In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

Member states of the World Health Organization have rejected a proposal to
​invite Taiwan to its annual assembly in Geneva after ‌China said it would
block its participation.

Speaking in front of the World Health Assembly, China took to the floor,
alongside Pakistan, to oppose ​the motion on Monday ...

... with a Chinese ​delegate telling member states that Beijing does not
​agree to the participation of China's Taiwan region in the World Health
Assembly in any form.

The assembly accepted Taiwan's exclusion.

Palau was among a number of ​countries supporting a proposal to include
Taiwan as an observer at the annual meeting of the global health body ....

.... saying Taiwan's exclusion was unjustified and risked weakening global
disease ​surveillance and information sharing.

According to the delegate from Palau, global health governance cannot afford
gaps, excluding ​any capable and responsible partner, including Taiwan,
creates precisely such a gap.

The decision by the World Health Organization member states regarding
Taiwan's status at the World Health Assembly came after President Lai
Ching-te told delegates at the Taiwan Global Health Forum Series ..

.. that Taiwan would be able to make greater contributions to global health
if it were a member of the W-H-O.

Speaking in a prerecorded video message at the event in Geneva, Lai said
Taiwan has long played an active role in global health and remains committed
to sharing its experiences as a responsible and reliable partner.

According to Lai, the world is seeing many profound changes. Technology is
developing fast, populations are aging, and new infectious diseases continue
to emerge. Therefore, we bear greater responsibilities than ever before ...

... and as Taiwan's first president with a medical background, he is eager to
join forces to build a "Healthy Taiwan."

The two-day Taiwan Global Health Forum Series has been organized by the
Ministry of Health to coincide with the 79th World Health Assembly.

Both Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and Health Minister Shih Chung-liang are
in the Swiss city to attend events on the sidelines of the W-H-A.

Lawmakers are slated to vote later today on a motion to impeach President Lai
Ching-te.

It comes after Lai failed to attend legislative review sessions on an
impeachment motion against him ahead of a final vote.

The impeachment drive was initiated by the K-M-T and the Taiwan People's
Party.

Both parties accuse Lai of breaching the Constitution and disregarding the
Legislative Yuan, following Premier Cho Jung-tai's refusal to countersign
legislation passed by the Legislature covering amendments to a fiscal revenue
allocation law.

The K-M-T has been stressing that no one in the Republic of China is above
the law and it is unacceptable that a president elected through democracy who
is unwilling to accept its constraints.

While the T-P-P says the impeachment bid is aimed as being a "wake up" call
for the the president.

D-P-P lawmakers boycotted the review sessions after charging the opposition
with turning a political dispute into an impeachment matter.

However, D-P-P lawmakers are slated to attend tomorrow's vote to formally
oppose the motion.

The impeachment is expected to fail - as the K-M-T and T-P-P hold a combined
62 seats - which falls short of the two-thirds majority required to refer the
case to the Constitutional Court.

It comes as Lai will be marking the halfway point of his four year term
tomorrow.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu says he met with Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of
the U-K's House of Commons during his visit to London last week.

It's the first ever meeting between a Taiwan legislative speaker and the
speaker of Britain's lower house of the Parliament.

Taiwan's representative to the U-K Vincent Yao says that the meeting between
Hoyle and Han was especially significant because it took place immediately
after the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, when U-K lawmakers were
occupied with debates over the King's Speech.

Han led a cross-party legislative delegation to both France and the U-K
last week.

According to Han, the delegation's visit to was "highly fruitful" and
resulted in major advancements in speaker-to-speaker dialogues, parliamentary
exchanges, and strategic think tank engagements.

The cross-party delegation met directly with senior parliamentary figures in
both countries, including the speaker of Britain's lower house of the
Parliament and the president of the French Senate.

The delegation also held talks lawmakers from pro-Taiwan groups in both
countries.

Han says some of those lawmakers have pledged to visit Taiwan soon, with the
first group expected as early as later this month.

Taiwan students have won eight awards at this year's Robofest World
Competition - which took place at the Lawrence Technological University in
Michigan.

They bagged two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the international
robotics competition.

Dozens of Taiwanese elementary, junior high, and senior high school students
competed against teams from 25 countries.

Taiwan's representative office in Chicago has presented congratulatory
messages to the award-winning students, commending their dedication and
encouraging them to continue striving for excellence in their future
endeavors.

The awards earned by the Taiwan students include gold for teams from the Kang
Chiao International School in the RoboMed Senior category, the Washington
High School in Taichung in the Exhibition Senior category.

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says we can expect to see mostly sunny
skies islandwide this week.

However, the administration's forecast center says southwesterly winds will
bring more humid conditions from tomorrow ...

.... and there's the chance of localized afternoon showers or thundershowers
in some northern and central areas through Saturday.

Temperatures will be relatively stable throughout the week - with highs of
30-degrees in the north and of between 33 and 35 degrees in the center and
south.

Overnight lows will drop to between 22 and 25 degrees islandwide.

Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu says current forecasts show Taiwan could
see another wave of "plum rains" mid-next week, but that currently remains
uncertain and will require further observation.

