ICRT

Posted on 2026-10-09 17:10:14

communicating"

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An is acknowlegding outlying islands' opposition to
his suggestion to move the Songshan Airport...

adding that he will continue "communicating."

Chiang has proposed relocating the airport to create an "AI park" at the
site.

But both the KMT and DPP candidates for Penghu Magistrate have come out
against the idea.

Chiang announced his plan yesterday, and this morning said that the traffic
normally handled by Songshan Airport could be taken over by the under
construction third terminal of Taoyuan airport in the meantime.

He emphasized the importance of AI to Taipei's and Taiwan's economies, but
said that he was aware of outlying islands' needs and udnerstood them.

Posted on 2026-10-09 17:10:14

A fire on Green Island broke out this morning, with residents worried the
fire could last at least 2 more days.

A landfill near the island's hot springs district started smoking this
morning, with half of the island able to see the smoke.

Local representatives say, firefighters were able to arrive at the scene
decently quickly, but were only able to spray water from a ways away.

County Councilor Wang Yu Li says, the cause of the fire is not yet clear, and
there are fears that the fire may continue through the rest of the weekend.

She says, they're trying to get a helicopter on site to help with
firefighting efforts.

Posted on 2026-10-09 17:10:14

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is pledging to bring Myanmar back into
the fold following a meeting with the military leader of the country.

Min Aung Hlaing came to power due to a military coup on the
democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

He has agreed to facilitate and accelerate the repatriation of thousands of
Buremese people currently held in Malaysian immigration detention cetners.

The meeting with Anwar is part of the Myanmar leader's effort to make inroads
with other ASEAN countries and gain legitimacy for his government.

Malaysia is the fifth ASEAN member country that Min Aung Hlaing has visited
recently, in addition to China, India, Russia, and Belarus.

His two-day visit to Malaysia came a week after the country began deporting
more than 1,400 people under a program to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals
in stages, amid Malaysians' growing frustration with their presence.

This is despite the U.N. Refugee Agency and human rights groups' warnings
that returnees are facing persecution and forced military conscription in
Myanmar.

Posted on 2026-10-09 17:10:14

Japan is warning of increased cyberattacks, encouraging government ministries
to ensure updates security protection, use storng passwords, and tighten
cybersecurity.

The government says, AI is making vulnerabilities of such systems more
complex.

The statement comes after the Lawson convenience store chain, Daiwa, and
secondhand retailer BookOff have all reported customer data leaks.

Last month, a cyberattack on a car-sharing service leaking information from
some 6.6 million member accounts.

Such attacks have topped 500 this year, marking what is likely to be a new
record for the year.

Those leaks have involved passport and driver's license data, as well as
contact and credit card information.

Posted on 2026-10-09 16:21:13

Foreign media is reporting on tensions within Taiwan's largest opposition
party ahead of local elections fast approaching.

The report on divisions within the KMT centers around two increasingly
evident camps, one coalescing around chair Cheng Li Wen...

and the other around outgoing Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu Yan and the KMT
legislative caucus.

Nikkei Asia reports that infighting is undermining the KMT's electoral
prospects, as the party fails to coordinate heavyweights.

Sources say that the Cheng-centered coalition has aimed to block or downsize
defense spending proposals put forward by the Lai administration, drawing
criticism from the US and other more Taiwan-friendly governments.

Insiders say that, despite outwardly claiming to be making those cuts for the
sake of accountability, some KMT figures have privately aimed to deflect
crticism of these policies towards Zheng...

attempting to shift responsibility to the chair rather than the party as a
whole.

Foreign officials say, the strategy appears to be largely successful, as the
US seems convinced that, when someone else takes over for Zheng at some
point, the party will deliver on defense reforms.

Posted on 2026-10-09 16:21:13

A man has been sentenced to death for allegedly murdering and sexually
assaulting a teacher last year,

The man, surnamed Liu, allegedly broke into the victims dormitory in Hualien
and assaulted her before killing her, after the earlier rejected his romantic
advances,

Police say that Liu also stole several of the victim's personal items,
including her credit cards.

The Hualien District Court also handed Liu a separate 7 month prison sentence
for burglary.

The ruling can be appealed.

Posted on 2026-10-09 16:21:13

The KMT says, it will hold its flag raising ceremony in Kaohsiung tomorrow...

rather than in Taipei as in years past.

The KMT's communications offices say, Chair Zheng Li Wen will personally
attend the ceremony in Kaohsiung...

accompanied by party heavyweight Wang Jin Ping and mayoral candidate Ke Zhi
En.

Communications director Chen Yi Xin says, holding the ceremony in Kaohsiung
aims to pay tribute to the integration of diverse ethnic groups.

Posted on 2026-10-09 16:21:13

Analysts are raising concerns that Afghanistan risks backsliding into civil
war as two main factos have created the conditions for anti-Taliban groups to
flourish.

Nikkei Asia reports that prolonged conflict with neighboring Pakistan and the
failure of Chinese-led meditation between the two countries has fed
opposition groups like the Afghanistan Freedom Front.

The AFF was formed in 2022 to counter the Taliban after US forces abruptly
left.

Beijing has urged both sides to avoid furhter escalation, but militant
attacks have continued, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for providing support to
militant groups within Pakistan.

In just the last two weeks, Pakistan has carried out three waves of strikes
in Afghanistan targeting allegeding Pakistani Taliban hideouts.

Pakistani officials say that anti-Taliban groups are gaining the strength and
motivation to attack.

Posted on 2026-10-09 15:14:13

KMT Chair Zheng Li Wen's decision to skip tomorrow's National Day festivities
in Taipei have stirred enough controversy for some to turn to TPP Chair Huang
Kuo-chang for answers.

When asked this morning as to Cheng's motivation behind the decision, Huang
said he guessed that she was attempting to create more of a balance between
north and south...

pulling some media south to Kaohsiung on National Day rather than having all
the attention on the capital.

But Huang says, regardless of the location, putting the country first is the
most important thing.

Huang made the comments as he headed to New Taipei's Xizhi this morning to
promote a TPP candidate for city councilor.

Posted on 2026-10-09 15:14:13

losses over summer

Pingtung saw a surge of traffic this morning, prompting police to activate
lane allocation on Provincial Highway 1...

as Donggang Wharf was packed with tourists heading to Xiaoliuqiu.

That's as tourism operators hope to alleviate losses over the summer.

Local data shows that Xiaoliuqiu's hotel occupancy rate is nearly full for
today and tomorrow...

but officials say the holiday crowds were actually even greater during the
Mid Autumn/Teacher's Day long weekend.

They note that weather is a crucial factor affecting tourism to Xiaoliuqiu,
so this summer's heavy rain negatively impacted tourism to the island.

Posted on 2026-10-09 15:14:13

A security guard has caused a fire at the Nangang Taiwan Railways Station
after smoking in the station's smoke exhaust room.

It is believed that the guard, surnamed Zhan, failed to put out the cigarette
butt fully before throwing it away.

The fire was able to be extinguished quickly and did not cause any injuries
or damage.

Railway police arrested Zhan after receiving the report.

Posted on 2026-10-09 15:14:13

Now turning to internaitonal news...

A US organization in Gaza says it will use AI to flag speech it decides is
"hateful" in class conversations.

