When leaders visit the coral atolls that form the Pacific nation of Tuvalu on Tuesday, they will find a once-vibrant ecosystem wiped out due to climate change.The pre-Conference of the Parties (COP) gathering, hosted by Fiji ahead of the annual UN climate conference in Turkey, has been billed as the
One of the most surprising consequences of the Alternative for Germany’s success in two recent German state elections is a war between the radical-right party and the Christian establishment. The AfD wants to end the long-established system of state financial support for the major churches. The chur
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus’ proposed amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法), which it has made a legislative priority for this session, would not only bar the Central Election Commission (CEC) from refusing proposals submitted by the Legislative Yuan, but would also give national re
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) received two different welcomes within the space of 10 days — one in New Delhi and the other in Washington. In diplomatic protocol, the two could hardly have been more different. Yet, in their own ways, neither appeared particularly easy for Xi to digest. The disco
The US remained the largest debtor of Taiwanese banks for the 44th consecutive quarter at the end of June, with its share of Taiwanese banks’ total exposure surpassing 30 percent for the first time, the central bank said on Friday.Taiwanese banks’ exposure to the US on an immediate counterparty basi
Taiwan Railway Corp’s new station in Tainan is scheduled to open on Oct. 17 as part of a project to shift the mainline rail infrastructure in the city underground, the Railway Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.Built next to the historic Tainan Station, com
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) continued to clash over drug policy yesterday.The dispute began after Shen introduced a campaign platform with four strategies to combat dr
The opening of a joint air support center in Laos is part of China’s decades-long power-projection efforts to extend its influence into the Indian Ocean, a Taiwanese defense expert said yesterday.The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday last week announced that the China-Laos Joint Supp
Sea levels in California are set to rise by as much as a foot (30cm) in the coming days as an enormous wave washes up the US West Coast.The huge surge of energy, known as a “coastal trapped wave” or a “Kelvin wave,” is part of El Nino, a months-long phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that scientists sa
Candidates in the Nov. 28 nine-in-one local elections squared off in Kaohsiung, New Taipei City and Taichung yesterday as their campaigns began to pick up steam. At a campaign event in Kaohsiung, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweights including President William Lai (賴清德), Kaohsiung Mayor C
US-based AEVEX Aerospace on Friday showcased two drones developed in collaboration with Taiwanese drone maker Coretronic Intelligent Robotics (CIRC), and said it planned to expand operations in Taiwan. The two companies are technology-transfer partners collaborating to develop products for export, C
Italian translator Silvia Pozzi has won a Pisa Book Translation Award for her translation of Ghost Town (鬼地方), a novel by Taiwanese author Kevin Chen (陳思宏).The Italian edition, titled Citta fantasma, was recognized at a ceremony held Friday at the Palazzo della Sapienza in Rome as part of the Pisa B
Speculation started to fly last month that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidates running in the November elections wanted to keep their distance from party Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文). That some in the KMT were concerned that Cheng’s firm ideological adherence to the “one China principle” is no se
India’s “Cockroach” youth movement yesterday called for new protests in Mumbai to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner over a contentious revision of voter lists.The movement, which began as an online campaign and now calls itself the Cockroach Janata Party, forced India’s educa
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has restored some hope to his governing Labour Party with his vision for Britain, but how the new prime minister makes it a reality remains something of a mystery for businesses, lawmakers and even his most vocal supporters.At the Labour Party’s annual conference
Ulf Kristersson’s Moderates, who have spent four years leading Sweden’s governing coalition, did what voters wanted. The center-right party got growth going: It is expected to be 2.5 percent for this year and next year, remarkable for a European nation. Inflation is 0.3 percent, and — of greater imp
The government yesterday began fully subsidizing an additional six days of paid marriage leave, extending it from eight days to 14.The Ministry of Labor’s Guidelines for Wage Subsidies for Marriage, Maternity and Paternity Leave under the Family-Friendly Workplace Program (友善育兒職場婚孕產假薪資補助要點) are part