Meanwhile,

Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi says the government would welcome a
direct call between U-S President Donald Trump and President Lai Ching-te.

The statement follows Trump's recent remarks about arms sales to Taiwan being
used as a bargaining chip with China and Trump appearing to suggest that he
was seeking to speak with Lai about the issue - albeit without actually
naming him.

Chen said Trump's remarks had "caused some unnecessary concern" in Taiwan,
despite the ​government believing that "nothing has changed."

The deputy foreign minister is also stressing that the government is seeking
confirmation from Washington about whether Trump wanted to speak to Lai and
is also using all available channels to understand what the U-S side is
actually thinking.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says Taiwan's continued absence from the World
Health Assembly is not only a global health issue but also a diplomatic one
...

... which is why medical experts from around the world participate in the
events that Taiwan usually holds in Geneva each year to coincide with the
WHA.

Lin said while Taiwan's ultimate goal is to return to the W-H-A, its efforts
to hold simultaneous events in Geneva are also aimed at giving it greater
visibility worldwide.

Lin is the first Taiwan foreign minister to have participated in the events
in Geneva held by Taiwan to coincide with the W-H-A.

Those events include the Taiwan Smart Medical & HealthTech Expo, which is
being held at a Geneva hotel until today.

The exhibition features several of Taiwan's leading medical centers and 30
Taiwan companies that specialize in smart and innovative healthcare.

Taiwan Space Agency Director-General Wu Jong-shinn says his agency has been
invited to submit suggestions on possible solutions for NASA's lunar
exploration program.

Wu said it's the first time NASA as asked his agency for suggestions and he
hopes it will help Taiwan gain a foothold in the emerging global "lunar
economy."

Wu says securing the invitation will enable Taiwan companies to bypass
third-party system contractors and work directly with NASA.

Formally known as a "request for information," the invitation was issued by
NASA to get input on 32 technical gaps in its Artemis lunar exploration
program.

Artemis aims to land humans on the moon by 2028 and establish a long-term
lunar base by 2030.

Wu said Taiwan's space industry currently generates nearly 300-billion N-T in
annual output value and the rise of the lunar economy could create new
momentum for growth.

The Taipei City Government says inspections of 34 escape room venues in the
capital had identified violations at 21 locations.

The inspections were carried out by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs
after an employee at an escape room business died last week.

The Department said inspections found that 12 businesses had fire safety or
building safety violations, resulting in 15 fines totaling just over
1-million N-T.

Those violations included fire doors that could not close properly,
malfunctioning exit sign lights, a lack of residential fire alarms or fire
extinguishers, and unauthorized interior renovations, according to the
department.

The businesses fined were ordered to make improvements within two to 30 days.

A futher nine businesses were also determined to have violated land-use
zoning regulations and have been referred to the city's Department of Urban
Development for penalties.

A 29-year-old female employee at the Xinyi branch of Rostart Games escape
room business reportedly suffocated while role-playing as a hanged ghost on
May 10...

She died five days later.

replaced

And,

A survey by the Child Welfare League Foundation shows nearly 60-per cent of
junior high school students have had physical education and arts classes
replaced by core academic subjects.

The findings came as the Ministry of Education's guidelines on normal
teaching practices at elementary and junior high schools entered their 13th
year.

The foundation said its survey focused on widespread non-compliance with the
policy, despite more than a decade of enforcement.

The foundation says 58.7-per cent of respondents had experienced teachers
replacing non-core classes, down from 82-per cent in 2015, but still
affecting more than half of students.

It also found that subjects such as physical education and arts were
increasingly being replaced by core academic lessons as high school entrance
exams approached, particularly among eighth and ninth graders.

And 82.9-per cent of students said they had taken tests during morning study
sessions, while 38.1-per cent reported being tested during lunch breaks or
recess - that, despite rules prohibiting tests during morning self-study
sessions, lunch breaks and recess periods.

The Israeli military has intercepted boats off the coast of Cyprus, part of a
flotilla attempting to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.

More than 50 vessels departed from Turkey last week.

Organizers say the boats were intercepted 250 nautical miles from Gaza's
shores.

Israel's Foreign Ministry called the flotilla a provocation while Turkey
condemned the intervention as piracy.

The blockade has been in effect since 2007, restricting movement in and out
of Gaza.

The Philippine ​Senate has opened an impeachement trial of Vice President
Sara Duterte.

Sara Duterte was given 10 days to respond to accusations she misused public
funds, amassed unexplained wealth, and threatened ​the lives of President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady, and a former House speaker.

If convicted, she faces a ‌ban from holding public office that could derail
her ambitions to become president in 2028.

The high-stakes trial comes just days after chaos and a shootout in the upper
house and a decisive change in Senate leadership.

The turmoil by the dramatic re-emergence from hiding of a pro-Duterte senator
wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Prevention Campaign

A Taichung city councilor says a nearly one-kilometer wall of discarded
mattresses in Tanzi (潭子) District is undermining the city's "No Rats"
prevention and clean-up campaign ...

... which kicked off over the weekend.

Lai Chao-kuo (賴朝國) of the KMT went on to say that mattresses typically
contain metal springs ...