The plans have elicited strong criticism from advocacy groups and charity
partners, especially considering that the Israeli military uses AI to shift
through intercepted communications to find what it considers to be suspicious
speech...

even using such materials to identify targets for strikes.

The charity put forward the plan over concerns that teachers at its schools
may stray from the curriculum that the charity claims promotes "peace and
tolerance."

But Palestinian rights groups have been critical of the organizations
education agenda more broadly, as it does not answer to UN or local agencies
that have long been in charge of Gaza's schools.

It's not clear what kind of language would be flagged by the surveillance
tech, or whether or not school members have been informed of the plan.

Posted on 2026-10-09 14:06:13

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) has proposed "relocating" Taipei Songshan
Airport (TSA) and building an "AI park" on the site.

Chiang said he would build an AI park, transforming the 300-hectare site into
an industrial cluster and residential area, with an estimated 65,000 jobs and
35,000 residents.

However, the mayor did not say where he planned to relocate the airport,
instead pointing to the third terminal and runway under construction at
Taoyuan International Airport, which he said would be able to replace TSA's
current capacity once the runway is completed in 2033.

Chiang's proposal drew a response from rival, DPP candidate Puma Shen, who
said the airport sat in Chiang's electoral district when he served as a
legislator from 2016 to 2022.

Shen added that when former DPP legislative candidate Enoch Wu (吳怡農) made the
same proposal in a 2023 legislative by-election, Chiang criticized it as a
"hasty election promise."

Posted on 2026-10-09 14:06:13

Now turning to international news...

Heavy rains have triggered mudslides in the Chilean capital, sweeping cars
through streets and flooding homes and hospitals.

At least 6 people were injured, including a one year old child.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in a suburb, ordered evacuations,
and closed schools after the Mapocho River overflowed.

Firefighters say theyve rescued or assisted more than 1000 people so far.

Presidnet Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency for the suburb of
Santiago, giving the government more power to repond to emergencies.

Local officials say that 14.4 centimeters of rain have fallen in recent days,
representing around 9 times the average rainfall for the entire month of
October.

No deaths have been reported as of yet.

Rain storms earlier this week already damaged a few dozen homes across
central Chile and left nearly 12,000 customers in Santiago without power.

The downpours are expected to ease today.

Posted on 2026-10-09 14:06:13

South Korea says it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, stepping up its
protest of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent revelation of a
supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South
Korea.

The South Korean announcement on Thursday came days after its President Lee
Jae Myung threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to
apologize over the revelation.

Zelenskyy spoke about the transfer of the soldiers during his U.N. speech
last month.

South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement on
their transfer, but Kyiv has denied agreeing to such a deal.

Posted on 2026-10-09 14:06:13

The Nobel Peace Prize is set to be awarded today.

The committee in charge of awarding the honor received 287 candidates, with
just over one fourth of those being organizations, rather than individuals.

Experts say, the committee typically focuseson the durability of peace, the
promotion of international relationships, and the often unrecognized work of
institutions that strenthen those goals.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado received last year's prize
for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the country.

Forecasters say possible contenders this year include the Internatioanl Space
Station, emergency teams in Sudan, children's advocates in Ukraine, and two
top internaitonal courts.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has also attracted attention from
laypeople.

Posted on 2026-10-09 13:08:14

The US is urging China to stop putting pressure on Taiwan, following reports
of a Chinese maritime militia boat in the area in August.

A spokesperson for the US department of state said that the US remains
"concerned by China's activity east of Taiwan."

They added that the actions exacerbate tensions in the area.

The comments follow a report from Reuters, which stated that a Chinese
maritime militia boat had been spotted more than 30 nautical miles off the
coast of Hualien mid August.

The boat is thought to be a fishing vessel that doubles as a militia vessel,
and was accompanied by a Chinese coast guard cutter and a research vessel at
the time.

The Ministry of National Defense says that China is using law enforcement and
scientific research as pretext to expand its activities without triggering a
direct conflict.

The MND says, they do so in order to create the impression that it had
jurisdiction over the waters, and challenge Taiwan's maritime law enforcement
authority, undermining the international order.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Administration said that it deploys joint
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Chinese
vessels operating in waters around Taiwan, around the clock.

The CGA said all the Chinese vessels in question were operating outside
Taiwan's restricted waters and that it had monitored their movements
throughout and responded appropriately.

Posted on 2026-10-09 13:08:14

Taipei mayoral hopeful Puma Shen says, a suggestion to relocate the Songshan
Airport seems a bit out of the blue.

Shen says, if there were to be a robust plan in place for what the land would
be used for and a reason important enough to relocate, it could certainly be
considered.

However, he says, with the mayoral elections coming up soon, the suggestion
seems a bit sudden.

Media noted that the suggestion to move the airport has historically been
part of the platform of DPP candidates, and Shen said that issues like
national security, military use, and needs of the residents of outlying
islands remain, so any suggestion to move the airport must support these
issues.

Therefore, he said, Mayor Chiang Wan An's recent suggestion to relocate
without relevant planning seems a bit premature.

Posted on 2026-10-09 13:08:14

Mexican officials say, a deadly riot broke out at a prison in Sinaloa state.

The incident occurred at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan during
family visiting hours.

Sinaloa officials say that nine inmates and one family member were killed in
the incident...

while 16 prisoners were injured and taken for medical treatment.

Local media reports indicate that inmates used guns during the fight.

Following the clash, members of the army, National Guard, navy and state
security forces entered the prison to restore order.

Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison, which houses 1,800
inmates, is now “under control.”

The riot comes as Mexico's government faces pressure from the US Trump
administration to crack down on cartels.

Posted on 2026-10-08 19:19:13

Taiwan High Speed Rail has added eight all-unreserved trains tonight to help
ease congestion ahead of the National Day holiday.

That doesn't include business class seating.

The trains will run between Nangang or Taipei and Taichung, with two
additional southbound services every hour from 5 PM to 9 PM.

T-H-S-R is also offering a new late-night service that crosses midnight.

The train will leave Nangang at 10:20 tonight and arrive at Zuoying at 12:15
AM tomorrow.

Transportation officials say the new services are designed to encourage
passengers to travel during less busy hours.

THSR carried a record 348-thousand passengers on the day before the
Mid-Autumn Festival, including more than 206-thousand southbound passengers.

Officials expect demand to be slightly lower during the National Day holiday,
at around 320-thousand passengers a day.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-08 19:19:13

The Supreme Court has upheld a 17-year prison sentence for a gangster
involved in the detention and assault of a convenience store clerk who later
died by suicide.

The court rejected an appeal by Liu Chia-yu (劉佳宥), making the sentence final.

According to the ruling, Liu and several others detained and repeatedly
assaulted the clerk in a Tainan convenience store in 2023 over allegations
that he had stolen money.

The group allegedly forced him to sign a one-million-NT cashier's check and
took his gold necklace.

They later demanded 200-thousand NT dollars from his family and continued to
detain him.

The court found that one of Liu's accomplices also shot the clerk in the
waist before the man jumped from a 13th-floor balcony and died.

Two other defendants received prison terms of 12 and 14 years.

(CNA_IG)

Posted on 2026-10-08 19:19:13

More than 500 workers at a glass factory in Yunlin County have ended their
four-day strike after reaching an agreement with management on wage
increases.

The union at AGC Display Glass Taiwan says all employees at the Douliu plant
will receive a monthly base salary increase of 1-thousand-200 NT in both 2027
and 2028.

