WHOLE-OF-SOCIETY RESILIENCE: Reservists are vital to dealing with China’s ‘gray zone’ threats and natural disaster risks, the defense minister said
Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercises are set to begin in the spring, with sources saying that the duration of the drills might be extended again.In July last year, the military’s 41st annual exercises involved 10 days and nine nights of live-troop drills, compared with previous drills that l
The US Congress, across party lines, continues to support Taiwan’s sovereignty and independence, and opposes any form of public or covert coercion aimed at hindering other countries from engaging with Taiwan in a responsible manner, visiting US Senator Ruben Gallego said in Taipei yesterday.Speaking
This year could see the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) undertaking “more aggressive, ambitious operations around Taiwan,” in preparation for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) stated goal that the PLA would have the capability to invade Taiwan by next year, Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) di
GAME CHANGER Replacing a tunnel under the Beigang River from the colonial era, the aqueduct bridge will link two irrigation networks, reducing the risk of water shortages
The nation’s first cable-stayed aqueduct bridge has been constructed over the Beigang River (北港溪). It is expected to provide 70 million tonnes of water for irrigation each year by integrating the separate irrigation networks in Yunlin and Chiayi counties and Tainan.The bridge is the Ministry of Agri
UNDER INVESTIGATION Police said the driver was breath tested at the scene and was not under the influence, but the cause of the crash is still being looked into
A news van of Sanlih E-Television (SET-TV) News crashed into a Changhua Bank branch on the corner of Yijiang Street and Nanjing E Road in Taipei yesterday afternoon, injuring 10 people, including three who were being treated for severe injuries at press time last night.Preliminary investigations con
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) yesterday issued an advisory urging passengers not to use power banks in the metro system, a week after a battery caught fire, causing a panic on the Blue Line.A passenger put out the fire by using a fire extinguisher, while 450 other people switched trains, the TRTC
American climber Alex Honnold is to attempt a free climb of Taipei 101 today at 9am, with traffic closures around the skyscraper.To accommodate the climb attempt and filming, the Taipei Department of Transportation said traffic controls would be enforced around the Taipei 101 area. If weather condit
Team Taiwan on Wednesday won the Team Champion award at the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) World Grooming Competition held in the Philippines. It is their second team grooming title in recent months. The team was organized by the Kennel Club of Taiwan (KCT), an organization long dedicat
Mountain rescue teams crewed by indigenous personnel are being established by the Ministry of the Interior in 12 regions, the National Fire Agency (NFA) said in a news release. The Indigenous Special Search and Rescue Teams, administered by the NFA, would start work in May when Taiwan’s rainy season
The Supreme Court has upheld a life sentence for a Filipino migrant worker convicted of killing and dismembering his girlfriend, rejecting his final appeal.The ruling, issued Tuesday, found no fault in the lower court judgments and finalized the case.The defendant, surnamed Velasco, had been in a re
A motorcyclist with a dog tucked inside their jacket waits at a red light in Taipei yesterday. Sunny skies and warmer daytime temperatures are expected in Taiwan from today through Monday as a cold air mass gradually weakens, independent meteorologist Daniel Wu said yesterday.
Representative to Thailand Peter Lan, back row fifth left, poses with members of the Taiwanese delegation in Bangkok yesterday at the Thai International Travel Fair to promote the nation’s tourist attractions, including the Taiwan Lantern Festival, nighttime tourism and diverse themed travel.
Performers rehearse yesterday ahead of their performance at the Taipei Performing Arts Center’s Main Theater today. The event marks the 20th anniversary of the Paper Windmill Cultural Foundation’s “368 Children’s Art Project,” which has performed for 1.67 million people since its 2006 launch.
Opposition parties today used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to block the Executive Yuan’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.55 billion) special defense budget for the eighth time. The Executive Yuan on Nov. 27 last year approved the budget to bolster Taiwan’s defense and asymmetric warfare capabiliti
This year could see the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) undertaking “more aggressive, ambitious operations around Taiwan,” in preparation for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) stated goal of the PLA having the capability to take Taiwan by next year, Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) director John Dots
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) proposal to hold three nationally televised debate sessions covering the central government’s general budget was sent to a second reading today.The move came after Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday called for a debate in the Legislative Yuan over this year’s
President William Lai (賴清德) today offered talks with Ukraine aimed at cracking down on sanctions-busting activities after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy name-checked Taiwan as a source of illicit missile components.Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan, a global semiconductor powerho
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, allocating US$1 billion to reinforce security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to Taiwan. These defense appropriations are part of the Consolidated
The New Taipei City Education Department yesterday said it would inspect a major preschool operator following recent reports of alleged child abuse, warning that contraventions could result in penalties, including the revocation of its operational permit.The department said that it would carry out a
RSS