... and sanitation workers dismantling them by hand can process only a few
each day ...

... making the work labor-intensive and economically inefficient.

The city's Environmental Protection Bureau says Taichung handles around 70
thousand discarded mattresses each year ...

... but about 20 thousand remain unprocessed after a previous procurement
tender failed, and a second tender is now underway.

(IG)

Italy's Foreign Ministry says rescuers have located the bodies of four
Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave in a Maldive
atoll.

The searches had resumed on Monday after being suspended following the death
of a local military diver during a perilous mission to try to reach them.

Five Italian divers are believed to have died while exploring a cave at a
depth of about 50 meters (160 feet) in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to
Italy’s Foreign Ministry.

The body of one Italian — a diving instructor — was found earlier outside the
cave.

Hungary and Ukraine are planning to start high-level consultations on the
rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority.

The move signals a potential improvement in relations between the two
countries which have been strained under former Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán.

Orbán's government had blocked EU funding for Ukraine and held up sanctions
against Moscow.

Hungary's new foreign minister, Anita Orbán, announced on Monday that the
bilateral talks could begin this week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed readiness to open a new
chapter in relations after Viktor Orbán's government was defeated in an
election in April.

Lawmakers are set to vote tomorrow on an impeachment motion against President
Lai Ching-te ...

... marking the first presidential impeachment case in Taiwan's
constitutional history.

The motion was launched by the opposition K-M-T and Taiwan People's Party
after Premier Cho Jung-tai refused to countersign legislation changing how
tax revenues are divided between the central and local governments.

Both opposition parties accuse Lai of violating the Constitution,
disregarding the Legislative Yuan ... and refusing to implement or budget for
laws that it has passed.

In response, the ruling D-P-P says the impeachment effort is political
theater and has confirmed its lawmakers will vote against the motion.

The impeachment is expected to fail, as the opposition coalition controls 62
seats in the 113-member legislature — short of the two-thirds majority needed
to refer the case to the Constitutional Court.

(IG)

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu says he met with Lindsay Hoyle during a visit
to Britain last week ...

... marking what he described as the first meeting between a Taiwanese
legislative speaker and the speaker of the House of Commons.

Han said the trip to Britain and France was highly productive, with the
cross-party delegation holding talks with senior parliamentary figures in
both countries, including the president of the French Senate.

He added that some meetings with what he called 'sensitive figures' were kept
private at their request.

Han also said Taiwanese lawmakers met with think tanks to discuss issues
including Taiwan's arms purchases and the possible impact of future talks
between U-S President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to Han, lawmakers from pro-Taiwan groups in Britain and France also
pledged to visit Taiwan in the near future.

(CNA_IG)

The DPP is touting recent poll numbers which they say demonstrate majority
support amongst the public for both President Lai Ching-te himself as well as
his administration's policies.

DPP policy committee chair Wu Si Yao said that poll numbers on the
government's efforts to ease economic burden on the public are above 70
percent...

while she said 8 main policies have clearly received public mandate.

Wu touted low unemployment numbers and a high per capita GDP, which has now
exceeded those of both Korea and Japan.

Meanwhile spokesman Wu Zheng touted a slight majority of constitutents who
approve of the Lai administration's handling of national security, defense,
foreign affairs and other issues...

representing broad approval of 8 key policy directions.

(AH)

Residents near Taitung's Kangle station can expect to see Taiwan Railways'
Ziqiang trains stopping at the station starting in July.

DPP lawmaker and magisterial candidate Chen Ying announced today that the
decision was made after negotiations with the TRC.

Residents near Kangle had been hoping to see the improved TRC trains stop at
the station, which provides service to 7 villages nearby.

Without the changes, residents have to go further to Taitung city or Zhiben
Station for a trip to northern Taiwan.

Chen says today that the change will not only be more convenient for local
residents, but will also make tourism to the National Museum of Prehistory
more smooth as well.

The 441 and 402 train services will begin from July 1st.

(AH)

The wife of Penghu magistrate Chen Guang Fu says, Chen is beginning nerve
therapy after a fell in Feburary left him in a coma.

Wu Shu Jin said that the therapy would take place over a period of 5 months.

Wu noted that the therapy process was originally meant to begin last month at
Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, but it was moved back due to other
health issues.

The Penghu magistrate appears to be getting better, with Wu saying that he in
March was able to move his eyes and can now move his head.

Wu said she hoped her husband would be able to be restored to full health
soon.

(AH)

Now turning to international news...

The Israeli military has begun intercepting several boats that are part of a
flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

More than 50 vessels departed from a port in Turkiye in what organizers
descrivbed as the final leg of their journey to Gaza.

The livestream of the event showed several activists filming with cameras as
Israeli military members boarded the boats off the coast of Cyprus.

An hour prior to the interception, the Israeli foreign ministry ordered
activists to "change course and turn back immediately."

The KMT legislative caucus has proposed major policies aimed at addressing
the country’s declining birthrate.

The proposals include fully covering National Health Insurance premiums for
children aged zero to six, and providing them childcare subsidies at
40-thousand NT a year.

There’s also an offer of monthly childcare allowance of 5-thousand NT for
every child aged zero to 15.

