Paraguayan President Santiago Pena has pledged to continue enhancing cooperation with Taiwan, as he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait using force, Japanese media reported on Saturday.Kishida yesterday comp
SOME FAMILIAR FACES: In addition to the deputy ministers taking office later this month under the new administration, eleven officials are to stay in office
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced 15 new deputy ministers, with premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) saying he expects the ministries to work together to build a technologically innovative and public interest-focused administration.Although the list did not include names for
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open.Paparo made the rem
Prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appeared slim yesterday, as Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled out, while Jerusalem said it would shut down al-Jazeera’s operations in Israel over its c
As Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia yesterday launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine’s east and claimed its troops took control of a village they had been targeting.The Ukrainian Air Force yesterday said that Russia had launched 24 Shahed drones, of which 23 had been shot
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said
Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week.“We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with
LOOK FOR THE SIGNS: The guidelines include checklists for inspectors to look for indicators of abuse or if a child might be at risk in a caregiver’s home
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has rolled out revised guidelines for inspecting in-home childcare providers, including general principles, the frequency of home visits and key points for social workers to look for.The guidelines, which took effect immediately, were issued to local governments on
President-elect William Lai (賴清德) is considering creating an advanced defense technology agency soon after assuming office later this month, an official with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.The authority the agency would have and whether the National Security Council or Ministry of National D
Canadian police on Friday arrested and charged three Indian men with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year and said they were probing whether the men had ties to the Indian government.Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in June last year outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouv
More than 100 temperature records last month fell across Vietnam, official data showed, as a deadly heat wave scorches South and Southeast Asia.Extreme heat has blasted Asia from India to the Philippines in the past few weeks, triggering heatstroke deaths, school closures and desperate prayers for c
SECURITY ACT: The US should support its ‘peaceful and democratic ally Taiwan and its military’ and send a ‘strong message’ to China, US Senator Rick Scott said
US lawmakers on Thursday introduced new legislation to strengthen Taiwan-US defense cooperation to counter Beijing’s aggression.US senators Jacky Rosen and Dan Sullivan, along with US representatives Michelle Steel and Steven Horsford, introduced the bipartisan and bicameral bill, transpacific allie
Taiwanese and US representatives yesterday wrapped up the latest round of in-person trade talks in Taipei, but did not succeed in inking any agreements, Minister Without Portfolio and top negotiator John Deng (鄧振中) told a media briefing.“The two sides gained better understanding of bilateral rules a
Three US Representatives on Thursday urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stop requesting Taiwan to join the Olympic Games using the name Chinese Taipei (中華台北) in a letter addressed to committee president Thomas Bach.Not only do Taiwanese athletes have to compete under the name “Chines
Defense chiefs from the US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines on Thursday vowed to deepen their cooperation as they gathered in Hawaii for their second-ever joint meeting amid concerns about China’s operations in the South China Sea.The meeting came after the four countries last month held their
‘A CLEAR MESSAGE’: Labour leader Keir Starmer said local election results showed that the party is ‘fundamentally different’ than four years ago
The UK’s main opposition Labour Party yesterday called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call a general election, after seizing another parliamentary seat from the Conservatives and making gains in English local elections.Labour leader Keir Starmer said its candidate’s win in Blackpool South
REBUILDING PLANS: The government is to provide a monthly subsidy for people forced out of their homes, with the amount varying depending on household size
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a plan to allocate NT$28.55 billion (US$878.57 million) for Hualien County reconstruction after it was affected by a earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale on April 3.The approval came after Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) listened to briefings from governme
WHO SAGA: Excluding Taiwan undermines global public health cooperation and security, which the world demands, the US’ top diplomatic official said
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement published on Wednesday urged the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) as an observer.The US “strongly encourages the WHO to reinstate an invitation to Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year’s WH
Taiwanese are banned from holding positions in the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), Confucius Institutes and other organizations affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after revisions to a list of prohibited gr
The US Department of State on Wednesday accused Russia of having used a chemical weapon against Ukrainian forces, contravening the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), accusations Moscow denied.In addition to the chemical agent chloropicrin, Russia used “riot control agents (tear gas) as a method of w
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced that his government would break diplomatic relations with Israel in the latest escalation of tensions between the countries over the Israel-Hamas war.Petro again described Israel’s siege of Gaza as “genocide.”He previously suspended purchases