The government is to test a medium Earth orbit satellite system on Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) at the end of next month and aims to activate the low Earth orbit system OneWeb in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday.Tests of two satellite systems are pa
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning
Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday.All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pen
Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is vital for the growth of the global economy, the leader of a delegation of Members of the European Parliament said yesterday, while calling Taiwan a trusted partner for enhanced cooperation with European countries in areas such as semiconductors.With the ma
Authorities in Baltimore were yesterday focusing on expanding recovery efforts after a cargo ship slammed into a major bridge, causing it to collapse and leaving six people presumed dead.All six were members of a construction crew repairing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city whe
Japanese authorities yesterday ordered drugmaker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to recall three dietary supplement products containing red yeast rice, or “beni-koji,” after they were linked to two deaths and more than 100 hospitalizations, while in Taipei, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recall
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes.The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-to
TOUGHER STANCE: The UK should have the courage to make clear that it has taken note of the ‘one China’ principle, but does not acknowledge it, a lawmaker said
Threatening acts by Beijing are “not the conduct of a responsible international actor,” British Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said yesterday in a display of support for Taiwan.She made the comment after lawmaker Stewart McDonald during a debate in the House of Commons i
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the US Department of State said on Monday.Campbell and Landsbergis “affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and sta
Israeli troops yesterday battled Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, with no sign of a letup in the war despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire.”The resolution was adopted on Monday after Israel’s closest ally the US abstained amid growing concern for the worsening
The UK on Monday accused Beijing-backed groups of targeting “democratic institutions and parliamentarians” in two cybercampaigns, unveiling sanctions and summoning China’s ambassador.The Chinese embassy in Britain hit back, calling the claim “completely unfounded” and accusing London of “malicious s
WARM WELCOME: The visit could help Taiwan have in-depth exchanges with Germany and other European nations on issues of common concern, President Tsai Ing-wen said
A delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is visiting Taiwan to show support for democracy and foster deeper ties with the nation, delegation leader MEP Reinhard Butikofer said yesterday.Taiwan has performed outstandingly in the areas of human rights, democracy, freedom and the rule
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said.T
New Zealand yesterday said that it would dispatch defense personnel, helicopters and a naval ship to the Solomon Islands to assist in a national election next month, in which relations with China would be a key issue.The deployment is part of a NZ$10.8 million (US$6.5 million) support program for th
CROSS-STRAIT TENSION: Amid concerns about the possibility of a Taiwan contingency, there are worries it would be difficult to make timely responses
The US is contemplating plans to strengthen the functions of the US Forces Japan Headquarters to promote cooperation between the US military and the Japan Self-Defense Forces due to concerns about a potential Taiwan contingency, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday.The US government has begun to p
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is to lead a delegation to China next month, his foundation announced yesterday, adding that Ma has not made any arrangements to meet with Chinese officials at this point.The visit, which would be Ma’s second to China as a civilian, has been arranged amid heighten
EUROPEAN TOUR: Hsiao met with members of the European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group and exchanged views with its Committee on Foreign Affairs
Vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) visited the European Parliament at the invitation of lawmakers, a gesture that shows Taiwan and the EU are partners with shared values, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.On behalf of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Parliam
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China
US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects.The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated A
Yunlin County had the nation’s highest annual average concentration of airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) or less last year, data from the Ministry of Environment showed.The county recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 19.3 micrograms per cubic meter (mcg/m3), followed by near
More than 130 schoolchildren kidnapped by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria earlier this month were released unharmed yesterday, days before a deadline to pay a nearly US$681,000 ransom, officials and the army said.The mass abduction in Kuriga, Kaduna State, on March 7 was one of the biggest attacks on
Russia yesterday lowered flags to half-mast for a day of mourning after scores of people were gunned down with automatic weapons at a rock concert outside Moscow in the deadliest attack inside the country for two decades.Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a national day of mourning after pled