The combined annual budget for the three policies is estimated 241 billion.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-xiang said the cost would be less than
one percent of Taiwan’s GDP and about eight percent of this year’s central
government budget.

Lin stressed that low birthrates are an urgent crisis and should be treated
as seriously as other national security issues.

(JL)

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-yan said today TSMC has broken ground on its investment
project in the city, and the first plant in Phase 2 is expected to be
completed in 2027.

She added that the company’s combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects in
Taichung, totaling 7 factories, are expected to form Taiwan’s largest
semiconductor R&D and manufacturing cluster.

The Mayor made the comments when asked if U.S. President Donald Trump's
summit with his Chinese counterpart would change Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company's plan.

Lu stressed that rven if there are changes, TSMC would adjust its future
projects, and that it would not be Taichung.

She also noted that TSMC's plans in her city will feature 1.4-nanometer
advanced process technology, which is Taiwan's most advanced chipmaking
process.

(JL)

The Child Welfare League Foundation is highlighting the prevalence of
"time-borrowing" practices in junior high schools.

The foundation released a survey for this year, comparing current conditions
with data from a similar survey in 2015, finding that nearly 60 percent of
Taiwan's junior high school students have had classes "borrowed" by teachers
of other subjects.

The data shows that come exam time, subjects such as phys. ed, and art are
often sidelined in favor of core subjects.

In additon, more than 80 percent of students surveyed have taken tests during
morning homeroom, and roughly half have had their break times canceled.

The foundation says students in schools with abnormal teaching practices show
significantly higher rates of severe fatigue, and is calling on education
authorities to strengthen oversight .

(NS)

In world news...

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran the "clock is ticking" as talks to
bring the war to an end have stalled.

"They better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he
wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The message came as the president spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu on Sunday.

Iranian media meanwhile reported that the US had failed to make any concrete
concessions in its response to Tehran's latest proposals to end the conflict.

The news agency said a lack of compromise from Washington would lead to an
"impasse in the negotiations".

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake has struck south China's Guang-xi region, killing
two people and toppling buildings.

State media reports the quake hit early this morning, injuring four others
and forcing over 7,000 residents to evacuate from Liu-zhou city.

Authorities say the search for missing residents wrapped up around midday
today.

A 91-year-old man was found alive in good condition.

State broadcaster footage showed that at least 13 buildings collapsed, and
landslides blocked roads.

Train services around Liuzhou were canceled or delayed.

中文中文

可以嗎

French President Emmanuel Macron has kicked off (展開) a visit to Kenya ahead
of a two-day Africa Forward Summit.

The gathering, which starts today, is meant to showcase France’s new policy
for the continent, in what Paris describes as a partnership of equals
(平等夥伴關係).

The summit comes after French troops completed their withdrawal (撤軍) from
West Africa last year.

On Sunday, Kenya and France signed 11 agreements involving investments in
various sectors, including an ambitious nuclear energy plant, modernized
transport, and sustainable agriculture.

銝剜?? ?臭誑??
皜祈岫皜拽br/>
Researchers in Dublin have uncovered the oldest surviving English poem in a
Roman library.

The poem, "Caedmon??s Hymn," was composed in Old English by a Northumbrian
worker in the seventh century.

It appears within the Latin text "Ecclesiastical (??????) History of the English
People" by the monk known as the Venerable Bede.

The discovery highlights the diffusion of the English language centuries
earlier than previously believed.

The manuscript had a complex history, traveling across Europe and the
Atlantic before being found in Rome's public library.

The library's digitization (?訾???) efforts may lead to more discoveries.

The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Xin-yi Line, from Xiang-shan (象山)
to Guang-ci (廣慈) Station is expected to open for operations by the end of
June.

The 1.4-kilometer section passed its preliminary inspection on the weekend.

But the Taipei City officials said four deficiencies still need to be
corrected before the project can be submitted to the Transport Ministry for a
final inspection.

The improvements mainly involve station and tunnel facilities and signage, as
well as fire safety inspections, and should be complete in a month.

Officials said the project is considered one of the most challenging metro
construction projects in Taipei Metro history because excavation reached
depths equivalent to nearly 10 underground floors.

As the area surrounding the Guang-ci Station is densely populated, city
officials say in the future there'll be the YouBike system and connecting bus
routes to make commuting even more convenient.

(JL)

In response to increased complaints, New Taipei's Agriculture Bureau said
district offices have already listed shade improvements at parks as a
priority project.

The Bureau said if district offices lack sufficient funding, the city’s
Landscape Engineering Office will provide priority subsidies.

New Taipei city councilor Chen Shi-xuan (陳世軒) said a slide at Xin-zhuang's
Happy Park, an all-age inclusive park, can reach temperatures beyond 50
degrees Celsius if it's exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.

Chen said a lack of adequate shade design for the park has turned it
unsuitable or even dangerous for children and adults.

He stressed that with climate change, extreme heat will become the norm, and
district offices should moderately relax restrictions on installing shade
facilities in parks.

Meanwhile the Agriculture Bureau said parks can achieve shading effects by
planting north-south rows of large trees.

