATION: German lawmakers add earth to an art installation in front of the Reichstag to show that the face of a nation lies with its people, Tsai Ing-wen said
Taiwan’s future should be decided by Taiwanese, German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Till Steffen said yesterday, while giving former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) a tour of the German parliament building.Tsai arrived in Berlin on Sunday and the following day delivered a keynote spee
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hope that Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) would step forward to lead cross-party legislators in supporting Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), whom China is investigating for promoting “Taiwanese independence.”China’s state-ru
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday called a deadly car explosion in the heart of the capital a “conspiracy,” vowing those responsible will face justice, while in a separate attack in Islamabad, a suicide bombing outside district court buildings killed at least 12 people and wounded 27 oth
The US Senate on Monday approved a compromise that would end the longest government shutdown in US history, breaking a weeks-long stalemate that has disrupted food benefits for millions, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and snarled air traffic.The 60-40 vote passed with the suppo
In the face of authoritarian challenges, resilience is key to the survival of democracy, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said in a keynote speech yesterday at the Berlin Freedom Conference.Authoritarian regimes use similar methods, and now is a crucial moment for democratic countries to connect
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait.A land alert is expected to be announced some time between la
‘EXTREMELY INAPPROPRIATE’: Xue Jian’s post on X that ‘the dirty neck ... must be cut off’ was a threat against the Japanese leader, the US ambassador to Japan said
Japan yesterday criticized a Chinese diplomat for “extremely inappropriate” remarks seemingly directed at Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, after she suggested that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.Beijing defended the “personal post” made by the envoy in an escalati
‘LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND’: All international partners, including Taiwan, should have a say on climate issues, and Taipei can contribute to finding solutions, allies said
Expressing their support for Taiwan at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), five of the nation’s allies called for its acceptance into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.COP30 commenced yesterday and runs through Friday
UN climate negotiations were yesterday expected to begin at a meeting on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, with leaders pushing for urgency, cooperation and acceleration after more than 30 years fighting to curb global warming by drastically reducing the carbon pollution that causes it.Andre Correa
VIOLATION OF NORMS: China’s CCTV broadcast claimed that Beijing could use Interpol to issue arrest warrants, which the MAC slammed as an affront to order
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for attempts to intimidate Taiwanese through “transnational repression.”The council issued the remarks after state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) yesterday during a news broadcast aired a video targ
TRUSTED PARTNER: Lai expressed hope that Taipei would deepen cooperation with Europe, echoing Hsiao’s words that Taiwan was a key democratic ally
Taiwan would stand with Europe and all like-minded nations to show the world its determination to safeguard democracy and freedom, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday as Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made back-to-back visits to Europe.Hsiao made a
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow.As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph,
Applicants for immigrant visas to the US could be rejected if they have chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, under a new directive from the US Department of State, US media outlet KFF Health News reported on Thursday.The policy directs visa officers to deny applicants who might r
Ukraine was scrambling to turn lights and heating back on yesterday after Russian attacks targeted energy infrastructure, with the state power provider saying its generating capacity was reduced to “zero.”Moscow, which has escalated attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure in the past few months, launche
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