US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a crisis over Taiwan would lead to “a global economic crisis,” while US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink underlined the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.Blinken made the remarks in an inter
Taiwanese tennis players Hsu Yu-hsiou (許育修) and Jason Jung (莊吉生) yesterday dispatched an Indian duo in straight sets in the men’s doubles final to notch Taiwan’s fifth gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.The unseeded Taiwanese pair upset second seeds Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanatha
The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday vowed to “do whatever it takes” to remove any more floating barriers installed by China at a disputed reef in the South China Sea.The remarks came after an aerial inspection of Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) on Thursday confirmed a 300m barrier that ign
Taichung prosecutors yesterday indicted three people on charges of fraud for allegedly passing off watches assembled in Taiwan as Swiss-made timepieces and earning NT$400 million (US$12.4 million) in illicit gains.The Taichung branch office of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said in a s
More than 50 people were yesterday killed and dozens more wounded in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province by a suicide bomber targeting a procession marking the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed, officials said.A second suicide attack by two men at a mosque hundreds of kilometers north in Khyber Pakht
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over the launch of the nation’s first domestically made submarine, called Hai Kun (海鯤), or Narwhal, or at a ceremony in Kaohsiung, calling the event a crucial moment in Taiwan’s mission to produce domestic subs and achieve “defense autonomy.”The ceremo
Taiwanese go player Hsu Hao-hung (許皓鋐) yesterday won his first-ever gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, after defeating Chinese player Ke Jie (柯潔).It was the first gold medal that Taiwan has won in go at the Asian Games, helping bring the nation’s total medal count at day’s end to
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal to allocate NT$18 billion (US$557.8 million) annually over the next seven years to add at least 67,000 nurses to the workforce by 2030.“Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) understands the challenges facing nurses, who are integral to the nation’s healthcare
REFUGEES: Over half of the population has fled, as Armenia accused Azerbaijan of conducting ‘ethnic cleansing’ and urged the world to act
Nagorno-Karabakh’s long and bloody dream of independence ended yesterday with a decree declaring that the ethnic Armenian statelet in Azerbaijan would cease to exist at the end of the year. The dramatic announcement was issued moments after it became clear that more than half of the ethnic Armenian
US soldier Travis King has returned to the US after being freed by North Korea, a US Department of Defense official said yesterday.“I can confirm that he has landed in the US,” the official said, without providing further details.A US official previously said King would be taken to the Brooke Army M
PALAU LAUNCHES: The source said that Taiwanese military personnel traveled to Palau, where a US brigade watched their work amid plans for a defense network
The military last month participated in live-fire launches of MM-104F Patriot (PAC-3) missiles under US observation in an undisclosed location in Palau, a step forward in a US-led plan to create a joint defense missile system in the first island chain, a source said on condition of anonymity.The PAC
US SENATORS: The Mandarin-language plan reaffirms the US’ vows to expand opportunities at home and abroad for learning, Ed Markey said
US senators yesterday introduced a resolution urging US universities to collaborate with Taiwan to create Mandarin-language education programs as an alternative to China’s state-funded Confucius Institutes.The move comes amid a sharp decline in Confucius Institutes, which are facing pressure from th
Prosecutors have indicted four people on more than 2,800 charges linked to an alleged cyberscam operation in which people were kidnapped and beaten, with three people dying.Tu Cheng-che (杜承哲), the suspected leader of a criminal ring, faces 705 counts, while Hsueh Lung-ting (薛隆廷), Wang Yu-chieh (王昱傑)
A fire yesterday seemingly caused by fireworks set off to celebrate a wedding consumed a hall packed with guests in northern Iraq, killing about 100 people and injuring 150 others.Flammable building materials also contributed to the blaze, authorities said.In the fire’s chaotic aftermath, officials
South Korea’s opposition leader yesterday avoided arrest when a court dismissed a request from the prosecution for him to be taken into custody pending trial on corruption charges.Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, still faces trial on charges of bribery in connection with a firm that is
TRADE PLEA: President Tsai Ing-wen called on the Australian government to support Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP to promote economic growth in the region
Australia is committed to working with Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners to safeguard regional peace and stability as it serves the common interests of the people of Australia and Taiwan, Australian lawmaker Josh Wilson said yesterday.Wilson and Australian lawmaker Paul Fletcher are leading a d
The government is to raise childcare allowances by at least NT$1,500 (US$46.54) per month starting next year to try to boost the nation’s shrinking birthrate, the Executive Yuan said.Starting on Jan. 1 next year, subsidies for parents with children younger than three attending public care centers ar
Taiwan’s Lin Wei-chun (林唯均) and Lo Chia-ling (羅嘉翎) yesterday both won silver medals after losing in the finals of their respective weight classes in the taekwondo competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.Twenty-year-old Lin, competing in the women’s under-53kg category, lost the final 2-1 t
FISHING FUROR: The latest spat was sparked by a floating barrier that was found across the entrance of Scarborough Shoal during a resupply mission to fishers
Beijing yesterday warned Manila not to “stir up trouble” after the Philippine Coast Guard said it removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipino fishers from the area.Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in the South China Sea has long been a
Senior diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan yesterday agreed that their nations’ leaders would meet at the “earliest convenient time,” the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after a rare meeting aimed at commencing trilateral exchanges.The three nations had agreed to hold a summit