Officials said 11 parks and playgrounds were identified as needing improved
shade coverage last year, and work on nine of those has already been
completed.

Another nine projects are currently underway this year.

(JL)

The head of the Veteran Affiars Council says, Taiwan must build up reliable
military strength as Chinese threats against Taiwan grow.

Yan De Fa made the comments in regards to funding for Taiwan's domestic
submarine program being frozen or cut.

He emphasized Taiwan's key role as a defender of democracy in the
Asia-Pacific region, saying that Taiwan must maintain free democracy.

(AH)

Former U-K health minister Wes Streeting says he will challenge Prime
Minister Keir Starmer in any leadership contest.

The statement comes days after he stepped down and urged Starmer to set a
timetable for his departure

Streeting has described Britain's 2016 referendum decision to leave the
European Union as "a catastrophic mistake" that had made the country its
weakest since before the Industrial Revolution .. and the U0K should seek to
rejoin the bloc.

Starmer opposed Britain leaving the E-U but as prime minister has rejected
trying to rejoin or to make major concessions on areas like immigration,
which the E-U sees as essential for much closer economic ties.

Starmer has rejected calls to step down after his party suffered a heavy
defeat in local elections.

remarks

President Lai Ching-te says Taiwan "will never be sacrificed or traded away"
- as the government and the D-P-P continue to respond to remarks by U-S
President Donald Trump last week following his meeting China's Xi Jinping.

Lai said ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has long been a
broad consensus and shared interest of Taiwan, the United States and all
democratic countries around the world.

Lai used social media to describe what he called the "greatest consensus"
among Taiwan's people ..

.... including the position that the Republic of China and the People's
Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, that Taiwan's
sovereignty must not be infringed upon or annexed, and that Taiwan's future
should be decided by its people.

Lai went on to claim that his points of consensus "are also the status quo"
his government is seeking to defend, and there is no so-called 'Taiwan
independence issue."

In an interview with Fox News aired last Friday, Trump said that he did not
want to see Taiwan declare independence, but instead hoped to see tensions
eased between Taiwan and China.

Trump also said his administration is weighing a new round of weapons sales
to Taiwan, but stopped short of saying whether he would approve the package.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung will be attending events organized by the
government and N-G-O's in Geneva this week to coincide with the upcoming
World Health Assembly.

Lin is Taiwan's first top diplomat to have visited the Swiss city during the
annual meeting of the global health body.

The foreign minister says he has already attended two events there with
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang.

Lin took part in an annual symposium organized by the European Federation of
Taiwan Health Alliance and a banquet hosted by the health ministers and
permanent representatives of allied nations in Geneva.

The traveling diplomat said although Taiwan was not invited to participate in
the W-H-A again this year, it has never been absent from the critical moments
whenever the global public health system needs Taiwan.

Taiwan's representative office in Geneva, says Lin and Shih also held a press
event on Sunday to release a government-produced promotional video calling
for Taiwan's inclusion in the W-H-A.

The 79th W-H-A is scheduled to take place in Geneva from today through
Sunday.

Lawmakers are slated to vote tomorrow on a motion to impeach President Lai
Ching-te.

This, after Lai failed to attend legislative review sessions on an
impeachment motion against him ahead of a final vote.

The impeachment drive was initiated by the K-M-T and the Taiwan People's
Party ..

They accuse Lai of breaching the Constitution after Premier Zhu Rong-tai
refused to countersign amendments passed by lawmakers to a fiscal revenue
allocation law.

The K-M-T stressed that no one in the Republic of China is above the law and
it is unacceptable that a president elected through democracy who is
unwilling to accept its constraints.

While the T-P-P says the impeachment bid is aimed as being a "wake up" call
for the the president.

D-P-P lawmakers boycotted the review sessions after charging the opposition
with turning a political dispute into an impeachment matter.

However, D-P-P lawmakers are slated to attend tomorrow's vote to formally
oppose the motion.

The impeachment is expected to fail - as the K-M-T and T-P-P hold a combined
62 seats - which falls short of the two-thirds majority required to refer the
case to the Constitutional Court.

It comes as Lai will be marking the halfway point of his four year term on
Wednesday.

The Shilin District Prosecutors' Office has detained the son of television
personalities Sun Peng and Di Ying over allegations related to a homemade
flamethrower and weapons possession.

Sun An-tso is suspected of offenses that include public intimidation,
endangering public safety, and illegal possession of a non-standard shotgun
and imitation firearms.

Prosecutors further argued that Sun could collude with others, tamper with
evidence and interfere with witnesses if he isn't detained.

Sun was seen in a video circulated on social media showing individuals
testing a flamethrower-like device near a riverside area in Taipei.

Prosecutors and police searched Sun's residences of Sun on Saturday... they
seized a shoulder-mounted flamethrower device, fuel hoses, industrial gas
cylinders, a modified shotgun, imitation firearms and marijuana.

Another suspect has has been released on bail of 30,000 N-T.

Sun drew international attention in 2018 after being arrested in the U-S over
threats linked to a planned school shooting.

He later pleaded guilty to terroristic threats and weapons-related charges
before he was deported back to Taiwan.

