News Snapshot:
TAIPEI (REUTERS) - Taiwan's military has launched aircraft to intercept Chinese planes more than twice as much as all of last year, the island's defence ministry said, describing Taiwan as facing severe security challenges from its huge neighbour. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up its military activities near the island, responding to what Beijing calls "collusion" between Taipei and Washington. In the past few weeks, Chinese fighter jets have crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an official buffer between the island and the mainland, and have flown into Taiwan's...
