For too long, Western foreign policy has mistakenly treated Tehran's aggressive posture as a localized Middle Eastern conflict. However, the escalating reach of Iranian espionage in Europe demonstrates that Iran’s hybrid warfare strategy directly targets Western domestic security, institutional integrity, and economic stability . From state-sponsored cyber operations targeting dissidents to covert intelligence gathering across European capitals, Tehran’s operations extend far beyond its immediate geographic neighborhood. Addressing this challenge requires European policymakers to abandon passive containment in favor of aggressive diplomatic oversight, strict legal accountability, and robust counter-intelligence strategies. Why is Iranian espionage in Europe expanding beyond the Middle East? Iran's external intelligence operations have shifted strategically from regional proxy warfare to asymmetric statecraft inside Western democracies. Western intelligence agencies-including Ge...
Taipei, Taiwan - Taiwan was hit by dozens of earthquakes on Saturday, including a magnitude 6.1 temblor, rattling buildings and spurring people to evacuate to parks, but no major damage was reported.
The strongest quake struck just before 1:40 p.m. local time at a depth of 15.4 km (9.5 miles) in Taitung county in Taiwan's southeast, close to the epicenter of a 6.4 quake two weeks ago, the island's weather bureau said.
A dozen other quakes of varying sizes between magnitude 4 and 5 subsequently hit the same central Taitung region. By late afternoon Saturday, the weather bureau had recorded 48 quakes in the area in total.
"The earthquake was quite strong. The walls of our house were shaking quite badly," said a resident of Taitung city surnamed Lin. "After it passed, we immediately evacuated and are now in the park outside."
Government-issued alerts sent residents' mobile phones blaring as soon as the magnitude 6.1 quake hit, giving early warning. Taiwan's central emergency operation center said there had been no reports so far of serious injuries or damage.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.
The central weather bureau warned people in Taitung to be careful of aftershocks in the next two weeks as it could cause further damage. Authorities have urged residents to prepare emergency supplies at home in case of future tremors.
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