<span style="color: #222222;">In Taiwan, eight people, including country's top military officer were killed in a helicopter crash.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In a statement, the Defence ministry said, Chief of general staff, Air Force General Shen Yi-ming was killed after Black Hawk helicopter attempted to make an emergency landing in mountains near Taipei. Five others have been rescued.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Shen and several top military officials were on a routine mission to visit soldiers in the northeast Yilan county ahead of the lunar new year later this month.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> The incident comes a week before Taiwan is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on January 11. President Tsai Ing-wen, who is seeking re-election, cancelled election campaign activities scheduled for today.</span><br />