HAN KUANG EXERCISE: Military preparedness and joint defense exercises are to be held prior to live-fire exercises in August to test closer civil-military integration
Taiwan is to launch next week a series of combat-readiness drills ahead of major exercises testing the military’s readiness and whole-of-society resilience, sources said yesterday.Summer and autumn are typically the peak seasons for Taiwan’s annual military exercises.While the Han Kuang exercises ar
Deadly exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon put a newly signed deal to end the Middle East war under further strain yesterday, after the postponement of planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland.The delay came as Tehran’s top negotiator warned it would not bend on its red lines and that its
EU leaders agreed during talks on Thursday that the bloc must develop beefed-up trade defenses to curb a surge of Chinese exports deemed an existential threat to European industry by Brussels — while simultaneously seeking “constructive dialogue” with Beijing.There is a growing consensus in the EU t
The UK Labour Party’s Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, won a special election for a seat in Parliament and yesterday signaled that he would use it to challenge embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership of the nation.Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfie
OPPOSING COERCION: The president thanked the G7 for its support for the ‘status quo,’ saying Taiwan is willing to help in maintaining peace and stability in the Strait
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged China to abandon its military expansion in the South and East China seas, and the Taiwan Strait, as well as any use of force against Taiwan.Taiwan remains willing, on the basis of equality and dignity, to engage in exchanges and cooperation with China in p
The Executive Yuan yesterday proposed a NT$210 billion (US$6.65 billion) special budget bill for the procurement of domestically produced drones over six years, to offset funding removed from an earlier defense spending bill.The special budget — which uses a funding mechanism that bypasses normal bu
CRACKDOWN: The draft changes include harsher penalties for drug driving and those who drive with a suspended license, and legalizes saliva testing
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved draft amendments aimed at cracking down on drug driving, including a mandatory lifetime driving ban for those who drive under the influence of drugs and cause severe injury or death.People who are caught driving under the influence of drugs or refuse to take a d
US President Donald Trump yesterday lashed out at critics of his agreement with Iran, calling those who accused him of offering concessions to end the war “fools,” ahead of negotiations in Switzerland on implementing the deal.Oil prices tumbled after Trump and his Iranian counterpart separately sign
G7 leaders on Wednesday hailed a newfound unity on increasing pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, sensing a shift by US President Donald Trump to take a tougher line against Moscow.The three-day meeting in the French town of Evian focused intensely on Trump’s deal to end the war with Iran
CORE INTEREST: It is the sixth consecutive year since 2021 that the G7 summit has underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait
The Presidential Office yesterday expressed its gratitude to the leaders of the G7 for issuing a joint statement reiterating their opposition to attempts to unilaterally and forcibly change the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait. “We highlight the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on t
‘HARVEST YEAR’: The US reported a significant breakthrough in the production of Stinger air defense missiles and plans to deliver 500 of the weapons before year’s end
Taiwan is set to see a surge in arms deliveries in the second half of this year as up to eight major weapons systems are expected to be delivered or commissioned. Officials call it the most significant recent “harvest year” for the military’s upgrade programs.US and Taiwanese manufacturers have reso
The Tourism Administration yesterday announced that it would reward repeat international visitors with incentives of up to NT$8,000 to boost inbound tourism. The incentives are available to all international tourists, it said, adding that repeat visitors would be rewarded with NT$5,000 and would rec
Leaders at the G7 summit yesterday threw their support behind US President Donald Trump’s tentative agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire — even though he has offered scant detail about how that would be implemented. In a declaration issued overnight,
A floating structure in a contested shoal in the South China Sea has been removed, the Philippines said, after Manila lodged a diplomatic protest over what it called an “illegal” move by Beijing. Patrols conducted by Philippine authorities yesterday morning confirmed the removal of the floating plat
DEFENSE RESILIENCE: The squadron would comprise 126 soldiers, with a lieutenant colonel serving as its commanding officer, an anonymous source said
The army is next month to establish a drone squadron that would be funded by a new special defense budget or supplementary budgets, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.Lai spoke about the drone squadron in an address to military service personnel following a tour of the Air Force 3rd Radar Sq
EXECUTION GAP: Taiwan’s reform agenda continues to advance, but is inconsistent across agencies and policy domains, the chamber’s annual white paper said
US-Taiwan economic ties are deepening even as uneven policy execution continues to weigh on reform momentum, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) said yesterday in its annual white paper on Taiwan.Bilateral trade reached US$256 billion last year, making Taiwan the US’ fourth-largest t
A recent wave of Facebook, Instagram and Threads account suspensions was caused by a technical glitch in Meta Platforms’s age-verification system, with users being locked out of their accounts from Sunday, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) said yesterday.As part of its worldwide youth online sa
US allies at the G7 summit of major industrialized democracies yesterday worked to push the war in Ukraine back up the agenda of US President Donald Trump after more than four years of fighting sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion.The Iran conflict has in recent weeks overshadowed Ukraine, but fo
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday said that “justice has been done” after two men were convicted of arson attacks on his property, ordered online by a Russian-speaking handler.The British media have linked the attacks to Russia, with the BBC reporting it had uncovered evidence suggesting
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