World News

As COVID-19 cases abate, Taiwan eyes easing restrictions

Taiwan's Cabinet said on Monday that with COVID-19 cases abating there is room to ease restrictions and ministries and officials should make preparations for doing so, as the island begins…

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China condemns latest U.S. warship transit of Taiwan Strait

China condemned the United States on Wednesday as the region's greatest security "risk creator" after a U.S. warship again sailed through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from China. The…

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Photo Story: At least 28 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan air defence identification zone (ADIZ)

A handout photo made available by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defence shows PLA H-6 bomber flies in an undisclosed location. On 15th June, 28 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan's…

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Intel reiterates chip supply shortages could last several years

Intel Corp's CEO said on Monday it could take several years for a global shortage of semiconductors to be resolved, a problem that has shuttered some auto production lines and…

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Taiwan says China blocked deal with BioNTech for COVID-19 shots

Taiwan directly accused China for the first time on Wednesday of blocking a deal with Germany's BioNTech SE for COVID-19 vaccines, in an escalating war of words after Beijing offered…

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Taiwan to quarantine all pilots of largest airline amid COVID-19 outbreak

Taiwan will quarantine all pilots for its largest carrier China Airlines Ltd for 14 days as it tries to stop an outbreak of COVID-19 among its crew, effectively grounding the…

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Photo Story – Star Wars day in Taipei

Star Wars fans pose for a photograph during the Star Wars day celebration inside the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan, 04 May 2021. Star Wars Day is celebrated annually…

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Taiwan bars arrivals from India

Taiwan became the latest place to ban arrivals from coronavirus-stricken India on Monday, as it moves to prevent new infections, with more nations reporting cases of a variant first identified…

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Taiwan begins to plan for zero emissions by 2050

Taiwan has begun to assess how it can reach zero emissions by 2050, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday, after green groups criticised the government for not doing enough to…

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EU seeks greater Taiwanese investment as chip shortage bites

The European Union is seeking to encourage greater investment from Taiwan especially its semiconductor firms, the bloc's top diplomat in Taipei said on Tuesday, amid a global chip shortage that has impacted auto makers like Volkswagen. Tech…

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China urges U.S. to refrain from playing with fire on Taiwan issue

China on Tuesday urged the United States to refrain from playing with fire on the Taiwan issue, after it issued new guidelines that will enable U.S. officials to meet more freely with…

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Taiwan says will fight to the end if China attacks

Taiwan will fight to the end if China attacks, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, adding that the United States saw a danger that this could happen amid mounting Chinese…

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Photo Story – Aftermath of Taiwan train derailment

A photo taken with a drone shows salvage workers removing parts of a train that had derailed in a tunnel north of Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, 06 April 2021. At…

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Taiwan rescuers work to bring out last body from wrecked train

Taiwanese rescuers were trying on Monday to retrieve the last body of a passenger from wreckage of a deadly train crash last week. Fifty people have been confirmed dead after…

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Taiwan minister accepts responsibility for train crash as questions mount

Taiwan’s transport minister said on Sunday he would not shirk his responsibility for a deadly train crash even as his resignation offer was rejected amid growing questions over safety lapses…

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UPDATE – Taiwan releases train crash suspect on bond, prosecutors lodge appeal

A Taiwan court on Saturday released on bond the manager of a construction site whose truck authorities believe caused a train accident that killed at least 51 people, as family…

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UPDATE – Train crash kills 50 in Taiwan’s deadliest rail tragedy in decades

A Taiwan express train with almost 500 aboard derailed in a tunnel on Friday after hitting a truck that had slid down a bank onto the track, killing at least…

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Taiwan reports largest ever incursion by Chinese air force

Twenty Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Friday, in the largest incursion yet reported by the island’s defence ministry and marking a dramatic escalation of tension…

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Photo Story: First COVID-19 vaccinations in Taiwan

A Taiwanese doctor (C) receives a jab of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in New Taipei City, Taiwan, 22 March 2021. Taiwan started administering 44,500 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines at 57 designated hospitals…