Management also agreed to negotiate further raises for 2029 and 2030, while
retaining existing cost-of-living allowances.

The union had demanded annual across-the-board raises of five to six percent,
saying the company had not had a regular wage adjustment system for 25 years.

The Yunlin County government helped mediate the dispute, while the company
agreed not to take disciplinary action against workers who took part.

Posted on 2026-10-08 19:19:13

South Korea says it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, escalating a
dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer during a U-N speech last
month, despite South Korea's request that it remain confidential.

South Korea says Ukraine violated a nondisclosure agreement and is demanding
an apology.

Ukraine denies agreeing to such a deal.

The move comes days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned of
unspecified punitive measures if Ukraine did not apologize.

Posted on 2026-10-08 19:19:13

British authorities have released a 22-year-old man on bail after his arrest
on suspicion of plotting a terror attack at a U-S-run military air base in
England.

The man, who has not been named, is the seventh person released on bail in
the investigation into the incident at R-A-F Fairford.

British authorities have linked the investigation to Iran.

The incident on September 27 prompted evacuations near the base, with armed
police and bomb disposal teams responding.

Police later found gasoline in three vans linked to the first five suspects,
but no explosives were discovered.

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

The government's proposed ten-thousand N.T. cash payments could begin January
twenty-sixth, if next year's budget clears the required approval process.

Deputy Finance Minister Juan Ching-hwa (阮清華) says the estimate assumes
legislative passage on January fifth and presidential promulgation on January
twentieth.

Registration would open January twenty-fifth.

ATM withdrawals would follow on February fifteenth, with post office
collection starting February twenty-second.

Juan stresses these dates are preliminary.

Delays in budget approval would push payments back.

The government plans five collection methods, including automatic bank
deposits and deposits after registration.

Meanwhile, Juan rejects opposition calls to double the payment.

He says a twenty-thousand N.T. payment would cost more than
four-hundred-seventy billion N.T., requiring borrowing and squeezing other
government spending.

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

The DPP has secured eight committee convener positions in the Legislative
Yuan, with the KMT taking seven and the TPP one.

The KMT yielded a judiciary committee position to TPP lawmaker Chen Chao-tzu
(陳昭姿).

She will serve alongside the DPP's Chang Ya-lin (張雅琳).

Lawmakers selected all sixteen conveners today through nominations rather
than contested votes.

Each of the legislature's eight standing committees has two conveners.

The posts carry influence because conveners set committee agendas, shaping
which bills and budgets come up for review.

The DPP holds one convener position on every committee.

The KMT holds the other position on seven committees, with the TPP taking the
remaining judiciary post.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen is calling for televised debates to
begin soon, ideally one each week before election day.

He says candidates should question each other directly, rather than only
answer questions prepared in advance.

Shen says repeated debates would help residents understand their plans for
the city.

TVBS says both Shen and incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an have accepted its
invitation to debate.

The date and format still need to be agreed.

Shen's campaign says he has accepted invitations from four broadcasters and
wants negotiations to start immediately.

Taiwan's local elections are scheduled for November twenty-eighth, just over
seven weeks away.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

The Trump administration has opened direct talks with Myanmar's
military-installed government.

The outreach marks a shift from efforts to isolate the generals after their
twenty-twenty-one coup.

Sources say discussions focus on shutting scam centers targeting Americans.
Access to rare-earth minerals has also been discussed.

U.S. officials met leader Min Aung Hlaing last month while seeking an
American businessman's release.

He remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses.

The State Department says it engages all sides on American interests and
urges an end to violence and the release of political prisoners.

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

Yemen's Houthis say they have attacked the Saudi capital's main airport with
a ballistic missile.

The Iran-aligned group announced the claimed strike on King Khalid
International Airport today.

There was no immediate Saudi confirmation.

The claim follows an earlier attack at the same airport that Saudi aviation
authorities say killed one person and wounded eight.

Authorities also reported two deaths and twenty-eight injuries in an attack
on Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for those earlier strikes.

Posted on 2026-10-08 15:05:13

Hurricane Isaias is forcing offshore energy shutdowns and evacuations as it
heads toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season has sustained winds of
about one-hundred-twenty kilometers an hour.

The US's National Hurricane Center expects further strengthening as it
approaches the northern Gulf Coast Friday night, local time.

Shell and Chevron have reduced offshore operations.

Federal officials say about a quarter of U.S. Gulf oil production and sixteen
percent of natural gas production were shut down Wednesday.

Workers have also been evacuated from platforms and drilling rigs.

The storm threatens an important energy-producing region, potentially adding
pressure to fuel supplies and prices.

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:13

The Ministry of Finance is outline its timeline for distributing universal
cash payments under the 2027 central budget.

The government allocated $235.7 billion NT in the 2027 central budget to
share national economic performance gains with residents.

The ministry says if lawmakers approve the budget by early January 2027,
initial bank deposits will begin Jan. 26 ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

The payout covers Taiwan citizens, permanent residents, foreign spouses, and
infants born before the end of 2027.

Officials say distribution will occur via direct deposit, online sign-ups,
ATMs, and post offices, with the main deadline set for Aug. 31, 2027.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:13

Immigration officers stopped a Chinese man at Taoyuan International Airport
after discovering his South Korean passport had been altered.

The National Immigration Agency says he was attempting to transfer to a
flight to Vancouver on Tuesday evening.

He had arrived from Kuala Lumpur.

Officers checking passengers at a Terminal 2 boarding gate noticed suspicious
details in his itinerary and documents.

They examined the passport's security features and confirmed it had been
altered.

The agency says the man, surnamed Yu, then admitted his Chinese nationality.

He told officers he wanted to find work in Canada because jobs in Fujian were
difficult to find and his income was unstable.

The agency says it will strengthen document checks and cooperation with
airlines and overseas authorities to combat migrant smuggling.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:13

Taitung's Zhonghua Bridge will close Saturday evening for the National Day
fireworks display.

The Highway Bureau says the Highway 11 bridge will shut from 6:30 p.m. to 9
p.m.

Drivers will be diverted to Taitung Bridge on Highway 11B.

Traffic measures are also planned near popular attractions, including Jinlun
(金崙), Duoliang (多良) and Sanxiantai (三仙台).

These include alternative routes, adjustments to traffic lights and stronger
enforcement against illegal parking.

The bureau expects outbound travel to peak tomorrow, with return traffic
busiest Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Southern Cross-Island Highway's Meishankou (梅山口) to Xiangyang
(向陽) section will open on all three holiday dates.

Authorities encourage public transportation and checking road conditions
before departure.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:13

Maritime security sources say tanker attacks around the Strait of Hormuz
reached their highest weekly level since the Iran war began.

Three sources say they recorded at least 12 attacks on oil and gas tankers
between September 28 and October 5.

The U.N.'s shipping agency recorded nine incidents over that period.

Security sources say its verification process can delay official reporting.

The increase comes as Gulf producers step up oil exports.

India's Foreign Ministry says 12 crew members were injured when an
unidentified projectile struck the tanker On Peace in the strait.

In a further attack reported Wednesday, British maritime authorities said a
tanker north of Qatar was hit by multiple projectiles, causing casualties.

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:13

France has suspended the use of stun grenades during high-school protests
after a fifteen-year-old boy lost a hand.

