The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) yesterday said it plans to launch six low Earth orbit satellites starting in 2026 as part of the government’s plan to boost the resilience of the nation’s communications.The development of the technology gained attention after Ukrainians were able to access the Interne
China is continuing to use “gray zone” tactics to cause social division in Taiwan and alter the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) found. The council said the academic report it commissioned to analyze the state of Taiwan-China-US relations
Taiwan claimed the No. 1 spot among exhibiting nations and took home the most awards at the 38th World Genius Convention and Education Expo in Tokyo.Of the 63 entries Taiwan submitted, 29 won gold medals, 23 won silver medals and six were given special awards.This year’s expo, held on Thursday and F
TWO TOP CONTENDERS: Prime Minister Simonyte’s ruling conservatives and President Nauseda have clashed over relations with Beijing, which have been strained over Taiwan
Lithuania voted yesterday in a presidential election dominated by security concerns with the main candidates all agreeing that the NATO and EU member should boost defense spending to counter the perceived threat from neighboring Russia. The Baltic state of 2.8 million people fears it could be next i
Israeli forces were yesterday battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.Israel has portrayed the southern Gaza city of Rafah as Hamas’ last
PLAN: Nations would receive US$5m a year if they could advance Taiwan’s international participation, diversify supply chains away from China or counter Beijing’s influence
The US House of Representatives Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Friday introduced a bill that would approve US$120 million to be spent on supporting Taiwan’s international space and tackling coercion by China.The bipartisan legislatio
EUROPE TRIP: Beijing hopes being friendly toward France will help China-EU relations, although Xi’s visit would not affect the EU’s derisking policies as a whole, the report said
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is attempting to sow division among EU states and sour EU-US relations, with the added aim of impeding the EU’s support for Taiwan, a National Security Bureau report says.The report discusses Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to Europe from Sunday last week
North Korea plans to equip its military with a new 240mm multiple rocket launcher starting this year, state media said yesterday, adding a “significant change” in the army’s artillery combat capabilities was under way.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday oversaw a live-fire test of the “technic
Israel yesterday ordered new evacuations in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its operation, while saying that it is also moving into an area in northern Gaza where Hamas has regrouped.Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of R
US President Joe Biden’s administration plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, a US official and another person familiar with the plan said.Tariffs on EVs, in particular, could quadruple — from the exist
QUESTIONS? A state of the nation address allows the president to explain their policy to the people, but does not make them answerable to the legislature, an expert said
Ruling and opposition lawmakers yesterday agreed to invite president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to give a state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan after his inauguration on May 20.The consensus was reached during cross-caucus negotiations convened by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).Deta
Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced the latest list of deputy ministers who are to take office after the inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) on May 20.The list, a mixture of old and new officials, ensures continuity, with officials who have performed well staying o
MEDIA HUB: Taiwan’s commitment to freedom of the press has made it home to 176 correspondents from 86 media outlets from 22 countries, Tsai Ing-wen said
The Human Rights Press Awards for Asia yesterday hosted its annual ceremony in Taiwan for the first time, celebrating journalism and human rights in a nation ranked best in Asia for press freedom.Taiwan boasts freedom of the press and has become an important hub for international media, being home t
Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano yesterday called for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral in a significant escalation of a bitter row over the South China Sea.China’s embassy in Manila had orchestrated “repeated acts o
The UN General Assembly was yesterday expected to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the application back to the UN Security Council to “reconsider the matter favorably.”The Palestinians are reviving their bid to become a full UN memb
FIGHT WITH FRAUD: Severe fraud would be punishable by a sentence of three to 10 years and a fine of up to NT$30 million, Cabinet officials told a news conference
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a slew of bills targeting fraud by raising the penalty for convicted scammers, increasing police surveillance powers and compelling social media platforms to remove scam advertisements.The bills aim to build a legal framework to aid the government’s fight agains
SECURITY CONCERNS: The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Taipei wishes for healthy exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, but is against ‘united front’ tactics
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said that any collaboration between the Lienchiang (Matsu) County Government and China’s Fujian Provincial Government to promote an international transportation card would contravene cross-strait law.In early March, Chinese media reported that the Fujian
The military was fully aware of an operation by the US Navy on Wednesday that involved the passage of a warship through the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.The US Navy’s 7th Fleet in a statement on Wednesday said that the USS Halsey “conducted a routine Taiwan Strai
Israel yesterday shelled Rafah as US President Joe Biden offered his starkest warning yet over the conduct of its war against Hamas, vowing to cut off arms transfers if an offensive into the southern Gaza city goes ahead.Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and cond
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is set to announce a range of new investments in Budapest as he touts Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Hungary as a model for what the EU’s relationship could look like with the world’s second-largest economy.Xi was received by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok yesterd