And,

The Central Weather Administration's Seismological Center is warning that
aftershocks of between magnitudes 4 and 4.5 could be felt over the coming
week, after yesterday's magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Nantou County.

The quake struck at 8:46AM and was centered some 33-kilometers east-northeast
of Nantou County Hall at a depth of 15-kilometers.

It was felt strongest in Nantou's Puli Township, where it measured a 4 on the
weather administration's intensity scale.

The earthquake was caused by the northwestward collision of the Philippine
Sea Plate with the Eurasian Plate ..

Its epicenter was located in an area with relatively active seismic activity,
where long-term stress accumulation and fracturing in geological formations
triggered the quake.

The center says the quake has been regarded as a single, isolated seismic
event, but that aftershocks could still occur.

Data shows there have been 15 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or above within a
30-kilometer radius of Sunday's epicenter since 2000, with the most recent
one occurring in 2021.

The son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has won a steering role in his
father's political party.

Yasser Abbas won a seat in elections for the Fatah Central Committee... the
party's highest decision-making body.

The party held its first general conference in almost a decade.

Abbas' son's entry into politics has fuelled speculation that the president
may be seeking to position Yasser, 64, to succeed him as head of Fatah.

Mahmoud Abbas remains the party's chairman.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly called for presence of
stronger frontline units on the border with South Korea as a deterrent to
war.

State media reports say Kim made the call during a meeting of divisions and
brigade commanders from across the army.

Kim also called for adjusting the training system and expanding practical
drills to reflect changes in modern warfareand the development of North
Korea's military.

He is also said to have stressed ideological loyalty and vigilance against
what he called the "arch enemy," which is a term North Korea has used for
South Korea.

ICC arrest

Philippine government lawyers are calling on the Supreme Court to reject the
bid of a fugitive Senator who is wanted for crimes against humanity.

Ronald dela oversaw former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-narcotics
crackdown...

He faces the same charges as Duterte, who is set to become the first former
Asian head of state to go on trial in The Hague.

Both have denied wrongdoing.

The Office of the Solicitor General argues that the Philippines may enforce
the ICC warrant under a domestic law which allows authorities to surrender
suspects accused of grave international crimes to international courts for
prosecution.

Dela Rosa evaded arrest on Monday after being granted protection by the
Senate, now headed by a Duterte ally.

Meanwhile,

A North Korean women's soccer team has arrived in South Korea to compete in a
regional tournament.

They are the first visit by North Korean athletes to have traveled to the
South in eight years amid political tensions between the two sides.

A total of 39 players and staff with North Korea's Nae-go-hyang Women's F-C
team arrived at Incheon International Airport aboard a plane from China.

The North Korean team will face South Korea's Su-won FC Women on Wednesday in
the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League
in Suwon City - which is just south of Seoul.

North Korea last sent its athletes to South Korea in December 2018 for a
table tennis event.

Melbourne City F-C and Tokyo Verdy Bel-eza are to face off in the other
semifinal on Wednesday.

The final is set for Saturday at a stadium in Suwon.

---------------------------------------------

In tennis news,

Jannik Sinner has become the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since
Adriano Pan-atta 50 years ago.

The top-ranked Sinner's 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in the final on the
red clay of the Foro Italico on Sunday also made him only the second man
after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 events.

With his only real rival Carlos Alcaraz currently sidelined due to a right
wrist injury seemingly nobody can beat Sinner.

Sinner extended his winning streak to 29 matches.

With many of Sinner's fans dressed in orange. the capacity crowd of 10,500 on
Campo Centrale created a soccer-style atmosphere with chanting and loud
cheers for the player who has become far and away Italy's most popular
athlete.

Sinner is now 17-0 on clay this year entering the French Open.

Roland Garros begins next Sunday.

--------------------------

In Major League news,

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered and scored twice as the Toronto Blue Jays beat
the slumping Detroit Tigers 4-1.

Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz homered as the Tampa Bay Rays earned their
18th win in their past 22 games with a 6-3 win over the Miami Marlins.

Zack Wheeler pitched seven sparkling innings, and Bryce Harper hit a home run
to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates
and a sweep of the three-game series.

And Kyle Man-zardo homered twice as the Cleveland Guardians connected a
season-high six times in a 10-3 blowout of the Cincinnati Reds.

-----------------------------

England has won a record eighth consecutive Women's Six Nations title and
fifth successive Grand Slam after beating hosts France 43-28.

Unbeaten France with home advantage and backing from its largest ever home
crowd was expected to seriously threaten England's relentless domination of
the championship.

However, England, with only six survivors from its Rugby World Cup champion
team last September, ultimately cruised to the six-try victory.

The English team has now extended its world record winning streak to 38
matches which won't be challenged again until September when they host No.
2-ranked New Zealand and No. 3 Canada.

-

And finally,

Former Scotland rugby center Scott Hastings has died.

He was 61.

Hastings played alongside his older brother Gavin for the national team as
well as the British & Irish Lions.

Hastings announced he has been diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

He was the most-capped center in the history of Scotland's men's team after
making 65 appearances from 1986-1997.

