The Ministry of Education yesterday unveiled plans to introduce saliva drug test kits to stop synthetic drug use in schools.The ministry plans to deploy the kits as early as September and would use them to screen students for drugs, with their parents’ consent, Department of Student Affairs and Spec
TIMELINE TO END? Despite the US president saying that there was a chance that he would pull forces out, an Iranian official said it does not set deadlines for its defense
Iran yesterday hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar, as well as Kuwait’s airport, while airstrikes battered Tehran — hours after US President Donald Trump said that he was nearly ready to wind down the war.Trump, who was scheduled to address the US after press time last night, said that he could
Fuel surcharges for short and long-haul international aviation routes would rise dramatically from Tuesday next week due to a surge in crude oil prices, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday.Fuel surcharges for Taiwanese carriers would increase by US$27.50 for short-haul routes and
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday praised Europe’s “predictability” during a visit to Japan, contrasting it with countries that “could hurt you without even informing you” in an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump.Trump on Tuesday wrote on social media that Paris had been “very unhe
COOPERATION: As a democratic nation and a key partner in trade and technology, Taiwan’s stability is of particular importance to the EU, MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said
The EU is to continue to oppose any attempt to change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait by force, European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said yesterday during a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德), reaffirming support for stable cross-strai
A bipartisan delegation from the US Senate yesterday reiterated the importance of passing a sufficient defense budget, as Taiwan requires robust asymmetric rather than baseline capabilities to deter aggression.The visiting group included US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations members Jeanne Shahee
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said
The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today.The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services,
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years.The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up
US President Donald Trump yesterday expressed frustration with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the US war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average US gas prices soaring and roiled global markets.
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said
The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill.A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shah
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday.Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegat
Judicial authorities have carried out raids at 49 locations in Hsinchu and northern Taiwan as part of a probe on talent poaching and alleged industrial espionage activities by 11 Chinese enterprises, for engaging in unlawful recruiting of Taiwanese who work in IC design, artificial intelligence, vis
China yesterday announced sanctions against a Japanese lawmaker over his visits to Taiwan, as Beijing and Tokyo locked horns in a months-long diplomatic row.Relations between China and Japan have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November last year that Tokyo cou
US President Donald Trump yesterday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war with Tehran is not reached “shortly.”On the ground, the conflict showed no sign of letting up: Tehran struck a key
A group of visiting US senators today highlighted the importance of "peace through strength," while calling on Taiwan to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill to fund planned purchases of US weapons systems for self-defense."Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential to the global e
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) today accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to lead a delegation to China next month, saying she hopes to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and bring stability to the Taiwan Strait.“I am g
CAMPAIGN STARTED? Lu Shiow-yen, who has eight months left as Taichung mayor, is widely considered as a contender to run for the KMT in the 2028 presidential election
It would be “reasonable to pass NT$800 billion to NT$1 trillion” (US$25.09 billion to US$31.37 billion) for the special defense budget, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday. Lu made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (siste
AUTONOMOUS PRODUCTION: The special budget is expected to generate about NT$400bn in economic output and 90,000 jobs, supporting industries, the MND said
Separating the Executive Yuan’s proposed eight-year NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.21 billion) special defense budget from the general budget would help avoid crowding out spending on public needs, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.The ministry made the remarks in a report to the legislature, del
The nation’s fastest supercomputer, Nano 4 (晶創26), is scheduled to be launched in the third quarter, and would be used to train large language models in finance and national defense sectors, the National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC) said.The supercomputer, which would operate at abou
RSS