OPEN TO DISCUSSIONS: The legislature needs to give the Cabinet a ‘legal opportunity’ to explain the budget, so it can clear up any concerns, an official said
More US arms sales to Taiwan are in the pipeline with four deals yet to be notified to the US Congress, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said yesterday, following the announcement of an US$11 billion package last month, the largest ever for the nation.The US is Taiwan’s most imp
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said it plans to spend a record-high US$52 billion to US$56 billion in capital expenditure this year to expand advanced chip capacity to meet “insatiable” demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.The budget represents a surge of
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural d
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday hailed his nation’s improving ties with China, as well as the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), declaring that their nations were charting a new course in cooperation amid global division and disorder.The four-day visit to China was the f
FREEING UP RESOURCES: Assigning nurses to handle tasks that could be performed by trained caregivers is a waste of human resources, a hospital superintendent said
The government’s policy to recruit foreign workers to help people hospitalized for acute conditions with daily care needs would benefit medical staff and families, while helping hospitals to staff 30,000 beds, Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday.Speaking at a Ministr
More US arms sales to Taiwan are in the pipeline, with four deals pending notification to the US Congress, Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said today, following the announcement of a US$11 billion package last month, the largest ever for the nation.The US is Taiwan's most imp
Taiwan today signaled that a tariff deal with the US could come soon, after its negotiators left for the latest round of talks with Washington, saying both sides are expected to announce where they have reached a "consensus."Taiwan, a global semiconductor powerhouse, has been in talks with the US to
OBJECTION: The opposition has no legal foundation for impeachment, and their intention is to subject Lai to unconstitutional questioning, a DPP lawmaker said
Some civic groups and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday condemned what they called “unlawful” moves and the “brazen political motives of the opposition to seize power” as the legislature opened public hearings regarding an impeachment motion raised by opposition parties agains
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year.The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can t
Tehran has warned neighbors hosting US troops that it would hit US bases if Washington strikes, a senior Iranian official said yesterday, as Iran seeks to deter US President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.Three diplomats said that some personnel had been advised to leave
A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project in Thailand yesterday collapsed onto a passenger train, causing it to derail, killing at least 32 people, authorities said.The massive crane’s broken structure was left resting on giant concrete pillars, while smoke rose from the wreckage of the trai
BROAD AGREEMENT: The two are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan’s tariff to 15% and a commitment for TSMC to build five more fabs, a ‘New York Times’ report said
Taiwan and the US have reached a broad consensus on a trade deal, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said yesterday, after a report said that Washington is set to reduce Taiwan’s tariff rate to 15 percent.The New York Times on Monday reported that the two nations are nearing a trade d
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Canada for its support during recent Chinese military drills and praised the deepening of ties between the two sides, shortly ahead of a visit to China by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.Two lawmakers from Carney’s Liberal Party this week ended a vis
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official yesterday said that a delegation that visited China for an APEC meeting did not receive any kind of treatment that downgraded Taiwan’s sovereignty.Department of International Organizations Director-General Jonathan Sun (孫儉元) said that he and a group of ministry
UNREST: The US president moved to further isolate Tehran, announcing a 25 percent tariff on goods from nations doing business with the Islamic republic
Iranian protests appeared to persist in localized pockets overnight as an activist group warned of imminent executions by the state and said the civilian death toll from the unrest could be in the thousands.The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group said at least 648 people had died in the protests by M
Finance ministers from the G7 and other major economies on Monday met in Washington to discuss ways to reduce dependence on rare earths from China, including setting a price floor and new partnerships to build up alternative supplies, ministers said.The meeting, convened by US Secretary of the Treas
The US and Taiwan have reached a broad consensus on their trade deal and further details would be announced after a final wrap-up meeting, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said today.The New York Times yesterday reported that the two nations are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan
MIXED SOURCING: While Taiwan is expanding domestic production, it also sources munitions overseas, as some, like M855 rounds, are cheaper than locally made ones
Taiwan and the US plan to jointly produce 155mm artillery shells, as the munition is in high demand due to the Ukraine-Russia war and should be useful in Taiwan’s self-defense, Armaments Bureau Director-General Lieutenant General Lin Wen-hsiang (林文祥) told lawmakers in Taipei yesterday.Lin was respon
CHINA THREAT: Of the 127 people indicted since the act’s passage in 2020, only five have been convicted, with the sentences averaging three to six months, MAC said
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday urged lawmakers to approve proposed amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) given the light punishments meted out to offenders under current regulations.Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee reviewing the chan
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