IRAQ Shopping mall fire kills 61 A fire tore through a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut overnight, killing at least 60 people, authorities said yesterday, as grief-stricken families searched for missing relatives. Officials have launched an investigation into the blaze, the latest in a country where safety regulations are frequently neglected. At…
By Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNA The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today thanked the UK and France after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged their commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. “We jointly reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Korean peninsula,…
LIMITED EFFECT? The policy shows Taipei’s ban on sensitive components being sourced from ‘red’ supply chains is on the right track, the defense ministry said By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter, with CNA China yesterday placed the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and seven Taiwanese companies on its export control list to “safeguard national…
French-speaking King Charles III, who is hosting French President Emmanuel Macron for a state visit today, professes a long-standing love of France, describing it as “an essential part” of his life. The visit, at the invitation of the monarch, is a rare privilege full of spectacular pomp and circumstance, and an opportunity to strengthen a…
By Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNA A British Royal Navy patrol vessel yesterday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the British Office Taipei said today. The ministry said that it welcomed the transit of the HMS Spey as affirmation that the UK is taking concrete action to…
By Chung Li-hua and Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with staff writer The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has proposed amendments to laws governing cross-strait relations that would require all public servants to obtain prior approval to visit China, Hong Kong or Macau. The proposed changes are part of efforts to implement President William Lai’s…
If fares do not fall and services do not improve, it could undermine the case for public ownership for a long time to come By Sarah Nankivell / The Guardian A historic journey took place this week in England, when the first renationalized South Western Railway (SWR) service departed from Woking for Waterloo. Yet unfortunately,…
Why would Trump stop his reign of tariffs if he can get world leaders to satisfy his ego any time he wants by threatening their economies? By Gaby Hinsliff / The Guardian Hang out the bunting and let the church bells ring. A Victory in Europe (V-E) Day trade deal with US President Donald Trump…
By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the leaders of the UK and New Zealand for reaffirming in a joint statement earlier this week the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reaffirmed their support…
China is no longer welcome in Britain’s steel sector after the government had to pass emergency legislation on Saturday to ensure control of Chinese-owned British Steel, British Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said on Sunday. Reynolds said the refusal of China’s Jingye Group (敬業集團) to accept a roughly 500 million pound…