36 h. ago Japan survey exposes social media’s role in disaster misinformation

More than a quarter of Japanese citizens were exposed to rumours or falsehoods on social media following natural disasters, according to a new survey, with some admitting they inadvertently hampered emergency responses by sharing the misinformation. The study was conducted by the Japanese Red Cross Society in the run-up to Disaster Prevention Day on Monday. The annual event commemorates the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, a magnitude-8 tremor that struck some 60km southwest of Tokyo and caused...

Events

3 d. ago Taiwan’s attack on the military parade in Beijing exposes its own weaknesses

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te must be having a brain melt. His ideological attacks on Beijing have become more incoherent by the day. His ruling Democratic Progressive Party is now a premature lame duck after its abject failure to unseat a single one of the 31 Kuomintang lawmakers targeted in Taiwan’s recent recall votes. Maybe that’s why it is lashing out in all directions. Its latest attack? Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister with the island’s Mainland Affairs Council, has accused...

Events

3 d. ago Taiwan’s criticism of military parade in Beijing exposes its own weaknesses

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te must be having a brain melt. His ideological attacks on Beijing have become more incoherent by the day. His ruling Democratic Progressive Party is now a premature lame duck after its abject failure to unseat a single one of the 31 Kuomintang lawmakers targeted in Taiwan’s recent recall votes. Maybe that’s why it is lashing out in all directions. Its latest attack? Shen Yu-chung, a deputy minister with the island’s Mainland Affairs Council, has accused...

Events

6 d. ago Taiwan taps young blood for security council as it faces Beijing and Trump

Taiwan has injected new blood from the younger generation into its security team as it seeks to tackle growing threats from Beijing and navigate US President Donald Trump’s transactional approach to policy. The office of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te on Monday announced that its spokesman Lii Wen and Taipei City councillor Chao Yi-hsiang had been appointed deputy secretaries general of the National Security Council (NSC) with immediate effect. The two men, both in their thirties,...

Events

8 d. ago Typhon warning: China hits out at Japan over US missile system deployment

Japan is expected to deploy the US-made Typhon missile system for the first time during joint military exercises with the United States next month, according to Japanese media. Analysts view the move as a strategic signal against Beijing, especially in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. The Chinese foreign ministry criticised the move on Friday, saying Beijing firmly opposed “the US deployment of the Typhon intermediate-range missile system in Asian countries”. “The deployment of the system in...

Events

1 week ago ‘Arrogance of power’: Taiwan’s Lai suffers sharp defeat as both recall bids fail

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has suffered his sharpest political defeat yet, as two waves of recall votes against opposition lawmakers collapsed in a 31-0 shutout – leaving his government cornered, his party shaken and his energy policy under siege. The unprecedented recall campaign, launched by pro-government civic groups and openly backed by Lai, sought to unseat 31 lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), accusing them of obstructing policy and budget bills. But voters...

Events

3 w. ago Taiwan’s residency rule changes amount to ‘attack’ on mainland Chinese spouses

Taiwan is overhauling its residency rules to tighten control on mainland Chinese nationals seeking to settle on the island, in an escalating push to counter what it perceives as Beijing’s growing infiltration and influence operations. The draft amendment covering family-based residency applications drew swift condemnation from Beijing, which accused the administration of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te of stoking confrontation and suppressing cross-strait exchanges. The regulatory revision...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Extraordinary’: Taiwan’s William Lai hit by strong Japanese media backlash

An unprecedented wave of criticism from Japan’s major newspapers against William Lai Ching-te has sparked debate over whether Tokyo is losing trust in the popularly elected Taiwanese leader just over a year into his term. The “extraordinary” media backlash follows the failed July 26 mass recall vote targeting opposition lawmakers, which was initiated by Taiwan’s civil groups but publicly endorsed by Lai’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The recall bid was roundly rejected by voters,...

Politics

3 w. ago Taiwan’s William Lai sees sharpest drop in approval rate in 15 months

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te is grappling with his steepest decline in public support since taking office nearly 15 months ago, indicating challenges for his ruling party in next year’s local elections and the 2028 Taiwan leadership race. Three major surveys – the latest released on Tuesday – showed continued sharp drops in approval for Lai, signalling trouble even in Tainan, his southern hometown and power base. The numbers reflect widespread dissatisfaction over Lai’s handling of the...

Politics