The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reportedly set four priorities for its Taiwan policy at its Beidaihe (北戴河) summer meeting, including opposing “Taiwanese independence” and supporting “patriotic forces” in Taiwan’s November nine-in-one local elections, an official said yesterday.The two-week Bei
Taiwan’s population stood at 23,235,002 at the end of last month, falling for the 31st consecutive month, data released by the Ministry of the Interior yesterday showed.That was a decline of 102,934 from the same period last year, equivalent to an average daily decrease of 282.01 people. Compared wi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a US-led Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas, putting distance between himself and US President Donald Trump as he tries to shore up his base ahead of close elections.After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, and despit
‘EXCEPTIONAL’ HEAT: The average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating the previous high in 2023
The world’s seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service said yesterday, with severe ma
The military simulated repelling a Chinese air landing assault on the strategically vital Penghu County today, and would later in the day "throttle" mobile Internet for the first time during annual war games.The 10-day Han Kuang exercise kicked off last week, rehearsing various scenarios should Chi
‘IRONIC’: The Nagasaki memorial calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons and peace, but it sided with China, which has been threatening peace in the Strait, an official said
Taipei yesterday protested the seating arrangement at the Nagasaki atomic bombing memorial ceremony, saying that the Nagasaki City Government’s decision to place its representative outside the diplomatic delegation area slighted Taiwan’s national status and played into Beijing’s efforts to suppress
The government has resumed the deliberation of the much-delayed Longtan Science Park expansion project in Taoyuan, which could pave the way for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to build five new fabrication plants to produce advanced chips there. The project, proposed by the Hsi
INCREASING FIGURES: The US remained the largest destination of exposure for the 45th quarter, followed by China at NT$2.02tn and Japan at NT$1.65tn for Q2
Taiwan’s overseas exposure hit a record high of more than NT$31 trillion (US$960.11 billion) in the second quarter, Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) data released yesterday showed. Exposure refers to the combined value of net loans, net investments, and interbank deposits and loans. The FSC ha
Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes overnight that killed civilians and injured many others on both sides, local authorities reported.Large-scale Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities have become almost routine over the past few weeks, with Moscow exploiting Ukraine’s critical shortage of int
Canadian officials on Saturday declared a state of emergency after a fast-moving wildfire in the western province of British Columbia (BC) forced the overnight evacuation of more than 20,000 people, including some who were airlifted to safety.Winds fanned the Bald Range wildfire to grow rapidly late
MORE DEFENSE SPENDING: Next year’s special budget is expected to total NT$240bn, and would include procurement programs for jets and uncrewed vehicles, a source said
The Cabinet is to approve next year’s budget on Aug. 20, with defense spending topping NT$1.1 trillion (US$34.07 billion) and NT$240 billion earmarked for a special budget, sources said yesterday.Next year’s central government revenue is expected to be NT$3.8 trillion, up 35.7 percent from this year
Taiwan is to attend an annual gathering of Pacific island leaders in Palau this month, the regional bloc said, overcoming protests from China that saw Taipei barred from the event last year.China and Taiwan are important partners to the region, a Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) official told reporters l
Typhoon Dolphin was expected to make its closest approach to Taiwan yesterday afternoon through today before continuing west toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, forecasting that mountainous areas of Hsinchu and Miaoli could receive the heaviest rainfall, with preci
STILL RUSSIAN ALLY: Although Serbia ahead of the talks reiterated that it would not sanction Russia, it has previously supplied non-military aid to Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday made his first official visit to Serbia — a rare European country still closely aligned with Moscow — as Ukraine seeks to bolster international support in the face of intensifying Russian strikes.Zelenskiy received a ceremonial welcome before talks b
Iran yesterday said a deal with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close, but would not be enough to free up the waterway.A US official, who declined to be identified, on Friday said Washington anticipated an agreement soon between Iran and Oman so that normal oil traffic could resume.Agree
WAR GAMES: The military practiced defending a bridge to prevent PLA troops from advancing into the capital and deployed Mirage jets in rapid turnaround drills
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday emphasized the importance of conducting rigorous defense exercises during an inspection of Kaohsiung’s urban resilience drills, which were for the first time merged with the annual Han Kuang military exercises.Yesterday was the third day of the 10-day dri
‘STATUS QUO’: The two countries’ defense chiefs encouraged dialogue instead of the use of force, and slammed China’s aggressive moves in disputed waters
The defense chiefs of Australia and the Philippines yesterday reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, voicing opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo,” as they pledged to deepen bilateral security cooperation.The joint statement was issued f
Pacific diplomats gathered in Fiji yesterday failed to agree on a joint statement condemning China’s test of a nuclear-capable missile in the region, with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters accusing them of appeasing “outsiders.”Beijing gave only a handful of nations short notice
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin at 2:30pm yesterday, as the storm steadily moved toward the waters north of Taiwan, with heavy or extremely heavy rain expected over the weekend in the central mountains and the north.As of 5pm yesterday, Dolphin was a
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