Hastings was a member of its Grand Slam-winning team in the Five Nations in
1990 and scored 10 tries for his country.

U.S. President Donald Trump says his patience with Iran is running out.

Trump spoke as he flew back from Beijing after talks with Chinese President
Xi Jinping.

He says he and Xi agreed that Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But Trump says he did not ask China for any favors.

China says the conflict should never have happened and has no reason to
continue.

Iran says it has received messages from Washington about continuing talks.

But Tehran says it does not trust the U.S. and is also ready for more
fighting.

The strait is a key route for global energy shipments, and oil prices rose on
concern over the lack of progress.

(PB)

The DPP and KMT are arguing over how to pay for weapons left out of a special
defense budget bill.

The bill passed last week with a cap of 780-billion NT for U.S.-approved
weapons sales to Taiwan.

But it left out items including drones, unmanned surface vessels,
counter-drone systems and anti-ballistic missiles.

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the Cabinet is weighing three options to cover
those costs.

Those include another special budget bill, a higher 2026 general budget, or a
larger 2026 defense budget.

The DPP says the opposition cut the original plan and forced the government
to find another solution.

The KMT says the funding should go through the 2027 general budget so it can
face fuller public review.

Lawmakers also voted Friday to extend the current legislative session through
the end of August.

(CNA-PB)

Taiwan has launched the 12th and final 600-tonne Anping-class patrol vessel
for the Coast Guard.

The new ship is named Donggang and was christened Friday at a ceremony in
Kaohsiung.

Officials say the launch completes the Anping-class fleet under Taiwan's
indigenous shipbuilding program.

Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling says the program began in 2018 to
build 141 coast guard vessels over 10 years.

She says Taiwan's coast guard now faces growing pressure from gray-zone
activity, Chinese incursions and threats to undersea cables.

Officials say the new vessel can handle patrol, fishery protection and rescue
work in peacetime.

It can also support maritime defense under Taiwan's civil-military
mobilization system when needed.

The Donggang will be deployed with a mobile coast guard unit in eastern
Taiwan to strengthen regional patrols.

(CNA-PB)

The Ministry of National Defense says it detected no Chinese military
aircraft near Taiwan during the latest reporting period.

The report covers the 24 hours from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. today.

It came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held
their final day of talks in Beijing.

The ministry says it did detect eight Chinese naval vessels and one official
vessel around the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's military closely monitored the situation with aircraft, ships and
shore-based missile systems.

Trump left Beijing yesterday afternoon after his final meeting with Xi.

The defense ministry says no flight-path map was issued because no Chinese
military aircraft were detected.

(PB)

Support for same-sex marriage in Taiwan has risen to 54-point-3 percent,
according to a new survey.

The Taiwan Equality Campaign says that is up 12 percentage points from seven
years ago, when same-sex marriage became legal.

Support for transnational same-sex marriage reached 63 percent, while support
for joint adoption by same-sex couples rose to 67-point-2 percent.

The survey also found record support for gender equality education at 75
percent.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents also backed assisted reproduction rights for
female same-sex couples.

The group is urging lawmakers to move faster on proposed legal changes.

The survey also found growing support for LGBTQ-plus people holding public
office and for LGBTQ-friendly workplaces.

(CNA-PB)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia is trying to draw Belarus
deeper into the war.

Zelenskiy says Moscow is considering operations from Belarusian territory.

He says the plans could target northern Ukraine or a NATO country.

Zelenskiy did not provide further details.

Belarus borders Ukraine, as well as NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

There was no immediate response from Moscow or Minsk.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarus for
part of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskiy says Ukraine is preparing a response and strengthening defenses in
the northern Chernihiv and Kyiv regions.

(PB)

Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada says AI could weaken the creative process
behind art.

Fukada made the comments at the Cannes Film Festival, where his new drama,
"Nagi Notes," is premiering.

He says using AI to create artwork or video can skip the human process and
jump straight to the result.

Fukada says that process is important because it helps artists express
themselves and better understand the world.

"Nagi Notes" is set in rural Japan and follows a Tokyo architect who visits a
village to pose for a sculpture.

The film also shows two young boys exploring their feelings for each other.

Fukada says he hopes future audiences will see characters of all sexual
orientations as a normal part of dramas.

"Nagi Notes" is competing for Cannes' top Palme d'Or prize.

(PB)

The Centers for Disease Control says a New Zealand cruise passenger linked to
a rare hantavirus outbreak poses no risk to the local community.

Officials say the passenger tested negative for both PCR and antibody tests
for the Andes strain.

The case is tied to an outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, where
11 cases and three deaths have been reported.

The passenger arrived in Taiwan on May 7 after leaving the ship in late April.

Health officials say the person has shown no symptoms and is being kept under
enhanced health management in a hospital room until June 6.

The CDC says the next week is still important because most infected patients
develop symptoms within 25 days of exposure.

Authorities also say no other passengers or contacts from the cruise ship are
currently in Taiwan.

(CNA-PB)

TSMC plans to sell part of its stake in Vanguard International Semiconductor,
or V-I-S.