The interior minister says the suspension will remain while authorities
investigate Monday's incident in northern France.

More than five hundred schools were closed Wednesday, with further marches
planned for today.

Students are demanding more teachers, repairs to ageing buildings and changes
to school schedules.

Rights groups and unions accuse police of excessive force.

The government says parts of the movement have turned violent.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised proposals by the end of October.

He says they must be practical, quick and fully funded.

Posted on 2026-10-08 13:21:14

The Nobel Prize in Literature winner will be announced tonight, with Japanese
novelist Haruki Murakami again attracting speculation.

The Swedish Academy's announcement is scheduled for seven p.m. Taiwan time at
the earliest.

Murakami is among the writers featured in bookmakers' predictions.

But those predictions offer no official indication of the result.

Nobel nominations remain confidential for fifty years.

A Murakami win would make him Japan's third literature laureate, following
Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburo Oe.

Murakami published his latest novel, "The Tale of Kaho," in July.

Other widely discussed writers include China's Can Xue, Mexico's Cristina
Rivera Garza and Australia's Gerald Murnane.

Posted on 2026-10-08 11:07:13

Prosecutors are seeking one and a half years behind bars for a private
investigator accused of tailing DPP lawmaker Puma Shen in 2024 at the behest
of two Hong Kongers.

PI Zheng Yong Jin was charged, along with a fellow investigator surnamed
Hsieh and two others, over the 24 hour surveillance of Shen.

Zheng, Hsieh, and the two others were indicted on charges of illegally
collecting personal data under the Personal Data Protection Act.

Prosecutors say that two Hong Kong residents paid Zheng 360,000 NT to surveil
Shen.

Zheng then allegedly subcontracted the case to Hsieh for 180,000 NT, and
Hsieh assigned two others to do the actual surveiling.

The three initially struggled to surveil Shen because of his bodyguards, so
they opted to park a scooter with a camera outside Shen's home.

In this way, they recorded Shen's, his wife's, and their daughter's movements
24/7 from October 1st 2024 to November 8th of the same year.

The footage was then passed along to the Hong Kongers, both of whom are
currently wanted by authorities.

Posted on 2026-10-08 11:07:13

Prosecutors have indicted a college student for allegedly accessing Taiwan
High Speed Rail's comms system and sending a false alarm that prompted
emergency stops.

Taoyuan prosecutors are seeking a 2 year prison sentence for the student,
surnamed Lin.

A second man, surnamed Chen, was indicted for helping Lin to access the
system.

Prosecutors say that Lin used a radio programmed with the system's parameters
to access the network at Taoyuan High Speed Rail Station on the evening of
April 5th.

He then transmitted a "General Alarm" signal.

The operations control system then automatically relayed the warning to
nearby trains, prompting the drivers of four trains to apply their emergency
brakes.

The incident ultaimtely led to 48 minutes of delays.

Posted on 2026-10-08 11:07:13

Now turning to international news...

A new report offers fresh insight into how gangs in Haiti backed by political
and economic actors operate in the country...

as Haiti prepares for its first general elections in more than 10 years.

The report was complied over the better part of a year by the UN Secretary
General.

They traveled to Haiti to meet with confidential sources whose information
they say was corroborated by independent sources.

They noted that, despite, "violent fractures" in one gang alliance, they
remain strong thanks to "politial, ecomomic, and security actors" who back
them when it serves them.

The fragmentation of that alliance, though, exposes "civilians to renewed
violence, displacement, and sexual violence" in areas that were previously
stable.

The report also points the finger at certain politicians, who the UN says arm
and support gangs as a political tool.

Posted on 2026-10-08 11:07:13

Sri Lanka is suffering from severe drought, leaving reservoirs dry and
farmers struggling.

Experts say the lack of rain is partly due to a strong El Nino, on top of
already exacerbated conditions from climate change.

The southwest monsoon, which is key to determining rainfall in the region,
has been particularly weak this year.

Sri Lanka receives rain from two main monsoon systems, including the
southwest monsoon, which normally supplies up to 30% of the country's yearly
rainfall.

Recent showers have brought some relief, but not enough to restore water
levels.

Farmers are facing huge losses and debts, while wildlife in reserves also
suffer from dehydration and heat stress.

Posted on 2026-10-07 19:06:13

A university student has been indicted for allegedly accessing Taiwan High
Speed Rail's communications system and sending a false alarm that caused four
trains to make emergency stops.

The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office says the student, surnamed Lin (林),
transmitted a "General Alarm" signal in April while he was on a bus near
Taichung HSR Station.

The warning was automatically sent to nearby trains, prompting three
passenger trains and one out-of-service train to apply their emergency
brakes.

The incident caused a total of 48 minutes of delays.

Prosecutors say Lin used a radio programmed with the system's settings to
access its communications network.

A second man, surnamed Chen (陳), has also been indicted for allegedly
providing the radio and system information.

Prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence for Lin.

(CNA_IG)

Posted on 2026-10-07 19:06:13

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Taipei is calling for
improvements to Taiwan's business environment.

Its 2026 white paper, released today, identifies major challenges facing
Japanese companies such as untransparent administrative procedures ...
regulations that differ from international standards .... and shortages of
talent and electricity.

The chamber also says difficulties securing industrial land are major
obstacles to developing new facilities.

National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯) says the
government has made progress over the past year ... including simplifying
electricity licensing procedures and strengthening the power grid.

He says Taiwan has also expanded tax incentives for investment in AI and
cybersecurity ... while taking steps to attract more international talent.

Yeh hopes the chamber will encourage the Japanese government to support a
bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan ... creating more investment
opportunities for Japanese companies.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-07 19:06:13

The Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation is opening registration for the 2026
Station Master Mikan Run.

The event will take place on Dec. 26-th, with a brand-new scenic harbor route
starting from KW2 Plaza.

Participants will receive exclusive merchandise featuring station master cat
Mikan, and all finishers will be awarded distinctive commemorative medals.

And KRTC says a portion of the registration fees will be donated to the
Genesis Social Welfare Foundation to support local charity.

Those who finish the race can also enter a draw for prizes including high-end
smartphones and round-trip airfare.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-10-07 19:06:13

Polish police say a 19-year-old man has been arrested after a knife attack
injured at least seven people at a vocational school.

Emergency services rushed to Vocational School Complex Number 4 in Ostroleka,
a city north of Warsaw.

The provincial police headquarters said on X that the suspect was detained
following the attack.

Most of those injured were students, while one teacher was also among the
victims.

Two people were seriously hurt.

Posted on 2026-10-07 19:06:13

Henri B. Kagan of France and Kenso Soai of Japan have won the Nobel Prize in
chemistry for solving a mystery involving mirror-image molecules.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm on
Wednesday.

Nobel Committee for Chemistry chair Heiner Linke praised their work as
spectacular.

Kagan is 95, while Soai is known for his research into how molecules can
develop mirror-image forms.

Last year's chemistry Nobel went to scientists who developed molecular
structures capable of trapping gases.

The Nobel Prize announcements began with medicine on Monday and physics on
Tuesday.

The literature prize is due tomorrow ... followed by the peace and economics
prizes.

Posted on 2026-10-07 18:27:13

Mental health experts are raising concerns over a doubling in youth suicides
in Taiwan over the past decade ... specifically among those aged 15 to 24.

