The audacious pager attack in Lebanon, which killed 12 people and injured at least 2,800, has increased tensions between Israel and militant group Hezbollah, which vowed to retaliate. Hezbollah, the Lebanese government and Iran blamed Israel for the near-simultaneous blasts on Tuesday afternoon. Man
Taiwanese firm Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) yesterday said that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria, but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them. The pagers were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, Gold Apollo said in a sta
Three people had died and nine were hospitalized as of yesterday morning after eating millet dumplings that might have contained toxic pesticides.On Tuesday evening, after consuming millet dumplings she had made earlier, a woman surnamed Tseng (曾) in Taitung County’s Jinfong Township (金峰) developed
A Chinese naval formation led by the Liaoning aircraft carrier sailed through waters northeast of Taiwan yesterday and continued toward the southeast of Japan’s Yonaguni Island, the Ministry of National Defense said. “During this period, the armed forces monitored the situation and responded accordi
DRONE STRIKES: The weapons storehouse in Toropets in the Tver region was built in 2018 and is one of Russia’s biggest, state media TASS reported
Ukraine said it destroyed a large weapons stockpile in Russia overnight using long-range drones to stage the attack as Kyiv awaits US permission to use Western-made missiles in such operations. About 100 explosive-laden uncrewed aircraft destroyed a large cache of Iskander and Tochka-U missiles, as
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety
The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday.The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has released new guidelines advising government employees visiting Hong Kong and Macau not to take part in any activity that could be construed as contravening the Chinese territories’ new national security law.Officials from the Executive Yuan and its affiliated o
Delegations from Canada and Germany yesterday visited government officials in Taipei, weeks after warships from both nations sailed through the Taiwan Strait.Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Remus Chen (陳立國) headed a luncheon to welcome the Canadian delegation, including Richard Fadden, former natio
ELECTION DISPUTE: The Maduro government has reactivated its harshest and most violent tools of repression, members of a fact-finding mission said
Independent UN human rights experts said in a new report yesterday that their findings show Venezuela’s government has intensified the use of the “harshest and most violent” tools of repression following the disputed July 28 presidential election.The official results have been widely criticized as u
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Monday accused Israel’s military of striking schools, humanitarian workers and civilians in Gaza in a sign of growing US frustration with its close ally as the war approaches its first anniversary.Israel has repeatedly said it targets Hamas militant
STAY CAUTIOUS: No matter the true motives of the men attempting to enter Taiwan, the nation should be alert to China’s attempts to test its defenses, DPP legislators said
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said the government would promptly review several incidents of Chinese illegally entering the country by boat, vowing to safeguard the nation’s security.Cho’s comments came after a Chinese man was on Saturday found in a rubber boat at the estuary of Houkeng River
Plans to pass a legislative motion clarifying Taiwan’s stance on UN Resolution 2758 might be derailed as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demurs on the issue, saying it could adversely affect cross-strait relations.The Democratic Progressive Party, which is planning to draft a motion to address U
People residing in areas south of Hsinchu County have a better chance of seeing the moon as the nation observes the Mid-Autumn Festival today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The conditions for moon watching, a tradition observed by many during the festival, would vary by r
Former US president Donald Trump was safe after the US Secret Service foiled what the FBI called an apparent assassination attempt on the Republican candidate for president while he was golfing in Florida.Several Secret Service agents fired on a gunman in bushes after he was spotted near the edge of
‘LIBERATE HONG KONG’: Chu Kai-pong became the first to be convicted of sedition under the territory’s new tougher national security law
A 27-year-old man faces up to several years in jail for sedition, after pleading guilty to wearing a protest T-shirt that prosecutors say flouts Hong Kong’s new national security law.Chu Kai-pong (諸啟邦) had already served a three-month prison term for sedition in January for wearing and keeping in hi
NATIONAL SECURITY: Taiwan has a strong need to be resilient due to its importance to global industries and the global economy, the head of a civic organization said
The Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee — which is aimed at promoting society-wide involvement in national defense — is to hold its first meeting on Thursday next week, with four points of focus aimed at boosting resilience, sources said yesterday. The committee was established by Presiden
The Ministry of National Defense is sending military personnel to the US next year to ensure that the delivery of the FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles it has procured would be on schedule. The ministry initially planned to spend NT$17 billion (US$531.4 million) to procure 500 Stinger missiles
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meanin
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims
The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate per
One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian firefighter has died responding to floods, authorities said yesterday, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains. Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high