President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming trip to Eswatini highlights the value of the “Taiwan model” of diplomacy in contrast to China’s hegemonic expansion, and would amplify Taiwan’s diplomatic significance in the Global South, a foreign affairs official said today.Lai is to lead a delegation to Esw
A fire broke out at a buffet restaurant on the 46th floor of the Breeze Xin Yi department store in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) today, prompting the evacuation of more than 300 people and leaving five hospitalized, the Taipei Fire Department said.The fire at Inparadise (饗饗) was reported at 11:26am,
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) is to lead a cross-party delegation of lawmakers to France and the UK from May 9 to 17 to promote parliamentary diplomacy and visit overseas compatriots.The announcement of the trip comes on the heels of the confirmation of President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming
The 10 incentives measures for Taiwan announced by China yesterday are a tool to influence the upcoming November elections, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said today, adding that cross-strait exchanges should involve the central government and not private agreeme
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators today announced a proposed referendum on implementing corporal punishment for sexual assault, child abuse and large-scale scams. The move would not be emotionally motivated, but rather used to respond to public demands for better protection, KMT Legislator
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat.Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held
The annual Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage, one of Taiwan's most prominent religious events, set off early today from Miaoli County, with a record 460,000 devotees starting the eight-day procession to Yunlin County.Crowds began gathering in Baishatun (白沙屯) in Tongsiao Township (通霄) as early as yesterday
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today lodged a protest after the head of the Commercial Office of Brazil to Taipei said in an interview that Taiwan is a part of China.Office Director Luís Cláudio Villafañe Gomes Santos in an interview with online news outlet Up Media published yesterday said
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a heat advisory for parts of southern Taiwan, warning of daytime temperatures as high as 36°C.In southeastern areas, the mercury might soar past 36°C due to foehn winds — hot, dry gusts that come down the leeward side of the mountain range, the C
DISRUPTIVE OBJECTIVE: The new policy aims to sow division within the nation by creating a narrative that the government is hindering development, an expert said
China’s so-called “incentives” for Taiwan might be an attempt to blur the lines between politics and business, a trade academic said yesterday, adding that there is still the risk of sudden trade bans.Feng Chia University international business professor Yang Ming-hsien (楊明憲) made the comment after
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday returned from a six-day visit to China, welcoming Beijing’s newly announced “incentive measures” for Taiwan, as party figures and tourism representatives called on the government to respond pragmatically. Upon arriving at Taiwan
Taiwan’s largest annual military drills are introducing several key US-style rehearsal methods aimed at improving coordination and combat readiness, an unnamed senior defense official said yesterday.The drills, known as the Han Kuang exercises, are held annually in two stages: computerized simulatio
Taiwan’s naval goodwill fleet on Saturday concluded a three-day port call in Saint Kitts and Nevis, where it was welcomed by Prime Minister Terrance Drew, Taiwan’s embassy in the Caribbean nation said.The fleet, officially designated as the 2026 Midshipmen and Cruising Training Squadron (MCTS) of th
ENERGY RESILIENCE: LNG should be a supplementary energy source, and energy reliant on such sources must be reduced by 20 percent by 2030, the Pegatron chair said
Taiwan should use the current global energy crisis to reassess its energy policy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, Pegatron Corp chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) said.Rising energy prices triggered by the US-Israel conflict with Iran highlight vulnerabilities in Taiwan’s energy structure, the electr
The Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank (IPST) on Saturday announced the print edition of Taiwan Hot News, a Japanese-language news platform aiming at “speaking for Taiwan,” during a party celebrating the friendship between Taiwan and Japan in Tokyo.The newspaper would be distributed monthly for free
STEADY INCREASE: A continued surge in housing prices has led to the growing popularity of 30-year mortgages, which increase buyers’ purchasing power
The average repayment term for new mortgages nationwide reached a nearly 15-year high last year, the latest data from the Ministry of the Interior showed.According to the ministry’s real-estate information platform, the average repayment period for new mortgages nationwide was still under 240 months
UNFAIR FEES: Taxi drivers have reported being forced to pay as much as NT$350,000 by taxi firms to obtain licenses which should be distributed free of charge
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications last week called for greater transparency in local governments’ issuance of taxi licenses, after some drivers complained that they had paid as much as NT$350,000 to obtain them. Department of Public Transportation and Supervision Director-General Hu
The Health Promotion Administration has issued safety guidelines for endurance marching as a record-breaking 460,000 people embarked on the annual Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage starting last night.The pilgrimage is a seven-day affair in which participants escort a palanquin bearing a statue of the godd
New Taipei City’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office yesterday marked World Hamster Day by advocating for proper care of the pet rodents.Recently in New Taipei City’s Yingge District (鶯歌), a hamster required veterinary treatment after it accidently ingested a foreign object, the office s
RSS