Taiwan on Wednesday announced a further easing of its border restrictions to allow students from Laos and Cambodia who are due to graduate this year to return to the nation, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Taipei has won the "best leisure destination in Asia" Leisure Lifestyle Award hosted by Global Traveler magazine for the third consecutive year, the Tourism Bureau's Los Angeles Office said Friday. Singapore and Seoul came second and third, followed by Tokyo, Phuket in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.

Taiwanese startup carrier StarLux Airlines said earlier this week that it will increase its service to Penang, Malaysia, from one to two round-trip flights per week starting in July. The airline originally flew two round-trips per day on the Taoyuan-Penang route but it was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 18, the carrier partially resumed the service by flying one round-trip flight per week.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread to 187 countries since the first outbreak of the disease in December of 2019. As of now, more than 9.21 million cases have been confirmed with 470,000 deaths reported worldwide.

Starting Thursday, international air passengers will be allowed to transit through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, under certain conditions, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday. So far, only flights operated by the Evergreen Group, the China Airlines Group, and Cathay Pacific are included in the policy, and other airlines will be added on a rolling basis, Chen said.

Budget airline Scoot announced on Monday that it will resume flights between Singapore and Taipei starting July 5, following a temporary suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, said it will operate one flight a week between the two destinations using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

announced Friday that it will require all passengers to board its flights via the current online check-in service from June 22, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Passengers can use CAL's website or mobile app to check-in online from 48 hours to 80 minutes before their flight departs, the Taiwanese airline said, adding that it will also suspend all kiosk check-in service at airports in Taiwan.

More than 2,000 foreign students from 11 countries and areas, who are graduating this year, will be allowed to return to Taiwan soon, after being shut out for more than three months due to border control measures imposed by Taiwan in March at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A virtual meeting on the experience of fighting against COVID-19 will be convened by Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), on 16th June, 2020. The meeting will be hosted by Dr. Shou-Mei Wu, the Director General of TFDA, and bring together the pharmaceutical regulatory authorities from Chile, European Union, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and the United States.

Careful risk assessment or testing should be implemented before Taiwan reopens its borders to international students amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, public health experts said on Monday.