They also pointed to government figures which show schools reported over
20-thousand suicide and self-harm incidents involving students in 2024 ....
more than 17 times the figure recorded eight years prior.

Psychiatrists say mental health treatment should not focus only on children
... as their emotional difficulties can sometimes reflect problems affecting
the wider family.

They are calling for a two-way screening approach that includes parents and
other primary caregivers.

Psychiatrists say when parents seek treatment for depression, anxiety or
other mental health problems ... doctors should also ask about their
children's emotional well-being.

And when children seek help for depression, self-harm or suicidal thoughts
... their parents' or caregivers' mental health should also be assessed.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-07 18:27:13

Taipower has begun dismantling two coal-fired generating units at its
Taichung Power Plant after 36 years of operation.

The state-run utility says Units 1 and 2 were shut down on September 30th and
officially retired the following day ... when demolition work began.

The two units produced nearly 280 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity
during their operating life ... helping supply power to households and
industries in central Taiwan.

Taipower says the units are being retired as new natural gas-fired generators
come online ... as part of efforts to reduce coal use and support Taiwan's
energy transition.

The demolition project will take about 28 months and involves major equipment
including boilers, turbines and a 252-meter-high chimney.

Taipower expects the work to be completed in early 2029 ... with the site
eventually supporting the second phase of the plant's new natural gas-fired
power project.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-07 18:27:13

Taiwan Railway is adding three more fast local services between Taipei and
Taichung for the National Day holiday rush.

The additional trains will run tomorrow and Sunday, with the journey taking
about two hours and 10 minutes.

They are in addition to three services announced on October 3.

The company says the latest additions follow a further review of demand for
travel between the two cities.

The extra services are part of efforts to coordinate Taiwan Railway and
high-speed rail capacity during the holiday.

Train numbers and departure times are available on Taiwan Railway's website
and booking app.

The three-day National Day holiday begins Friday.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 18:27:13

Snoopy is coming to Taoyuan this Halloween!

Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政) says this year's Halloween City event
will take place at Taoyuan Arts Plaza and two nearby parks, featuring stage
performances and a Snoopy-themed show every evening.

The festival, which runs from October 24th to November 1st, features special
art installations, children's Halloween parties and theater performances.

And on five of those days ... there will also be Snoopy meet-and-greet events.

Last year's Halloween City event attracted more than one million visits.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-07 14:58:13

Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) denies wasting public funds or improperly benefiting her
family during her time as Overseas Community Affairs Council minister.

Premier Cho Jung-tai accepted her resignation earlier today.

Hsu acknowledges asking family and friends to help when the council was
short-staffed.

But she says she never used her authority to create jobs for relatives or
spent public money on their behalf.

The TPP alleges her husband used an official vehicle overseas and her son was
passed off as an event photographer.

The Foreign Ministry is still checking those allegations.

Hsu has requested administrative and judicial investigations.

She says resigning was her own decision and that she began handing over
National Day arrangements yesterday.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 14:58:13

Taipei prosecutors have indicted four people over alleged round-the-clock
surveillance of DPP Legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen and his
family.

Prosecutors say private investigator Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永津) received
360-thousand N.T. from two Hong Kong clients to arrange the surveillance.

He allegedly subcontracted the work to another investigation company.

Prosecutors say a miniature camera hidden beneath a scooter seat recorded the
entrance to Shen's home.

It allegedly monitored Shen, his wife and daughter from October 1st to
November 8th, 2024.

The footage was sent through Telegram and forwarded to one of the clients.

The four face charges of illegally collecting and using personal data.

Prosecutors are seeking an 18-month prison sentence for Cheng.

Both Hong Kong clients have fled abroad and are wanted.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 14:58:13

Taiwanese Mastercard holders spent more on dining, entertainment and local
activities in Japan and South Korea last year.

The company's analysis shows spending on these experiences rose 39 percent in
Japan and 44 percent in South Korea compared with 2024.

Both increases outpaced growth in shopping.

The study also points to spending spreading beyond the main destinations.

Fukuoka, Okinawa and Sapporo recorded faster overall spending growth than
Tokyo.

In South Korea, Seoul remained the biggest destination for spending, but its
share edged down.

Experience-related spending more than doubled in Jeju and rose 73 percent in
Busan.

Mastercard says the findings suggest travelers increasingly plan trips around
experiences.

The analysis covers in-person Mastercard transactions in 2024 and 2025.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 14:58:13

Yemen's Transport Ministry says a Houthi missile and drone attack on Aden
International Airport forced an incoming passenger flight to divert today.

The ministry says a missile landed near the runway minutes before the flight
from Cairo was due to arrive.

The aircraft was redirected to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while two planes on the
ground were moved away.

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a Houthi ballistic
missile north of Riyadh.

The Houthis also claim they targeted Riyadh's international airport with
drones, but Saudi authorities have not confirmed that attack.

The strikes come as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launch a
counteroffensive against Houthi gains along the Red Sea coast.

Posted on 2026-10-07 14:58:14

In Japan, the governor of Okinawa has demanded that the central government do
more to ensure discipline among U.S. troops on the southern island following
the arrest of a U.S. Marine accused of robbing and murdering a local woman.

The Marine arrested has denied the allegations, according to Japanese media.

The governor met with the defense minister today to express outrage over the
killing and ask for further efforts to reduce the burden of hosting U.S.
military bases on Okinawa.

The U.S. military in Okinawa announced a 48-hour pause of all military
operations for training through noon on Friday, with restrictions on the
ability of troops to leave their base and a ban on alcohol consumption.

U.S. troops on the island will be under a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. for
30 days following the two-day training period.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-10-07 12:39:13

Premier Cho Jung-tai has accepted the resignation of Overseas Community
Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青).

Her resignation today follows TPP allegations that her family improperly used
government resources during her overseas trips.

The party's legislative caucus says her husband used an official vehicle
overseas.

It also alleges that her underage son accompanied her on official trips and
was passed off as an event photographer.

Hsu denies wrongdoing and says the accusations distort the facts.

She has requested administrative and judicial investigations, pledging to
cooperate fully and accept their findings.

The Cabinet says the Foreign Ministry is still checking the allegations.

It says Cho accepted her resignation out of respect for her wish to protect
her reputation.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 12:39:13

North Korea is criticizing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, accusing Washington of
raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

A commentary carried by North Korean state media today questioned whether the
United States was prepared to confront China over Taiwan.

It criticized the arrival of American-made fighter jets.

Taiwan received its first two new F-16V fighters last Friday, part of a
66-aircraft purchase approved in 2019.

(PB)

Posted on 2026-10-07 12:39:13

Student advocacy groups are calling on the government to expand school
menstrual leave beyond the current one-day monthly limit.

Student groups held a press conference at the Legislative Yuan today, arguing
that the current single-day cap fail to support students with longer or more
severe symptoms.

Administrative Deputy Minister Chu Chun-chang pledged to consult medical
experts, gender equality scholars, and school administrators to revise the
regulations.

Chu also says the education ministry plans to review attendance rules and
grading evaluations to ensure students are not unfairly penalized when taking
leave.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-10-07 12:39:13

The president of Myanmar’s military-backed government is traveling to
Malaysia for talks with its leaders as the two Southeast Asian nations work
to repatriate thousands of Myanmar nationals.

