An unpublicized joint military exercise between Taiwan and the US in the Pacific Ocean last month was carried out in accordance with an international code, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday.According to a Reuters report citing four unnamed sources, the two nations’ navies last mo
Uber Technologies Inc is buying Delivery Hero SE’s Foodpanda business in Taiwan for US$950 million, shoring up its control of a key Asian market as it seeks to expand in the region.Uber, whose meal delivery business outperformed globally during the first quarter, aims to complete the all-cash deal b
The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday released draft amendments that would legalize surrogacy, along with assisted reproduction for single women and lesbian couples.The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said that it has set a July 13 deadline for public feedback to the proposed amendments
PROTEST: A Chinese commission condemned the UK for the ‘cooked-up charges’ and accused it of ‘vicious’ interference in Hong Kong’s affairs
The British government yesterday said it had summoned Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang (鄭澤光), a day after three people were charged in the latest Beijing-linked alleged espionage case. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was “unequivocal in setting out that the recent pat
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday said that US military aid on its way to Ukraine would make a “real difference” on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.In increasingly intense attacks along the northeas
‘MONEY PIT’: The KMT’s more than NT$2 trillion infrastructure project proposals for eastern Taiwan lack professional input and financial transparency, the DPP said
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday said it would ask the Executive Yuan to raise a motion to oppose the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus’ infrastructure proposals and prepare to file for a constitutional interpretation if the KMT-dominated legislature forces their passage.
The International Industrial Talents Education Special (INTENSE) Program to attract foreigners to study and work in Taiwan will provide scholarships and a living allowance of up to NT$440,000 per person for two years beginning in August, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) told a meeting of th
Government measures to control air pollution have effectively lowered the density of main pollutants, with more than 90 percent of air quality observation stations reporting a gradual decline in the density of PM2.5 (particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter), PM10, nitroge
NO CONTEST: Gitanas Nauseda, who got 46% of the vote in the first round, said he is confident of winning and does not need a campaign strategy
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte are to face off in the second round of the Baltic state’s presidential vote on May 26 after the incumbent failed to win an overall majority in the first round on Sunday.With almost all the ballots counted in the Baltic state th
China is targeting citizens studying abroad for their political activism, rights group Amnesty International said yesterday, with some students reporting harassment of family members back home.China does not tolerate political dissent and has used sophisticated tech tools and intimidation to crack d
SELF-SUFFICIENCY: The project would only be the beginning, as Taiwan needs at least 120 satellites to ensure uninterrupted communication, Wu Tsung-tsong said
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