INFLATION UP? The IMF said CPI would increase to 1.5 percent this year, while the DGBAS projected it would rise to 1.68 percent, with GDP per capita of US$44,181
The IMF projected Taiwan’s real GDP would grow 5.2 percent this year, up from its 2.1 percent outlook in January, despite fears of global economic disruptions sparked by the US-Iran conflict.Taiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) is projected to increase to 1.5 percent, while unemployment would be 3.4
The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee yesterday approved proposed amendments to the Amusement Tax Act (娛樂稅法) that would abolish taxes on films, cultural activities and competitive sporting events, retaining the fee only for dance halls and golf courses.The proposed changes would set the maximum t
Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite in late 2024 that allowed it to target US military bases across the Middle East during the recent war, the Financial Times reported yesterday.The TEE-01B satellite, built and launched by Chinese company Earth Eye Co (北京沐美星空科技), was acquired by the Islam
The US-Iran war is “very close to over,” US President Donald Trump said in clips of an interview set to air in the US yesterday, while the US military said that its blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented.”Pakistan on Tuesday said that it was pursuing efforts to help the US and Iran ne
North Korea is showing a “very serious increase” in its ability to produce atomic weapons, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said yesterday during a visit to Seoul.North Korea is believed to operate multiple facilities for enriching uranium, a key step in making nuclear warheads, South Korea’s spy
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: All Taiwanese desire peace, yet peace is obtained not by agreements on sheets of paper, but our own strength, the president said.
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged service members to test the military’s strengths to the utmost in this year’s Han Kuang No. 41 virtual exercise, while urging lawmakers to pass the administration’s special defense budget without any cuts.Lai visited the joint command headquarters hosting
The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed a bill governing childcare, including requiring institutions to install surveillance cameras and imposing penalties of up to NT$600,000 for childcare providers found guilty of abuse or harassment.The Executive Yuan in May last year approved the draft Childcare S
Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday announced the launch of a “One ID” smart travel service, enabling international travelers to access airport services using facial recognition after completing a one-time registration.The airport is the nation’s first and only airport offering
PROMOTING PEACE: The Spanish PM said that China can play an ‘important role’ in the Middle East, while Xi Jinping spoke about a return to the ‘law of the jungle’
China yesterday accused the US of “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports, with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) vowing Beijing would play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Middle East.US President Donald Trump has threatened to sink ships entering o
The Philippines discovered cyanide on Chinese boats operating around a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, Philippine security officials said on Monday.Authorities said laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the highly toxic substance in bottles seized by the Philippine Navy in operations at
SECOND OVERSEAS TRIP: Apart from attending anniversary and birthday celebrations, William Lai and his delegation are also to visit a planned industrial innovation park
President William Lai (賴清德) is to visit Taiwan’s sole African ally, the Kingdom of Eswatini, later this month, in what would be his second official overseas trip since taking office in May 2024, the Presidential Office said yesterday.Eswatini is one of 12 UN member nations worldwide that have formal
SERIOUSLY DAMAGING: TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang said that legislators-at-large should meet party supporters’ expectations, rather than pursue personal interests
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Central Evaluation Committee yesterday voted to expel party member Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), effective immediately, following a series of controversies. The decision also resulted in Li’s loss of her legislator-at-large seat.Li, who took office in February as a legislator-at-
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation yesterday said it has identified material evidence of suspected financial misconduct by its former chief executive officer Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) and former deputy chief executive officer Wang Kuang-tzu (王光慈).The foundation has dissociated itself from Hsiao — who is also Ch
Congratulations from across Europe poured in yesterday for Hungarian political newcomer Peter Magyar, who defeated nationalist Viktor Orban in elections seen as a blow to right-wing populism worldwide.Orban, a self-described “thorn” in the EU’s side and defender of “illiberal democracy” endorsed by
The US military yesterday vowed to blockade all Iranian ports, part of efforts to force Tehran into agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz and accepting a peace deal. Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at US-allied nations.That set the stage
The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) today expelled at-large Legislator Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) following a series of controversies, effectively stripping her of her legislative seat.The party’s Central Review Committee reached the decision during a meeting this afternoon, with the expulsion effective immediate
President William Lai (賴清德) is to lead a delegation to Eswatini from Wednesday next week to April 27 to celebrate King Mswati III’s 40-year anniversary on the throne, the Presidential Office said today, marking the president’s second overseas trip since taking office in May 2024.The King is to mark
ECONOMIC COERCION: Such actions are often inconsistently applied, sometimes resumed, and sometimes just halted, the Presidential Office spokeswoman said
The government backs healthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges, but such arrangements should not be made with political conditions attached and never be used as leverage for political maneuvering or partisan agendas, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said yesterday. Kuo made the remar
DETERRENCE FIRST: ‘If Taiwan can have sufficient deterrence capability, it can take the option of war off the table,’ American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said
The top US diplomat in Taiwan said China should abandon its threats and military pressure against Taiwan and talk to its leaders, as that would avoid misunderstandings and stabilize relations. American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene, the de facto US ambassador, said the consistent
RSS