Min Aung Hlaing’s (min-ONG-hline's) visit to Malaysia highlights the growing
engagement between Myanmar and some governments in the Association of
Southeast Asia Nations.

His visit comes four days after nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals were sent back
from Malaysia despite safety warnings by the U.N. and rights groups.

He has increased diplomatic engagements since becoming president in April,
following an election criticized for solidifying military power.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-10-07 12:39:13

In Nigeria, officials say there were no survivors among 25 people on board a
Nigerian Air Force plane that crashed in southern Nigeria’s Ondo state.

The Nigerian Air Force said Tuesday that the ATR-42 aircraft crashed Monday.

The aircraft was carrying 20 passengers and five crew members on a routine
mission to Lagos, the nation’s economic hub.

Officials say the plane disappeared from radar and was later found to have
crashed close to a naval base in Ondo state.

Nigeria’s aviation minister previously said the aircraft was carrying 32
people.

Officials did not immediately clarify the difference in the two accounts.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-10-07 11:13:14

New Taipei prosecutors have charged 10 people for allegedly reselling
restricted military-grade chips from two US companies to Hong Kong for China.

The defendants include one man who runs several technology companies in
Taiwan, as well as his brother, and several others.

Prosecutors charged them with fraud, forgery, and money laundering.

They're seeking 10 years behind bars for the suspected ringleader, Chen Jian
Xiong (陳建雄), and one to eight years for the other defendants.

The indictment says that Chen colluded with others to falsely name the
National Zhongshan INstitute of Science and Technology as an end user of high
speed chips that could be used for military purposes.

Then, when the chips were imported into Taiwan, the defendants allegedly
resold them to buyers in Hong Kong, including China-controlled companies,
profiting from the price difference...

to the tune of 300 million NT.

They also fasely labeled the products as having been made in Taiwan when they
were actually manufactured in the Philippines, South Korea, and Singapore.

Posted on 2026-10-07 11:13:14

and speaking of chips,

The CEO of Advanced Micro Devices says, the company plans to increase its
investment in Taiwan's supply chain...

as demand for computing chips continues to exceed supply.

Lisa Su says, the 10 billion dollar investment announced in May was
progressing as planned.

But growing demand for central processing units and other AI computing
products was prompting AMD to invest more.

Su arrived in Taiwan yesterday for her third visit this year.

She says, she met with partners including Acer, Asus, Foxconn, and Quanta...

and will meet with TSMC and other suppliers on her trip.

Posted on 2026-10-07 11:13:14

Now turning to internaitonal news...

A Kenyan national who was living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but
returned to Kenya over the weekend is the country's first confirmed case of
Ebola and the country's first death from the disease in this outbreak.

The case sparked urgent contact-tracing efforts to try to contain the spread
of the virus.

The man had been living in Congo for the past 7 years and got sick about one
month ago.

He was treated at various hospitals before traveling by road to the Ugandan
capital, where he got on a plane to Nairobi.

Authorities say that the man was isolated and treated at a hospital in the
Kenyan capital, where he tested positive for Ebola and died earlier this
week.

Health officials have placed the country's border points on high alert and
are monitoring for possible additional cases.

Kenya has never had an outbreak of Ebola, but is now the fourth country to
record an Ebola case in the current outbreak, with Uganda and France also
recording some.

Posted on 2026-10-07 11:13:14

Zambia will plan to sign a revised health agreement with the US that excludes
controversial pieces about sharing patient data and specimens.

The deal spans 5 years and is worth over 3 and a half billion US dollars.

The US contributes 1.5 billion dollars to the deal.

The US has signed similar agreements with other African countries, but some
have resisted data-sharing requirements.

These agreements aim to help track infectious diseases but don't guarantee
benefits for the nations involved.

Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Ghana have rejected similar terms from the US.

The Trump administration is pursuing bilateral agreements with African
nations under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach after
dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The new agreements aim to commit African nations to gradually increase
spending on health services while the U.S. gradually phases out its
assistance.

Posted on 2026-10-07 11:13:14

The Malian government says, its armed forces have retaken the city of Kidal...

five months after an offensive by separatist armed groups.

Separatist Azawad Liberation Front confirms that its fighters withdrew from
Kidal.

Mali has been plagued for over a decade by militants affiliated with al Qaeda
and the Islamic State group...

as wel as a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north.

The military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years
have turned from Western allies to Russia for help in combating the fighters.

Posted on 2026-10-06 19:33:13

No damage or injures are being reported after a magnitude 4.5 earthquake
shook the coast of southern Taiwan late this afternoon.

According to the Central Weather Administration, the quake struck just after
4:40 PM at sea ... at about 42 kilometers south-southwest of Kaohsiung City
Hall, at a depth of around 34 kilometers.

The earthquake's intensity was highest in Kaohsiung, where it measured 3 on
Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale.

The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Pingtung County.

Posted on 2026-10-06 19:33:13

The Food and Drug Administration says frozen organic berry and blueberry
products recalled in the U-S over possible E. coli contamination have not
been imported into Taiwan.

The recalled products include Great Value frozen organic mixed berries and
blueberries ... as well as frozen organic mixed berries sold by Trader Joe's.

The U-S Food and Drug Administration says the products may be contaminated
with a type of E. coli bacteria.

Taiwan's F-D-A is advising businesses not to import the recalled products ...
while travelers to the U-S should avoid buying or eating them.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-06 19:33:13

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Taiwan's representative office
in Papua New Guinea remains open and fully operational.

The clarification comes after PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko
unilaterally claimed in July that the Taiwanese mission would be closed.

Taiwan suspended spot-market liquefied natural gas imports from Papua New
Guinea following the statement, warning that further measures remain under
review.

Foreign ministry officials reaffirmed their strong protest against unilateral
actions taken without prior bilateral consultation or mutual agreement.

MOFA says it is coordinating with like-minded international partners to
encourage dialogue and protect the mutual interests of both nations in the
region.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-10-06 19:33:13

Police in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 12 men suspected of
running a ring that stole and sold about 2,700 cats for meat.

State media says the group recruited people to ride motorcycles through
neighborhoods at night, trapping as many as 10 cats a night.

Police raided the operation in July, seizing 50 cats, 55 traps and two scales.

Thirteen cats were returned to their owners, while the rest were cared for by
an animal rights group as authorities searched for their owners.

Eating dog and cat meat is not unique to Vietnam, but it's becoming less
common as younger Vietnamese tend to regard dogs and cats as companion
animals.

Posted on 2026-10-06 19:33:13

Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in physics for his work with the
IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos from
space.

The 82-year-old scientist, originally from Belgium, is affiliated with the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The IceCube observatory is located deep beneath the ice at the South Pole.

Nobel Committee for Physics chair Mark Pearce praised Halzen's scientific
vision.

The Nobel Prize announcements continue throughout the week.

Posted on 2026-10-06 17:33:13

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen have
reached a consensus on their televised debate organized by TVBS.

But there's no timeline for that debate yet.

Shen proposed earlier to make drug policy the topic of their first debate,
and Chiang said today that any municipal issue could be discussed, including
drug policy and the candidates' respective positions.

Chiang has also promised to take part in other debates between him and his
DPP rival, saying that's what he did 4 years ago and that they included a
cross-examination segment as well.