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Taiwan scrambles air force again after Chinese exercises in South China Sea

Taiwan’s air force scrambled for a second straight day on Saturday after a dozen Chinese fighter aircraft and bombers carried out drills close to Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South…

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China’s stark warning to Taiwan: seeking independence means war

China has harshly warned Taiwan that attempts to seek independence from Beijing "means war". The warning comes days after Beijing stepped up military activities and sent warplanes near the island.…

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U.S. urges China to stop pressure against Taiwan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote "freedom of the seas", the U.S. military said…

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Taiwan reports large incursion by Chinese air force

Eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Saturday, and Taiwan’s air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion,…

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Taiwan rattled by 5.7 magnitude quake, no immediate reports of damage -weather bureau

TAIPEI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Buildings shook briefly in Taipei on Saturday as a deep, 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Taiwan, but there were no reports…

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Keep calm, Taiwan says after first local COVID-19 case in 8 months

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people on Wednesday to keep calm after the island confirmed its first locally transmitted case of COVID-19 since April 12, as the government announced…

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Fists and pig guts fly in Taiwan parliament debate on U.S. pork

Legislators from Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party threw pig guts and exchanged punches with other lawmakers in parliament on Friday as they tried to stop the premier taking questions,…

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Photo story: Taiwan kickstarts Christmas celebrations

People walk through the Maple Leaf Tunnel in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on Sunday 15 November 2020. The New Taipei City Government has kickstarted Christmas celebrations by installing a Christmas…

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Photo Story: Taiwan lights up 3D Christmas tree

A 3D Christmas tree shines in Banciao, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The 36-meter tree will light up every evening until the end of the year with a 3D projection being…

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Apple puts Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation over student workers

Apple said on Monday it has put its Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation after finding that the company violated Apple's supplier code of conduct by asking student employees to work…

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Hundreds rally in Taiwan, call for release of 12 Hong Kong people arrested by China

Hundreds of people rallied in Taiwan's capital on Sunday to call for China to release 12 Hong Kong people arrested at sea by mainland authorities in part of a global…

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Taiwan president calls for ‘meaningful dialogue’ with China

Taiwan wants to have “meaningful dialogue” with China on an equal basis, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Saturday, extending an olive branch at a time of heightened military tension with…

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Photo Story: Microsoft ‘Startup’ project in Taiwan benefits global firms

Ken Sun, General Manager of Microsoft Taiwan, speaks at a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, 06 October 2020. At the news conference, Sun announced that Microsoft Taiwan's 'Microsoft For Startups'…

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Taiwan says has spent almost $900 million scrambling against China this year

Taiwan has spent almost $900 million this year on scrambling its air force against Chinese incursions, the island’s defence minister said on Wednesday, describing the pressure they are facing as…

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With EU help, Taiwan gets rare win in China naming dispute

Taiwan expressed satisfaction on Monday and said the European Union had stepped in to help after a global alliance of mayors stopped referring to Taiwanese cities as part of China,…

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Taiwan military says it has right to counterattack amid China threats

Taiwan said on Monday its armed forces have the right to self-defence and counterattack amid "harassment and threats", in an apparent warning to China, which last week sent numerous jets across…

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Taiwan military says it has right to counterattack amid China threats

Taiwan said on Monday its armed forces have the right to self-defence and counterattack amid “harassment and threats”, in an apparent warning to China, which last week sent numerous jets…

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Chinese warplanes enter Taiwan airspace

A handout photo made available by Taiwan's Defence Ministry shows a Chinese air force Yun-8 transport plane intruding Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on 19 September 2020. According to…

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Taiwan scrambles jets as tensions with China escalate

Taiwan scrambled fighter jets on Friday as 18 Chinese aircraft buzzed the island, including crossing the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions as a senior U.S. official held…

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Taiwan reveals Chinese anti-submarine aircraft off its coast

Two Chinese anti-submarine aircraft flew into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Wednesday and were warned to leave by Taiwan’s air force, the island’s defence ministry said on Thursday, the…

