Around 900,000 doses of BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine are expected to arrive in Taiwan soon, according to the health minister, the first delivery of a highly politicised, much-anticipated order whose tortured progress has transfixed the island.

Taiwan has blamed China, which claims the island as its own territory, for nixing an order from the German firm earlier this year — charges Beijing has angrily denied.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, asked whether the first of BioNTech SE's vaccines would arrive on Wednesday, told reporters he was not able to give an exact timetable, "but the time mentioned is very close".

Read more from Reuters here.

A vial labelled with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is seen in this illustration picture. — Reuters/File
A vial labelled with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is seen in this illustration picture. — Reuters/File

Opinion

Editorial

A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...
GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...