Asked why he had chosen TVBS when several other media outlets had also
invited the candidates to debate, Chiang only said the two sides have agreed
to let their staff work out the details.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-10-06 17:33:13

Taiwan's flu outbreak remains at epidemic levels, with the number of severe
cases and deaths reaching record highs.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 219 new severe flu cases and 44
deaths were reported between September 29th and October 5th.

A total of one million people have received flu shots so far, up 2.4 percent
compared with the same period last year, and the biggest increase is among
people aged 65 and older.

Currently people aged 65 and older, and Indigenous people aged 55 to 64, as
well as Children aged 6 months through high school are eligible for
publicly-funded flu shots.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-10-06 17:33:13

Highway officials are warning of long periods of heavy traffic on National
Freeway 5 during the upcoming National Day holiday.

Heavy southbound traffic is expected Friday and Saturday from about 5 AM to 5
PM, while northbound congestion is expected Saturday and Sunday from around 9
AM until late at night.

Southbound entrance ramps at Shiding (石碇) and Pinglin (坪林) will be closed
during peak periods ... and high-occupancy restrictions will be imposed on
northbound entrances from Suao (蘇澳) to Toucheng (頭城).

Officials say taking public transportation could save around 30 minutes ...
or as much as an hour during peak periods.

About 70 percent of intercity bus tickets on western routes and 83 percent on
eastern routes are still available.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-10-06 17:33:14

Kenya has confirmed first Ebola case imported from Congo after patient dies
while receiving treatment in Nairobi over the weekend.

Kenya's Health Minister sayd 28 contacts have been identified so far
including family members and health workers.

Congo has been battling its largest-ever Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare
Bundi-bugyo species.

The outbreak was declared in mid-May but may have started months ‌earlier
⁠and has so far resisted containment efforts, with the Central African
country recording more than 8,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths.

The outbreak earlier spread to Uganda, ⁠which reported 20 cases and two
deaths, but the World Health Organization declared Uganda free of the
disease ⁠in August.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected
people, living or ⁠dead. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in
severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

The Tai-Ex continued to surged towards the 50,000 mark in early trading this
morning.

The main board added 256-points to reach 49,968.

The rise was led by tech stocks after the Nasdaq climbed 1.1-per cent on Wall
Street overnight to set a new record.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's American depositary receipts surged by
2.75-per cent overnight to hit a fresh high - and that resulted in it share
price adding 15 N-T in early trading on the Tai-Ex to reach 2,590 N-T.

However, other major electronics heavyweights were mixed.

Delta Electronics rose over 5-per cent, Hon Hai added 3.7-per cent, Yageo
rose 1.2- per cent, but MediaTek fell 2-per cent and U-M-C was down nearly
3-per cent.

Market watchers say with Nvidia’s market capitalization hitting a record high
overnight and T-S-M-C's A-D-Rs reaching a new high, technical indicators show
strong momentum and tech heavyweights are expected to push the weighted index
above the 50,000-point level today.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

The Ministry of National Defense is reporting no Chinese air sorties
operating around Taiwan for a second consecutive day between 6AM Monday and
6AM today.

However, eight Chinese Navy vessel and eight official maritime patrol ships
were spotted operating in Taiwan Strait over the same 24-hour period.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

In international news,

France is bracing for major protests today as nationwide day of action has
been called in support of students demanding more investment in education.

It comes after a week of protests that have seen students blockading hundreds
of schools and clahsing with police

At least 190 students have been injured, and more than 5,000 people arrested.

One student had his hand blown off during a confrontation on Monday.

France's prime minister say the government has announced measures to address
the student's demands, but a major organizer of the protests is insisting the
government has offered no solid promises.

Some other organisations are also showing support for the students, with the
teachers' union urging its members to join today's protest.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

worry about

Russian authorities say a staffer at a plague research institute in Siberia
contracted pneumonia of an unknown cause.

Local state television is reporting the woman died last week.

Authorities say they found no evidence her illness was caused by any of the
pathogens she worked with.

However a hospital near Irkutsk is under quarantine.

The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute staffer fell ill, prompting
medical supervision for all her contacts.

The World Health Organization describes pneumonic plague as severe and
contagious.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

The separatist Parti Quebecois has won Quebec’s provincial election.

The outcome will return to power a party that has promised another referendum
on independence.

The party leader has pledged to hold another referendum on independence,
though he has said he would wait until U-S. President Donald Trump is no
longer in office.

Parti Quebecois won the most seats among the parties fielding candidates in
the election for all 127 seats in the provincial legislature, though the
final seat totals were not yet certain.

The Quebec result comes two weeks before Albertans vote on whether to hold a
referendum on separation from Canada.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

In sports news,

The cockatoo has been official unveiled as the emblem for the 2032 Olympics
and Paralympics in Brisbane.

The organizing committee held a launch days after an accidental leak of the
mascot.

An explainer video briefly appeared on YouTube last Friday, leading to
screenshots circulating on social media.

The emblem features a pink cockatoo, stylized to resemble an Olympic flame
and the shape of Queensland state.

The emblems are separate to the Games mascot, which will be revealed closer
to the Games.

Posted on 2026-10-06 11:06:13

And finally,

Bestselling British author and former politician, Jeffrey Archer has died.

He was 86.

Archer sold more than 300-million books in his five-decade writing career.

He was a former Conservative member of parliament and was sent to prison for
four years in 2001 for perjury after being found guilty of lying and cheating
in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star newspaper.

Archer's publisher HarperCollins says his last book, "Adam and Eve," is set
to be released this week,

Posted on 2026-10-06 08:09:13

The Taiwan People's Party is accusing Overseas Community Affairs Council head
Hsu Chia-ching and her family members of misusing public resources during her
trips abroad.

Hsu previously served as deputy Overseas Community Affairs Council head,
before being promoted.

According to T-P-P legislative caucus director Vicky Chen, Hsu has traveled
abroad 47 times for a total of 526 days since 2022 spending a total of
23-million N-T, or about one-third of the council's international travel
budget.

Chen says during that four-year period, Hsu also applied for daily travel
allowances totaling 4.2-million N-T.

The charges come after reports said Hsu had taken personal leave six times
during trips to the United States since 2024, fueling speculation that she
was scheduling such frequent trips solely to visit family members.

An audio recording of an anonymous individual stating that Hsu's husband and
son currently live in Washington, and that Hsu had traveled to Washington or
New York "three to four times" in 2024 has also been released.

The anonymous individual in the recording can be heard to say that the
frequent trips exhausted staff at Taiwan's local Overseas Community Affairs
Council offices and Hsu's American husband used a Taiwan diplomatic vehicle
to drive their son to family reunions.

Posted on 2026-10-06 08:09:13

The Ministry of Finance says two receipts for 10 N-T covering the purchase of
milk tea and payment of an Uber processing fee were among 17 receipts that
won the 10-million N-T special prize in the July-August uniform invoice
lottery.

One of those receipts for 10 N-T was issued for purchases at a FamilyMart
convenience store in Tainan's Yanshui District.

Other special prize winning receipts included a 27 N-T printing receipt
issued by a 7-Eleven store in Taipei, a 29 N-T food purchase at a 7-Eleven in
Taoyuan's Zhongli District, and a 33 N-T food purchase at a 7-Eleven in
Kaohsiung's Fengshan District.

The highest-value winning purchase was a 24,000 N-T wallet bought at the
Loewe counter in Breeze Nanshan in Taipei.