The company says it may sell up to 152-million VIS shares through block
trades to financial institutions.

That would cut TSMC's holding in VIS by 8-point-1 percentage points, from the
current 27-point-1 percent.

TSMC says the move will help it focus resources on its core businesses.

The company adds that its strategic cooperation with VIS will stay in place.

That includes outsourcing silicon interposer production and licensing gallium
nitride process technology.

TSMC also says it does not plan to sell more VIS shares in the near term.

(CNA-PB)

Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing says Starlink has not made Taiwan a
high-priority market.

Lin says Starlink believes Taiwan's 4G and 5G networks already cover more
than 99-percent of the population.

He says Starlink earlier insisted on operating in Taiwan as a fully owned
company.

But Taiwan law limits direct foreign ownership in telecom businesses to
49-percent.

Lin says the ministry is still communicating with Starlink.

He says Amazon LEO is preparing to launch commercial service worldwide in the
first half of next year, including Taiwan.

Amazon is working with local agents and has not asked Taiwan to change the
law.

Lin says low-Earth-orbit satellite service is a commercial issue, but it also
affects Taiwan's communications resilience and national security.

(PB)

U.S. President Donald Trump has left Beijing after two days of talks with
Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Reuters reports the visit ended with no major breakthroughs on trade or the
war involving Iran.

Trump praised Xi during the visit, and Xi is expected to visit the U.S. this
fall.

But Xi also warned that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict.

Trump says Xi told him he opposes Taiwan independence, but Trump says he made
no commitment either way.

Trump also says he will soon decide on a pending arms sale to Taiwan.

The two sides announced plans for new trade and investment boards, but
details were limited.

A Boeing deal also fell short of expectations, with China agreeing to buy 200
jets.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington's Taiwan policy remains
unchanged.

(PB)

BRICS foreign ministers have ended two days of talks in New Delhi without a
joint statement.

Reuters reports host India released only a chair's statement, pointing to
divisions over the war in Iran.

Iran wanted BRICS to condemn U.S.-Israeli attacks and accused the United Arab
Emirates of involvement.

The UAE rejected the allegations and said it reserves the right to respond to
threats.

India's statement says members had different views on the situation in the
Middle East.

It says ministers called for dialogue, respect for sovereignty and protection
of civilian lives and infrastructure.

The bloc also called on developing countries to work together on global
challenges.

BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt,
Iran and the UAE.

(PB)

Chinese President Xi Jinping used strong rhetoric regarding Taiwan during his
summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which is rare in a diplomatic sense.

Xi told Trump that any mishandling of that critical issue could lead to
conflict and push China-U.S. relations into an “extremely dangerous
situation”.

Wen-ti Sung, a Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub,
has this to say about Xi's remarks.


Meanwhile U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy
toward Taiwan was "unchanged."

He also framed Xi's comments as standard practice.

(TB)

Several Democratic U.S. senators are urging President Donald Trump to move
forward with a 14-billion US dollar arms sale to Taiwan.

The call came after Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump says he and Xi talked a lot about Taiwan, but he made no commitment on
the issue.

He also says he will soon decide on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Democratic senators say they are concerned the two leaders discussed
Washington's legal duty to help Taiwan defend itself.

They are calling on the Trump administration to formally notify Congress
about the sale.

Congress had pre-approved the package in January.

The senators say Congress will keep backing Taiwan and oppose attempts to
change the status quo by force or coercion.

(PB)

The junior high school entrance exam is taking place today and tomorrow, as
southern Taiwan faces hot weather.

The Central Weather Administration has issued a yellow high-temperature
warning for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

It says people should watch for temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius or higher.

Weather expert Wu Der-rong says the weather is improving as a front moves
south to the Bashi Channel.

He says eastern Taiwan may see some showers, while central and southern areas
may see afternoon thunderstorms.

Wu says southern Taiwan could reach 36 degrees today, and tomorrow will feel
like summer.

He says the weather will stay mostly stable and hot through next week.

(PB)

The Pentagon has canceled plans to deploy 4-thousand U.S. troops to Poland.

Reuters reports the decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers in both
parties.

Army Acting Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve confirmed the move
during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

But he gave few details, saying only that it made the most sense not to send
the brigade.

Some lawmakers say Congress was not notified or consulted.

They say the move sends a bad message to U.S. allies and adversaries.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says he has received assurances that
Poland's security will not be affected.

The decision comes as the U.S. reviews its troop presence in Europe and
pushes NATO allies to spend more on defense.

(PB)

Peru's presidential race is heading to a June runoff between leftist Roberto
Sanchez and right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori.

Official results show Fujimori won the first round with just over 17-percent
of the vote.

Sanchez narrowly took second place with about 12-percent.

He finished around 21-thousand votes ahead of conservative candidate Rafael
Lopez Aliaga.

Sanchez says Peru needs a broad democratic coalition and may announce his
cabinet next week.

Fujimori is promising to crack down on crime, one of voters' top concerns.

The long vote count led to fraud claims, but European Union observers say
they found no concrete evidence.

Analysts warn the runoff could be sharply polarized, with many Peruvians
looking for more moderate leadership.

(PB)