Experts stress media literacy as China spreads AI election disinformation

You might also like Taiwan to buy 292 VTOL drones from Shield AI 2026-10-18 DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US once they are delivered, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard are acquiring 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones manufactured by US-based defense technology company Shield AI, making Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the drone. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Xiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones, the Ministry of National Defense’s fiscal 2027 report showed. The combined procurement is expected By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung Taiwan monitoring China pneumonic plague rumors, premier says 2026-10-13 The government would continue monitoring online rumors that a pneumonic plague outbreak has spread from Russia into China and could enhance existing quarantine measures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. During a legislative meeting, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said rumors were circulating that the disease had spread across several Chinese provinces. He asked Cho whether the government was prepared to prevent the disease from spreading to Taiwan, given the frequent exchanges between Taiwan and China, and how concerned the government was the alleged outbreak. The Ministry of Health and Welfare implemented border quarantine measures after briefing the Executive Yuan DPP takes New Taipei City lead in poll 2026-10-14 MAYORAL RACE: Su Chiao-hui made gains by persuading undecided voters and winning over voters in KMT-leaning districts, a pollster said Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate for New Taipei City mayor, has a 13.1 percentage point lead over her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), a poll released yesterday showed. The poll, commissioned by the Taipei Trust in Democracy Association, showed that 43.1 percent of respondents said they would vote for Su, up 7.9 percentage points from a poll conducted in late August, while support for Lee was at 30 percent, down 4.7 percentage points. It showed that 48.6 percent of respondents thought Su would make a suitable mayor, compared with 35.9 percent for Lee. Independent candidate By Chen Yu-fuand Jake Chung Chinese naval carrier group enters western Pacific 2026-10-15 A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier group was being monitored after entering the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense said today, after Beijing yesterday criticized Taiwan for using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). A Chinese naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning (遼寧) yesterday sailed to the western Pacific for training, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the PLA Navy as saying. “The drill is part of the annual routine training plan aimed at testing and improving the troops’ combat readiness and enhancing their ability to By Fang Wei-li and Fion Khan

Taiwan to buy 292 VTOL drones from Shield AI 2026-10-18 DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US once they are delivered, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard are acquiring 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones manufactured by US-based defense technology company Shield AI, making Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the drone. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Xiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones, the Ministry of National Defense’s fiscal 2027 report showed. The combined procurement is expected By Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung

DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US once they are delivered, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard are acquiring 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones manufactured by US-based defense technology company Shield AI, making Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the drone. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Xiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones, the Ministry of National Defense’s fiscal 2027 report showed. The combined procurement is expected

Taiwan monitoring China pneumonic plague rumors, premier says 2026-10-13 The government would continue monitoring online rumors that a pneumonic plague outbreak has spread from Russia into China and could enhance existing quarantine measures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. During a legislative meeting, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said rumors were circulating that the disease had spread across several Chinese provinces. He asked Cho whether the government was prepared to prevent the disease from spreading to Taiwan, given the frequent exchanges between Taiwan and China, and how concerned the government was the alleged outbreak. The Ministry of Health and Welfare implemented border quarantine measures after briefing the Executive Yuan

The government would continue monitoring online rumors that a pneumonic plague outbreak has spread from Russia into China and could enhance existing quarantine measures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. During a legislative meeting, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said rumors were circulating that the disease had spread across several Chinese provinces. He asked Cho whether the government was prepared to prevent the disease from spreading to Taiwan, given the frequent exchanges between Taiwan and China, and how concerned the government was the alleged outbreak. The Ministry of Health and Welfare implemented border quarantine measures after briefing the Executive Yuan

DPP takes New Taipei City lead in poll 2026-10-14 MAYORAL RACE: Su Chiao-hui made gains by persuading undecided voters and winning over voters in KMT-leaning districts, a pollster said Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate for New Taipei City mayor, has a 13.1 percentage point lead over her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), a poll released yesterday showed. The poll, commissioned by the Taipei Trust in Democracy Association, showed that 43.1 percent of respondents said they would vote for Su, up 7.9 percentage points from a poll conducted in late August, while support for Lee was at 30 percent, down 4.7 percentage points. It showed that 48.6 percent of respondents thought Su would make a suitable mayor, compared with 35.9 percent for Lee. Independent candidate By Chen Yu-fuand Jake Chung

MAYORAL RACE: Su Chiao-hui made gains by persuading undecided voters and winning over voters in KMT-leaning districts, a pollster said Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) candidate for New Taipei City mayor, has a 13.1 percentage point lead over her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), a poll released yesterday showed. The poll, commissioned by the Taipei Trust in Democracy Association, showed that 43.1 percent of respondents said they would vote for Su, up 7.9 percentage points from a poll conducted in late August, while support for Lee was at 30 percent, down 4.7 percentage points. It showed that 48.6 percent of respondents thought Su would make a suitable mayor, compared with 35.9 percent for Lee. Independent candidate

Chinese naval carrier group enters western Pacific 2026-10-15 A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier group was being monitored after entering the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense said today, after Beijing yesterday criticized Taiwan for using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). A Chinese naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning (遼寧) yesterday sailed to the western Pacific for training, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the PLA Navy as saying. “The drill is part of the annual routine training plan aimed at testing and improving the troops’ combat readiness and enhancing their ability to By Fang Wei-li and Fion Khan

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier group was being monitored after entering the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense said today, after Beijing yesterday criticized Taiwan for using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). A Chinese naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning (遼寧) yesterday sailed to the western Pacific for training, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the PLA Navy as saying. “The drill is part of the annual routine training plan aimed at testing and improving the troops’ combat readiness and enhancing their ability to