Eleven receipts matched the winning number for the 2-million N-T grand prize
in the July-August uniform invoice lottery.

The winners can claim their prizes from today until January 5 of next year.

Posted on 2026-10-06 08:09:13

And finally,

Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu says a northeasterly monsoon is forecast
to strengthen and will result in the mercury in some low-lying areas dropping
to as low as 16-degrees from today until Friday.

The northeasterly monsoon will also bring rain to parts of the island.

The Central Weather Administration has issued rain advisories.

Heavy rain or extremely heavy rain warnings are in effect for mountainous
areas of Taipei.

While heavy rain warnings have been issued for Keelung City, the North Coasta
area, mountainous parts of New Taipei, Yilan, the Hengchun Peninsula and
Orchid Island.

All of those rain advisories are currently in effect through late this
morning.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

The Presidential Office has condemned what it has described as a "typical
case of transnational repression" after reports that China has been illegally
surveilling President Lai Ching-te's son in the United States.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo says China's "barbaric" acts show
disregard for human rights and national sovereignty and seek to suppress,
threaten or even harm people who advocate freedom and democracy or their
families.

Kuo said such behavior should not be tolerated in the civilized world.

She also thanked U-S law enforcement authorities for assisting and protecting
Taiwan's people and said the Lai administration would continue to work with
the United States and other democratic allies to jointly combat illegal acts
of transnational repression.

The comments come after C-B-S News reported that the FBI had had arrested a
California-based real estate agent, at Los Angeles International Airport on
charges of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

Law enforcement sources told C-B-S News that the target was Lai's son Lai
Ting-yu.

Lai's son lives in the U-S with his family and reportedly works for the Dutch
multinational Philips.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

Eswatini's new ambassador to Taiwan says his country will continue advocating
for Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

He made the comments as he presented his credentials to President Lai
Ching-te.

Vulind-lela Sim-phiwe Ku-nene said global challenges cannot be effectively
addressed while "the knowledge, resources and experience of more than 23
million people were excluded."

Kunene said Eswatini would therefore continue to push for Taiwan's inclusion
in international organizations and mechanisms where its contribution can
benefit humanity.

The diplomat described that support "an expression of friendship" and "a
principled position grounded in fairness, inclusion and the practical
requirements of effective international cooperation."

For his part, the president said Taiwan will continue working with Eswatini
on projects including the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park, even as it
expanded cooperation in agriculture, healthcare, education, trade and
technology.

Eswatini's King Mswati III's is expected to visit to Taiwan this week to
attend October 10 National Day events.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

Taipei City Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien says six officers have been
disciplined for misconduct after a raid on a gay bar in the Ximending area.

Lin says four of the officers were found to have used inappropriate language
during the raid and each received two reprimands, while the lead investigator
at the scene was given a demerit for failing to promptly stop the remarks.

The police commissioner also says Wanhua Precinct chief has also received two
reprimands over inadequate supervision and that the request was approved.

The raid took place on Saturday evening.

Gender equality group have claimed police used excessive force, violated
procedures, and made discriminatory and degrading remarks toward people with
disabilities.

However, the police commissioner says the raid was lawful and conducted under
a court-issued search warrant in response to reports of suspected violations
of public morality.

Lin said the venue had been the subject of 13 complaints this year alleging
activities that violated public decency.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an says the incident was regrettable and any
misconduct during law enforcement will be thoroughly reviewed and police
discipline would be strengthened.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

The union representing workers at Kuai Kuai's Zhongli factory is challenging
the company's relocation assurances and accusing a labor broker of pressuring
migrant workers to cross a picket line during an ongoing strike.

The Kuai Kuai union voiced its concerns during a protest outside the Ministry
of Labor in Taipei.

The protest was held three days after workers at the factory began a strike
that has been extended indefinitely.

The strike was called after news broke that Kuai Kuai has sold the Zhongli
site to Advanced Semiconductor Engineering for 5.6-billion N-T and the
company planned to relocate its employees without paying them severance and
other layoff benefits.

Kuai Kuai last Friday announced that it would not lay off workers for the two
years it remains at the Zhongli site, and will provide statutory severance
plus two months' wages for ensuing layoffs.

The union is also alleging that a broker twice brought migrant workers to the
picket line last Friday and asked them whether they wanted to enter the
factory to work, in what the union says was an attempt to get them to cross
the picket line.

According to the union, the plant currently employees about 60 migrant
workers, mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia, none of whom are union members.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted Farxun E-commerce and 25
people over an alleged fraudulent investment scheme.

The company, its CEO, surnamed and 24 others has been charged with violating
the Banking Act.

The company C-E-O has has also been charged with aggravated fraud and money
laundering, while the company's C-F-O has also been charged with money
laundering.

Prosecutors say the company's de facto person in charge could not be located
during the investigation and a warrant has been issued for their arrest.

Farxun allegedly began soliciting investments in January of 2024 through
social media advertisements and investment briefings in Taipei, Taichung and
Kaohsiung for a "Green Energy EV Charger" investment scheme.

The company allegedly told investors they could purchase an E-V charger for
300,000 N-T and receive a guaranteed minimum monthly return of 3,520 N-T,
equivalent to an annual rate of return of 14.08-per cent.

The company also allegedly promised to buy back each charger for 210,000 N-T
after three years.

Prosecutors say the company illegally obtained more than 219-million N-T
between January 2024 and January 2026.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

And,

The High Speed Rail Corporation says it will be adding southbound trains to
Taichung starting Thursday, the final working day before the National Day
holiday.

This comes as the company expects an increase in passenger volume over the
three-day weekend holiday period... and after complaints of severe crowding
during the four-day Mid-Autumn Festival and Teachers' Day holiday.

Some passengers with reserved seats reportedly struggled to board and
passengers from non-reserved cars spilled into business-class cars.

Eight southbound trains to Taichung will be added during the four-hour, 5PM
to 9PM peak period, with two trains per hour departing from either Nangang or
Taipei.

All seats except those in business class will be non-reserved.

The trains will stop at Banqiao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli and each train
will have nine to 11 non-reserved cars.

The High Speed Rail Corporation also says to increase capacity, trains
arriving in Taichung will return north from the same platform, allowing them
to depart again within 12 minutes of arrival.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

The International Criminal Court has unsealed arrest warrants against four
senior Taliban leaders on charges of crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors accuse them of gender persecution against women, girls, and
members of the LGBTQI community in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power
in 2021.

The warrants were issued last year for the Taliban's supreme leader,
Hibatullah Akhund-zada, and others.

The Taliban have barred women from jobs, public spaces, and education beyond
sixth grade. The ICC charges the suspects with severe violations of
fundamental rights.

In response, the Afghan government spokesman says the Taliban does not
recognize the court.

Posted on 2026-10-06 06:58:13

Indigenous and environmental organizations in Brazil expressed concern Monday
about the weekend’s election results, warning that far-right gains in
Congress could threaten Indigenous peoples who play a key role in protecting
the Amazon and other Brazilian ecosystems.

Brazil voted Sunday for president, Congress and governors.

The presidential race is undecided, with Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro facing
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an Oct. 25 runoff. Bolsonaro’s Liberal
Party won a significant number of seats in Congress.

Amazon Watch says this shift strengthens groups supporting mining on
Indigenous lands. Protecting these territories is seen as key to curbing
deforestation in the Amazon.

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