News / World by Press Association 21/10/2018, 1:04 pm FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail Send us a story Sign up to our Daily newsletter Seventeen people have been killed and 101 injured after a train derailed in Taiwan, the railway administration said. The Puyuma express train was carrying more than 300 passengers towards Taitung, a city on Taiwan’s south-east coast, when it went off the tracks on Sunday afternoon. The railway administration, citing the fire department, said the 17 people died of cardiac arrest. The injured are being treated in four different hospitals. Sign up to our Daily newsletter More from the Evening Express At least 60 killed as train crashes into crowd in India Seven killed as shuttle train derails in Morocco Dozens injured as Cyclone Leslie slams into Portugal Rail passengers to face second day of disruption after train derails near Stonehaven … [Read more...] about 17 killed, 101 injured in Taiwan train derailment
Taiwan
Taiwan train accident kills at least 17
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A train derailment in northeastern Taiwan on Sunday killed at least 17 people and injured 126, government authorities said. The accident took place on Sunday afternoon in Yilan County near the coast, with several carriages overturned on a railway popular among tourists. "As of 6.30pm there are 17 dead on site and 126 people injured," the Taiwan Railways Administration said in a statement, adding that the train had been moving between two stations in Yilan County before the derailment occurred. Taiwan's central government said that rescue services were at the scene and that the premier had been notified and was highly concerned over the safety of the travellers. Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that more than 30 people were still trapped in the train early on Sunday evening. (Reporting by Jess Macy Yu, Yimou Lee and Taipei bureau; Editing by David Goodman) … [Read more...] about Taiwan train accident kills at least 17
Thousands rally in Taiwan, call for referendum on independence from China
By Jess Macy Yu TAIPEI (Reuters) - Several thousand pro-independence demonstrators rallied in Taiwan's capital on Saturday to protest against Beijing's "bullying" and called for a referendum on whether the self-ruled island should formally declare independence from China. The rally, one of the largest seen on Taiwan this year, was organised by a group called Formosa Alliance founded six months ago, and the protesters gathered near the headquarters of President Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Kenny Chung, a spokesman for Formosa Alliance, described the turnout as "very successful". Relations with Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai came into office in 2016, with China suspecting that she wants to push for formal independence, a red line for Beijing. China views Taiwan as a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring democratic Taiwan under its control. This year, China increased military and diplomatic pressure, conducting air and sea military … [Read more...] about Thousands rally in Taiwan, call for referendum on independence from China
Exclusive: U.S. weighs new warship passage through Taiwan Strait
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is considering a new operation to send warships through the Taiwan Strait, U.S. officials tell Reuters, a mission aimed at ensuring free passage through the strategic waterway but which risks heightening tensions with China. The U.S. Navy conducted a similar mission in the strait's international waters in July and any repeat would be seen in self-ruled Taiwan as a fresh expression of support by President Donald Trump's government. The U.S. military declined comment and U.S. officials who discussed the deliberations, which have not been previously reported, did so on condition of anonymity. They did not discuss the potential timing for any fresh passage through the strait. China views Taiwan as a wayward province and has been ramping up pressure to assert its sovereignty over the island. It raised concerns over U.S. policy toward Taiwan in talks this week with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in … [Read more...] about Exclusive: U.S. weighs new warship passage through Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Kicks Off Wargames Simulating Chinese Invasion
Taiwan’s latest military exercise began on Tuesday with a simulated attack on coastal bases by Chinese warplanes hypothetically launched from the Liaoning, currently the only functional aircraft carrier operated by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. According to the South China Morning Post, the lively exercise employed a Taiwanese combat support ship called Panshi to stand in for the Liaoning. According to Taiwan News, the drill was realistic enough to frighten some local residents into thinking they really were under attack by China.The real Liaoning has been known to sail through the Taiwan Strait, attracting a good deal of attention from the Taiwanese air force and navy. While its appearance is intimidating, the actual combat ability of the Chinese ship is a matter of much debate, not least because China has a pronounced shortage of pilots who can fly off the relatively primitive carrier. The PLA is working hard on recruiting more pilots and putting a second, more … [Read more...] about Taiwan Kicks Off Wargames Simulating Chinese Invasion