Britain said on Thursday it was "very likely" the Syrian government had used chemical weapons, and Turkey announced it was stepping up testing of people fleeing the Syrian civil war for traces.

One Taiwanese sailor was shot dead yesterday when a boat registered to Pingtung County was attacked by the Philippine military in the disputed South China Sea, according to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA).

Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford (張盛和) said yesterday that the stock gains tax will be reviewed and a new version of the tax may be proposed by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) within a month.

Struggling Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday said it booked its first annual net profit in five years, offering a glimmer of hope for the former market leader.

Ottavio Missoni, the patriarch of the iconic fashion brand of zigzag-patterned knitwear that has added a classy touch of color and style to countless well-dressed women, died Thursday in northern Italy. He was 92.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to its lowest level in nearly 5-1/2 years last week, signaling labor market resilience in the face of fiscal austerity.

Police said Thursday they may pursue sedition charges against speakers at a mass rally organized by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to protest against alleged election fraud.

The Legislative Yuan and Executive Yuan will each establish a task force to assess the stock gains tax, President Ma Ying-jeou said yesterday.

Bureau of High Speed Rail (BHSR) Director-General Chu Shu (朱旭) tendered his resignation yesterday to take responsibility for the delayed opening of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT line.

Authorities claimed a major breakthrough on Wednesday in their investigation of a spectacular US$50 million diamond heist, detaining at least 31 people in a three-nation sweep some three months after robbers pulled off the theft with clockwork precision at Brussels Airport

Euphoria over the rescue of three Ohio women from a decade-long kidnapping ordeal gave way to questions of how their captivity inside a house on a residential street in Cleveland went undetected for so long.

Two Taiwanese nationals have been arrested and charged by U.S. prosecutors for conspiring to provide parts to North Korea to aid in the construction of weapons of mass destruction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.

The Pingtung County Government yesterday fined the Yoho Beach Resort NT$120,000 for illegally expanding its hotel's operating area.

North Korea has taken a major step back from a planned missile test, U.S. officials said, even as Pyongyang and Seoul exchanged fresh threats Tuesday of swift military retaliation to any provocation.