Rescue efforts are under way in Taiwan after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the island's eastern coast, killing at least nine and injuring more than 900.

The move has angered Beijing which reviles Mr Lai and his pro-sovereignty party.

The highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years arrives despite warnings from China.

Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by 24 May. Lawmakers debated three different bills to legalise same-sex unions and the government's bill, the most progressive of the three, was passed.

Same-sex marriage supporters reacted as it became clear that they lost the vote Voters in Taiwan have rejected legalising same-sex marriages in a series of referendums on Saturday.

Taiwan eyewitness Zeena Starbuck was caught in an aftershock live on TV A strong earthquake in Taiwan has killed at least two people and injured more than 200 others, officials say. The powerful 6.4-magnitude tremor struck at 23:50 (15:50 GMT) about 20km (12 miles) off the island's east coast.

On the outside, the main building of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan - or parliament - is a picture of calm. Two rows of neatly-trimmed shrubbery and trees line the courtyard leading to the stately-looking, white building with a Republic of China (Taiwan) flag on top.

The debate over whether to legalise same-sex marriage has divided Taiwan Taiwan's top judges have ruled in favour of gay marriage, paving the way for it to become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex unions. The highest court ruled that current laws preventing members of the same sex from marrying violated their right to equality and were unconstitutional. It gave parliament two years to a

DPP chair Tsai-Ing wen says in a post that she is "happiest" when she has time to play with her cats, Cookie and A-Tsai. Many of Taiwan's female politicians, including former Vice-President Annette Lu, Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu, and chair of the Kuomintang party Hung Hsiu-chu, rose to powerful positions without having come from a political family. They have largely made it on their own. Women

Huang Wen-kung (centre and right) was one of many dissidents killed during the White Terror The night before Huang Wen-kung was executed, he wrote five letters to his family, including his five-month-old daughter whom he had never seen. It was the first and last time he had communicated with her. "My most beloved Chun-lan, I was arrested when you were still in your mother's womb," said the 1953 le

An investigation has been launched into the construction of a Taiwanese apartment complex toppled by Saturday's earthquake. Most of the 34 people now confirmed to have died had been inside the Weiguan Jinlong building in Tainan City. Mayor William Lai said survivors had reported legal "violations" in the building, but gave no further details. Officials said late on Sunday that 310 people had been

An earthquake has toppled buildings in the south Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing at least 11 people. The magnitude 6.4 quake struck just before 04:00 (20:00 GMT Friday) when most people were at home asleep. A baby was among at least four people killed when a high-rise building, containing 100 homes, collapsed. At least 30 people remain missing. Tainan's mayor said people were alive but trapped u

Chou Tzuyu is the only Taiwanese member of Twice, a popular Korean girl band Taiwanese voters elected their first female president on Saturday; Tsai Ing-wen. But another very different woman - a 16-year-old pop star - may have inadvertently helped Ms Tsai win votes, and is now also very much the focus of attention, says the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Chou Tzuyu, a Taiwanese singer and dancer in th

Tsai Ing-wen said people in Taiwan wanted a transparent government Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan's first female president. Ms Tsai, 59, leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that wants independence from China. In her victory speech, she vowed to preserve the status quo in relations with China, adding Beijing must respect Taiwan's democracy and both sides must ensure there are no prov

Taiwan, one of the world's feistiest democracies, will elect a new president and parliament on 16 January. The BBC's Cindy Sui explains why this might just be one of its most significant polls yet. The fundamental issue at the heart of any discussion of Taiwan is its relationship with China, which views it as a breakaway province that will one day be reunited with the mainland.

It was a "handshake for the history books" as Karishma Vaswani reports from Singapore The leaders of China and Taiwan have held historic talks in Singapore - their first in more than 60 years. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou shook hands at the start of the talks, which were seen as largely symbolic. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province which will one day be r

Kuomintang's Hung Hsiu-chu (L) will face Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen in the January elections It's a first for Taiwan and a rarity for the world - two women competing for the presidency in the island's upcoming presidential race next January. Taiwan's ruling party Kuomintang (KMT) has confirmed female deputy legislative speaker Hung Hsiu-chu, 67, as its candidate for the election.