Taiwan

| TAIWAN

The opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party slashed and froze by 7 per cent the 2025 budget proposed by President Lai Ching-te’s administration. The president who was elected last year does not have a majority in parliament. Military spending and subsidies to the country’s state-owned power company were the main targets. For Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai, the cuts are only meant to obstruct the government.


Today's news:  3477 displaced, including 1485 children, in attacks by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 7 October; Risk of new pandemic from Chinese mammal farms, new viruses ready to jump species; The head of the Election Commission in Bangladesh resigns;Kuala Lumpur continues explorations in disputed area of.the China Sea.  

| 06/09/2024
| ASIA TODAY

Today's news: Kuki drone attack on security forces in Manipur; The UN launched the anti-polio vaccination campaign in Gaza; The Japanese Defence Minister aims at a record allocation of funds for the next fiscal year; China's strengthens relations with Turkmenistan over gas deliveries.

| 02/09/2024
| ASIA TODAY

Today's news: eight Taiwanese soldiers jailed for pro-China espionage; Hundreds of migrants from Asia stranded at São Paulo airport in Brazil; At least 15 dead and 4.5 million affected by floods in Bangladesh; It is less dangerous for airlines to fly over Afghanistan than the Middle East, security and screening concerns remain; Delegation from Laos to Moscow for International Buddhist Forum visits Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

| 24/08/2024
| ASIA TODAY
by Gianni Criveller

A new book presented today at the Rimini Meeting recounts the reality of the island from the faces of its people and the missionary experience of the St. Charles Borromoeo Fraternity. Extracts from the preface, written by our editorial director: “In Taiwan we experience many things that seem to us like pages from the Gospel.”

| 21/08/2024
| TAIWAN - CHINA

Today's headlines: The Philippines, the US, Canada, and Australia hold a two-day exercise in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s defence spending is expected to reach a record high next year. Hamas appoints Yahya Sinwar as its new leader. In South Korea, climate change is disrupting agriculture with new banana and papaya farms popping up.

| 07/08/2024
| ASIA TODAY

In May 2025, Taiwan could become the first East Asian country with no nuclear energy, upholding a pledge made after Fukushima. However, tensions with Beijing have raised concerns about supplies. Opposition parties are pressing to reopen the issue. Meanwhile, the People's Republic of China has started work on two new reactors, for a total of 26 under construction.

| 29/07/2024
| TAIWAN – CHINA
Editor's choices
 
by Melani Manel Perera
According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the island nation is among 63 countries with the lowest level. No attacks have been reported in the last five years. In South Asia, Pakistan ranks ...
| 14/03/2025
| SRI LANKA
 
Called "space oil” because it makes people feel as if they were in space, the substance is taken through electronic cigarettes. Its basic ingredient is an anaesthetic, etomidate. It is increasingly popular among youth in Hong Kong, but also mainland ...
| 13/03/2025
| RED LANTERNS
 
by Stefano Vecchia
The former president was flown overnight to be arraigned before the International Criminal Court for “crimes against humanity”. His lawyers, family members and supporters tried to stop his departure. The trial risks further widening the gap ...
| 12/03/2025
| PHILIPPINES
 
by Fr. Bajat Barakash *
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights speaks of over 500 victims in the last two days. The testimony of the Franciscan parish priest of Aleppo: ‘Despite the countless voices calling for a government that represents all components of Syrian ...
| 08/03/2025
| SYRIA
 
by Dario Salvi
AsiaNews interviewed the only woman, a Catholic, on the Committee of Seven set up by President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Amid sanctions and economic crisis, the challenges of reconstruction affect the country and its people. For her, “Syria is not a single ...
| 04/03/2025
| GATEWAY TO THE EAST
 
The gesture took place a few days ago during a visit to Shanghai by a delegation from the diocese of Hong Kong. Card. Chow said: ‘The shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan is of immense importance for the Church in China and it was significant to pray ...
| 03/03/2025
| CHINA
 
While world attention is focused on the synthetic drug from China, a market for illegally produced opioids in India is fuelling a health emergency in Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Indian authorities have launched searches and imposed restrictions on ...
| 28/02/2025
| INDIAN MANDALA
 
by Nirmala Carvalho
Robert Naorem presented his collection, which uses the local tradition of hand-weaving to promote indigenous embroidery. He also offered a message of peace for the Indian state shaken by violence between Meitei and Kukis in the past two years. He calls ...
| 27/02/2025
| INDIA – ITALY
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”