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Taiwan reports multiple Chinese fighters to its southwest

Multiple Chinese fighter jets entered airspace to Taiwan’s southwest on Wednesday, said the island’s defence ministry, describing it as a destabilising action which threatened regional peace. Taiwan, claimed by China…

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Taiwan to change passport

Fed up with being confused for China amid the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing's stepped-up efforts to assert sovereignty, Taiwan said on Wednesday it would redesign its passport to give greater…

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U.S. increases support for Taiwan, says to counter rising China pressure

The United States said it was establishing a new bilateral economic dialogue with Taiwan, an initiative it said was aimed at strengthening ties with Taipei and supporting it in the face…

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Taiwan warns of accidental conflict as regional tensions rise

The risk of accidental conflict is rising because of tension in the South China Sea and around Taiwan and communication must be maintained to reduce the risk of miscalculation, Taiwan…

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Photo Story: Baby Rou Rou at Taipei Zoo

A handout photo made available by the Taipei Zoo hows giant panda Yuan Yuan cudding its baby Rou Rou (Softy) at the Taipei Zoo on 12 August 2020. China donated…

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Chinese military threat on the rise, Taiwan foreign minister warns

China is stepping up military preparedness to overtake Taiwan, the island's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Wednesday, following a recent spike of Chinese drills near the island which Beijing…

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Photo Story: Panda birth at Taipei Zoo

A handout photo made available by Taipei Zoo shows a zoo keeper feeding milk to a panda cub at Taipei Zoo in Taipei, Taiwan, 01 July 2020. Yuan Yuan gave…

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Photo Story: Lawmakers scuffle in Taipei parliament

Taiwanese lawmakers’ scuffle inside the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, 29 June 2020. Twenty opposition party KMT lawmakers broke into parliament (Legislative Yuan) on 28 June to take over the platform…

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Taiwan boosts domestic defence development plan with new fighter jet

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen oversaw the first public test flight of a new locally designed and made advanced jet trainer on Monday, part of her government's plan to boost defences…

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Chinese fighter jets buzz Taiwan again, stoking tensions

Chinese air force aircraft approached Taiwan on Thursday for the fifth time in 10 days, before being warned away by Taiwanese fighters, the island's air force said, in a further…

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Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 strikes Taiwan region

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 has struck the Taiwan region early on Sunday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 20 km (12.43…

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Photo Story: Test flights begin of self-made advanced jet trainer in Taiwan

A handout photo made available by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence shows a prototype of the AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer undergoing a test flight at Ching Chuan…

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China drops word ‘peaceful’ in latest push for Taiwan ‘reunification’

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang left out the word "peaceful" on Friday in referring to Beijing's desire to "reunify" with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, an apparent policy shift that comes as ties with…

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Taiwan president rejects Chinese rule, calls for talks to coexist

Taiwan cannot accept becoming part of China under its "one country, two systems" offer of autonomy, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, in a strong rejection of China's sovereignty claim,…

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Photo Story: Taiwan celebrates ‘zero’ coronavirus cases

Lights lit in rooms of the Taipei Grand Hotel display the word 'ZERO' to mark Taiwan's reporting of no new novel coronavirus case in Taipei, Taiwan. Several landmark buildings across…

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Photo Story: Facemask bread in Taiwan to help a hospital

Chef Pai Kuo-wen displays a 'Facemask Bread' at Luho Puff bakery in Taichung, Taiwan. Pai invented 'Facemask Bread' with red bean filling in March as the bakery's business was hit…

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Photo story: The 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival

People walk part a lantern figure during the 2020 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taichung City, Taiwan, 16 February 2020. Many Taiwan cities are holding Lantern Festival as part of the…

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Taiwan scrambles armed jets as Chinese air force flies around island

Taiwan’s air force scrambled armed fighters on Sunday to intercept Chinese jets that flew around the island claimed by Beijing as its own, in a move denounced by Taiwan’s Defence…

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