The Cabinet today approved a draft amendment to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) that would extend tax breaks on select energy-saving appliances until the end of 2027.Article 11-1 of the act stipulates that a commodity tax cut of up to NT$2,000 (US$62.37) would be given for purchases of new refrigerato
Taiwan has not received a letter of invitation to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA), Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said today before a meeting at the Legislative Yuan. The 78th WHA, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, is to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 1
The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office today said it decided not to press murder charges against a man convicted of faking a marriage with a high-school student who died in 2023 under suspicious circumstances, citing insufficient evidence.The man, surnamed Hsia (夏), was found guilty in June last
The Ministry of National Defense today said that a large number of Chinese military aircraft were detected near Taiwan yesterday during a "joint combat readiness patrol" drill held by China.Twenty of the total 34 aircraft detected near Taiwan were taking part in the drill, which involved China's air
The Air Force Command today said it has sent personnel to investigate why an Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jet fired off flares during routine training over Tainan Air Base yesterday.The incident did not cause any injuries or damage, the air force said.The flares, usually a defensive measure to p
A fugitive in a suspected cosmetic surgery fraud case today returned to Taiwan from Canada, after being wanted for six years. Internet celebrity Su Chen-tuan (蘇陳端), known as Lady Nai Nai (貴婦奈奈), and her former boyfriend, plastic surgeon Paul Huang (黃博健), allegedly defrauded clients and friends of ab
Sporadic scattered showers are expected in northern and eastern Taiwan today, as a nearby weather front brings increased humidity, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.Northern Taiwan is to see scattered showers throughout the day, while eastern Taiwan and mountainous areas in central and s
Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area is to be closed until Tuesday next week after a landslide caused part of a roadway to collapse on the access road into the park, forestry authorities said yesterday.In a news release, the park headquarters said the landslide occurred on a slope below the 7
A Keelung-registered fishing vessel, Fu Yang No. 266, caught fire early yesterday morning in waters near the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), with seven crew members rescued by nearby boats and another one, an Indonesian national, still missing, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said.The CGA's F
RESOLUTION 2758: The ministry said Somalia was conflating the UN resolution with Beijing’s ‘one China principle’ to restrict Taiwanese freedom and democracy
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday night demanded that Somalia reverse its decision prohibiting Taiwanese passport holders from entering or transiting through the country.The Somali Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday last week issued a notification to all airline operators that start
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday thanked the Czech Senate for passing a draft resolution rejecting China’s interpretation of UN Resolution 2758 and supporting Taiwan’s membership in international organizations.Passed on Tuesday, the draft resolution, brought by Czech Senator Pavel Fi
SOVEREIGNTY: China’s intention to ‘annex’ Taiwan — which meets all the criteria for statehood — represents a ‘substantial risk’ to Canada, a foreign policy institute said
A Canadian public policy institute has urged the Ottawa government to drop its long-standing diplomatic ambiguity over Taiwan’s status and take a clear stance in support of Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy.The Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), an Ottawa-based domestic and foreign policy think tan
The US will continue to push for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the WHO, a US government spokesperson said on Tuesday, even though Washington has taken steps to pull out of the world health body.An unnamed US Department of State spokesperson told the Central News Agency that Taiwan is a “relia
CARE: The requirement for people to sign advance decision forms to undergo ACP consultation has been an obstacle, with only 103,000 people signing them
The addition of two new categories eligible for National Health Insurance (NHI) payouts under Advance Care Planning (ACP), starting today, is expected to benefit 1.8 million people nationwide, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said yesterday. Elderly people with severe injuries or
Raising the operating speed of the railway service connecting Hualien and Taitung counties to 160kph is unfeasible due to safety issues, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said yesterday. The ministry in the past advocated using the high-speed rail system as the core o
Taiwan might partially authorize emergency contraceptives, also known as morning-after pills, to be sold over the counter following an ongoing regulatory experiment in Japan, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. The agency last week initiated the legal process for conducting medica
The Action Alliance on Basic Education yesterday urged the government to stop using the terms “psychiatric disorder” and “mental illness,” and instead use the term “neurodiversity” to make children and parents more willing to seek treatment.Changing the terminology could increase the number of child
SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT: The dessert lunchbox was inspired by TRC lunchboxes, with rice crackers resembling rice and mango pudding resembling a boiled egg
Passengers of the Future Express (鳴日號) would soon be able to enjoy food prepared by the chef of a three-star Michelin restaurant in Taipei, Lion Travel said yesterday. The tourist train’s fine dining experience is the fruit of a collaboration of the Taipei-based travel agency, Taiwan Railway Corp (T
The Ministry of Labor has issued new guidelines requiring airlines to offer trousers as a uniform option for female flight attendants, reinforcing efforts to eliminate gender discrimination in workplace dress codes. The move follows a 2023 report from the National Human Rights Commission, which foun
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